This has been a game-changer for tracking fast moving subjects. Works for wildlife, as well as sports photography. Thanks SO MUCH, Brent! Your videos are a blessing.
Its funny I use exact same combo where AF-ON is for regular back button and * is for eye AF! One thing though, out of videos I have seen, you probably explained it very nicely, patiently and clearly that even new users would be able to understand!
Completely agree! I had my R5 just for the last two weekends and it was very similar experience with the animal eye AF - it works in 1% of the cases at best. The animal eye AF works only when a large bird such as a Canada goose sits still in a pond about 20-30 yards away. Anything smaller and/or moving either has to be in the open (crows and vultures flying in the clear blue sky) or REALLY close - less than 5-10 yards away. It also fails in any situation with less than amazing light and contrast. I started with putting animal eye AF onto the AF-ON button in hopes of using it more frequently than spot metering that I initially put onto the star button that is a little harder to operate (thumb position on it feels a little less natural for me). After four days of very consistent animal eye AF failure, I switched the buttons.
Brent, this video has allowed me to capture stunning hummingbird shots thank you. I have watched it twice and awe you a debt of gratitude. I was lost when I first got R5 but now have it dialed. Thank you!
Hi Brent I'm in the UK and recently bought the Canon R5. I've just been following your video on how to set up the dual back button focus and now have my camera set up the same as you. I would like to thank you for kindly explaining the various settings and I now look forward to going out into the field and practising with your suggested settings. Many thanks Mike
Usually I never use back button focus for regular photography. Coming from the M5 I used Touch&drag and the shutter button to focus. But now with the R6 and the 600mm f/11 I'm going to try your method for birds etc. Nice thing about the R6 is that I programmed your AF settings onto C1 custom mode so I'm able to quickly apply them without the menu. When going back to the street photography in like Fv mode I have my old and trusted "normal" method back again. Will see how all that turns out over time. I just don't like to compose street shots with touch and drag and THEN have to reach over to another button with the thumb - I'd rather just leave the thumb on the display completely.
So good to hear someone say that the amazing eye tracking is not always amazing, all these reviews you see on you tube never state the negatives. I was missing so many opportunities as the lens just kept hunting. Dual back button focus has really helped the keeper rate. Thank you Brent, your content is really great. Would be great if you could do a quick video on assigning this to a custom setting so I could use the camera for other genres other than wildlife. I’m reluctant to change settings in case I stuff it up.
I've been taking photos for awhile and consider myself a "seasoned photographer", but I always struggled learning the function of the back button focus. I really enjoyed this video because you articulated the dual back button focusing pretty simply. I just hit the subscribe button on you tube and started to follow you on Instagram. Thank you!
Thank you. I shot 2161 photos this AM (oops 20 fps!) and was frustrated by the mediocre keeper rate, I was taking pictures of people at an event, and what with distance and complex backgrounds the R6 let me down. I know from 56 yrs fiddling with cameras that THIS is what I need to be doing. So, I am very grateful - thanks. Use single-point focus unless you think auto eye focus will do a good job. Makes sense!
Thank you so much for suggesting these settings. I'm about to take 14 students to Namibia and just bought the RF 100-500 lens to go with the R5 for this trip. I've been playing with the lens and was frustrated with eye detect and tracking for exactly the reasons you brought up. I'm going to try your settings. Again, thank you.
This is precisely what I needed to solve both studio and wildlife shots. I was shooting a Great Blue Heron yesterday and the eye focus kept drifting to other things. This is perfect. Thank you!
Hey Brent. I've finally purchased the R5 and I find your tutorials to be extremely helpful. I didn't configure my hotkeys the same way you did, but your video still helped me figure out what exactly I needed to do. Great work, please keep them coming!
Mike the maven had a tip just like this too....knowing to set your r6 or r5 ..like this and LEARNING how to use it really changes the shooting experence....especially with moving objects (people animale kids lol)...simply an awsome auto focuse system ...have fun shooting...
New R6. Your settings match my shooting environment. Thanks for taking the time to walk us through your settings. First day's results have been fantastic. Thanks
Wow! That was so informative! Thank you so much. I have been shooting wildlife and landscape with Canon EOS5D Mark ii for 10 years or so and just ordered the R5. It hasn't arrived yet, but when it does I'll be ready with your recommendations. There is nothing more frustrating than dropping $3400 only to find that your old HEAVY camera works better because you don't have your settings down. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this video!!!!
This video has simplified my settings for bird photography, specially the Eye (animal) detection. As a Fv addict, those are all the settings I need. Thanks Brent.
I think I am set up now to give this a try. I just got my camera (R6) a month ago. And reached the point of being puzzled by the AF for birds in shrubbery. So now will give this a try. My previous camera was a Canon D50 -- so very old technology comparatively. I had to hit pause and repeat numerous times to follow the the setting sequence, but finally got it. Thanks.
@@BrentHall For a newbie to all these electronic menus, it would help if you talked through your clicks. I got it finally by matching the screens (which are great) and now I just have to train my thumb! But I definitely get the concept. I was trying to capture a sharp-shinned hawk in my garden and was manually shifting back and forth from point to eye detect to try to make it work. I used to only have the point option on my old camera and that is what I used to nail the birds in the vegetation. So this is great.
You can also set a very specific AF method the same way, it's just further on the list. I set my 3 thumb buttons long time ago to be: 1: Regular tracking 2: single point AF servo 3: eye tracking Having regular tracking on the list helps a lot, I use single point only if the first one fails to hook, then switch for an eye if I am sure it will grab it. Most of the times regular tracking works great as it just looks for head or body, and if not found it grabs the "pattern/shape" you initialy pointed and just follows it.
Outstanding video. Taking pics in the Everglades and the settings you describe are spot-on for my shots with EOS R6. Changing from Face and Tracking to Spot AF were a key differentiator to not have the lens continue to "hunt" or lock into a tail or other distinguishing mark on the wildlife. While the autofocus and tracking of this camera are off-the-charts, the photographer is still responsible for directing the focus to the area of greatest interest. Don't expect the camera or lens to find an animal's eye in the context of tall grass, branches, etc. Excellent instruction Brent. Thank you.
Hi Brent, another very useful video. I had an R5 over the weekend and was using the double back button focus in the same way you describe - with the * button initiating animal eye AF. I found that another way to avoid the animal eye AF hunting all around the scene to find an initial subject is to 'select initial servo AF point' - which places a small rectangular area in the centre of the viewfinder - if you can get that over the bird then the intelligent AF should take over and continue tracking the subject.
Thank you! 🙏🏻 This is very helpful in my work with actors on stage and weddings. That quick access to eye AF without it being on all the time is awesome!
I just purchased my R5 and waiting for it to arrive. Currently I have the 5d Mark iii and have been using it for seven years but now I am ready to make the jump to mirrorless. This video will definitely help in setting up my camera. I have been a landscape photographer and find myself gravitating towards wildlife.
I'm waiting to get my R6 + 800mm. This is such a helpful video! I'll be ready to hit the ground running when they arrive, rather than getting discouraged right off the bat. You did a good job showing how to set the camera up and gave us the WHY for those real world scenarios. Thanks!
Great video! Very informative, I also found that you don't need to disable AF start on the shutter button but instead I keep it as is and then set the eyeAF for back button focus, so now I don't need dual back button focus I just use the normal af shutter and then back button af for eyes, if I press down the back button then the shutter button turns into just shutter and uses the eye af for focus
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I've had my R6 (from a 6D) for one week and was really struggling with how to work through the eye-tracking settings. This was a breakthrough for me, excellent! I am now a subscriber.
I didn’t believe you that I would be using the spot as much or more than the Eye AF. But I am. There are so many times when focus is not optimal like deer at dusk, and its so easy to get that sharpness by shifting the focus with my thumb to spot and then letting Eye AF take over. Or when the combination of foliage or dusk makes it impossible for the AF to distinguish an eye that I can see because I know I’m looking at--amazing. Thank you.
Great info. I just got my R5 and was excited to have the eye detection, then ran into the same problem. Now it’s all good. Just need to retrain the thumb! Thanks Bro!
Thank you. I shoot a lot of insects on my flowers and have been having that exact issue. I will test this out and see how it works. There are multiple videos on how to set up, but you explained well, why it needs to be this way.
great video for setting it up! Heres a cool tip, if you press the "Q" button you can toggle through the menus as a whole rather than going through each individual sub-menu to get to the next. A sub of mine let me know this so I figured Id share since its saved me so much time!
Thank you Brent, that was exactly what I needed to know! I never would've thought of having dual back button focus. Thank you again, this is really helpful.
Thanks - same issue. Focus point moving all over - too many wasted shots from the BdA - 2-3-21. I will try your suggestions later today. I shoot 5DIVs and the R5 was a big change - still trying to decide if I like the EVF. A complete setup video with an index would be great - I learn much more from your videos and others than all of the info put out by Canon as usual. Thanks
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have the R6 and was having so much trouble focusing. This is my first time playing with back button controls so this was a HUGE leap for me. Love your tutorial!!!
Great video thanks, really like the clear way you explain things, and you seem like a really nice and humble guy, which is rare on YT these days! I've just upgraded from a 6D and with my new R6 hoping to get more involved in wildlife photography, so I'll be watching more of your videos for tips.
Fantastic tips ! You use of the star button with eye AF makes perfect senses. I was using it in the opposite way (star -> focus point) and struggling a lot, your great explanation clears my all my doubts. Thank you very much ! 😊
I've been using BBF for several years and love it. The double button is new to me, but makes perfect sense. By the way this video that you have produced is far better and easier to follow than several that I've watched in the last few days. Just got the R5 yesterday and I was excited to try it out, but didn't get but a couple of decent photos out of 60-70. I'm re-setting it now and will go try again. Thanks for making an easy to follow video on this complicated machine.
Brent, Thank you for4 your explanation of how to se3t up my Canon R6. Your tutorial was by-far the clearest and most understandable of all the ones I have seen on TH-cam. Alex
Dude.... U got it going on! Thanks so much! Got my R5 7 days ago..... Learned more from this vid than 40 hrs of other vids! Hope you do really well on the tube!
Man, this really helps. I just got an R5 and I could not figure out how to set just traditional BBAF withOUT the Eye Detect but being able to have both at just the slight motion of your thumb is really handy. Thank You!!
Great video. Too many people out there right now growing frustrated and not knowing how to make their cameras work for them. The animal eye AF is an incredibly valuable feature when used properly or if you know what you need to do in order to assist it.
Thanks Kevin! That's definitely a true story. It's an amazing feature, but it's not perfect and it's certainly not something to try to depend solely on to get good shots, but if you have it set up right, and know when to use it, it can be just incredible at certain times.
Mine was already set like this for a few months, there are many video's out there on YT who tell the same settings you mentioned here It's indeed very simple to work like this, that being said if it's set to eye AF you always have a help AFpoint to set it where ever you want, so it doesn't jump around if you don't want to. But very well explained in this video
I don't have the R5 yet and from this video (7:50) I got the impression that it's not possible to help/override the Eye AF point 🤔. But just like you wrote I have got the impression that you can help/change the Eye AF point by draging on the touch screen. And also while in Eye AF mode it should be possible to change between eyes or subjects by using the joystick. Though it's not clear to me if you can freely move the help AF point (to help Eye AF lock on correctly) by using the joystick instead of the touch screen 🤔.
Such a good video Brent. I have used it a couple of times including just now on my R7 (although the menus are slightly different) and I have recommended it to several others because it is so easy to follow. Keep up the good work.
Great work! I set up my r6 like you suggested and I like it very much! I was trying to figure out how to do that and found your channel. However, Is there a way to set up the (AF-ON) BBAF to use a single focus point in center on (One Shot) focus instead of Servo and leave the Star on eye servo? I come from film days and do best with one spot in the middle, focus and re-compose. That single spot rolling around doesn't help me stay on the eye. Thanks in advance, Gary
Excellent tutorial! I may have missed that function. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a R6 and a "good" lens. My 7DII is long in the tooth but served me well.
Really good practical video that was easy to follow ( unlike a lot of the other stuff that’s out there on the R6. Looking forward to seeing how it works for me (new to wildlife photography)
Great video! I'm not a fan of back button focus, so I set my lens control ring to change the af from face/eye detect to single point. For me this way seems easier. Maybe I should keep practicing your way though.
You will LOVE back button focus after a VERY short time! I'm still working out the kinks of what he's explaining- two different back buttons for different reasons- smart, but working on getting it straight. It did catch me off guard on a wide angle lens, it's harder to realize it isn't focusing with the shutter button but now I'm so used to 'back button' I wonder why they'd ever link the two! That seems as crazy as 'shooting without a card' from the factory! What!
Thank you Brent for this video! I am definitely saving this for reference. I am waiting for my R5 at the moment and very excited to take it out for wildlife and birding.
I just ordered the R5. My favorite thing to shoot is wildlife. So happy I came across this video! Can't wait for the camera to arrive and practice what you've said. I look forward to checking out more of your videos. Thank you for sharing your know how :)
I have the * button and AF-ON buttons setup exactly like yours. ** Note that when you set your AF-ON button to "Metering and AF start", click on the [Info Detail Set] button at the bottom left of that window and double check that all 3 options are set to "Maintain Current Setting". The difference with my setup is that I have the AF Method set to Face Tracking and not Spot AF since we have our initial Servo AF point set for Face Tracking. So when I want to target a bird between branches, I simply aim the AF Point over the bird or the bird's eye and hit the AF-ON button and it'll lock onto the target, if I miss the eye and get the body of the bird, it'll try and find the eye of "that" target. I also have the joystick and touch screen dragging setup just like you too, but honestly, I never use it. I leave my AF point centered and simply lock onto the target then recompose while it's locked. I find that the only time I use the * button is when I do BIF with no obstructions. And for those rare times when I have to be really precise, as there are way too many branches or the subject is really far way, then I hold down the DOF button which I setup for Spot-AF while also holding one of the other two buttons. So you could say I have a triple back button setup.
Yes Dan thats how I have mine set to face tracking and this is the way most other tutorials have it set up. So I actually don't experience the camera focusing on sticks etc the way Brent describes when its set to single point. So I don't actually think Brent has got it right. Like you mine will pick the body or the head of the bird if the eye is obscured, not some random element in the scene like a branch. Set it to face tracking everyone!
Thanks very much Brett - I'd been drive potty by the Eye AF scooting around all over the place, and had hopeless results - off to try out the new settings
Just got my r6 and got it set up! Headed out for a hike and will, as in the wise words of Spyros Heniadis "Go take some damn photos!" :) Thanks for your instruction!!
Brent...I just moved into the R5 from a 5D mark iii, and this video was excellent. I am primarily a wildlife photographer, and stumbled across this today while I was looking for tutorials on the new gear. I was pleased to learn that I had figured out some of these tricks on my own, but even more pleased with the information I learned from you. I cannot wait to get out and see what this camera can produce with the settings you taught me today. You've got a new suscriber to your youtube and follower on instagram. Cheers Erin
You have to use AED in the main AF face tracking menu to use those initial point choices as the custom AED BB shortcut button always uses auto as default and will not use those initial point options.
What I love about my 5D MK 4 is BBF and shutter button focusing all at the same time shutter button is set to the smallest square inside the standard default square. AF-On is set to 9 AF points * button is set to full expansion love it all situations coved. But when I borrowed a R6 from a friend I wanted the single square with the small square inside but you just don't see the small square or a dot.? I'm waiting for the R5 MK2 and a new video on wild life settings Brent ! hope you've been saving some money.
I like whispering wings recommendations: for birds in flight zone area, for perched birds spot, for very close birds eye detection.
This has been a game-changer for tracking fast moving subjects. Works for wildlife, as well as sports photography. Thanks SO MUCH, Brent! Your videos are a blessing.
Hey thanks Chris, I'm glad it helped!
I have watched this video twice because it's so great! Thank you!
Thanks, I'm glad it helped!
Its funny I use exact same combo where AF-ON is for regular back button and * is for eye AF! One thing though, out of videos I have seen, you probably explained it very nicely, patiently and clearly that even new users would be able to understand!
Completely agree! I had my R5 just for the last two weekends and it was very similar experience with the animal eye AF - it works in 1% of the cases at best. The animal eye AF works only when a large bird such as a Canada goose sits still in a pond about 20-30 yards away. Anything smaller and/or moving either has to be in the open (crows and vultures flying in the clear blue sky) or REALLY close - less than 5-10 yards away. It also fails in any situation with less than amazing light and contrast. I started with putting animal eye AF onto the AF-ON button in hopes of using it more frequently than spot metering that I initially put onto the star button that is a little harder to operate (thumb position on it feels a little less natural for me). After four days of very consistent animal eye AF failure, I switched the buttons.
Brent, this video has allowed me to capture stunning hummingbird shots thank you. I have watched it twice and awe you a debt of gratitude. I was lost when I first got R5 but now have it dialed. Thank you!
Hey thanks man, I'm glad to hear the video helped!
Hi Brent I'm in the UK and recently bought the Canon R5. I've just been following your video on how to set up the dual back button focus and now have my camera set up the same as you. I would like to thank you for kindly explaining the various settings and I now look forward to going out into the field and practising with your suggested settings. Many thanks Mike
You bet man, I'm glad I could help!
Usually I never use back button focus for regular photography. Coming from the M5 I used Touch&drag and the shutter button to focus. But now with the R6 and the 600mm f/11 I'm going to try your method for birds etc.
Nice thing about the R6 is that I programmed your AF settings onto C1 custom mode so I'm able to quickly apply them without the menu. When going back to the street photography in like Fv mode I have my old and trusted "normal" method back again. Will see how all that turns out over time. I just don't like to compose street shots with touch and drag and THEN have to reach over to another button with the thumb - I'd rather just leave the thumb on the display completely.
So good to hear someone say that the amazing eye tracking is not always amazing, all these reviews you see on you tube never state the negatives. I was missing so many opportunities as the lens just kept hunting. Dual back button focus has really helped the keeper rate.
Thank you Brent, your content is really great. Would be great if you could do a quick video on assigning this to a custom setting so I could use the camera for other genres other than wildlife. I’m reluctant to change settings in case I stuff it up.
I've been taking photos for awhile and consider myself a "seasoned photographer", but I always struggled learning the function of the back button focus. I really enjoyed this video because you articulated the dual back button focusing pretty simply. I just hit the subscribe button on you tube and started to follow you on Instagram. Thank you!
Hey thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate that, and I'm glad the video helped!
Thank you. I shot 2161 photos this AM (oops 20 fps!) and was frustrated by the mediocre keeper rate, I was taking pictures of people at an event, and what with distance and complex backgrounds the R6 let me down. I know from 56 yrs fiddling with cameras that THIS is what I need to be doing. So, I am very grateful - thanks. Use single-point focus unless you think auto eye focus will do a good job. Makes sense!
Thank you so much for suggesting these settings. I'm about to take 14 students to Namibia and just bought the RF 100-500 lens to go with the R5 for this trip. I've been playing with the lens and was frustrated with eye detect and tracking for exactly the reasons you brought up. I'm going to try your settings. Again, thank you.
You're welcome, I hope it helps! Have fun in Namibia, that sounds amazing!
Hey Brent,
With the latest R5 and Lens firmware, have you made any new changes to the camera settings?
I just received my new R6. Would love an update to this video with the new 1.52 firmware (which I updated my camera to).
This is precisely what I needed to solve both studio and wildlife shots. I was shooting a Great Blue Heron yesterday and the eye focus kept drifting to other things. This is perfect. Thank you!
Glad I could help!
At last!!! Thanks, this is the first video I found that explained the eye tracking so good, keep your finger on it! Thanks a lot
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for watching! :)
Hey Brent. I've finally purchased the R5 and I find your tutorials to be extremely helpful. I didn't configure my hotkeys the same way you did, but your video still helped me figure out what exactly I needed to do. Great work, please keep them coming!
Hey that's awesome, you're gonna love it! Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad my video helped. 🙂
Mike the maven had a tip just like this too....knowing to set your r6 or r5 ..like this and LEARNING how to use it really changes the shooting experence....especially with moving objects (people animale kids lol)...simply an awsome auto focuse system ...have fun shooting...
New R6. Your settings match my shooting environment. Thanks for taking the time to walk us through your settings. First day's results have been fantastic. Thanks
Hey that's awesome, I'm glad the video and settings helped!
Wow! That was so informative! Thank you so much. I have been shooting wildlife and landscape with Canon EOS5D Mark ii for 10 years or so and just ordered the R5. It hasn't arrived yet, but when it does I'll be ready with your recommendations. There is nothing more frustrating than dropping $3400 only to find that your old HEAVY camera works better because you don't have your settings down. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this video!!!!
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped!
Thanks, Birding and being out in the wild is my happiness... This helps tremendously for shooting successfully in the wild with the R5.
You bet Kenneth, I'm glad the video helped! It's definitely my happiness too. :)
This video has simplified my settings for bird photography, specially the Eye (animal) detection. As a Fv addict, those are all the settings I need. Thanks Brent.
I'm glad it helped!
I think I am set up now to give this a try. I just got my camera (R6) a month ago. And reached the point of being puzzled by the AF for birds in shrubbery. So now will give this a try. My previous camera was a Canon D50 -- so very old technology comparatively. I had to hit pause and repeat numerous times to follow the the setting sequence, but finally got it. Thanks.
Thanks Elizabeth, I hope the video helps!
@@BrentHall For a newbie to all these electronic menus, it would help if you talked through your clicks. I got it finally by matching the screens (which are great) and now I just have to train my thumb! But I definitely get the concept. I was trying to capture a sharp-shinned hawk in my garden and was manually shifting back and forth from point to eye detect to try to make it work. I used to only have the point option on my old camera and that is what I used to nail the birds in the vegetation. So this is great.
You can also set a very specific AF method the same way, it's just further on the list.
I set my 3 thumb buttons long time ago to be:
1: Regular tracking
2: single point AF servo
3: eye tracking
Having regular tracking on the list helps a lot, I use single point only if the first one fails to hook, then switch for an eye if I am sure it will grab it. Most of the times regular tracking works great as it just looks for head or body, and if not found it grabs the "pattern/shape" you initialy pointed and just follows it.
Outstanding video. Taking pics in the Everglades and the settings you describe are spot-on for my shots with EOS R6. Changing from Face and Tracking to Spot AF were a key differentiator to not have the lens continue to "hunt" or lock into a tail or other distinguishing mark on the wildlife. While the autofocus and tracking of this camera are off-the-charts, the photographer is still responsible for directing the focus to the area of greatest interest. Don't expect the camera or lens to find an animal's eye in the context of tall grass, branches, etc. Excellent instruction Brent. Thank you.
Hey thanks for the kind words, I appreciate that, and I'm glad the video helped!
Brilliant thankyou. I got my R6 two days ago and it's set up. Already, my pics are sharper with those two buttons working in synch - Amazing
That's awesome, I'm so glad the video helped!
Hi Brent, another very useful video. I had an R5 over the weekend and was using the double back button focus in the same way you describe - with the * button initiating animal eye AF. I found that another way to avoid the animal eye AF hunting all around the scene to find an initial subject is to 'select initial servo AF point' - which places a small rectangular area in the centre of the viewfinder - if you can get that over the bird then the intelligent AF should take over and continue tracking the subject.
Yeah, that helps a lot! I'm pretty sure I showed how to set that up in the video too. :)
Thank you! 🙏🏻 This is very helpful in my work with actors on stage and weddings. That quick access to eye AF without it being on all the time is awesome!
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped!
Clear, precise explanation; I like your fast-pace presentation, gives me time to go out shooting birds!
I just purchased my R5 and waiting for it to arrive. Currently I have the 5d Mark iii and have been using it for seven years but now I am ready to make the jump to mirrorless. This video will definitely help in setting up my camera. I have been a landscape photographer and find myself gravitating towards wildlife.
That's awesome, I hope the video helps!
I'm waiting to get my R6 + 800mm. This is such a helpful video! I'll be ready to hit the ground running when they arrive, rather than getting discouraged right off the bat. You did a good job showing how to set the camera up and gave us the WHY for those real world scenarios. Thanks!
Great video! Very informative, I also found that you don't need to disable AF start on the shutter button but instead I keep it as is and then set the eyeAF for back button focus, so now I don't need dual back button focus I just use the normal af shutter and then back button af for eyes, if I press down the back button then the shutter button turns into just shutter and uses the eye af for focus
Thanks for discussing the dual back button focus. I'm gonna try it for shooting sports.
You bet man, I hope it helps!
I like that you have a r5 and r6 that seems to be the set up for wildlife. Thank you.
i have been looking for such a video for weeks ! thanks a lot !!
You bet man, I'm glad it helped!
Very informative, triple back button is what i have setup for wildlife. Single point- zone tracking and animal eye. Works great.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I've had my R6 (from a 6D) for one week and was really struggling with how to work through the eye-tracking settings. This was a breakthrough for me, excellent! I am now a subscriber.
Sure thing Tim, I'm glad it helped, and thanks for the support!
Thanks just bought the RF 100-500, so looking forward to trying them out, when it stops raining!!
Marvellous for me ! Exactly the real conditions of environnement photo vidéo Si tu lu R5 !!! Tanks à lot !!!
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped!
I didn’t believe you that I would be using the spot as much or more than the Eye AF. But I am. There are so many times when focus is not optimal like deer at dusk, and its so easy to get that sharpness by shifting the focus with my thumb to spot and then letting Eye AF take over. Or when the combination of foliage or dusk makes it impossible for the AF to distinguish an eye that I can see because I know I’m looking at--amazing. Thank you.
Great info. I just got my R5 and was excited to have the eye detection, then ran into the same problem. Now it’s all good. Just need to retrain the thumb! Thanks Bro!
Hey you bet man, I'm glad it helped!
Just what i needed...thankyou! Waiting for my r6 camera! I will be accessing this video again! Thankyou!
I love your videos. I set up the dual back buttons and love them! I can't believe how much of a difference it made for me. Thanks !
Thanks Nancy, I'm glad it helped! It made a big difference for me too. :)
Thank you, I just picked up an R5 and this was very helpful setting it since the canon manuals have become so thin.
You bet Alan, I'm glad it helped!
Thanks Brent. I’ve watched a lot of videos on R 5 settings for bird photography but yours is the best. Increased my keeper ratio tremendously.
Hey thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate that, and I'm glad the video helped!
Thank you. I shoot a lot of insects on my flowers and have been having that exact issue. I will test this out and see how it works. There are multiple videos on how to set up, but you explained well, why it needs to be this way.
Hey thanks, I'm glad it helped!
Thank you for the concise description. I have not been photographing during the pandemic and just got the R5 so your video was a great help.
Sure thing Bill, I'm glad it helped!
Thanks for the tips! This answered my question and addressed the same frustration I had coming from a “dumber” camera without AF/Eye Detect.
great video for setting it up! Heres a cool tip, if you press the "Q" button you can toggle through the menus as a whole rather than going through each individual sub-menu to get to the next. A sub of mine let me know this so I figured Id share since its saved me so much time!
What Q button?
@@Mikkidk2400 on the back of most Canons, it might not be on all, there is a Q button. Yours might not have it. Which camera do you have?
Useful video. Thanks for taking the time to create a video that actually helps people
Thank you Brent, that was exactly what I needed to know! I never would've thought of having dual back button focus. Thank you again, this is really helpful.
You're welcome, I'm so glad it helped!
Thanks - same issue. Focus point moving all over - too many wasted shots from the BdA - 2-3-21. I will try your suggestions later today. I shoot 5DIVs and the R5 was a big change - still trying to decide if I like the EVF. A complete setup video with an index would be great - I learn much more from your videos and others than all of the info put out by Canon as usual. Thanks
Thanks for making this video, I saved it until I bought the R5 and I just used your settings. The autofocus speed and accuracy is amazing!
You bet man, I'm glad the video helped!
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have the R6 and was having so much trouble focusing. This is my first time playing with back button controls so this was a HUGE leap for me. Love your tutorial!!!
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped! 🙂
Great video thanks, really like the clear way you explain things, and you seem like a really nice and humble guy, which is rare on YT these days! I've just upgraded from a 6D and with my new R6 hoping to get more involved in wildlife photography, so I'll be watching more of your videos for tips.
Fantastic tips !
You use of the star button with eye AF makes perfect senses.
I was using it in the opposite way (star -> focus point) and struggling a lot, your great explanation clears my all my doubts.
Thank you very much ! 😊
Hey thanks , I'm glad it was helpful!
I've been using BBF for several years and love it. The double button is new to me, but makes perfect sense. By the way this video that you have produced is far better and easier to follow than several that I've watched in the last few days. Just got the R5 yesterday and I was excited to try it out, but didn't get but a couple of decent photos out of 60-70. I'm re-setting it now and will go try again. Thanks for making an easy to follow video on this complicated machine.
Hey thanks man, I appreciate the kind words, and I hope it helps!
Brent, Thank you for4 your explanation of how to se3t up my Canon R6. Your tutorial was by-far the clearest and most understandable of all the ones I have seen on TH-cam.
Alex
You bet man, I'm glad it helped!
Dude.... U got it going on! Thanks so much! Got my R5 7 days ago..... Learned more from this vid than 40 hrs of other vids! Hope you do really well on the tube!
Hey thanks man, I really appreciate that, and I'm glad the video helped!
Yeah, I figured this out real quick when I got the R5 body. It's a different animal than the DSLRs.
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@@สุขสุข-ภ1ญ Not sure what X means...
Getting my R5 this Friday i can't wait! Thanks for the video
Man, this really helps. I just got an R5 and I could not figure out how to set just traditional BBAF withOUT the Eye Detect but being able to have both at just the slight motion of your thumb is really handy. Thank You!!
I'm glad it helped Jay, have fun with it!
hola hoy me paso dos veces que perdi buenas tomas, mañana comienzo a probar tus recomendaciones 👍🏼 gracias
Got my R6 today and will be setting it up as per your instructions. This videos is so helpful, thank you!
Hey that's awesome Kelly, I'm glad my video helped! Have fun with it. :)
Thanks Brent. Excellent video! Nobody has explained it better!
Wow, thanks for the kind words, I appreciate that! I'm glad the video helped.
Thanks for the great tutorial. Just moved to the r6 from the 5Diii. Big difference and your videos really help with the learning curve.
You're welcome, I'm glad my video helped!
Brent you did an awesome job explaining that set up. Thank You!
Hey thanks Linda, I'm glad it helped!
Totally totally spot on! I just got my camera yesterday and noticed the bird Eye focus problem immediately! Thanks
You bet man, I'm glad it helped!
Excellent and very useful video about setting, thank you !
Great video. Too many people out there right now growing frustrated and not knowing how to make their cameras work for them. The animal eye AF is an incredibly valuable feature when used properly or if you know what you need to do in order to assist it.
Thanks Kevin! That's definitely a true story. It's an amazing feature, but it's not perfect and it's certainly not something to try to depend solely on to get good shots, but if you have it set up right, and know when to use it, it can be just incredible at certain times.
Mine was already set like this for a few months, there are many video's out there on YT who tell the same settings you mentioned here
It's indeed very simple to work like this, that being said if it's set to eye AF you always have a help AFpoint to set it where ever you want, so it doesn't jump around if you don't want to.
But very well explained in this video
I don't have the R5 yet and from this video (7:50) I got the impression that it's not possible to help/override the Eye AF point 🤔. But just like you wrote I have got the impression that you can help/change the Eye AF point by draging on the touch screen.
And also while in Eye AF mode it should be possible to change between eyes or subjects by using the joystick. Though it's not clear to me if you can freely move the help AF point (to help Eye AF lock on correctly) by using the joystick instead of the touch screen 🤔.
Thank You for sharing your knowledge on these settings.. This is really going to help me and I can't wait to try them out!!
You're welcome, I'm glad I could help!
Such a good video Brent. I have used it a couple of times including just now on my R7 (although the menus are slightly different) and I have recommended it to several others because it is so easy to follow. Keep up the good work.
Thanks man, I'm glad it helped!
Thanks, the best explanation of dual button back focus! Works like a charm.
Thank you, I'm so glad it helped!
Great video! The eye detection mode has brought me to the edge of despair. I can finally master it. Thank you very much for this good tip!!!
Your welcome, I'm glad I could help! 🙂
Just arrive the R6 / RF 800 and this video help me with the setup, thanks!!!
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped!
Great work! I set up my r6 like you suggested and I like it very much! I was trying to figure out how to do that and found your channel. However, Is there a way to set up the (AF-ON) BBAF to use a single focus point in center on (One Shot) focus instead of Servo and leave the Star on eye servo? I come from film days and do best with one spot in the middle, focus and re-compose. That single spot rolling around doesn't help me stay on the eye. Thanks in advance, Gary
Excellent tutorial! I may have missed that function. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a R6 and a "good" lens. My 7DII is long in the tooth but served me well.
Thanks Mike, I'm glad it helped! The R6 will be an incredible upgrade from your current setup, for sure. :)
This was super helpful. Thanks! I was not nailing it with animal eye tracking and now I know why and, even better, I know how to improve.
Sure thing Bill, I'm glad it helped!
Really good practical video that was easy to follow ( unlike a lot of the other stuff that’s out there on the R6. Looking forward to seeing how it works for me (new to wildlife photography)
Thanks Tony, I hope it helps!
Very clear and helpful. Just got my R6. Much to learn. Thanks so much.
You bet man, I'm glad it helped!
Great video! I'm not a fan of back button focus, so I set my lens control ring to change the af from face/eye detect to single point. For me this way seems easier. Maybe I should keep practicing your way though.
You will LOVE back button focus after a VERY short time! I'm still working out the kinks of what he's explaining- two different back buttons for different reasons- smart, but working on getting it straight. It did catch me off guard on a wide angle lens, it's harder to realize it isn't focusing with the shutter button but now I'm so used to 'back button' I wonder why they'd ever link the two! That seems as crazy as 'shooting without a card' from the factory! What!
You can set-up multiple focusing modes while still using the front button if you prefer. I switch between front and back button fairly regularly.
Just got an R6 and this video was SO helpful! Thank you!
You bet man, I'm glad it helped!
Brent, as usual you be the man. thanks loads
Thank you Brent for this video! I am definitely saving this for reference. I am waiting for my R5 at the moment and very excited to take it out for wildlife and birding.
You bet man, glad I could help! You're gonna love the R5. :)
I just ordered the R5. My favorite thing to shoot is wildlife. So happy I came across this video! Can't wait for the camera to arrive and practice what you've said. I look forward to checking out more of your videos. Thank you for sharing your know how :)
That's awesome, I hope the video helps, and have fun with it!
Brilliant, this has changed my r6 and my experience. Thanks. Subscribed.
Hey I'm glad it helped, ad thanks for the sub!
Really well explained, we have time to do the settings at same time
I have the * button and AF-ON buttons setup exactly like yours. ** Note that when you set your AF-ON button to "Metering and AF start", click on the [Info Detail Set] button at the bottom left of that window and double check that all 3 options are set to "Maintain Current Setting". The difference with my setup is that I have the AF Method set to Face Tracking and not Spot AF since we have our initial Servo AF point set for Face Tracking. So when I want to target a bird between branches, I simply aim the AF Point over the bird or the bird's eye and hit the AF-ON button and it'll lock onto the target, if I miss the eye and get the body of the bird, it'll try and find the eye of "that" target. I also have the joystick and touch screen dragging setup just like you too, but honestly, I never use it. I leave my AF point centered and simply lock onto the target then recompose while it's locked. I find that the only time I use the * button is when I do BIF with no obstructions. And for those rare times when I have to be really precise, as there are way too many branches or the subject is really far way, then I hold down the DOF button which I setup for Spot-AF while also holding one of the other two buttons. So you could say I have a triple back button setup.
Yes Dan thats how I have mine set to face tracking and this is the way most other tutorials have it set up. So I actually don't experience the camera focusing on sticks etc the way Brent describes when its set to single point. So I don't actually think Brent has got it right. Like you mine will pick the body or the head of the bird if the eye is obscured, not some random element in the scene like a branch. Set it to face tracking everyone!
Magnifico video y muy buena configuracion, enhorabuena y gracias por compartirlo.
Thanks very much Brett - I'd been drive potty by the Eye AF scooting around all over the place, and had hopeless results - off to try out the new settings
You bet man, glad I could help!
Just got my r6 and got it set up! Headed out for a hike and will, as in the wise words of Spyros Heniadis "Go take some damn photos!" :) Thanks for your instruction!!
Brent...I just moved into the R5 from a 5D mark iii, and this video was excellent. I am primarily a wildlife photographer, and stumbled across this today while I was looking for tutorials on the new gear. I was pleased to learn that I had figured out some of these tricks on my own, but even more pleased with the information I learned from you. I cannot wait to get out and see what this camera can produce with the settings you taught me today. You've got a new suscriber to your youtube and follower on instagram. Cheers
Erin
That's awesome, welcome to the R5 world! I'm glad the video helped.
i just bought the r6 and the 800mm F11. Cant wait! :) ty for your videos, they are great! :)
Thanks for this easy to understand explanation. 🙏🏼
You're very welcome!
Thankyou for all your advice and help.Some where I missed how to adjust and change my shutter speed while looking through the viewfinder?John
You have to use AED in the main AF face tracking menu to use those initial point choices as the custom AED BB shortcut button always uses auto as default and will not use those initial point options.
Thank you, this was exactly what I was looking for ... I almost had it, had I only set single point instead of the eye tracking :) now all is good :)
You bet man, glad I could help!
Thanks! This info is just what I needed. It works great.
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped!
You explained the rationale for those settings very well, which I have now copied, thanks.
Hey thanks Alan, I'm glad the video helped!
What I love about my 5D MK 4 is BBF and shutter button focusing all at the same time shutter button is set to the smallest square inside the standard default square. AF-On is set to 9 AF points * button is set to full expansion love it all situations coved. But when I borrowed a R6 from a friend I wanted the single square with the small square inside but you just don't see the small square or a dot.? I'm waiting for the R5 MK2 and a new video on wild life settings Brent ! hope you've been saving some money.