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AV setting to recognise movement 5D MK3

davidw1
Contributor

Hi I may be looking for something that doesn't exist, but here goes. Is there any case setting in the AF settings which recognises movement and focuses on the object moving. i'm struggling with small birds flying in front of objects . The af system picks up the objeCTs rather than the bird.

Cheers,

DW

10 REPLIES 10

wq9nsc
Authority
Authority

I assume that you are panning to follow the birds and the problem occurs when a fixed object comes into frame as you pan, for a static situation you could choose a set of focus points that exclude the fixed object.

 

See page 85 in your manual, a combination of the right AI servo case and the proper array of focus points with careful tracking should improve your results.  If you continue tracking on the bird(s) then case 2 may be the best choice for your situation.

EOS 1DX M3, 1DX M2, 1DX, 5DS R, M6 Mark II, 1D M2, EOS 650 (film), many lenses, XF400 video

diverhank
Authority

@davidw1 wrote:

Hi I may be looking for something that doesn't exist, but here goes. Is there any case setting in the AF settings which recognises movement and focuses on the object moving. i'm struggling with small birds flying in front of objects . The af system picks up the objeCTs rather than the bird.

Cheers,

DW


You might want to read this AF Guide...I think case 2 or 3 might solve your problem.

 

5d_mark_iii/AF_guide

 

 

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Diverhank's photos on Flickr

coachboz68
Enthusiast

@davidw1 wrote:

Hi I may be looking for something that doesn't exist, but here goes. Is there any case setting in the AF settings which recognises movement and focuses on the object moving. i'm struggling with small birds flying in front of objects . The af system picks up the objeCTs rather than the bird.

Cheers,

DW


I think you are asking like the Live View video tracking, where you lock focus on something and it will track it as it moves and try to maintain focus automatically.  That does not exists for stills on my 1DXII.  Even in Live View mode with face tracking on, while it will track the face, I still have to ensure I set the focus before shooting the still.  I have not found a way for stills to use AI Servo with Face Tracking in Live View mode to maintain constant focus on my 1DXII, though for some reason I thought I read somewhere it would do that on the 5Ds... but I could definitely be wrong about that as I have only read my model's manual.  I think you will have to work with a combination of the Cases and the various AF point selection modes to optimize your bird tracking.  

 

 

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

5D III supports this.

 

1)  Switch the camera to "AI Servo" AF mode.

2)  Switch the AF area selection to use the full area.

 

You get to define the initial AF point that it will use when it starts tracking but it will track and use all the points once it picks up your target from the initial point.  You use the little thumb-joystick to move that initial point around. 

 

You can also set the tracking behavior based on the instructions of in the AF Guidebook (the various “cases”).

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

Thanks for all the suggestions. iIm having more trouble when a bird is coming towards me, particulalry a small bird, with say trees behind.  I seem to get a point near the bird in focus but not always the bird. Maybe i can use a single point AF but then it's hit or miss to get the point on a moving animal.

Adain, many thanks,

David

A small bird flying towards you at speed with high contrast background is an extremely difficult subject for any autofocus system. Single point or single point with expansion will probalby work best for this scenario and you may also improve your odds if you manually set the focus ring so that the focus is just short of where you expect the bird to come into view.  With these settings and preset there is a better chance that it will lock onto the bird rather than the background.  As you spend more time doing this your ability to track (and correctly anticipate) some of the bird's path changes will improve.

 

To me a large part of the fun of photography is getting good images under these difficult conditions. If you just wanted a picture of a specific bird all you need is Google so the process itself is a major part of the hobby. Another hobby of mine is amateur radio operation but it will never be as fun for me as when I first got my license back in the 1970s.  At that time you would put your transmitter on the air at a time and place improving the odds of a response from a rare location but with no assurance of success.  One of my more memorable early contacts was when a station from a small group of Islands in the Indian Ocean came back to me. Today people use "spotting lists" from the internet and with your radio connected to the PC it automatically tunes to the correct frequency which to me is about as fun and challenging as shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Even as you improve your technique and gain experience you won't be successful with every shot but you will certainly cherish the good ones and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.

EOS 1DX M3, 1DX M2, 1DX, 5DS R, M6 Mark II, 1D M2, EOS 650 (film), many lenses, XF400 video

"Maybe i can use a single point AF but then it's hit or miss to get the point on a moving animal."

 

In you case single, center AF point is best.  Actually it is best most of the time.  Trying to shoot small birds that are mixed in with a lot of small branches may be impossible with any setting.  Remember that once it attains focus at half press it stays there.  You have to let go fo it to re-focus.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

You mentioned Av.  You also mentioned 5d3 but you did not mention what lens you are using?

 

Your choice of Av can help, too.  Basically the smaller aperture you can use the better the DOF will be.  This means you can have a broader range that is still in acceptable focus. I use a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens on a 1Dx. 

Set the ISO to a higher number, 1600 or 3200, so you can use a smaller aperture like f11.

 

Another thing is how you go about shooting birds.  Sitting quietly maybe even shooting from a blind will make a big difference.

Close is gooder Smiley Happy than far away, too.

 

This shot was from a blind.  400mm lens about 25 feet from the subject.

 

EOS13916-97.jpg

 

 

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

Thanks again. I hadn't thought of the aperture and resulting DOF. I shall try using the single point focus within a 61 point area, and try an aperture of f8 or f11 light permitting. I'm using primarily a canon 70-200 lens f4 max. 

cheers

Davd W

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