Canon 70D autofocus for shooting Video

[@djmcwill1010]

Just wanted you to know that this ancient video was exactly what I needed to see. Thank you!

[@tydiggs9117]

That was an excellent and informative demonstration of exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@jaxxcass]

2021 - still using this awesome camera. Got my eyes on a 90D though. Great video! I’m also from NZ.

[@KhushiMakeup]

i love your videos. i have just got Canon 70D to shoot my makeup tutorials. you have been most helpful. thank you

[@pauls4708]

just used my 70d to make a video where i am moving around in shot .I just assumed it would do it and it did. Had it on completely automatic for exposure too!

[@BornLippie]

Fantastic review. You included details I couldn't find anywhere else.

[@biciclown]

Hi Grant, thanks for a short and clear video. Please what about the battery life? And the wifi connnection? thanks

[@amfilmakers]

The reason why I just bought one! Thank you!

[@TonyDo]

Hi Grant, So say I got this camera and used it with a Sigma 30mm lense. Would there be a lot of that click click noise when it's autofocusing? No external microphone or anything. Does the kit STM lense mitigate this?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

Hi - I haven't had any experience with the Sigma 30mm lens, my advice would be to see if you can have a go with it in a local camera shop to see if its noisy? As a rule of thumb its always best to try and get an external mic close to your audio source if its important. Yes the Canon STM range of lens are designed to be quieter when shooting in video mode and autofocus.

[@Mybeautyden]

Great work, and love the beautiful views too

[@JosephineFusco]

Hey Grant! What lens would you recommend to do tutorials regarding beauty products? I just purchased the 70 D and have an 18-55mm lens

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

As a rule of thumb for shooting portrait/people type shots a longer lens is better like a 85mm (in 35mm term) which would be at least a 55mm lens on the 70d. These tighter focal lengths are more flattering on facial features and best to avoid wide angle lens.

[@jamesgrellier4750]

Excellent video, Grant. This is extremely helpful and gives me a much better idea of what I can expect from the 70D plus STM lenses. Many thanks for your efforts.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+James Grellier Cheers

[@MISSYANYI]

which setting do you have it on for the autofocus mode ? mines won't auto focus like that for some reason...

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+MISS YANYI It was in the face tracking focus mode mainly using the Canon 18-135 STM lens.

[@SOUNDsculptures]

Hi Grant, great video, your presentation is great. Wondered if you'd be able to help me please... when you have the vari-angle screen rotated so that you can view yourself in front of the camera, does it let you have any control over settings via the touch screen? Or do you have to get back around the other side of the camera and just guess at things while you're not in shot at all..? Thanks a lot if you can help. Helen.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+SOUNDsculptures Hi - Yes you can control a lot of the functions through the touchscreen such as focus, iso etc which is great. Some settings you will still need to get back around to the menu's. Cheers

[@SOUNDsculptures]

+Grant Johnston many thanks indeed for getting back to me so quickly. That's great news. I'm really appreciating your videos tonight. Just watched the video on how to set up the 70D for video and you saved me a headache just as I was about to purchase a completely impractical 32gb SD card thanks to the revelation of how much space this cam chomps through for best quality video (which is what I want to use). Thank you! Glad to have found your channel. All the best, Helen

[@GeorgeAusters]

Solid video Grant!

[@MattCookOregon]

Love the video. Since 70d has multiple auto focus methods, which one was used in this video?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

I just used the standard face tracking mode

[@michaeldidomenico7]

I have a 70D and I love the auto-focus. I now shoot video's when I travel

[@Zygrene]

Hi Grant, for the autofocus tests in which you are not in the frame (such as the bicycle handle at 3:40), are you using the tap-to-focus function on the touchscreen?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Zygrene Hi - yes I was, I used the touchscreen for the whole video from memory.

[@Zygrene]

Grant Johnston Excellent, thanks

[@Zygrene]

+Grant Johnston One more question for you. If the AF is configured to adjust focus based on the subject in the center of the frame, and then you use the touchscreen to change focus to some other part of the frame, will the camera continue adjusting focus based on the area you touched on the screen? In other words, if I move the camera around after touching the top right corner of the screen, will it continue focusing on whatever is in the top right corner?

[@EmilyOlson]

Just got my 70D & binge watching your videos! My camera slightly clicks as it focuses and I'm wondering if it does this because of my Sigma lens I'm using? Or would it do this with a Canon lens too? It's MUCH less noisy than my old Rebel t4i.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Emily Olson Hi - I would say it is the autofocus on the lens, most lenses I have I can hear the autofocus making occasional clicking noises on them. The only lenses that I have found to be perfectly quiet are the Canon STM lenses.

[@ericpitar]

Precisely the question I had as I'm researching about purchasing the 70d for video. Thanks for the review! Have you tried it when you're moving with the subject who's following you?

[@jessetrue2956]

You can adjust the focus for facial recognition to stop at the last point of focus that a face was detected. That way it won't do a weird quick background focus after you leave the frame.

[@lightningbolt4451]

Comprehensive clear and enjoyable. thanks

[@markrussell.]

Great video, was all the test footage shot in face tracking mode? And would that be the mode you would recommend for most video shooting? New to the 70D but not Canon DSLR's...Thanks

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Mark Russell Yes it was all in in face tracking mode and I have found it works well and generally only use that mode or manual. Cheers

[@mjdlifestyle228]

I love all of your videos. /they are so helpful! :) I was wondering if you can tell me how to take off the noise my camera makes when it autofocuses. It makes a beeping noise everytime it focuses on anything. I am using the the 24mmf/2.8 stm lens. Also could you please help me with smoothing settings on this camera. The sony a5100 did an amazing job at blurring out the skin and you could not see pores or any scaring. I am really interested in using this camera for beauty videos and pictures that show off my makeup and really need help. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your help. :)

[@rothvisuals]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing long clips like this! :)

[@therealgirlinthewoods]

Great help- thank you!

[@billyboyproductions6225]

If you can please do the same test for Nikon D810 and/or D750 that would be greatly appreciated!

[@formattester6]

i initially was looking to buy the D750 and was hoping that its AF face tracking would be good but sad to say it sucked. not even usable for any movement in the least and was SLOOOWWW to find the subject at all. too bad too because the video and photo quality on the D750 smokes the 70D. still i own a C100, 5DMkIII and a host of other high end video camera but like this reviewer i wanted something that would focus confidently on a "face". i do a lot of steadicam and gimbal type of things that the 70D is really going to now give me an option to shoot more medium focal lengths instead of the typical "wider" types of things on a steadicam to keep things in focus. on a completely different note...the 70D has horrible moire and stair stepping artifacts (argh) and its pretty soft to start with and forget about sharpening in PP since it only accentuates these artifacts so i just ordered the VAF-70D optical anti-aliasing filter from mosiacengineering dot com. its not cheap @ $300 but i will say that it "WIPES" away 95% of all the bad artifacts thus allowing you to sharpen a lot in PP without bringing up those negative moire issues and for me mostly the horrible stair stepping. if you've used a 5DmkIII you will notice that its moire / artifact FREE. the filter basically does just that to the 70D. thanks for this review!!

[@dosvecesjaime]

Hello Grant, great shots, very illustrative of the 70D's capabilities. What exactly do you mean by raw footage?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

The footage straight out of the camera and not doing any grading on it in post production.

Hi! thanks for the vídeo. I am thinking about buying the 70d and I am very interested about the autofocus noise. I don't really notice it at all in your tests but they're all done outdoors and I don't know if you were using a mic. How is it? I want to use it for vlogging and I currently have the 100d which has a terribly slow af and the noise is dosgusting even with an external mic. I don't know what to do

[@rond6782]

I was wondering the same thing about the mics. On the RAW vid clip where he first appears walking towards the cam, I do hear some clicks. I don't know if that is from the motor or not. On the shots after that, I didn't hear any noise when the cam is focusing and re-focusing. Would like to know if he used the onboard mic or an external mic for all the footage.

[@chrisgrow671]

@Grant Johnston your audio quality is astounding, both in your monologue sections of this video and in the nature shots. What mics are you using? thanks for a great video. Appreciate your work.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Chris Grow Hi - I was just using the Rode Videomic pro which does a pretty good job, if you can, use the manual audio levels control on the camera for even better control.

[@jasonchurchyvr5651]

Hello Grant, just came across your page and really like your videos, I just bought a 70D last week for video and am using it with a DJI RONIN M hand held stabilizer, because of this it is near impossible to use the manual focus. Can you tell me or possibly make a video that explains the best situations to use each of the three auto focus settings in video? Thanks so much, I am so happy that I bought this camera but am a bit confused at times with these settings and the proper times to use them. Jason

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Jason Churchyvr Haven't used mine on a gimbal but will have a look. Cheers

[@jasonchurchyvr5651]

Thanks for the reply Grant, the focus settings that I am talking about are, when would be the best situations to use the face tracking focus, self explanitory I would say, but the other two focus settings. FlexiZoneAF() and FlexiZone with the square icon.

[@ImaginaryAsh]

Hello i'm having a problem with my canon 70D. In video mode the footage has some gaps in the frames and audio (it stutters every so often). It seems to happen more when the camera is focusing and moving. I'm using a class 10 45mbps SD card. Have you ever experienced this problem before? Thanks for your help.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Punk Drum Covers Hi - no I haven't had that problem so can't really offer any advice sorry.

[@billrhea]

Awesome video thanks for posting

[@TechValueGR]

Thanks for the help, great content

[@Redwaversz]

I hear that 70D Motherboard is easy to break, is it true?

[@vertix6375]

So is the 60d or 70d good for vlogging?

[@rocus80m]

Nice Vid Grant, helps a lot.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+rocus80m Cheers

[@tattotoro]

Should I upgrade from a t2i (550) to a 70D? I mainly do video (short films, web series and probably events) and photography (street and looking to make some wedding and event photography) or should I invest in lenses? THANKS!

[@TheGoplastic]

Dear Grant, I have the following type: CANON EOS 1300D + 18-55 mm IS Kit Can I do this autofocus for videos? Or this type is not suitable for this function? If yes, how can I? Thank you so much!

[@AlabamaDigger]

i read somewhere the phase detection dont work past a certain fstop.can you clarify ?

[@juancastro1727]

wich camera did you use for this intro video?

[@hakchan5417]

My canon 7D has not focusing automatic. Is there any solution? Thank you

[@quenched56]

A talk through whilst the focus is shifting would be beneficial.

[@legacyenduranceinc71]

Great video. Thanks.

[@JoolsVoiceOver]

I wonder if you could help me. I watched your other video to set up to shoot video but I can't zoom in or out, how do I set it so that I can zoom in when needed? Thanks :0) I have a huge book but have Fibrofog and can't make head nor tail of anything at the moment. Thanks in advance for any help :0)

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+xxxJoolsxxx You have to manually zoom using your lens barrel assuming its a zoom lens. There is no servo zoom on it. Cheers

[@JoolsVoiceOver]

Grant Johnston Thanks so much for the reply, I thought I saw other youtubers zooming in and out in their videos oh well back to the drawing board :0)

[@KenaPeay777]

Very helpful! Thank you so much!

[@TheofilusIfan]

hi Grant. i'm using canon 750D. when i shoot video with autofocus, my camera doesn't apply that autofocus. why is that happen? because 750D doesn't have same system? Thanks a lot

[@Easyendeavour]

This was really interesting thank you! Is this affected by the type of lens? mine seems a little slower?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Easy Endeavour It can be, the newer Canon STM lenses work very well and silently! Cheers

[@Easyendeavour]

+Grant Johnston thank you for the response. I will try a few more tests.

[@AbisolaJaydee]

+Grant Johnston would you say the autofocus on the newer stm lens are silent while filming ?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

I haven't tried one but I would guess yes as that is one of the primary focus of the STM lenses.

[@dbdb9806]

Is there any way to autofocus whilst away from the camera? Like constantly focusing on a moving subject?

[@zachariahahmad]

Does the lens make any noise when auto focusing? Just like Nikon lenses. Actually I didn't hear any motor noise. But I could be wrong. And, is there any way the make it slow focus?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

The Canon STM lenses have a silent autofocus system which works pretty well.

[@zachariahahmad]

Grant Johnston Thank you sir

[@ZaberAnsaryOfficial]

to set focusing speed for a more manual focus pull effect you need an 80D or 7D m2 plus some better cameras. 70D doesn't have that function.

[@zachariahahmad]

Zaber Ansary Oh thanks

[@sabinacovarrubiasa]

Hello, thank you for quite good review. Do you know if the Canon 7D and the 5D have this feature as well? (traking autofocus while video recording) Thanks!

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Sabina Covarrubias I believe the 7D mkii has it but not sure about the 5D.

[@TheStyleAlert]

I make youtube videos (makeu tutorials /haul's). I have a Canon T5i and would like a lens that will give me the bokeh effect and also focus on products I put up close to the camera. What lens do you recommend? Thanks SO much!

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

I would go for a f2.8 lens, something like the Canon 17-55 f2.8 lens

[@TheStyleAlert]

+Grant Johnston great. Thanks so much!!

[@theothertonydutch]

Why not the 50mm? Because of the pretty far close up range?

[@SomeReadingsASMR]

Thank you for this video :)

[@explosiveextremes5793]

in face tracking mode will it only detect faces or can you still focus on other objects and background or do you have to change it to flexizone multi. Because i was planning to get this camera for vlogging and i would constantly be shooting different things and focusing on other people.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Explosive Extremes I just leave it in face tracking mode for everything and it works fine.

[@AbulHasanLakhani]

Thanks from Auckland :)

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

Go the AB's

[@soccerlibrary4418]

what is the price of canon 70d with STM lense?

[@GenoFelice]

Hello Grant. Just bought a Canon 70D for video. Having a focus issue. Using 55-250 kit lens at 250. When I shoot stills I can aim the camera at something far away using the view finder, press the focus button, the camera focuses and all is well. In video mode the viewfinder goes off and I must focus in live view. The problem is how do I focus on something far away. Can't seem to make this happen. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+GenoFelice Try using the magnify button to enlarge the image in live view mode to set your focus.

[@GenoFelice]

Thanks will try that

[@EnderGENCER]

is it possible with Canon 600D ?

[@ebonygray4895]

i have the 17-50 2.8 tamron lenses, and finding i am hearing nosies,should i invest in other lenses?because i am planning on shooting video in the near future

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

+Ebony Gray I would try using an external mic first like the rode video mic pro.

[@ebonygray4895]

Thanks Grant

[@LexiMarieBeauty]

Mine makes a really loud focusing sound? What did you do for it not to do this?

[@MrSwadloon]

he probs uses an external microphone or a separate audio recorder

[@khall187]

Ooooooor you might not be using an "STM" lens, which are MUCH quieter.

[@achemare9532]

Hey, I have a canon 70d and when I put it on autofocus the lens makes a sound. Is there a way to disable the noise.

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

Either using a STM lens or manual focus as its the autofocus that is usually making the noise.

[@zachariahahmad]

It depends on what type of lens you are using. Manual focus is a bit hard unless you have focus peaking and good eye

[@sandiaYpescado]

are you using magic lantern to get RAW video?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

Ruckle McChuckle no I'm not, last time I looked it wasn't available for the 70D yet.

[@upoLbLood]

Can't we use the same autofocusing system on 60D ?

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

***** The 60D doesn't have the same auto focus system as the 70D

[@ericlecreateur]

Helpful!

[@FeatherandtheWind]

Thanks a lot

[@1650million]

It´s the 2nd best video AF for ILCs, but still worse than what my a6000 gives me: I don´t have those exagerated "jumps" at the end of the shot; I can adjust the transition speed from point A to point B, making it even smoother; and there´s no noise coming from the AF motor, so every native lens is virtually silent. (Shooting almost "perfect" footage with my 35mm f/1.8 wide open is nothing sort of miraculous). Not to mention the extraordinary advantage of being able to shoot through the EVF, thus getting more stabilized shots; a slightly sharper image, and much less moire. I can also confirm the GH4 is worse than both of this cameras for video AF, though. To me, an absolute no-brainer. Thanks for your tests.

[@sajida7305]

The biggest problem with a6000 is no touch screen for manual touch focus is which is a must for video fucosing

[@rishikoomarmanicchemistryt3578]

Hi don't you get noise when the lens is autofocussing

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

Yes you do with older style (non Canon STM lenses) but you can generally get around it using an external mic such as the rode.

[@palmirafloresgarcia9608]

i don't understand why my camera can't do it as the video :( It used to do it but now i do not why :(

[@GurpreetSingh-uc4qg]

thaxx

[@mirkokminek4657]

so crazy a to speed talk

[@Niroshajayawardena]

Hmm 😍

[@stevocanuck]

it looks like you're about to say something but can't decide on what to say

[@mariusleroy8895]

You live in a beautiful place

[@TravelingPhotographer]

Well done, Grant. Thanks for the video. The 70D is the first APS-C sensor camera I've purchased in many years. I was strictly a full-frame shooter until Canon came up with this model. The dual pixel technology is revolutionary. I have always been somewhat disappointed with the focusing behavior when using DSLRs for shooting video. I am about to play with it on a ski trip. Can you give me a few quick suggestions on settings or techniques? I've essentially never shot "action video" of moving targets before. Any comments would be appreciated. Warm Regards, Bruce at canoncamerageek.com

[@GrantJohnstonVideos]

Hi - Skiing can be a bit challenging to shoot sometimes but my basic tips would be to make sure you have a zoom lens like the 18-135mm or the 70-200 preferably with image stabilisation as you will probably be hand-holding the camera. Also a spare battery or 2 as the cold will eat through them, a polariser or variable ND filter as its a lot brighter than you think up there. Watch your white balance if you are shooting in shaded areas or overcast, if it looks no good do a custom white balance off the snow usually does the trick. A moving skier or boarder will be a good challenge for the auto focus. Cheers

[@TravelingPhotographer]

Grant Johnston Thanks Grant!

[@rajanaeem7674]

Nice 👍pakistan🇵🇰