[Music]
Hi. My name is Danny and I'm a Canon Technical Support Representative. In this
video we'll be talking about the Canon EOS 7D Mark II digital SLR camera and
the different auto focus cases that are available when shooting an AI Servo mode.
Before we talk about each of the six auto focus cases, we need to understand
the parameters within those cases that differentiate each of them. Each case is
built upon three adjustable parameters that affect how the AF system behaves.
The three parameters are Tracking sensitivity, acceleration/deceleration
tracking, and AF point auto-switching. Tracking sensitivity is the parameter
that determines how quickly the camera will focus on a new subject when an
obstacle enters the AF points or when the AF points stray away from the
subject. Let's say you're tracking a bird in the sky then all of a sudden the bird
decides to quickly dive. Or, instead another bird enters the frame. The
adjustable Tracking sensitivity parameter allows the camera to be Locked
On to the subject or to be more Responsive. If the setting is toward the
Locked On side, your auto focus stays locked on your subject as it moves. The
bird you're tracking remains in focus even if there's a sudden movement or if
another bird enters the frame. If the setting is toward the Responsive side,
the auto focus system will acquire a new subject that enters the frame. For
example: when another bird enters the frame, the second bird will now be in focus.
Acceleration/deceleration tracking is the parameter that tells the AI Servo
system if the subject is moving at a constant or erratic pace. The parameter
has three settings. Zero is for tracking subjects with a constant speed. For
example, a jogger moving toward you at a set pace. Settings 1 and 2 are for
different levels of erratic movement. Tennis players are a good example.
The last parameter is AF point auto switching. This parameter only works when
you're using more than one focus point, like Zone AF or all 65 point AF.
This parameter determines how fast the auto focus points switch from one point
to another when tracking a subject. The levels of
sensitivity are from zero to two. Take note, setting this parameter to one
or two may cause the camera to select unwanted autofocus points. If that
happens set the sensitivity back to zero. Now, let's go over the six preset
auto focus cases that are selectable in the AF configuration tool menu. These
cases allow you to quickly find tune high your AI Servo responds to the
scenario that you're photographing. The Versatile multi purpose setting is case 1.
This is the default case for AI Servo. Case one is a good starting point
and it works for most scenarios that involve subjects that are moving at a steady pace.
Case two will Continue to track subjects ignoring possible
obstacles. Let's say your focus is locked on a jogger and suddenly a light pole
comes in between you. Case two will prevent the focus from jumping to the
light pole as it crosses the frame. Case two is perfect for scenarios where you
need to keep tracking a subject but run the risk of another object or obstacle coming into the frame.
The direct opposite of case two is case three.
Instantly focus on subjects suddenly entering AF points. Now the light pole
that comes in between you and the jogger will lock into focus. A good scenario for
case three is auto racing. When you're tracking a car in first place and
suddenly the car right behind it overtakes it, the focus then shifts to the new car in first place.
Case four is for subjects that accelerate or
decelerate quickly. This is a good case to use for sports and wildlife
photography. Soccer and basketball players move from point A to point B at
unpredictable speeds. Case four allows the AI Servo to track the players more
accurately. Case four is also a good choice to lock focus on a bird in flight
that might dive down suddenly to catch its prey.
Case five is for erratic subjects moving quickly in any direction. This case only works when you're using
multiple focus points. Expand AF, Zone AF, and all 65 point AF. let's say we're
photographing a figure skater who's moving unpredictably on the ice. Case
five will quickly switch between the available AF points
to track the subject wherever he or she ends up within the frame.
Finally, case six is used for subjects that change speed and move erratically at the same time.
Basically it's a combination of cases four and five. The sudden moves of
a rhythmic gymnast is a perfect situation for case six.
Keep in mind that you're able to adjust the parameters within each case to fine tune the
focusing system a step further to accommodate your shooting situation.
Choose a case that you would like to fine tune, press the Rate button, and select the parameter to adjust.
There are plenty of adjustments and controls for
AI Servo that are available on the EOS 7D Mark II. Start with the basics and see
which case will work best for you and your shooting situation. Check out our
video titled Basics of Bird in Flight Photography, where we'll review how to
photograph birds in flight and put in practice what we've learned so far.
For more how to videos, please visit our YouTube channel. Thank you for watching!