Canon 7d Al Sevo or Al focus for sports

Big RedBig Red Registered Users Posts: 71 Big grins
edited October 17, 2010 in Sports
Yesterday I sold my Canon 50d and upgraded to a 7D. I primarily shoot sports (baseball primarily) and am looking for some suggestions on which auto focus I should use, Al Focus or Al Servo. I am used to pressing the shutter halfway down and getting the audible beep to confirm I have focus lock but don't seem to get that with the Al Servo mode (am I misunderstanding something?) but get that with the Al Focus. This has made me wonder if I am focused or not. Do both of these modes do up to 8 fps? Do both of them track the moving player? Thanks for your suggestions.

Note: I primarily use the 70-200 2.8 lens.

Comments

  • GadgetRickGadgetRick Registered Users Posts: 787 Major grins
    edited September 1, 2010
    AI Servo should work the same way on the 7D as it does on your 50D except the AF is better on the 7D.
  • Mark1616Mark1616 Registered Users Posts: 319 Major grins
    edited September 2, 2010
    Big Red wrote: »
    Yesterday I sold my Canon 50d and upgraded to a 7D. I primarily shoot sports (baseball primarily) and am looking for some suggestions on which auto focus I should use, Al Focus or Al Servo. I am used to pressing the shutter halfway down and getting the audible beep to confirm I have focus lock but don't seem to get that with the Al Servo mode (am I misunderstanding something?) but get that with the Al Focus. This has made me wonder if I am focused or not. Do both of these modes do up to 8 fps? Do both of them track the moving player? Thanks for your suggestions.

    Note: I primarily use the 70-200 2.8 lens.

    You won't get a focus beep with servo mode as it is constantly correcting/predicting focus for a moving subject. Using AI Focus is allowing the camera to 'guess' if you want a subject tracked or to have it focus in a single place. I personally wouldn't use this as it takes the decision away from you.

    What you can do with AI Servo is turn off focus element of the shutter release button so you only focus using the back AF button, this means you get pre focus on a single point then release the back button and shoot something stationary then if you want to shoot something moving just press the AF button and you are focusing in servo mode again. It takes some time to get used to but works well.

    BTW, the AF on the 7D is very good, it performs almost as well as my 1DmkIII, one thing that is worth doing is turning down the AF Servo focus speed (can't remember the exact term or where it is in custom functions) this will stop it hunting quite so much and should give more keepers. I have mine on the 2nd lowest setting. I found that on either that or the lowest they work about the same.

    I'm here to learn so please feel free to give me constructive criticism to help me become the photographer I desire to be.

  • Big RedBig Red Registered Users Posts: 71 Big grins
    edited September 2, 2010
    Thanks for your input Mark1616
  • Mark1616Mark1616 Registered Users Posts: 319 Major grins
    edited September 2, 2010
    Big Red wrote: »
    Thanks for your input Mark1616

    You're welcome :)

    I'm here to learn so please feel free to give me constructive criticism to help me become the photographer I desire to be.

  • photodad1photodad1 Registered Users Posts: 566 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2010
    Mark1616 wrote: »
    You're welcome :)


    Do you use single shot mode for sports?
  • Mark1616Mark1616 Registered Users Posts: 319 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2010
    photodad1 wrote: »
    Do you use single shot mode for sports?

    For the sports I've shot I haven't found a place for single shot to be needed or a benefit.

    I'm here to learn so please feel free to give me constructive criticism to help me become the photographer I desire to be.

  • Mark1616Mark1616 Registered Users Posts: 319 Major grins
    edited September 9, 2010
    Mark1616 wrote: »
    For the sports I've shot I haven't found a place for single shot to be needed or a benefit.

    OK, so while I was in bed last night not really sleeping I realised that actually for golf I always use single focus...... sorry about that!

    I'm here to learn so please feel free to give me constructive criticism to help me become the photographer I desire to be.

  • austinado16austinado16 Registered Users Posts: 300 Major grins
    edited September 10, 2010
    I agree, thumb press focus and AI Servo is the only way to fly. I also use high speed burst mode almost all the time...not because I'm incapable of capturing peak action, but because I really like the variety of photos it gives, and stitching together action sequences is very cool for posters.
    Let's face it; more gear than sense.

    Canon 7D... Canon 70-200/2.8L IS... Canon 28-70/2.8L... Canon 135/f2L... Canon 85/1.8... Canon 50/1.4... Canon 28/1.8
  • sharagim1sharagim1 Registered Users Posts: 69 Big grins
    edited October 17, 2010
    i do have canon 7d and most of the time trying to shoot bird with ef 70-200 2.8ll,
    i know this lens isn"t enough for wildlife,but i don"t have budget for spend better lens,

    now i have problem for my setting of my camera,
    i changed my setting many time with which i read on the web site ,how can i compare for correct 7d setting with my setting?

    and aslo for tracking sensetive focus
    slow,medium,fast
    which one shoud be adjuset?
    thanks for all your help guys
    canon EOS 7D /canon 5d mark ll/ EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM/EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM/ canon lens 85mm 1.8
  • ThatCanonGuyThatCanonGuy Registered Users Posts: 1,778 Major grins
    edited October 17, 2010
    Sharagim1,
    Your tracking sensitivity depends. Putting it on Fast will make it hunt more but adjust faster if you change to a different subject. Setting it to Slow will decrease hunting, but it'll take longer for the AF to adjust to a different subject.
  • sharagim1sharagim1 Registered Users Posts: 69 Big grins
    edited October 17, 2010
    thanks for your respons,
    just one thing i need to know, how can i check my costum function of my camera with correct canon 7d setup?
    i changed many time of my 7d setup , now i just want to correct it,,
    any idea where can i get correct info about 7d custom function setup?
    canon EOS 7D /canon 5d mark ll/ EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM/EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM/ canon lens 85mm 1.8
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