M6II: Tips to focus correctly

Zeee wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

ThrillaMozilla wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

If you're a left-hemisphere person, you can instead configure the AF-On button to "Stop Focus" instead.

??? There must be more to it than that. I tried it and the shutter release still controls it. AF stops when I take my finger off the shutter release. So it must also require a special setting for the shutter release?

AF is still on the shutter. You have to HOLD DOWN the AF-ON button to lock focus.

R2

If you have trouble keeping the shutter half pressed you can use a BBF or turn the AF Preview on. Page 3 of the purple menus. I white focus square will kick in and continue to AF.

Except the problem for me is that when you (half) press the shutter button again, it starts AF over from scratch anyways!  Plus if you end up pointing the camera anywhere else in the meantime, the focus goes waaay off.

R2

MAC wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

StrugglingforLight wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

MyM6II wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

Hello,

I was this days playing a lot with the M6II and while some of my photos were perfectly focused with the 22mm, some of them were not so good.

I am not sure what is the best mode to set the autofocus and how to do it properly.

Do you know any guide/video/tutorial about how to correctly setup the focus and how to properly take photos with this camera? If not, could you give me some tips?

Spot AF with Servo delivers for everything. Nearly a 100% keeper rate!

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/64108171

R2

Thank you for the answers! I was testing and I do not know if something is misconfigured or there is some step that I am not doing.

I set Spot AF and Servo AF. Then focus point is now in the center of the screen (I use the EVF to take photos), I point in the center to the place I want to focus and then reframe the photo but the focus point is in the center so I lose the focus.

Is there anything that I am not doing correctly?

If you are using the (old?) reframing technique, you should not use Servo AF. Use One Shot instead. (And turn off continuous focus in the menu.)

When you are using Servo AF you should always keep the focus point over the subject that you want to have in focus.

Yes I use the "old" but being sincere, I do not know the new

How is the new technique using the Servo?

Remove focus from the shutter button completely! Use the AF-On (back button) to focus. The camera will focus whenever you have the button pressed, and will stop focusing when you let up. Easy peasy.

If you're a left-hemisphere person, you can instead configure the AF-On button to "Stop Focus" instead. ...or was that right-hemisphere?

R2

ps. Keep in mind that the AF will not focus on horizontal lines. If you come across this, just rotate the camera about 30 degrees and then lock focus (remove thumb from the AF-On button).

I have to test this, really makes sense.

Having that kind of AF flexibility at the touch of a button is really nice, and matches up perfectly with how I like to shoot. I keep the camera in Servo AF mode 100% of the time.

Other folks really love using the shutter button for focusing, but you do need to find a way to lock focus if you’re using Servo (and recomposing).

I like to have servo enabled 100% of the time. With the above method, you can stop the AF at any time to lock the focus, and thus not need One Shot AF at all.

R2

For those of us without the AF lock button (or using the shutter button for focusing)

You need to create an “AF lock button.” It’s not pre-programmed.

You simply go into the “Customize buttons” menu and reprogram the function of the AF-ON button (the button surrounded by the “MF/AF” switch). Instead of using it for focusing, you can reprogram it to Stop Focus instead (the shutter button is still used for focusing).

So now any time you hold down the “AF-ON” button, it will stop the camera from focusing. And as long as you are holding down the “AF-ON” button, you can press and release the shutter button any number of times, and the camera will not try to refocus. Take your thumb off the button, and normal operation resumes.

how would we lock focus with Servo AF mode?

Once you’re in the “Customize buttons” menu (which is “C.FnIII:Operation/Others”), hit “SET” and then scroll down to the button you want to reprogram (in this case the AF-ON button). Hit “SET” which takes you to the large selection of choices for that button, and scroll over to “AF-OFF” (AF stop), hit “SET.” Voila!

Would we have to switch to One Shot AF?

No. I haven’t used One Shot AF in years. Instead I use the AF-ON button for focusing (and have focusing removed from the Shutter Button), so any time I want to lock focus, I just lift my thumb off of the AF-ON button. I can start and stop (and pump) the autofocus any time I want.

It takes a little while getting used to focusing this way, but the control and flexibility are unmatched.

You can of course go the “AF stop” route, which is essentially the opposite of BBAF, but it’s up to you (and how your own brain works) .

Have fun playing around!

R2

Yepsters!! Everyone should bookmark this one baby!

ps. The one instance that “One Shot AF” can be helpful (in my experience), is if the light levels are super low and the Servo AF is struggling. Switching to One Shot AF can help with focus acquisition.

If I had any Canon mirrorless camera it would be set up the same way ?

C2, back button focus, Spot Autofocus, servo ?

That is what sticks ? 

m100 wrote:

MAC wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

StrugglingforLight wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

MyM6II wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Badlagar wrote:

Hello,

I was this days playing a lot with the M6II and while some of my photos were perfectly focused with the 22mm, some of them were not so good.

I am not sure what is the best mode to set the autofocus and how to do it properly.

Do you know any guide/video/tutorial about how to correctly setup the focus and how to properly take photos with this camera? If not, could you give me some tips?

Spot AF with Servo delivers for everything. Nearly a 100% keeper rate!

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/64108171

R2

Thank you for the answers! I was testing and I do not know if something is misconfigured or there is some step that I am not doing.

I set Spot AF and Servo AF. Then focus point is now in the center of the screen (I use the EVF to take photos), I point in the center to the place I want to focus and then reframe the photo but the focus point is in the center so I lose the focus.

Is there anything that I am not doing correctly?

If you are using the (old?) reframing technique, you should not use Servo AF. Use One Shot instead. (And turn off continuous focus in the menu.)

When you are using Servo AF you should always keep the focus point over the subject that you want to have in focus.

Yes I use the "old" but being sincere, I do not know the new

How is the new technique using the Servo?

Remove focus from the shutter button completely! Use the AF-On (back button) to focus. The camera will focus whenever you have the button pressed, and will stop focusing when you let up. Easy peasy.

If you're a left-hemisphere person, you can instead configure the AF-On button to "Stop Focus" instead. ...or was that right-hemisphere?

R2

ps. Keep in mind that the AF will not focus on horizontal lines. If you come across this, just rotate the camera about 30 degrees and then lock focus (remove thumb from the AF-On button).

I have to test this, really makes sense.

Having that kind of AF flexibility at the touch of a button is really nice, and matches up perfectly with how I like to shoot. I keep the camera in Servo AF mode 100% of the time.

Other folks really love using the shutter button for focusing, but you do need to find a way to lock focus if you’re using Servo (and recomposing).

I like to have servo enabled 100% of the time. With the above method, you can stop the AF at any time to lock the focus, and thus not need One Shot AF at all.

R2

For those of us without the AF lock button (or using the shutter button for focusing)

You need to create an “AF lock button.” It’s not pre-programmed.

You simply go into the “Customize buttons” menu and reprogram the function of the AF-ON button (the button surrounded by the “MF/AF” switch). Instead of using it for focusing, you can reprogram it to Stop Focus instead (the shutter button is still used for focusing).

So now any time you hold down the “AF-ON” button, it will stop the camera from focusing. And as long as you are holding down the “AF-ON” button, you can press and release the shutter button any number of times, and the camera will not try to refocus. Take your thumb off the button, and normal operation resumes.

how would we lock focus with Servo AF mode?

Once you’re in the “Customize buttons” menu (which is “C.FnIII:Operation/Others”), hit “SET” and then scroll down to the button you want to reprogram (in this case the AF-ON button). Hit “SET” which takes you to the large selection of choices for that button, and scroll over to “AF-OFF” (AF stop), hit “SET.” Voila!

Would we have to switch to One Shot AF?

No. I haven’t used One Shot AF in years. Instead I use the AF-ON button for focusing (and have focusing removed from the Shutter Button), so any time I want to lock focus, I just lift my thumb off of the AF-ON button. I can start and stop (and pump) the autofocus any time I want.

It takes a little while getting used to focusing this way, but the control and flexibility are unmatched.

You can of course go the “AF stop” route, which is essentially the opposite of BBAF, but it’s up to you (and how your own brain works) .

Have fun playing around!

R2

Yepsters!! Everyone should bookmark this one baby!

ps. The one instance that “One Shot AF” can be helpful (in my experience), is if the light levels are super low and the Servo AF is struggling. Switching to One Shot AF can help with focus acquisition.

If I had any Canon mirrorless camera it would be set up the same way ?

C2, back button focus, Spot Autofocus, servo ?

That is what sticks ?

I've been using this Yepster method to focus since 2002

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

MAC wrote:

m100 wrote:

If I had any Canon mirrorless camera it would be set up the same way ?

C2, back button focus, Spot Autofocus, servo ?

That is what sticks ?

I've been using this Yepster method to focus since 2002

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

Right-O!

Especially with the bodies that sport the new-fangled Eye detect.  Just acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame!  What freedom!!! 

R2

R2D2 wrote:

MAC wrote:

m100 wrote:

If I had any Canon mirrorless camera it would be set up the same way ?

C2, back button focus, Spot Autofocus, servo ?

That is what sticks ?

I've been using this Yepster method to focus since 2002

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

Right-O!

Especially with the bodies that sport the new-fangled Eye detect. Just acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame! What freedom!!!

R2

M50II eye focus is the best   new-fangled   eye focus my favorite lenses will ever be able to use ?

Ok I guess.

Try not to rub it in ?

R2D2 wrote:

MAC wrote:

m100 wrote:

If I had any Canon mirrorless camera it would be set up the same way ?

C2, back button focus, Spot Autofocus, servo ?

That is what sticks ?

I've been using this Yepster method to focus since 2002

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

Right-O!

Especially with the bodies that sport the new-fangled Eye detect. Just acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame! What freedom!!!

R2

What's focus and re-compose? I didn't even activate the joysticks on my R5, 6II and 7. Too slow for me.

R2D2 wrote:

MAC wrote:

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

Right-O!

Especially with the bodies that sport the new-fangled Eye detect. Just acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame! What freedom!!!

use focus and recompose

vs

acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame

Hm, sounds pretty similar actually.   Some things never change.

- Teo

P.S. I am learning how to effectively use the m6ii's AF, so I do know there is a difference from my 6D days... the language echo was notable to me nevertheless.

matteokeary wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

MAC wrote:

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

Right-O!

Especially with the bodies that sport the new-fangled Eye detect. Just acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame! What freedom!!!

use focus and recompose

vs

acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame

Hm, sounds pretty similar actually.

On the surface maybe, but not once you try it.

Some things never change.

Eye Focus (Subject Detection & Tracking) has brought the biggest changes to Photography since the advent of Digital IMHO!

P.S. I am learning how to effectively use the m6ii's AF, so I do know there is a difference from my 6D days... the language echo was notable to me nevertheless.

The M6ii's AF is most effective when used the old-fashioned way IME. Spot AF and doing the tracking yourself.

Have fun!

R2

ps. Be sure to check out the M6ii Tips & Tricks thread...

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4433968

matteokeary wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

MAC wrote:

The thing that changed for me with mirrorless, I no longer use focus and recompose

Right-O!

Especially with the bodies that sport the new-fangled Eye detect. Just acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame! What freedom!!!

use focus and recompose

vs

acquire focus and move your subject anywhere in the frame

Hm, sounds pretty similar actually. Some things never change.

It can be. Or override eye AF with something like single point AF, move your camera so the AF point lands on your subject and go back to eye AF. When overriding eye AF you can place the AF point anywhere you want on the subject. Then move the camera to compose. I do that because it is faster than using the joystick or LCD for what I shoot.

- Teo

P.S. I am learning how to effectively use the m6ii's AF, so I do know there is a difference from my 6D days... the language echo was notable to me nevertheless.

You paid for the tech so embrace it. Once you get past getting control over the new eye AF tech you won't go back. For a few years I had an R and 7D2. Despite the 7D2's slow FPS the it hardly came out of the bag. I was having too much fun with the R even if was not as sophisticated as the newer ML bodies.