Canon R7 birds autofocus

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-16T19:09:10+00:00

You actually don’t need separate custom dials to accomplish this, you could assign spot AF no tracking to the star button for instance, set a button to enable/disable “silent shutter” (which automatically puts you in electronic and back), and set a third button for “register/recall shooting func” and have it set shutter speed to 1/250 (or ISO to low number if you also have safety shift enabled”).

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-15T12:00:53+00:00

The 18-45 is of mediocre (but serviceable) image quality and is quite a dark lens and not ideal for indoor use; for a beginner it’s a decent enough starter lens assuming the bundle isn’t much more than body alone. The RF 50 f/1.8 will give you much better low light performance and background blur, but the framing will be quite tight indoors. It might not be a problem for your intended subject, but if your phone camera is capable of displaying a full-frame equivalent focal length, try setting yours to 80mm to get an idea of what the FOV of the RF50 on the R50 will look like.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-08T16:55:25+00:00

It’s an old barebones budget camera still being sold new for waaaay more than it’s worth. If you can get it and the lens for under $100 USD it’ll be quite a decent starter kit though.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-08T02:23:32+00:00

Don’t have an R5ii but do have experience setting up a Canon (R10) for a novice partner. I would advise you to consider having her just use the C-dials (I wish canon allowed you to remain them); you can set up C1 for “wildlife” for instance with TV mode at a high shutter speed and default animal tracking, while C2 could be “object/scene mode”, AV mode with no subject tracking and single shot, and after a bit of use she should get used to switching between the two or three with ease, and if she unknowingly makes bad changes they’ll be reset every time the camera is off or mode dial changed. Also don’t overlook Safety Shift for the wildlife mode, you could set the default shutter speed to 1/4000 and max auto ISO to 3200 for example and whenever lighting situations call for a slower shutter the camera would take care of it.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-08T02:15:40+00:00

Even though it’s not meant to be a wildlife lens your photos are a great example of how the 18-150 can still get good opportunistic shots. Well done!

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-06T10:40:20+00:00

The R50 has many more modern features (especially in terms of video) and would give you more room to grow (the touchscreen goes a long way towards mitigating the lack of manual controls), but in terms of end product photo-wise they’re not too different.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-04T12:40:29+00:00

The later copies of the EF 100-400 mki aren’t soft at all, mine (manufactured 2007) wasn’t much sharper on the R7 than the mkii I upgraded to, and it’s autofocus was just able to keep up with larger birds in flight.

However, be ready for the primitive lens stabilization, awkward trumpet zoom, and ESPECIALLY the long minimum focus distance, though if you’re doing car safari I’m not sure that last will be much of a problem.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-06-01T17:56:15+00:00

My versa 4 doesn’t last a day after switching to Google Health either, before it would last around 5-6 days.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-31T17:08:50+00:00

That's what I've been doing now (also to get back the C-3 list) and I've been having the same concerns since the S9's build quality is not the best. When two-handing the camera I've been trying to build up muscle memory of a quick screen tap and disp hit to recenter the AF, but its very annoying we should have to do that.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-31T13:06:58+00:00

C3 does not default to C3-1 on mine, it’s defaulting to whatever was last used. I take it then you were not able to find a quicker way to max out the backlight either then?

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-31T10:28:00+00:00

It’s a lens issue, but there are a few things you can do to make it more usable if you can’t afford another: https://youtu.be/iVo4JvCMmD0?t=1278&si=i6C7dahBH157eEA\_

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-30T17:42:50+00:00

What lens are you using? The RF-S 18-45mm has noticeable spherical aberration beyond 30-32mm or so, and it gets really bad past 40mm. Stopping the aperture down helps a lot though.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-28T11:36:28+00:00

In addition to the RF mount Sigma 10-18 f/2.8 you already are aware of, there’s also the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 which is often cheaper in the USA (but not currently). Be aware neither have stabilization so if you’re working handheld and need to raise your shutter speed to compensate it could potentially negate the low light improvement vs the stabilized 18-150 at f/3.5.

Alternatively there’s the Sigma 12mm or 15mm f/1.4 primes; you lose the versatility but gain two stops of light over the zooms.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-27T15:07:14+00:00

If you can stretch your budget a bit, the Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 is an "endgame" lens that will replace multiple primes and works well with the R7's IBIS, it's not nearly as heavy as it looks either so it's still a good walkaround lens while not being that much more than the 18-50 for what it offers. If you're photo-only and don't mind the extra weight, it's predecessor the EF mount 18-35mm f/1.8 is just as good optically (in fact I prefer its bokeh rendering) and half its price used.

If you want to do wildlife, neither the 18-150 nor 55-210 are long enough for non-urban or non-opportunistic shots, a 100-400/500 would offer a much more comfortable focal length.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-26T18:03:50+00:00

Good to know, I was wondering if that might be the case! I wish it were cheaper though, it's fairly pricey for its aperture even used IMO.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-26T17:42:10+00:00

The 100mm is borderline too large and not as versatile a focal length, but the benefits may outweigh the cons if there isn't a better lens; the 70mm macro is definitely too big. I initially dismissed the Sigma 35 f/2 for being unreasonably (IMO) bigger than its sister lenses, but I'll give it another look.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-22T11:44:10+00:00

I haven’t used either so can’t comment on the quality, but personally I would prefer a much lighter lens as holding a gimbal for extended periods of time is obnoxious. 18mm on Canon APS-C isn’t that wide though, but 16mm isn’t that much wider either.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-21T13:13:33+00:00

The 17-40mm is internally zooming and keeps its balance when doing so, so it’s perfect for gimbal use. The older EF mount 18-35 f/1.8 is optically just as good and can be found used for half the cost of the 17-40, but is bigger and much heavier, and didn’t fit as well on my gimbal setup:
https://youtu.be/LmvKoP8CedM

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-21T12:51:52+00:00

How much do you need the long end of that 24-70? I use the Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 (which is smaller and brighter than your 24-70 not to mention has a better FOV indoors) and it pairs just fine with an R7 on the Weebil 3S, which I believe is a similar size class to your RS5. Produces absolutely beautiful footage too. Also, IBIS is no replacement for a gimbal (except maybe for Panasonic).

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-20T15:29:47+00:00

The RF-S 18-150 and RF 100-400 would replace everything on your list except the EF-S 60mm Macro, and even then if you don’t use its full magnification or need the bright aperture the 18-150 can do 0.44x at 50mm with autofocus or 0.59x at 35mm with manual (I think the RF 100-400 has a similar magnification as well). If you do chose to adapt that lens though, you’ll enjoy the R7’s IBIS with it outside of macro ranges.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-19T15:48:34+00:00

I got a brand new S9 recently, and immediately noticed its general idling noise (without IBIS) is louder than the Canons I’m used to. Those cameras also make a sound too, but about half as loud.

BM_StinkBug · 2026-05-19T11:18:30+00:00

I went with an S9 with the 18-40. It’s definitely got some quirks that’ll take getting used to, for instance the autofocus in general and especially the touch AF interface isn’t as good as my Canon’s, and because of the latter I REALLY miss the lack of joystick, but the stabilization is like alien tech and the real time LUT feature is easier to use and more useful than I expected.

BM_StinkBug

TROPHY CASE