Canon 5D Mk IV - Autofocus: Part 4/4 - AF Cases

[@andretaylor8750]

I am so glad I found someone who can break down a camera and its many functions to me... its very rare that people are able to explain to others exactly how to do something in a way that others can understand without being a condescending asshole about it. Thank you for spreading the knowledge and taking the time out your day to do so.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for taking time to comment :-)

[@James-xu1rr]

This four part series has been very helpful! Having switched from a 6D, I found the 5D MkIV autofocus system by far the most challenging feature to fully understand. You have answered all my questions in a very clear and comprehensive tutorial. Thank you Grant!

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for the feedback James Edmondson

[@forsterl.stewart414]

There are thousands of these so called pro photographers on the web who really know nothing and give false info. This and all of your videos however are nothing but the truth. Clear,concise and helpful. As a pro I tune in not to learn but I love to watch anything photography good or bad, when I find a great one I subscribe. You are entertaining and very professional thank you.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for the feedback :-)

[@andreimalashenko9132]

Fantastic four part series! Thank you for taking the time to put together this very clear and helpful tutorial !

[@kevanwind4059]

What a fantastic set of videos. Clear expert instruction by someone who really knows what he is doing and relates to the sort of issues I have photographing wildlife. Thanks a million Grant.

[@suresh1957]

Your 4 part series is certainly the best explanation I have had on what is arguably, a very complex subject. For an amateur like me, your videos have been invaluable. Indeed, Canon should remunerate you for having demystified their autofocus system. Thanks very much Suresh/France

[@mikeblythe9906]

Excellent series of videos on 5D Mk4 autofocus. Thank you for posting.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks so much, its always nice to get good feedback :-)

[@TherootsolutionsLV]

I know this is an old video however I found this series very helpful, informative and answered every question I had about these settings. Very well done

[@tcibeatrecords4707]

I know this video is somewhat old. But this is the best video out there on the canon 5d Iv. Thank you...

[@grantatkinson8108]

Glad it was helpful. It is still a great camera.

[@PaulMiguelPhotography]

Fantastic video Grant. These tutorials are incredibly thorough and well presented. You have a real talent for explaining this complex information. Great job!

[@jimkeener3773]

Your combination of experience, intelligence, clear thought, and understandable presentation are of considerable value to your students. Thank you. Not blowing smoke, by the way.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Appreciate that Jim Keener, as this format is not a natural space for me :-)

[@PaShaBaLaLaLaLa]

;-) i put thumb up after the phrase "i prefer to actually understand what i am doing...". great series, and very clear explanations. i usually prefer written documentation to explanatory videos -- but in this case i do think it saved my time compared to reading manuals

[@richardpilcher7651]

Watched the 4 part series. Unlike many other explanations on the mk3 & 4 focusing features that I have accessed on Utube, I found this series to be very useful easy to understand. Keep up the great videos.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for the feedback Richard. I would have preferred to have fewer videos dealing with the autofocus, but i found that when I tried to take shortcuts, it made things harder :-)

[@raylander6329]

I agree with all comments, on how professional, clear, to the point and with detail your videos are. Now the 5D IV auto focus parameters make a lot more sense to me. Thank you, Mr Atkinson

[@simonpcroot]

A concise effert to show the subject matter without the normal you tube whats up guys pre amble crap thankyou so much this helped a lot

[@grantatkinson8108]

Appreciate that Simon!

[@bobj5288]

A fabulous set of videos - superb explanations and demonstrations.

[@johngerlach2493]

Thanks Grant for your excellent tutorials on how you use the three autofocus settings. It was difficult to grasp them at first, but now I feel much more confident with them. Like you, I haven't been able to see much difference between the choices in the 2nd two settings, but I will keep experimenting. The first one is crucial to understand as you so clearly showed. I will post a link to this video on my instructional Facebook page to better help my clients. Thanks again. Sharing your knowledge is helping a lot of us around the world.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks so much for that, I appreciate it very much John Gerlach

[@a.jerrells8736]

Thank you sir for such an informative video on the Canon 5D Mark IV. God bless you and your family.

[@nickclaytonphotography]

Excellent series Grant, thank you. Very easy to follow & understand what the changes mean the way you have described here. I have pretty much set my own 5D mkiv AF system up the same way as you have & it works very well for me. I tried BBF for a while, over a year but have now reverted to front shutter AF & my keeper rate has increased. Thanks for sharing a great series with great information & clear understanding. This has been a huge help to me in getting to grips with the complex AF system on the 5D mkiv. Keep on keeping on! Best, Nick

[@MichaelThomas410]

Enjoyed and learned from all four parts. Thank you so much.

[@FredA-ym8tp]

Excellent information carefully expounded and well rationalized. I'll keep coming back to this series until the info is automatic to me.

[@thatboy353]

This whole series is great but this video right here cleared all the confusion I was having from the cases. thank you very much!

[@thatgnaralooguy]

I do lots of underwater filming, mostly in coral. Trying to work in a different marine environment with seaweed, which sways a lot, caused heaps of AF issues! Thanks Grant for helping me sort through this.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thats a new kind of AF challenge for me to hear about, and it sounds a tough one, but very glad that changing the settings helped :-) and thanks for letting me know

[@thatgnaralooguy]

@@grantatkinson8108 I feel like the settings are better for that environment. Will let you know how I go!

[@lulu480]

I've pondered the goal of photography for me and have made a few changes. I sold all my cameras and a few lenses I don't use and bought one camera, this one. And as usual, your explanations are spot on and easy to follow. I wish more photographers could be as clear and precise as you. And you are always patient and willing to answer questions. Glad I stumbled across you! I just did this but hopefully I won't be too dependent on you for help with all this technology in my hands. 😏

[@normannorris3642]

I bought a Canon 5d mK4 a short while ago and haveing just watched your video on the setting wildlife photography, you have shown me how to make some settings so much easier for capturing the photographs I want to capture better. Thank you, your videos are very informative and you take the time to show each button and setting and what each one does, I now have a better understanding of the focusing system. Thank you, very helpful.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for that feedback Norman :-)

[@normannorris3642]

Hi Grant, I have subscribed to your website and KZbin Videos, you are one of the few that actually describes each button what they are for, rather than assume people know what they are? Great work, please keep it up

[@rgs455atw]

I learn more from your videos than any other video on youtube.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks so much for that feedback, means a lot!

[@swiftnick3]

Thank you Mr Atkinson: your reference set of excellent videos on the 5D IV are my go to choice for getting the potential out of this camera

[@chrispowell2126]

Thank you so much for all the trouble you have gone to in these video’s, I’ve been watching your channel for the past Five years or so and you are the best out there for explaining things so clearly. I started out with an 80D and then a 5DMk 1V and a 90D so I now have three Cameras and will never part with any of them , I understand you now also own a 90D and I hope you let us know what you think of it some time in the future . Thank you for making my Photography so enjoyable. Regards Chris

[@ernestosaldarriaga3135]

Grant: La serie de 4 vídeos sobre la Canon 5d MK iv fue maravillosa para mi. Muchas gracias, Espero mas. Ernesto Saldarriaga. Bogota Colombia. SA

[@getonside68]

Thanks for you video's on the Mark IV. Brilliant explanation, through your knowledge & experience. Your video's are easier to understand than what Canon has shown. Thanks.

[@jkennan]

Thanks Grant. There’s a lot of wisdom in this series.

[@ramusekar9651]

U r a great teacher sir.. so good and very clear

[@theresabraaten1924]

I'm so happy I found your videos...I wish I would have found them sooner! lol

[@yarely]

Thank you for making such an informative video! I was just wondering about this earlier this week!

[@MarkBeauchamp]

Excellent collection of seminars! Bravo #veryhelpful #canon5dmkiv

[@davidn137]

Thank you Grant. Excellent demonstration.

[@NKolakovic]

Been looking for a video like this for a while, thanks for the help!

[@AirPixelProMedia]

Very good tutorial. It helped me greatly.

[@dansr8342]

Superb set of videos - can you share the make and model of the tripod in the video. It looks awesome.

[@davidenyori753]

I'd had been having trouble understanding cases and the parameters. Thanks Grant for clarifying that the tracking sensitivity, acceleration/deceleration and AF point cant be put in customs settings.

[@heinvanbuuren8761]

All great videos Grant, they are very usefull to watch! Greeting from the Netherlands.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for that feedback, :-),

[@FernandoCallejas]

Great Series !! Extremely clear and technically proficient. Thank you !

[@romanmachovic5430]

Thank you for a very good intelligent calm and good advice.

[@MrJeffinLodi]

Thanks. you are very good, knowledgeable and extremely helpful.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Glad the video was helpful

[@moggio456]

Simply great job! Thanks a lot!

[@feelda303]

Great explanation, thanks for the help!

[@HasithaSamarajeewa]

Awesome set of videos for 5dm4 AF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[@BrokenToeKnee]

Hasitha Samarajeewa Agreed.

[@svenjakubith2464]

Very systematic tutorial. Thank you so much.

[@michaelricco81]

Mr. Atkinson, I now have a greater understanding what the cases are meant for and i also understand much better what the Tracking sensititivy, Accel / decel tracking adn AF pt auto switching do - thank you for this. Also, as you showed, i set them up in My Menu1. However, i still do not understand how I activate those three parameters to behave the way I configure them?

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hi Michael, one you have those autofocus parameters installed in My Menu, it seems that on my cameras they become the priority location for those parameters, and if i change any of the parameters in the My Menu screen they are also changed in one of the Default cases. With regard to them actually starting to work for you, the three of them, Sensitivity, Accel/Decel and AF Pt Auto Switching are always influencing how your AF system behaves as soon as you set your camera to Ai Servo focus mode - they don't take any effect for One Shot focus mode. Anytime you are in Servo they are active. A side note, AF Pt Auto Switching also is not active if you use a Single AF Pt . Does that help at all Cheers Grant

[@michaelricco81]

@@grantatkinson8108 Thank you for the replies to both my questions.

[@melindahowell1801]

Thank you, I think I found the answer to my lens dilemma which was really the auto focus was too sensitive and focusing on the background when it is busier than the sky with fast moving subjects. I am relieved it is not a lens problem. I looked at your artwork on your website and I noticed you like to make some of your photos almost look like charcoal drawings which is kinda cool.

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hope you where able to improve your camera Autofocus performance then by making Tracking Sensitivity more "Locked on " ?

[@averylittle7350]

Simple and straightforward as your superb videos are, is there any way you could transfer the info directly into my head so that I can retain it, please?

[@grantatkinson8108]

Glad it was useful

[@averylittle7350]

Well beyond useful. I would say essential viewing. Thank you very much. @@grantatkinson8108

[@Beatriz_Molina]

THANK YOU so much. You explain all SO well... you are a very good teacher! :) These 4 AF videos have been so so useful! You also look like a nice person and your images are AMAZING. I have noticed you don't have an Instagram account, nor even a Flickr or 500px one! So sad... would love to follow you on some (or all) of these sites, lol. Anyhow, i'm in love with your nature photos. Very good teacher and very good photographer. :)

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thanks for the kind comments B ea, I mostly post my latest images on Facebook although not everybody spend time there :-)

[@tylerclinebell8926]

had to subscribe for this great info!

[@Lucidexplore]

Very good instructions

[@Meemfairie]

Thank you for this amazing video

[@davet3530]

Excellent Grant. I have got them in 'My Menu' as well but I don't make enough use of that aspect and tend to fall back on a couple of the Case Modes. I should practice more and get used to the finer tuning aspects. I may have missed it somewhere else in your guides - but what do you use for the AF setting of 'Lens Drive when AF is impossible' ? I assume it has an impact on the focusing capability of longer lenses that may hunt if they can't find the subject quickly. I currently have that setting to On for all my lenses including the 500 F4. Thanks again for putting together these excellent guides.

[@anand-iyer]

Great video Grant. One question I have for you: Where would you place the tracking sensitivity for fast approaching subjects/wildlife? So not a subject going mostly side to side but one that’s coming towards you head on. Thanks

[@philipsamandar3829]

Thanks for your video. ...very helpful. .I have subscribed

[@jeromecongre3539]

Good job guy, thanks

[@grantatkinson8108]

Thank you Jerome :-)

[@doctorheart]

Dear Sir whats your suggestion , for my photo fo mikway I usually use time 20 seconds, and iso 3200/6200, what you think can increase the focus, thanks, and best regards, see you latter...

[@thisisFelipeSilva]

MASSIVE THANKS !!!

[@FactsFactory21M]

Your video is showing in my channel playlist how is it happening please explain to me.

[@justinepaquette5325]

Amazing ! Thank you so much !

[@tarunkumarmallappa2121]

Hi Grant - Is the 1DXM1 still a good camera over 5DM4? I mainly shoot birds and mammas. Your opinion will be useful in making a decision. I currently own a 5DM4. And I’m getting a 1DX for around 3k

[@aquanick2001]

Well in my opinion the 5D4 would beat the 1DX in terms of features...........The 5D4 is newer technology with more features (Touchscreen, WiFi, GPS etc). The 1DX Mark 2 would be better than both of them. In my opinion, I wouldn't buy a 1DX if I already had a 5D4..........save your money and buy some decent lenses.

[@yunusdemirbass]

I own the 5DM4, it is absolutely a great camera, only thing missing for me is the frames per second. 7 fps is just not enough for me (event photography). In your case i think the fps is crucial, so if you could afford 1DX2, you should definitely go for it

[@newlinjohn]

This was a great series, thanks Grant. Have you played with the iTR system at all in the 5d4?

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hi John Newlin, glad the videos where helpful. I have found the 5Dmk4 iTR to be about as effective as in the 7dmk2 and the 1DX, which means it can track large subjects or subjects moving at medium speed, very well. I usually do best when there is enough light to enable a decent amount of depth of field, to make up for any focus innaccuracies that may occur if it accidentally grabs the wrong part of a subject. An example of where it may work well might be an aircraft flying past in the sky......but I find iTR less effective at precision focus of a subjects eyes, etc especially if the subject is moving quickly.

[@lilibethmayugba2716]

Hi Grant, So in AF cases 6 recommendations in 5dmk4 what is your best recommend in wildlife photo AF Cases in 5dmk4: Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4 Case 5 or Case 6?

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hi Lilibeth, so the purpose of this video is to try explain the differences between the cases and make it easier to choose from the three parameters what is best suited to your particular subject matter, or preference. So that means that I don't make use of any one preset Case but I choose the numbers for the parameters myself. It may happen that my three choices actually are the same as one of the Cases but I would not actually be aware of that. My settings are in the video but again I do not leave the same with every subject nor with every lens or background situation I am in. Hope that helps to clarify?

[@lilibethmayugba2716]

Thank you Grant

[@nagol5178]

I never really thought about putting that in my personal menu. That's a good idea. You gonna do any videos on 4k 30 FPS still grabs for when you want 30 photos per second? Or have you tried that yet. I haven't. lol

[@grantatkinson8108]

Hi nagol5178, I have yet to try out that capability in real-world conditions. I am busy working with the 80D, 5dmk4 and the M5 using their DPAF focusing and trying to see where I can most make it work for me... :-)

[@nagol5178]

How do you find the abilities on that working for you? I have wondered if I have face tracking for example, will it focus in on the eye with the box around them or all it hit their forehead, etc. However, I have not tried it yet. I wish I could get the box even smaller in some cases.

[@nordic5490]

There is the rolling shutter issue taking stills from video, especially in 4k mode.

[@ChrisW.Fuji_Canon]

thank you

[@jvusa]

Excellent

[@adinew8920]

Thanks a lot

[@MIlw55]

Can I just not use cases period? I find this stupid.

[@maxsportmaxmusic1237]

any machine in the world can't make you artiste...the machine for art is 10% may be less