Can Canon AF do real time tracking of objects (not just faces,eyes,cars,animals etc)?

I like Canon, they were my first DSLR cameras and I definitely still feel connected. I had the RP for a while. Some RF lenses I was very fond of: RF 35mm 1.8, RF 85mm 2.0, RF 24-105 L etc. And I love the Canon colors! Especially in the landscape photography I mainly do.

But currently I use the Sony a6600 mainly for one reason: AF Real Time Tracking. All I have to do is aim my AF field at any object whose position in the later image I consider suitable for AF selection, gently hold the shutter button down, and the camera tracks the object I'm aiming at in the AF field absolutely reliably while I compose the picture. AF point selection in landscape photography has never been so easy for me. This works with any object that has even a bit of contrast, which can be bushes, rocks, fences, houses, just about anything. So it's not limited to faces, animals, cars, etc.

I am interested in the upcoming R8, because I might want to go back to FF. I would like to ask here if the new AF algorithms from Canon also allow this? Experiences with R6 II, R7, R10 anyone? I know from experience that other cameras I have owned so far are not capable of this, such as Canon RP, Nikon Z6 II, etc.

Not sure why you think that Nikon is not good at doing this. I found Nikon to actually be much better than Canon in this regard.

Check this video to see Z6 (I!) tracking capabilities on random objects (Will start at the correct timestamp):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9KFtf_xHYo&t=109s

Unfortunately Nikons AF speed is not sufficient to keep the subjecte in focus, but the tracking itself is really good. Exactly as you describe actually (select, recompose, shoot).

Canon is not that good in that regard. In complex engironments (e.g. when not shooting birds against the blue sky) the focus points tends to drift. It will work for a limited time and then you will have to re-adjust. Focus points will often drift first over the selected object and later on might get lost entirely on back- or foreground. The later cameras show some improvement in this regard (R6 II) but they are still far from Nikons or Sonys performance. AF speed is certainly fast enough though. On top their implementation is a bit weird, as you are able to choose the initial focus point but upon activating tracking the shape and size of the focus area might shift immediately to something that the camera seems to like better. With Nikon it always stays a yellow rectangle, with Canon any combination of small focus fields is possible.

So in my experience:

- Sony: Can do both (tracking + fast focusing)

- Canon: Can do the fast focusing part, tracking has room to improve

- Nikon: Can do the tracking quite good (at least to the point where AF struggles to keep up with the chsoen focus are, if this gets too blurry then tracking will fail), focusing is too slow for somewhat faster subjects

Thanks! Thats a good video, I wish I had seen it when I owned the Z6II. So indeed, that is what I wish for and Nikon seems to be capable to do this.

Jens H wrote:

Thanks! Thats a good video, I wish I had seen it when I owned the Z6II. So indeed, that is what I wish for and Nikon seems to be capable to do this.

I have the R and the R7. I just checked what you are asking about. With the R, yes it can do it, and it works just fine for focus and recompose (although I usually prefer just to position the focus point on the object I want, using the incredibly useful touch and drag capability). The better the contrast between the object you want and the background, the more likely it is to stay with it while you move the camera around. So, for the object in that linked video, it would have no trouble at all (I tried with something similar). With objects with less contrast themselves, and that stand out from the background less well, you can induce the focus to drift by moving the camera around fast. I'm not sure why you'd do that, though. With the R7, the AF is more sophisticated (way way beyond the Nikon). You need to set 'subject to detect' to 'none', and then it sticks to whatever you point the AF frame (you get to set the size of that too) at like glue. I don't have the R6II, but I gather the AF is similar to the R7. If so, the previous poster is simply mistaken about how it behaves.

But you said you use this for landscape shooting? Why not simply position the AF point over where you want the focus to be, after you've composed? It's not that the Canons can't do what you want. It's just that there's simply no need. Mirrorless AF lets you position the AF point pretty much throughout the whole frame. Focus and recompose was a technique from the days of limited AF spread in DSLRs. You can do it with the R or R7, but you don't need to. As for tracking moving objects, the R7 is the best I've ever experienced at this. Its performance is way beyond the Sony A6XXX cameras. You do need to set it up correctly, though. Pretty much every report of unreliability I've read comes down to using the wrong settings.

Thanks for testing with the R and R7!

For me this is the quickest and easiest way to select focus, much quicker than using the joystick or the touchscreen. No need for any action other than aiming at the focus target and lightly pressing the shutter button and recomposing. Only one finger is involved here, which is on the shutter anyway. It's really lightning fast. Prerequisite: The camera must be able to handle it absolutely reliably.

Just as a slight warning, as I have an R, R5, Z6 and a Z7 and can do the direct comparison and due to the other people stating no issue with canon with this method:

There are clear differences in the "performance" of the "lock any subject and recompose tracking" feature. So yes, on paper Canon can do this and yes in real world use it often is functional but it really depends on the subject and how "well" the camera AF likes the spot of the object you selected for tracking. I already described the quirks of the Canon implementation, but to recap again:
AF wandering on the object growing / shrinking focus area, not being very sticky, ..
On top there is one cool feature missing: The Nikon seems to store some kind of template of the subject you selected in memory on button press. This means the object will be recognized again if it shortly leaves the frame and comes back into composition. This feature is definitfely absent on the Canon cameras I have.

Overall with the Nikons I actively use this method during normal day shooting, on the Canons not at all. (but to be fair: AF in general tends to be better on the R5, which means it often does what I want anyway without having to rely on the described technique, sometimes I miss it anyway, especially when not shooting any of the detectable subjects)

On a scale of 0-100 (with 100 being ideal performce and 0 meaning total absence of the feature) I would rate it: 60/100 (EOS R5) vs 85/100 (Z6/Z7).

This might sufficient for your style of shooting though. I would advise to check and compare this feature in the store of your choice.

For the Nikons it is important that you have to setup this method properly first (bind e.g. FN1 to enable tracking), then you can switch from any focus mode directly to the predefined AF area tracking mode on a single button press and directly back to your previous mode again by another press on the same button. Something that is missing on the Canons as well, here you can only cycle through preselected modes to get full control. You can switch to different focus modes on the fly by binding a button but you have to hold down said button and will not be able to recompose on the R5 while it is being pressed. Again a plus for Nikon.

Jens H wrote:

This works with any object that has even a bit of contrast, which can be  bushes, rocks, fences, houses, just about anything.

Are these objects moving so quickly that they are moving out of your DOF between the time that you aim at them and then snap the shutter?  Would you not use "One Shot AF" instead?  Or better yet Servo with Back Button Focus?  Any examples of contrapositives that you can post?

R2

R2D2 wrote:

Jens H wrote:

This works with any object that has even a bit of contrast, which can be bushes, rocks, fences, houses, just about anything.

Are these objects moving so quickly that they are moving out of your DOF between the time that you aim at them and then snap the shutter? Would you not use "One Shot AF" instead? Or better yet Servo with Back Button Focus? Any examples of contrapositives that you can post?

R2

This is not about AF itself but a technique for recomposing without having to manually move the AF area / point. It is common on other systems, not so much in Canon land. When you let go of shutter half press the AF point jumps back to the original position and you can quickly select another subject. In Canon land I would typically move the single point AF area via the touchscreen while looking through the viewfinder. This is not possible in Nikon Land (Z6/Z7).

Alastair Norcross wrote:

Pretty much every report of unreliability I've read comes down to using the wrong settings.

I have discovered that with Canon mirrorless cameras, those secondary (and often arcane) focus settings have become much more relevant.

This first hand comparision is very helpful, thanks a lot! It seems that Sony and Nikon are better choices for this method. This is only one factor of course when chosing a system, but it is good to have this information.

Thats thread is helpful, it seems the R5 will not allow to mimick the Sony Real Time Track option. Reading other answers in my thread I fear the same for the other Canon R cameras.

Using this method with my a6600 it is certainly reliable, no experience of misfocus. And I can place the AF selection anywhere, no need to start in the center. And of course I can select the AF area with field curvature in mind, why not?

Jens H wrote:

This first hand comparision is very helpful, thanks a lot! It seems that Sony and Nikon are better choices for this method.

No, they are absolutely not. Don't take the word of that one guy, who doesn't have the R7, R3, or R6II, which have different AF from the R and R5. I have given you first hand information from using the R7.

This is only one factor of course when chosing a system, but it is good to have this information.

It's good to have accurate information. Make sure you're getting it. If you really want to know, try out an R7, R3, or R6II yourself.