The original 6D had an excellent full-frame sensor and was known as a strong low light performer. Using Canon R6 in full frame versus cropped mode? 1/1600, 1/2000; set the aperture to the widest that works for DOF, e.g. Although there are faster cards I have use the following Lexar and SanDisk Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) cards in all my Canon EOS cameras for Birds in Flight Photography (EOS 700D / EOS 70D / EOS 7D Mark II / EOS 6D) with very good results: More on. . Welcome to the forum. I had a very short time to put a few frames in the new body and to run a first field test. So, its absolutely worth learning the details of AF-On and practicing with it for a while even if you plan to keep half-press autofocus enabled. Lets go through the camera Menu settings now. Keep the center focus point on the bird and press the focus button to acquire and maintain focus. This one came from the side and the quick, but not too abrupt change of focus point from the AF auto PT switching setting at +1 was useful here. Custom White Balance unless you want to set custom white balance with a gray card, skip this setting. in viewfinder: When monochrome set, When WB is corrected, When one-touch img qual set, When NR is set shows an exclamation mark in the viewfinder if these conditions are met. Canon 7D Mark II Specifications Sensor: 20.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 4.1m pixel size Sensor Size: 22.4 x 15.0mm Resolution: 5472 x 3648 Native ISO Sensitivity: 100-16,000 Boost High ISO Sensitivity: 25,600-51,200 Sensor Cleaning System: Yes Image Processor: Dual DIGIC 6 Autofocus System: 65-point all cross-type AF system with EV -3 sensitivity Such birds often pause, and you want to get them at around that time. Each Cheat Card includes my tried and true, custom settings for capturing a wide variety of subjects and scenes using the Canon 7D and select lenses. Canon EOS R6 Mark II. Bird & wildlife photography have specific AF setting needs and I am going to walk you through what I personally use. Since these settings . By zeroing in on a specific camera and lens combination, I can provide you with very detailed settings, which improves your odds of capturing a keeper. The other solution is quickly switching to aperture priority mode and setting your widest aperture, at which point the camera will set base ISO and a good shutter speed. Theyre still able to control the shutter speed via a careful dance with Auto ISO, but this is a more complex technique (discussed in detail in Nasims article How to Photograph Birds, under the header Camera Settings.). Then double click on the PDF file to open it in Adobe Reader. Exposure level increments: 1/3 stop this will allow adjusting the exposure in 1/3 or 1/2 increments. I went ahead and changed mine to AE lock (hold) for situations when I need to lock and hold my exposure. So, -1 is my recommendation here.2. Custom Controls this is one of the most important menus in the camera, as it allows customizing function button behavior. Note that their was some motion blur 1/2000 sec was not enough to fully freeze the movement. ISO Settings: 100-6400 (13 increments), expandable to 12,800 Continuous Firing Mode: 8 fps Recording Format: JPEG, 14-bit RAW Metering: 63-zone evaluative, 9.4% partial, 2.3% spot, CW Power Source: SLB-1674 rechargeable lithium-ion battery Estimated Street Price: $1,699 Contact: Canon USA, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com Once again, these are settings that work for me and they might not necessarily suit your needs. AF Microadjustment: Disable unless you want to specifically adjust. A few casual shots with a lens completely unsuitable for birds got him hooked, and now wildlife photography is his biggest passion. I prefer the top dial to change aperture and the rear dial to change the shutter speed. To simplify matters, I have created the following table. Under the 'Page Sizing & Handling' area, click the 'Multiple' button and select 6 pages per sheet. This setting also comes in handy with slower-moving subjects like a shorebird running down the beach or a flitting songbird. 2. RATE tn function: Rating controls the RATE button function. The only downside to Manual Mode + Auto ISO is that if suddenly the light becomes too bright so that there is overexposure at base ISO, the camera has no way to compensate automatically. I sent you a message so you could send me some examples, and Ill look at them. In most modern cameras, it makes little difference to the end result if you underexpose your images by a stop (or even multiple stops) and correct the exposure in post, compared to using a higher ISO in the first place. Its a heavy lens and if youre handholding then it might be harder to keep it steady if the lens is hard to hold. If you are a JPEG shooter, leaving these on will reduce, Flash control: Only applies when you photograph with flash, External flash func. Until I can post the photos, you can check this out and let me know what you think o. Use the multifunction button (M-Fn) near the shutter button to select the AF mode. I use a Sony 200-600 5.6-6.3 and find any shot below 1/800 to be not as sharp. Enable when displaying images, I want to see where the focus point was. ISO speed range: 100-16000 this setting affects what you are able to see when changing ISO through the ISO button or through the Quick menu. Believe me, some birds that seem to be static really are not due to breathing or other small movements. By default, it is set to Equal Priority. Auto focus cases and settings in AI Servo mode - EOS 7D Mark II (VIDEO) (TEXT). I recommend a starting value of 1/800 for slow-moving birds. Here are my Nikon camera settings for bird photography: Camera Mode: Aperture Priority with aperture set to maximum aperture (wide open). I'm contemplating buying either a used 7D, or a new 70D, with a primary use in wildlife photography & some filming (but filming not primary purpose). The new AF system of the Canon 7d mark II is inherited from the Canon EOS 5d mark III and the Canon EOS 1DX. For my wildlife photography needs, I set up my own 7Dmk2 autofocus to operate on the shutter release button. Long exp. For example, if at 35mm focal length you are getting 1/50 shutter speed, moving to Auto(1) will speed up the shutter speed to 1/100. Some people like to change it to MENU for accessing the menu, but I dont mind pressing the Menu button to the left of the viewfinder. Print or save to your phone. Multiple exposure: Disable this is used for creative photography when stacking photos on top of each other. As for Shutter Priority mode, I would not recommend it for bird photography even though it may be tempting. Could you e-mail a copy of the recommended settings as mentioned in this article? This was the best guide Ive ever read for any camera and I really needed some help with the 7d iithanks for this! mode: everything checked I want to be able to toggle between all AF area modes. This is where it all starts. Nothing is as good of a demonstration as a few action photographs! C3 - cluttered or 'dirty' background. However, if you have shaky hands, then the default Auto setting might not do justice to keep you away from camera shake. Format card used for formatting the inserted memory card. LCD brightness: Auto middle selection is good, although you might want to increase or decrease brightness depending on shooting conditions. The new AF system of the Canon 7d mark II is inherited from the Canon EOS 5d mark III and the Canon EOS 1DX. A safe ISO is one that doesnt blow out any important highlight values. Thank you all, and sorry I saw all these messages so late, BTW I checked the sites given, one is under maintenance (as stated), and the other one is in Italian (English version?). Highlight tone priority: OFF unlike Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO), Highlight tone priority does affect RAW data, since it actually underexposes an image to recover highlights. Camera settings alone wont guarantee a good bird photo, and you still need to capture a good subject with an interesting composition and skilled post-processing. I dont shoot video, so these are also set to default settings. Image review: 2 sec I leave this at 2 seconds. I guess that slutter speed as high as possible would recommendable, but what about Aperture and otter settings, what would recommend. Good question. The 400mm focal length is perfect for shooting large birds, or small birds in tame environments. The angle of view is roughly about 3,5 there, and 500 mm focal length has not much more: 5. On the other hand, if the bird has feathers waving in the wind, you will have to use a much faster shutter speed to get a razor-sharp look. This is how my camera looks when I do that because I have already microadjusted my lens.. While this particular configuration has been working great for our needs (mostly based on wildlife and landscape photography), it does not mean that it is the only way to properly setup and configure the camera. It is very capable for my needs. The bird is actually moving more than you think. Playback grid: Off it is nice to see a grid in the viewfinder, but I dont want to see it after the image is captured. It is a simple procedure, but sometimes difficult too. HDR Mode: Disable HDR only relevant when shooting in JPEG mode. So Evaluative is better for birding ? The second DRIVE * AF button is used for setting different drive and autofocus modes. AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus Priority I set mine to focus priority for the 1st image, because I do not want the camera to start shooting if the subject is not in focus. This way, if I change a setting, it is only a temporary change. : Disable I do not want the camera to automatically save adjustments in C1-C3 modes. : Disable if you shoot in artificial light covering sports or other events, this is another killer feature that can really help in obtaining images that are properly exposed top to bottom. In bird photography, there are some commonly used camera settings that are a great starting point for almost any situation. Having the eye popping out between two feathers gives a nice flair to this creation. I am using the Canon 7D MKII, but these camera settings or at least most of them can also be used other Canon cameras :) As a wildlife photographer it is very important to me, to keep. I love the Canon 7d. Dust Delete Data this is used for removing dust in images if you have dust particles on the image sensor. Its quite simple once you get a hand on it, logical. To help guide our readers through these features and menus, we decided to share the settings our team has been using on the camera during the past 3 months while testing the camera. For full detail on the Canon EOS 7d mark II AF system, you may visit this Canon link: http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2014/eos7dmk2_afGuidebook.shtml. Personally, over 95% of my shots are wide open. How can you avoid this disaster? A listing of various supporting documents I have used for creating my Birds in Flight Photography Workshops and Training programmes. We consider the Canon EOS 7D to be one of the best choices for bird photography, largely because of the impressive 8-frames per second continuous shooting. 1. It gives good starting points for a recommended shutter speed for focal lengths of about 500-600mm (full frame) and the bird taking up most of the composition: These values are typical, but not universal, and there is room for experimentation. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Set button: OFF I only want to use the center Set button to make changes and access menu items, so I leave it off. Try shooting your 7D at its M (8MP) or S (4.5MP) settings. There never seems to be enough light to use the fast shutter speeds I need, so I think its helpful to shoot with my aperture wide open whenever possible. Five different methods can be chosen to make use of the 19 AF points. I knew at some point they would get spooked and take off in various directions. Yes, I offer a buy two get one free deal. A RAW file holds all the data that your camera sensor captures. The Canon 7D Mark II has a very simple and uncluttered front, with a single programmable button that is by default used for exposure preview. If you have any questions about these or other camera settings for bird photography, feel free to ask in the comments below. When you press this button once, the top LCD will display SEL [ ], which allows switching between different focus points in the viewfinder, or switching to dynamic focusing / automatic selection (with all focus points activated). I understand this is an old thread, but want to reply anyway, http://www.deepgreenphotography.com/2009/12/setting-up-your-new-canon-7d/. With Manual Mode, AI Servo and default AF System settings the images on this page should be more than achievable - Testimony of the Modern AF System: Canon EOS 7D Mark II. pattern: Stops at AF area edges I do not like when AF points automatically move over to the other side when I am close to the edge. Case 3: Instantly focus on subjects suddenly entering AF points if there are many birds in the frame and you want to focus on the closest one. Beep: Disable leave this disabled, since the camera will beep every time focus is achieved, which is annoying. VF display illumination: AUTO let the camera decide when to illuminate the focus points in red inside the viewfinder. You can see more of Jason's work on his website or on his YouTube channel. (High-speed continuous shooting can fill up your memory card quickly). It is a very good illustration of an AF system that can keep focus with quickly accelerating or decelerating subjects. Sadly, the shooting bank cant store the AF settings. The Canon 7D Mark II has a lot of menu options, but there are some things that you can only control with the external controls. As nobody that I know of can pan at the exact speed of a fast flying subject, it is good to have the focus somewhat locked on the head. Canon xs50 HS. Chances are, you will also need to switch between a couple different modes from time to time, so it is worthwhile to program a few buttons near your right hand to do this. Very useful, something that should have been the default! Nasims article on Autofocus Modes can introduce you to some of the different options if you arent already familiar. With birds in flight, Im almost always at 1/2500-1/3200 for larger birds and 1/4000 or faster for smaller birds. With the 400/5.6 and 7D just use Tv mode and auto ISO. This will allow you to print multiple cards per sheet at the correct size. The most challenging of the group is shutter speed, but its something youll learn a lot more about as you practice with different types of bird, as each species behaves differently. On the other hand, with the latest mirrorless cameras, the autofocus systems have very intelligent tracking and can follow a subject across almost the entire frame, rather than a small portion in the center of the viewfinder. 4. But there is another way to engage autofocus, commonly called "back-button AF." It involves pressing the <AF-ON> button on the rear of the camera with the right thumb. Lens drive when AF impossible: Continue focus search if focus cannot be achieved, the camera can continue searching or stop. The best shutter speed also depends somewhat on your focal length and how close you are to the bird. Matter of fact the plugin should be part of the upgrade / migration process coming from an older version of Lightroom to Lightroom Classic CC. Press the SET button. Perfect example is a bird taking off in your direction, going very fast from stopped to flying speed.3. Case 6: For subjects that change speed and move erratically suitable for photographing smaller birds that fly erratically, or for photographing birds diving / fighting in air. Auto Lighting Optimizer: OFF ALO settings are only applicable to JPEG images and I usually keep them turned off. This mode is useful for action shots, especially birds in flight. There are two ways to choose the ISO. For C1 (sports/wildlife), I have Auto ISO turned on, Exposure mode set to Manual, Drive set to Continuous High, AF mode set to AI Servo, AF point selection set to Surround (8 points around the center). You should have the option to open the file using the Adobe Reader app, which will also save it for future reference. Although too much noise can be a problem, of the three light settings, its the one that has the most room for error. Yes, of course. No single setting will suit all types of photography so keep monitoring your playback previews and adjust exposure compensation accordingly. Once it's installed, open up the email with the download link. Manual Mode Settings. What are the best AF settings for bird & wildlife photography with the Canon EOS 7d mark II? You can also make the PV button activate AF as well If you dont use the back button you can also make that use group. Metering: Matrix Metering for most situations, but sometimes Spot Metering can provide better results. For larger birds, I have noticed that on some rare occasions I do stop down, such as shooting ducks when the body is in a slightly different focus plane than the head. I normally do not mess with these and leave the settings in Menu 1 and 2 at default. Selectable AF point: 65 points you want to be able to switch between all 65 focus points. It has a constant f/4 max aperture and built-in 1.4x extender, allowing you to increase the focal length up to 560mm. Dial direction during Tv/Av: Normal I leave this at normal, but if you want to flip the direction of dials, you can set it to Reverse direction. The 6D range is Canon's least-expensive full-frame series. if you have the Canon lenses 7d2 is the best choice at a reasonable price if you take pictures at ISO 3200+ it means it is not enough light noise will be present to all cameras except 1 series not sure about m6 AF nor noise capabilities -- hide signature -- Old Greenlander "I show the world the way I see it" Query: Doesnt focal length come into play when deciding the shutter speed? AF pt auto switching => speed at which the AF system changes from one point to another when having AF point expansion activated. displays current camera firmware. The short answer is that it performs very well. All the pictures on this blog post were . :). Shutter speed 1/640sec at f7.1, iso 1250. So what's the difference between Auto Mode and my Custom Settings? Videos like this take a lot of time to do so support. When using a crop-sensor camera such as the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 300mm is surprisingly sufficient. Camera firmware ver. Hi Jason, Years ago I was in a hide next to a riverbank in the Amazonas. You can determine this ISO value by photographing the brightest birds at the beginning of the shooting session and finding an ISO that doesnt overexpose them. I want to keep the entire range for ISO selection, so I leave it at 100-16000 range. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it. If birds are eating, I would put them in the category of Walking or slowly moving birds that I put in the chart and go with a safe value like 1/800 or if theyre really quickly doing things, 1/1250. The factory-default setting on cameras enables focusing by pressing the shutter button halfway. Canon EOS-1D X + 150-600mm @ 600mm, ISO 1600, 1/2000, f/7.1. I hope you found this article useful. The top of the camera, however, has a number of dual function buttons that make it easy and convenient to switch between different camera modes and settings. When shooting everything else, I set the camera to Silent Single Shooting drive mode. I'm a hobbyist bird photographer and I recently went birding in the Himalayan foothills in India, to a town called Sattal. If you have time to brace yourself or use a monopod, you can achieve incredibly low shutter speeds with these species, especially if your lens has optical stabilization enabled. I'd be happy to let you know which sets to purchase based on the lenses that you own. If you shoot flash, rotating the rear dial will allow you to either increase or decrease flash power. I already have a decent set of Canon lenses up to 300mm, and a Sigma 50-500. Who should take this course This course is for any one who uses a Canon 7D Mark II camera. One of the biggest frustrations for most people is investing hundreds of dollars in a camera and feeling overwhelmed by the learning curve and underwhelmed by the results. Hi Jason, I have a question regarding shutter shock and long focal length. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II. Gain a basic understanding of how to setup the Canon EOS 7D Mark II Digital SLR camera to capture birds in flight in this video. For still photographers, specifically those working with wildlife, this camera offers . I love this button, because it serves as a shortcut to get to the most important settings without having to dig through the many menu items. If you like Camera Tips and would like to support me, I encourage you to direct your family and friends to this page so they can purchase the Cheat Cards for themselves. Some photographers actually shoot in aperture priority mode for almost all their bird photography for this reason. Open up the cheat cards in Adobe Reader, you can download it for free here. The AF-ON button can be used in conjunction with the Custom Functions (see below) for back-button AF that you can use for the focusing and recomposing. Umm lol settings advice? Viewfinder level: Show cool feature, allows seeing level right inside the viewfinder. Few cameras in the history of digital photography have withstood the evolutionary pressure of market dynamics as has Canon's 7D Mark II. I have my dial set to Av (Aperture Priority Mode) 90% of the time, because the camera does a great job in giving me good exposures. For C3 (people), I keep Auto ISO on, Exposure mode set to Aperture Priority (Av), Drive set to Silent Single Shooting, AF mode set to AI Focus, AF point selection set to Spot AF. In the Canon line up only 1D series bodies have this useful feature. The original 7D uses 19 cross-type autofocus points, which is extremely useful when trying reach focus on an active bird. Posted on 2010/03/01 by Gary Luhm. Easy to follow, step-by-step cheat sheets show you exactly which modes and autofocus settings to use with your 7D. For Wildlife Photography 8. Allows the camera to automatically change your set shutter speed, aperture, or ISO. Some species do not do well around the 1/400 speed. High ISO speed NR: OFF another one I leave off, as it only affects JPEG images. Hope this video helps. //