Tips for improving action shots on EOS R

[MajorJohnny]

Hi all

I currently hobby with pet photography.

One of the things I’m struggling with is that my EOS R does not pick up animal faces or eyes using the AF system - instead it usually focuses to their noses - I use third party lenses so not sure if this would improve if I were to use RF or native lenses but it does not pick up animal eyes or faces at all! (Anyone similar or have ideas on how this can be more accurate? On the latest firmware update)

I would love to improve with action shots, and eventually invest in a 70-200mm lens for such.

Does anyone have any good YouTube videos or any other helpful information to get me started with action shots?

My biggest struggle is getting the focus on action shots without being able to use face tracking.

Thank you all

[Waddizzle]

Google found the link below, and 2.25 million others, in 0.51 seconds.  It is a video on the CanonUSA YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcHmG0Ck89M 

If you do not have a copy of the full User Manul, then I strongly suggest that you download it from the EOS R Product Support page.  This is the same product support page where you downloaded Canon software, and can get the latest firmware.

The basic AF systems in cameras have traditionally focused on the closest object to the camera, which in the case of pets may often times work out to be their noses.  You can use this AF behavior to your advantage or disadvantage.

More recently, cameras have added a new wrinkle into the mix, Face Recognition and Eye AF.  Understanding how these work begins with a good understanding of the basics of how AF systems function.  

You do not have a "point and shoot" camera.  You have a "think and shoot" camera.

[BurnUnit]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

You do not have a "point and shoot" camera.  You have a "think and shoot" camera.

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Can you imagine some of the manufacturers referring to their better models as being "Think and Shoot" cameras?

Nope... Neither can I.

[Waddizzle]

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@BurnUnit wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

You do not have a "point and shoot" camera.  You have a "think and shoot" camera.

---

Can you imagine some of the manufacturers referring to their better models as being "Think and Shoot" cameras?

Nope... Neither can I.

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Using that phrase in a marketing campaign would probably be a disaster.  However, it is a fact when it comes to interchangeable lens camera bodies.

[John_SD]

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@BurnUnit wrote:

Can you imagine some of the manufacturers referring to their better models as being "Think and Shoot" cameras?

Nope... Neither can I.

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Agreed, they would never advertise their cameras as "think and shoot." They'd lose all their customers whose photography skills amounts to "Set it to A and forget it."

[kvbarkley]

First, lower your expectations. Not all action shots will be keepers. You might want to set continuous shutter so you can take multiple shots at the same time. It appears that your depth of field might be too small, too. You need to get your Aperture up to f/5.6 or f/8. You may need to up the ISO so you can *also* get fast shutter speed.

[Waddizzle]

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@MajorJohnny wrote:

Hi all

I currently hobby with pet photography.

One of the things I’m struggling with is that my EOS R does not pick up animal faces or eyes using the AF system - instead it usually focuses to their noses - I use third party lenses so not sure if this would improve if I were to use RF or native lenses but it does not pick up animal eyes or faces at all! (Anyone similar or have ideas on how this can be more accurate? On the latest firmware update)

I would love to improve with action shots, and eventually invest in a 70-200mm lens for such.

Does anyone have any good YouTube videos or any other helpful information to get me started with action shots?

My biggest struggle is getting the focus on action shots without being able to use face tracking.

Thank you all

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What lens or lenses are you using?

What shooting mode are you using?  And, what are the exposure settings?

What AF Operation mode are you using?  And, what shooting drive mode are you using?

What AF point(s) do you have selected to be active?

[wq9nsc]

I shoot primarily sports and my setup is manually set f stop (to get the depth of field I want) and shutter speed (usually the minimum to reliably freeze motion) with ISO set to auto so that a standard exposure is achieved by the camera varying ISO automatically.  This takes care of avoiding motion blur and having so little depth of field that the entire desired subject isn't in focus.

For the most part, I use servo AF with a single micro AF point but in your case it sounds like your subject is often still so you MAY be able to use one shot instead of servo AF.  But in either case get used to putting the focus point where you want it.  You can either move the focus point to put it on the eyes but I don't suggest this for "models" that you can't control.  I set a single focus point near the middle of the frame and put this on the subject's eye and then lock focus and reframe after focusing on the eyes. 

Many people use the back button focus to start AF in order to provide focus control and lock but my preference is to use the back button only when I want to stop focus.  All of my 1DX bodies are set up where  the shutter button starts the AF system when pressed half way (the factory default setup) and I have the rear AF button reassigned to stop focus when pressed.  I chose this system because most of the time I have no need to freeze focus so the single button for AF/shutter is more convenient for me and this rear stop focusing button provides the same utility with my smaller glass as the focus stop buttons around the barrel of my great white primes which is very handy.

Rodger