CANON RESPOND, THEIR ADMISSION SURPRISED ME!

[@johnd4353]

To help get rid of the blackout between shots in H-mode shooting you need to enable the High Speed Display option (Red menu, Page 8). This option is only available when NOT shooting in H+ mode and will basically eliminate the blackout, but there's still a stutter to it for things like panning shots. Might want to give it a try though and see if it's something that helps you when shooting in that mode, it's nice to know it's an option

[@Duade]

Thanks, that is very helpful, I wonder why it is not standard. Cheers, Duade

[@fylphotography9269]

It doesn't truly get rid of blackout because the camera does a "slideshow" effect to cover this up. Turning on High Speed Display basically lets the camera display some motion between images when shooting in H mode, but it doesn't truly eliminate blackout (it looks like ~20fps). Same story on the R6/R6II and R5. R3 is the only one in Canon's lineup that has a stacked sensor and is thus capable of showing 60fps+ motion between shots when shooting with electronic shutter. I know it is a lot to ask for a cheaper tier but this is one reason I still miss the OVF and seeing true motion between the shots I take.

[@falxonPSN]

​@@fylphotography9269so you're saying my R3 has spoiled me, and I'll get annoyed if I move to other RF cameras for fast action. That's disappointing.

[@stephangauthier911]

My R6 is the same. Canon yet again dropping the ball. Ppl shouldnt applaud them for their honesty if they provided products with these faults without telling or fixing.

[@benfouche6404]

I agree. The are using features like high shutter speed to promote their products. I fact they are lying, realising and admitting after sales that this is not working. I am truly upset. I know before I would definately opted for another option. What a shame Canon.

[@monoffoto]

First gen R cameras with exception of the R5 were recycled old tech: R - 5D Mark IV, RP - 6D Mark II, R10 - M50 Mark II/80D, R7 - M6 Mark II/90D, R6 - 1DX Mark III. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Maybe the R6 is the best of the bunch because they reused the highest end camera…

[@edvinrushitaj]

Your commitment is something do be admired. After so many videos dedicated to the R7, you come back and produce content for all of us that don't have the luxury to change bodies every now and then. Thanks for taking the time and energy to provide us with this information. Cheers

[@Duade]

Thanks, it is my pleasure and I am happy to help, have fun with your camera. Cheers, Duade

[@benfouche6404]

@@Duade Thanks Duade. Pity Canon is so misleading and wicked in their sales effort.

[@MrSonicAlchemy]

While I do appreciate Canon ultimately being honest when questioned about this issue, I really think they should be more upfront about it in their literature and marketing materials. It's no good to have a camera that can shoot 30 fps if a large percentage of your shots are out of focus. It seems a bit deceptive of Canon not to make consumers aware of this information. Thanks so much Duade, for doing the research and helping all of us budding wildlife photographers to have a clearer picture of our gear and its capabilities. You are simply the best!

[@ajc1482]

Aye I'm with you on this. I understand they want to sell cameras and that 30fps sounds great in the marketing....but I'd rather they just restricted it to 10 or 15fps and we got more reliable AF. I used to shoot with the D500 that's only 10fps and it's fantastic for BIF

[@marijn17s]

I definetely agree but every brand has done / does it

[@shibampal6940]

Exactly, no point in doing such a marketing

[@karlgunterwunsch1950]

@@ajc1482 Still the camera with all the troubles comes off with a higher keeper rate than the 10 fps limited cameras - especially if you switch the viewfinder to OVF simulation where the viewfinder - and by extension the autofocus - has a higher contrast image to work with.

[@sbromley6739]

Agreed disclosure up-front would be nice. As a practical matter, I can't see any camera mfg being that forthcoming and potentially confusing in marketing materials, perhaps their technical literature would be the place. ALL cameras have limitations when you push them to their spec limits as we users tend to do :-) If I heard correctly, most of Duade's 30 fps images were properly in focus. Enough bad ones to raise a flag, but not enough to turn him off to the camera. Personally I'd be willing to take the "risk" to use H+ IF it allows me to capture rapid motion of a flighty subject. Especially in good lighting situations.

[@stevemurnan1702]

Watching this video should be mandatory for anyone purchasing a mirrorless camera. Well done Duade.

[@WILDALASKA]

Here's my 2 cents and ive talked about this in a few videos about the R7 and any mirrorless camera for AF. IF your subject is not moving (outside your depth of field) then get your focus and get OFF the AF button. If the subject will move out of the DoF then get back on it. This becomes a skill. What is happening is that AF is hunting all the time, and if it decides something else is the point it will move point. And thus the motors of the lens have to adjust. Now you have 2 things going on, the motor for 1 and the sensor readout for 2. Result - focus, focus, out of focus, focus, etc. So end advice from my use, get your focus, get off the button, touch the button again as you need to. A 30 for burst will be fine in that situation. And YES you need good contrast on the R7. I lost a whole session in iffy light as I forgot to raise the exposure to get better contrast and everything came up 'off'.

[@scottmiller9621]

That’s exactly what I do with the r10. Works like a charm.

[@Duade]

Thanks mate, great advice and makes a lot of sense, I think it is just a matter of changing habits. Having the R5 as my primary I probably get lazy as I don't seem to have many issues, I can simply hold down the AF button and it just works. But I will try your advice next time I am out with the R7. Cheers, Duade

[@WILDALASKA]

yeah its double the sensor speed. If I go from Z9 to R7 I really see the speed and algorithms more at work@@Duade

[@sword-and-shield]

Is it the same for both mechanical shutter mode and electronic mode? Reason being, I think the 15fps in Mech. mode is enough for my needs, and I can avoid any rolling shutter issues as well.

[@YvoPhoto]

I bought my R7 in December or January. I started using it as my first mirrorless camera, along with a Sigma 150-600mm, which is quite heavy (1st super telephoto lens as well for me). At this time I was on 30fps. So the learning curve was quite steep, and it took me a while to start getting more consistency in my sharp photos. I was overwhelmed with so many images shot and to choose from, and came down to H (15fps). To my amazement I was getting more sharp shots and also a lot less warbling. I could see almost no difference from one photo to the next. Ever since I've been using Electronic in H, and 1st curtain for BiF to remove any warping (have this on set in C1 for easy access). Thank you for the video, it confirms my theory as well and added more insight.

[@mattflorez2183]

I noticed this same results as well. Like you also went to H because I was overwhelmed by the number of shots I was taking at 30 fps, I purchased my camera in May, so I guess beginner’s luck can be a thing lol.

[@Duade]

Thanks for sharing your in field experience which confirms what Canon are saying and is very helpful for those with the camera. Thanks again, Cheers, Duade

[@clairehachey2189]

Hi! Your comment was very useful to me as I also have the R7 and Sigma 150-600mm. I've gotten fantastic images so far but once in a while, it does loose focus. So frustrating! I shoot in H+ so will take your advice and go down to H and see what happens. Thanks for your advice :)

[@YvoPhoto]

@@clairehachey2189 thank you! I really hope it helps!

[@monoffoto]

Remember with the 7D Mark II people were thrilled with 10 fps ;)

[@laurieschaerer7311]

Thanks so much for your persistence in determining the issue with the R7. I've owned 8 previous Canons (all APSC), and have never had a problem with any of them....until the R7. This has been a very frustrating camera. Thankfully, I saw your video suggestions 2 days ago, just in time for a photo session of the Blue Angels Practice Flights today. I adjusted my settings per your suggestions in the video. There were low, dark clouds which compounded the low light situation by not allowing the smoke trails from the jets to dissipate. Now we had clouds and smoky haze with medium blue jets running from 500 - 720 mph. I was nervous just to depend on my R7 so I brought my 80D for some shots as well. I am pleased to say that the majority of my shots with the R7 turned out as well as could be expected under the conditions. I feel a little more pleased and confident using the R7, knowing and understanding its limitations, and how to deal with them. (This still doesn't excuse what I see as an issue with Canon not being forthcoming with the R7 specs so that customers can make a smart purchasing decision). Thanks so much, again!!

[@tallAldiProduction]

I talked to some specialists from Canon Germany and they actually suggested using the Auto-AF-Case. The other cases are remnants from the DSLRs, with a predictive Autofocus that can cause defocus because the camera predicts the subject at the wrong place (even with subjects that are still). In the Auto-Case the Camera is set in a totally different mode which should perform better. Also I think the problems are caused by the size of the pixels and probably the image processor. While the processor officially is the same as in the higher models, I wouldn't be surprised that its performance is limited somehow compared to an R6 or R5. We also have to consider the physical size of the pixels. Translated to fullframe the R7 has a resolution of over 80MP, which means the pixels are very small even compared to an R5, which has it's own challenges for the autofocus. I personally prefer to have the ability to shoot 30fps if I need it. Even with some shots out of focus, most of the time I got more sharp images in total than I would if I shot with a lower framerate. Appreciate your work 👍

[@joshhart4931]

What do you mean by "auto case"?

[@anonykip]

Someone had pointed out that most of the people who are complaining about this issue are those who have been using higher end cameras like the R5 and R3 and people, like myself, who upgraded to the R7 don’t seem to notice or mind this issue. I think for its price the R7 is doing exactly what I expected it to.

[@Duade]

Thanks, yes, you are correct and in isolation the R7 AF is very good, just not as good as the more expensive bodies as one would expect. Cheers, Duade

[@davidhread3878]

Surely the main aim of any camera is FOCUS! Dread.

[@barryfrost4399]

Thanks Duade for pursuing this. I have the same issue with the R6. The focus point is on the bird’s eye and it is out of focus. I have missed many great wildlife shots and I thought it was me. I only use 12 frames per second with electronic first curtain shutter. I’m constantly saying to my wife how is this out of focus when the red square is clearly on the eye. She uses Sony and suggests I should change!

[@finyo83]

I’m also an R6 user and experience exactly the same problem.

[@skakdosmer]

So in other words (as we already knew) the R7 is not really a replacement for the 7D mk 2. Canon has simply abandoned the idea of a professional APS-C body. I'm impressed and extremely pleased that you actually got an honest answer from Canon. Keep up the good work! Should manufacturers be honest and open about the limitations of their products, you ask? Well, that would be nice. But can we expect that they'll ever print on the box: This camera does not have as good AF as (blabla)? I don't think so. Should Nikon announce that their P1000 is not comparable in image quality to a system body with a big prime? Or are they allowed to assume that people should be able to figure that out on their own?There are actually people who I know to have bought the P1000 expecting it to be as good as a DSLR or mirrorless. I pointed out that if that were true, every sports and wildlife photographer would be using it, so the fact that they don't, pretty much proves that it isn't as good. But they were still convinced I was wrong, no doubt because they were in love with the camera. So if we buy an R7 expecting the AF to be as good as the R3, R5 or R6ii, I don't think it's Canon's fault because they didn't warn us. We should be smart enough to figure that out on our own. Or at least smart enough to watch some of Duade Paton's videos before making the purchase.

[@michaelmcdonald5154]

Just a side note… Canon and reviewers at the time of launch of R7 were claiming it had the same ai autofocus system on par with the R3. If that was true then some intentional gimping was done to hurt the R7 as to not compete with the R3. But that’s another conversation. Bottom line… honesty on the part of Canon and other manufacturers is needed.

[@msyuan1124]

Kudos to Canon for their honesty. Without you taking the time to send your camera in and to perform your tests following their recommendations people would have the wrong expectations and be set up for disappointment. Thank you.

[@af2w131f]

Kudos? I'd disagree. They shouldn't have marketed the camera with specifications which the cameras actual performance can't match. I'm sure they tested the camera and knew that. They need to change their marketing specs to show the actual performance and issue out a press release stating the problems. Without Duade I might have bought this camera. So kudos is actually to Duade!

[@msyuan1124]

@@af2w131f Well, Canon would argue that the AF is not a limitation in good, high contrast light. In lower light with poor contrast, that’s where the issue manifests itself and H+ is a problem.

[@Duade]

Thanks mate, yes, I was happy they were upfront about it and give them credit for that. I guess the room for improvement is educating buyers on this limitation. In fairness a lot of this is buried in the manual but can be hard to find for new owners. I guess that is why we are lucky to have KZbin so we can learn off others. Cheers, Duade

[@planetfun85]

Kudos for what ? The great influencers on vacancion induced the ideea that the r7 has the same autofocus level as bigger cameras from canon, and even bether than the z9. Remember ?

[@nerrelloader4226]

Thank you for this information. I too have noticed this problem which is somewhat annoying, particularly when you are shooting a bird you don’t often see. I totally agree, manufacturers should be more open about their products limitations. They could have made it better and charged a little more. As a hobbyists photographer, I don’t have the means to just go out and buy another camera. It was good of you to enquire with Canon and it was refreshing that they were honest with their feedback. Thank you.

[@Robinshahidullah]

I fully agree with you...

[@ajc1482]

At the end of the day all cameras have limitations and quirks that have to be worked around. Canon haven't technically done anything wrong, they said the camera can shoot at 30fps and it can...there's just draw backs from using that speed, to be honest 30fps is over kill anyway. 10-15 is the sweet spot.

[@Duade]

Thanks for your comment, I guess we are lucky to have forums and KZbin etc to help us find out these things. Cheers, Duade

[@Fred70115]

I shoot my R7 mostly in single shot mode, remember that one? I should be OK? I don't have time to filter out hundreds of very similar shots in post processing. All the other new features of the R7 I love. Thank you for explaining Canon's response.

[@silbay]

so very true, most of the modern mediocretube sycophants are spray and pray shooters, NOT photographers nor are many of the content "creators" or other shills

[@alansach8437]

@@silbay Wow! To be fair, NO ONE has reflexes fast enough to capture that perfect action shot, when the wings of a bird are in just the right position, the head turned just right; or when those wrestling fox kits both have their mouths open, teeth glistening, faces toward the camera and glint in their eyes! That's why wildlife and bird photographers often shoot in bursts. That's as far from "spray and pray" (shooting constantly, even when the animal is facing away... and I have certainly seen this) as it is from shooting on single shot. That's where 20 or 30 fps come in handy. Even with 10 fps on the 7dii and my old trusty 1d iv that I loved for years, I would often go, "Agh! If only I had the pose between that one and that one!"

[@johnkirkelionis7490]

Thanks keep up your valuable work.

[@Duade]

Thanks for the support, John, I really appreciate it. Cheers, Duade

[@julienoukili8270]

Seen the same happening with perfectly still subjects, using the RF 100-500 mm which has worked great on the R6, very frustrating. The focus is locked on the eye and still only 1/5 images are sharp (H+ continuous shooting). However, I was using IS mode 1 (“still mode”) and now that I have tested mode 3 (“erratic mode” but only active during exposure) the hit rate seems to improve significantly. So, I’m inclined to believe it is the IS+IBIS throwing AF off (micro shift) and the R7 can’t process as much as the R6. Though framing without active IS during AF can be a challenge too. Thanks for all your videos, very informative.

[@joanhuggett5164]

Canon obviously trusts you to own up to you like that. We've been trusting you for years. Concise and easily understood, so thank you Duade. You have a lovely way about you.

[@Duade]

Thanks Joan, I appreciate the feedback and I am happy Canon were honest with their response. Cheers, Duade

[@margaux68163]

I have until now believed the deficiency to be my amateurism, it is good to know it's not me, it's you the camera. Thank you. Cheers Warner

[@chrischerbas9421]

Thank you for your tenacity. Those of us who do not have the weight of your reputation applaud your efforts. Your effort has helped me understand my camera much better. Thank you very much!!!!

[@Duade]

Thanks Chris, not sure my reputation has much influence but if it helps to educate and get answers then I am happy. Cheers, Duade

[@trevor9934]

Thank you for doing the work to get this clarified by Canon. I have been saying in the comments on this and other fora that the issue was data throughput of the focus configuration that offers such high shutter speeds and rates, and that data bus was an issue with the R7 specifically, but basically was a voice in the wilderness. Canon marketing have a bit of a history of pushing features that cannot be supported - overheating of the R5 when used as the video camera in the much-touted high resolution modes they really featured, for example. That created an expectation that could not be supported for some time, until several firmware updates, but by then the damage was done. In the case of the R7, attention fell on the Sigma 150-600c as the culprit, but with the R5, R6 and R6II units I shoot with, that was never an issues, and Sigma went to the trouble of putting out a video claiming that there was no issue with their lenses and the Canon R-series MILC bodies when shooting birds on the wing - although I noticed that they demonstrated their assertions with the R6 body and not the R7. That was in the context of a lot context of perceived issues with 3rd party legacy lenses. It was not so much the lens, as the focusing system for that configuration, and what was expected of it - poor marketing and communications Canon. The sensor readout speed for the density of the 33MP APS-C sensor, at high electronic shutter and burst speeds needs a BSI/Stacked sensor. It is no coincidence that the R3 camera used for sports, which demands a high shutter speed and fast tracking, has a more modest sensor size of FF 24MP and DOES have a BSI/stacked sensor, decent data buffer along with high speed CF-Express card capability to support high shutter burst speeds. In the R7 the focus, shutter, processor, and buffer data transfer are not up to the advertised H+ speed they promoted. Basically the system bus system is out of balance. It develops a backlog of data that cannot be processed in time to allow all of the other components to work effectively. I actually shoot in mechanical most of the time, but the mechanical shutter in the R7 sounds like a tinker's cart. I looked at the R7 when it came out, came to the conclusion that it was built to a price and found that disappointing as I truly, truly wanted a flagship APS-C MILC that was a valid successor to the 7DII. I will re-evaluate my decision to avoid the R7 when a MkII version comes out if that has the elements that are missing. On the other hand, if the R5MkII comes out as suggested with a BSI/stacked 60MP sensor, I will likely go in that direction and simply use either 1.3 or 1.6 crop modes when necessary, as I do now.

[@Duade]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Trevor and yes, the readout speed in these mirrorless bodies does seem to be the heart of the system. I noticed the AF difference to the R5/R6II almost immediately but was confused as I thought the R7 had the same AF system so always suspected my camera was at fault. But over time I suspect your explanation is logical. I imagine Canon themselves would have data on the number of returns or complaints re the R7 AF and will hopefully make necessary improvements in future models. Cheers, Duade

I live in Brazil and I bought the Canon R7. At first I always thought the problem was me. I didn't have the technique to take pictures and my photos were always out of focus. Now I understand that it's the camera and not me. Thanks for the video, it helped me a lot and cleared up a lot of my doubts.

[@howardgrodin2463]

Thank you very much. I had the R5, R7 and now R3. The R7 will be used only during good light since the RF 100-500 produces 800mm reach. $1,500 R7 is still better than 7DMII. R7 MII should be better. R3 for low light is my preferred body for wildlife during the early morning and evening. Just add a 1.4!extender to get to 700mm for the same 100-500mm lens.

[@harishramakrishnan4821]

Thank you Duade for contacting Canon and sharing their feedback here. Definitely this will help lot of canon r7 owners to know the limitation of the camera and better adapt to it.

[@lrkwildlife]

Thank you for addressing the R7 issues, Duade. Canon should have clearly communicated the capabilities and limitations of the R7 at launch. Instead of leaving customers with a potentially problematic product, they owe an official apology to R7 users. They should either offer a suitable alternative or release firmware updates that resolve the issues. I, too, have been experiencing these issues for quite some time.

[@af2w131f]

I agree Canon shouldn't have pushed their specifications if the performance doesn't match it. Unfortunately it's a limitation of the read out speed. They can't improve it with firmware due to the slower technology in the camera itself. It's like your personal computers processor speed, it can't be changed with software updates.

[@karlgunterwunsch1950]

IMHO you as a user have a way to do all that already. Switch the EVF to OVF simulation where the image taken from the sensor for the viewfinder feed, which also is used to derive the autofocus, will have higher contrast.

[@msmith2016]

I don't think a firmware update is going to make the readout speed of a sensor used in the 90D any faster. The R7 was a gap filler product to say the least and betrays its namesake. The camera should have been limited to 10FPS and had a rebel tag put on it.

[@ajc1482]

​@@msmith2016this isn't the same sensor as the 90D.

[@cooloox]

@@msmith2016 It is pretty good at 15fps....in fact it is only low light and low contrast situations where it struggles..... so it does in fact perform at 30fps in good conditions. I have used 30fps many times with 100% hit rate and same with 15fps. Canon actually warns on p.469 of the user manual the various situations where AF will struggle. This is what it says: Shooting Conditions That Make Focusing Difficult Subject with low-contras| such as the blue sky, solid-color flat surfaces or when highlight or shadow details are clipped. Subjects in low light. Stripes and other patterns where there is contrast only in the horizontal direction. Subjects with repetitive patterns (Example: Skyscraper windows, computer keyboards, etc.). Fine lines and subject outlines. Under light sources with constantly changing brightness, colors, or patterns. Night scenes or points of light. The image flickers under fluorescent or LED lighting. Extremely small subjects. Subjects at the edge of the screen. Strongly backlit or reflective subjects (Example: Car with a highly reflective surfaces, etc.). Near and distant subjects covered by an AF point (Example: Animal in a cage, etc.). Subjects that keep moving within the AF point and will not stay still due to camera shake or subject blur. Performing AF when the subject is very far out of focus. Soft focus effect is applied with a soft focus lens. A special effect filter is used. Noise (dots of light, banding, etc.) appears on the screen during AF.

[@rvs8877]

Thank you Duade for investigating this in a very kindly and diplomatic way. It confirms my conclusions. In the days after the purchase of the R7 I discovered to my great surprise the many limitations of this camera. It is a poor flagship of Canon’s APS-C R system. The R7 is not a worthy successor of the 7D mk II. I had readily paid more to have a more refined camera. So I concluded that Canon isn’t serious about APS-C. For me portability is very important as I do fauna and flora photo inventories on day long walks in all kinds of terrain (hilly, sandy, swampy,...) often under a burning sun. Or on bicycle tours. Canon will never release long telephoto zooms for APS-C. And to make matters worse decided not to allow third party lenses. Canon is nudging bird photographers towards full frame cameras (R5, R6) and big heavy lenses, while the 1,6x crop factor is lost with them. For my bird photography I consider 800mm to be the absolute minimum reach on a telephoto zoom; 1200mm is even better. And still cropping in post is mostly applied. So I had to look elsewhere for more compact and lighter weight gear. That’s why, three weeks ago, I bought an OM-5 and Olympus 100-400mm which I am testing now. So far I am very pleased with the performance of the AF for birds in flight and with the sensor noise of this little camera. The shutter is pleasantly silent. I can add an OM-1 or Panasonic G9 II later if necessary. I have Canon cameras and lenses since 2008 (amongst others : 6D, 7D mk II, 80D, EF 100-400mm L I and II, extender 1,4x III). I use the R7 now for macro photography with my EF-S lenses and RF 35mm f1.8 macro (my only one ever RF lens). The R7 is indeed a good enough general camera and in the end I am happy with it. I also use the iPhone 13 Pro, but not for macro and close-up. The synthesized close-up images often look like watercolor paintings and have an horrible bokeh. My pictures can be found here : observation.org/users/112911/photos

[@TheRealTonyCastillo]

Thanks for taking the effort in testing to figure out this issue with the R7. Props to Canon for being honest about their response to you. The high frame rate is one of the main things that attracted me to purchasing this camera coming from the 90D, but to be honest, I almost never shoot at that rate. Dealing with that many files can be so daunting so I generally never shoot past the 15, and in some cases even less. The lower contrast seems to be an issue with lenses as well, and I typically use the Sigma 150-600 C on my R7 or the RF 100-400 but even with the inconstancies of these 2 combinations I still get a better keeper rate vs my older 90D as far as photos being sharp. As a hobbyist shooter the issue doesn't really annoy me that much. Someone using the camera for their livelihood I could understand the disappointment. Having picked up the R6MII just after release, I find I have to force myself to use the R7 now although I do take it in my car as a daily when I go to work, but If I am going out for some more serious shooting I will use the R6MII and use the R7 as a back up, the R6mII is just a so much better camera in autofocus and readout speed, Iso performance and dynamic range, but that is expected with the price difference, maybe the lower MP helps with the R6MII, which is the only thing I dislike about the R6MII. I plan on keeping the R7 for now but who knows for how long with more bodies coming out in the near future.

[@Duade]

Thanks for sharing your experience Tony and I agree with everything you have said, the R7 is a real paradox, it offers so many wonderful features but has a few issues that prevent it being the camera I had hoped it would be, this is not Canons fault, more my personal expectation of the camera having been a long time 7D user. I agree re the R6II, that is just a fun camera to use. I can only hope Canon do give us a pro APSC next time around with the R7II. Cheers, Duade

[@MulberryElmham]

I already have an R6 Mk II but was considering adding an R7 for the crop sensor benefit. I “hired” one from Test the Kit (a fabulous try before you buy programme in the UK) and used it for a couple of days. I was aware of your concerns before I tried the R7 and applaud Canon for their honesty about the limitations of the camera in the low contrast situations you describe. End result is that I won’t be adding the R7 to my kit! Not just because of the issues you describe - but the crop sensor benefits were not enough of a gain.

[@donh4907]

I ignored your comments at first. Just a rabid Kiwi off his leash! But I realized I was having the same issue in this situation: using the 100-500 and 800mm f8, in forest, overcast, early morning with low light. Tks for presenting a solution. When the R7 came out the smaller size, lack of the R6 feel, lack of the R6 control wheels had me wishing for a higher priced higher featured model. I think the R7 does exactly what the market needed (APS-C, great price, two card slots, full sized battery, very high res sensor) but not enough camera for me. I was and still am hoping for a pro-grade crop sensor R7 Mark II. In the mean time will enjoy the fellow birds who envy my great shots.

[@drtnrao57]

It is always Canon takes the responsibility and does help all.

[@FlokiXCII]

The Fuji H2S has the same issue with 40fps and it’s a stacked sensor. The best is to shoot with „lower“ framerates, on the R7 as on the H2S.

[@CrazyBlueMood]

Thanks Duade, this is a very vital video. God bless you bro for reaching out to canon and sharing this❤❤

[@TheHowbbyist]

I think they should have divulged these limitations since its clear from their response they already have benchmarks to show the R7 autofocus speed is slower than the higher models or at least they could have made it a selling point for the higher models. I for one would have just saved up for a R6 mark ii instead or would have gone to a different brand. There's nothing more frustrating than getting a new camera and couldn't get it to work consistently at its 'promised' performance only to find out it was never intended for those conditions at all. Those misleading specs are reserved for cheap, knock-off, startup brands. Not from a premier, popular brand like Canon. Thank you very much for taking the time to make this video. This, just like many of your videos has always been very helpful to me. Great work! 😊

[@kevinmccarty157]

Looks like stacked sensors should be in all mirrorless cams

[@VangelisMatosMedina]

Good work, Paton. Maybe you could suggest Canon to give us a firmware with the option to set the value of FPS in Electronic Mode. Or at least a new fixed option with 8 or 10 fps.

[@SharonReed]

Thank you so much for all of your videos concerning this camera. I bought it on Thursday and was able to do some bird photography on Sunday. I shot still birds, flying birds, bird in contrast, those in low light, etc...Needless to say I was pretty upset with the results. I would say 99% of my photos were out of critical focus on the eyes of birds. I even have the "show focus points" plugin you mentioned and the box is right on the eye but when I zoom in 200% it's fuzzy. That was on a still subject in high contrast. I was handheld ISO 200 with shutter of 1/800 with a canon 100-400mm ii lens and canon ef-r adapter. I was so hopeful for this to finally replace my old 7Dii. But I compared the pictures I took today of a still flamingo to those I took 2 months ago of a black skimmer at 200% magnification and the 7Dii beats the R7 outright, it's not even a fair fight. I have no clue why all of my shots are not critically sharp and I don't want to jump through Canon hoops and settings to maybe have a 50% success rate. I have a better keeper rate with the 7D. I just googled why this was happening and came across your videos. Thanks so much for being honest, I think Canon dropped the ball on this one and I will be returning this purchase.

[@naturealbums]

I still have my 7Dmk2 works fine, also have a 100-400mm II and a couple of amazing Canon EF L tele-primes and some old 1d series cams. I initially got excited when first announced did a pre order waited almost 2 months then cancelled it. I might have been better off getting the R5 but in the UK we were talking £4299 I thought no way paying that for a non stacked or non BSI sensor cam ....it's too old school. I'm about to order the Nikon Z8 and a 180-600mm. Canon are too slow with sensor dev and rely on paper big number specs and heavy sales marketing. I like Duade reviews he doesn't get frequent visits from Canon money truck like some.

[@christiaandaniels4064]

Okay so here is my take on what to do. If you have good light you can do as you please the autofocus will work just fine and you will get sharp shots. I like 15 fps with electronic first curtain but use 15 and 30 fps with electronic as well, both work great. On to the low light. As soon as I see that there is not enough light I switch to 15 fps electronic to firstly avoid any shutter shock. Then the settings. So usually I will set my desired shutter speed and aperture and then dial in that ISO. However what works quite well for me is to get the shutter speed as low as possible as well as the aperture and then I would deliberately make my iso a bit higher than usual. Say in low light with the robin you usually shoot at f/6.3, 1/250 s and then iso of say around 1000. I would then deliberately push my iso well above 2000 which will in theory get the contrast up and make the autofucus perform better. I then leave it up to Topaz to sort out the noise. Just something to try maybe, don't be afraid to push the iso up to get the contrast up. This works quite well. Let me know if it works Duade.

[@miletacekovic]

Seems that sensor readout speed is the most important characteristics of mirrorless cameras for wildlife photography, as AF and rolling shutter are greatly impacted by it.

[@af2w131f]

I agree. I gotta give Duade a lot of thanks for him really bringing it out in the open.

[@Duade]

Thanks, yes, it seems so and I am sure this will improve over time. Cheers, Duade

[@Ramodez]

If EOS R7 readout speed is constant regardless of scene brightness and frame rate, and if the tracking misfocus occurs only during certain conditions (i.e. low light, low contrast scenes) then the misfocus issue is not related to the readout speed. I suppose that misfocus would be due to some computational issue related to focus tracking, or some other cause. Big thank you to Duade for the deep reviews of camera gear. It’s a big help to the community of bird photographers.

[@adamrubinstein1479]

The issue occurs even at the slower FPS. It reminds me much of the 7d(II) whose AF demonstrated similar focus variability. I suspect it is a combination of issues, slower sensor read out, APS-C (needing more light), smaller apertures (f/7.1), etc.

[@fylphotography9269]

It occurs on the R6 as well, especially with the RF 100-400 and worse when an extender is added. The RF 800mm has the same problem but because it has a slower focus motor it is less likely to rapidly drop out of focus. There was a lot of flack over the 90D AF tracking before, which seemed like it was designed for a lower shooting speed than 10fps. while neither of these are stellar in that regard, they are more likely to pause focus instead of pulsing or hunting like the R series seems to be doing especially with third-party lenses like the 150-600mm from Sigma and Tamron.

[@KnockingNews]

SAME PROBLEM WITH CANON R8

[@markwhitesell4491]

Thank you, Duade, for your candor in covering this issue. Your honesty and integrity are just one reason why I'm a paying member of your channel. I'm a OM-1 shooter so I'm not affected by this issue but having once been a Canon guy, I'm always interested in your insight in Canon gear as well as all of the cameras that you use.

[@Duade]

Thanks Mark, yes, the OM1 is very fast and is a fun camera to use that is for sure. Thanks for the support, Cheers, Duade

[@bensaunders616]

Thanks for this video. Very helpful. The loudness of the shutter on the R7 makes it practically unusable in most wildlife situations. Very annoying. When I grab it after using my R5 with EFC I am always shocked by how loud it it. I wish Canon would allow an even slower frame rate with electronic shutter, say 10 fps. Or even better, it would be great if you could just specify the frame rate you want. Again, terrific video.

[@jeroenenannieke]

The most important thing for a camera is to deliver sharp pictures. I think it is really strange that if you use the R7 at full shooting framerates you are not garuanteed to have that many sharp shots. I was really hoping the R7 was a replacement for my 7Dii. Guess I’ll have to wait a little longer. Maybe Canon will surprise us with an R4? :-) Thanx for the video. Keep m coming!

[@sigurdrille9693]

Thank you for this video! I think it cannot be expected from the manufacturer to tell you all the limitations upfront, after all they want you to buy their camera, and the R7 does perform well in good light, it seems. I was lucky enough to be able to give the R7 a try as an upgrade for my 90d, and finally decided to go with Fuji instead. One of the reasons was the slow focusing of my Sigma 150-600 C lens in the shop environment (hard work due to the poor light). But that was only one of many reasons, to be fair. For its price, the R7 is a great camera, and thumbs up to Canon for their honest answer, I’m impressed.👍

[@Duade]

Thanks for your comment and I agree with what you have said, Cheers, Duade

[@ronrotunno522]

Excellent information Duade! I purchased an R7 as a companion to an R5 and even with its' issues it's still great fun to shoot. Your understanding and analysis is very much appreciated.

[@MrAppoline]

Excellent work Duade. I reported exactly this issue to Canon UK in June and they said they were not aware of the issue. I provided files and a link to your video. They had me do all sorts of things and then recommended I return my EF100-400-II for checking. The issue looked like either the R7 did not have the hardware/software for AF in servo and high speed burst, or some cameras had a fault. I did not return the lens because I didn't think this was the issue, and the most recent request after an extensive email exchange was to return the R7 for checking. I doubt now this will reveal any issue but will check with them. I suspect the camera can't keep up for the reasons given by Canon, and the reduced speed of the EF mount won't help. I am very surprised that this was not discovered during field testing. Having watched a webinar given by one of Canon's ambassadors, I was interested that the ambassador used the R5 and when asked about the R7 didn't say much. It makes me wonder! I find the rolling shutter at 30fps in electronic mode significant, though at that frame rate there are usually some good frames. The R7 is very good value (especially with the RF100-400) and I have taken some images that I am delighted with and would not have got with the 7D2. Plus I have recently been experimenting with the RAW burst for close-up and it is great. But Canon really should have been straight about the limitations and it does not reflect well on them. But better late than never, and I suspect your video highlighting the issue played a significant role in this. None of the other reviewers I watch on KZbin have highlighted the problem, which I find really surprising. Anyway, kudos to you. Hopefully Canon will release a professional APS-C model soon that allows the focus to work as advertised and banish the rolling shutter. The Fuji looks pretty good and does not cost that much more. The OM-1 is similar. But neither have the equivalent of the RF100-400 and I find APSC works really well for wildlife.

[@danaburnett1440]

hi Duade, thank you for taking the time to address the issue and return to it when Canon responded. There is a setting in the camera to turn down the volume of the shutter when you are shooting in standard H mode. I typically shoot in this continuous mode and the shutter is very low. yellow menu/wrench folder #3 volume. you can then see to adjust the shutter volume! hope that helps with using the H mode over H+ and keeping your volume low for birds etc.

[@ronburt5455]

The volume setting is only through headphones

[@christophercarlimages9003]

I remember them pushing the false idea that the focus system was derived from the R3. I agree it's most likely the capability of the sensor that cause the af to lose focus between shots. And I think experience of many has shown the limitation of these crop sensors, they have always been noisy and poor performers in low light. In great light they perform quite well. For the price, it's still a very good value.

[@AliasJimWirth]

I think camera companies should tell you about things they know you need to know. There can be so many overall that it is almost unreasonable to expect them to go into great detail. You can expect some limitations with the less expensive gear. They could state that said camera is not the best choice for low light situations where you need high frame rates, as an example, and leave it at that. I think that is reasonable disclosure. It is a plus that Canon got back to you on this issue; a plus with trusting Canon. Thanks, Duade.

[@Duade]

Thanks Jim, yes, I guess we as customers need to take some accountability in research etc and it is difficult to list everything. I guess we are lucky to have KZbin these days. Cheers, Duade

[@edwardcrawford4180]

As an additional comment, we should all keep in mind is for everything else except fast moving low light extreme bird photography, the EOS R7 holds its own. I was thinking that for use on an African safari where you take photos of large animals and landscapes and people, the cameras performance should be excellent. The crop factor advantage is huge if the light is right. Using a Canon 100-500mm lens and with the R7 crop factor, at 360mm you have a 576mm equivalent at f5.6. At 151mm, you have a 242mm equivalent at 4.5. Of course, at 500mm you have an 800mm equivalent at 7.1. Finally, I have found that when the R7 is combined with the 100-500 lens, using Fv mode is the way to go; the two wheels available on the camera combined with the programable ring on the lens work as the optimal system. For me. :)

[@Duade]

Thanks Edward, yes, I agree, for its price it offers incredible performance really. In nice light it excels and the reach is fantastic. I think the reason I am a little critical is I love the R7 100-500 combo, I just wish the R7 performed like the R6II in low light etc. Cheers, Duade

[@johnkirkelionis7490]

Some very useful information in your video. I have another brand of camera and sometimes the focus point indication is on the subject but the actual focus is somewhere else. You explanation could apply to my camera as well. Thank you for all the work that goes into your videos they are all excellent, informative and honest. Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.

[@derekmidgley]

Been o/seas in South Africa with my R7 and RF 100-400mm (the bigger lens was too heavy to pack) and have really loved this setup. Been shooting electronic shutter only at H (not H+). It's working incredibly well in decent light. In poor light it does struggle more to properly focus. I get best results just leaving it on wide-area auto focus with animal subject detect enabled all the time. I use one of the back-buttons to (occasionally) select an individual point if the camera is lost. In poorer light I get exactly the issue you've experienced... seems to pick a random thing instead of the eye.

[@johnclark9499]

Hi Duade. Thanks for the video, much appreciated. It's good that Canon came back with an honest explanation and at least we can now get on with using our R7's without wondering if there is something wrong with our particular example. I've read many of the comments already posted and not sure I can add anything particularly new. Although I must say the comment someone made about marketing people versus engineering people within Canon certainly seems more than probable. We still need to remember that it is only a few years ago that we could not even dream of the autofocus performance of the R7 (and quite a few other mirrorless cameras), never mind the R3's and Z8/9's of this world. I've had some fantastic results from my R7 and I'm sure many more to come - although I'm also sure I'll be looking carefully at the R7 Mk2 as and when it makes and appearance :) . Thanks again John

[@Duade]

Thanks John, totally agree and we are quick to forget about DSLR AF, the R7 is a pretty big jump from the 7D and for its price offers wonderful features. I am being a bit critical and on reflection I still get many wonderful shots as you do. Cheers ,Duade

[@benfouche6404]

Thank you Duade. People should read this before they buy the R7 or any Canon product for that matter.

[@rdkevin7729]

My XH2 can fire at high frame rates, but subjects moving towards the camera are usually out of focus using say eye tracking of my dog. When I use standard point and I keep the spot on the dogs face it works much better. I think the additional calculations of using eye tracking in certain circumstances overwhelms the camera. Read out speed of the sensor seems to be a more important spec than I first realized too.

[@lawriealush-jaggs1473]

So basically Canon are saying they don't provide a Ferrari for the price of a corolla. Sounds fair to me. I'm pretty happy with my R7.

[@adnandemir]

I'm using the R7 and RF 100-500mm, I watched this video and made the recommended settings and the battery life is longer and the photos are much better. Thank you Duade.

[@mikem922]

Duade you are a real champion for Canon users here. You have proved a limitation that in a sense mirrors the old adage that you get what you pay for perhaps. Canon have admitted this in their comparison to the higher-spec sensors of the R3 and R5. The limitation of the sensor in lower light and on high burst rates perhaps should not be your personal disappointment but rather a case of over-hyped marketing. Still an awesome camera given the specs verses price but great to know and understand this limitation. Cheers mate!

[@Duade]

Thanks for the feedback Mike, your words are wise and very true, Cheers, Duade

[@frankf.6699]

Great video Duade! What can be learned from this, is that you can't really expand your more professional equipment with an R7 at least, if you expect more usability than on best conditions. It is perhaps more difficult for manufacturers to find a good compromise with the manufacturing costs, the lower the selling price of the camera model is. But the more weight marketing and advertising aspects have in this, the more nonsensical the results become. Features that are only usable in best conditions and otherwise the camera fails to produce sharp and undistorted images due to issues with slower and cheaper and technically outdated components. The R7 seems to have been designed in order to appeal to a broader target group and therefor needed a lower pricepoint. However, it's always most expensive to throw your money away on a bad compromise without a corresponding return.

[@backdoorarts5243]

I've experienced this not just at 30fps but at 15fps in Elec 1st curtain mode. While it's great that Canon admits that the camera specs outperform the camera hardware. While the sensor likely has something to do with it I would suspect the processor as well. If their buffer barfs when you overload it the processor likely does as well. I don't care that it's called the same thing as the one in the R3 and R5, it has to be a lesser chip.

[@shibampal6940]

Yes, it has to be cheap. Imagine earlier they used to use DIGIC X image processor in 1dx mk iii and now every mirrorless camera has the same processor. It’s stupidity. It’s funny to believe these r3 and r100 have the same processor

[@grom5756]

@@shibampal6940 exactly. So why are they using the same name and actually lying? Maybe it is the readout speed, maybe it is that the processor is not on the same speed. Overall it is nice to have the option to use more frames, but if the processor can handle up to say 10 fps, when a subject is moving, then it should be said, because people who buy it, buy it for these kind of situations. So if it can't handle 30 fps on STATIC subject, even if it sounds good on paper and makes people buy it, which is why they are doing it, is not OK. It is like car acceleration 0-60 in 4 seconds, but when it has the biggest engine, but your gets it in 10 seconds and they have named the engine the same.

[@shonarazzistrikesagain8404]

Thank you for reaching out to Canon & thank you for sharing your experiences & helpful suggestions! It’s nice to know that it wasn’t all just user error! 😊

[@Duade]

My pleasure!

[@Anthony_Fogarty_Aviation]

There is a setting in the 'red menu' to reduce blackout between frames in H mode that works quite well. I have switched to H mode after finding shutter shock and focus drifting affected my shots. I shoot aviation photography and your videos and thoughts on this camera have been very valuable in helping me learn it's strengths and weaknesses, thank you.

[@Duade]

Thanks for that, I wonder why it is not standard, seems like it should be. Cheers, Duade

[@davidferrington7588]

Hi where abouts is this possibility in the red menu?

[@Andy_Thomas]

Presumably the lens becomes a factor, as well as the sensor. The slower DC and STM motors will cause more issues than the USM ones.

[@PaulBawby]

Thank you very much for doing such a detailed follow-up video on this issue and for suggesting a workaround. I'm deeply disappointed in Canon for not being upfront about this whole thing in the first place. At the launch of the R7, it was reported that it had a similar autofocus or shared similar AF characteristics with R3 (I dont remember the exact wording). Nowhere was it mentioned that the AF was inferior to the R5/R3 or that you would have to shoot at 6,5 fps/8 fps in lower light/contrast situations.😠 is it a case of marketing hype or of a company misleading the customers? 😠 I just wish Canon had been more upfront about the whole thing, because that would have influenced significantly my decision, just like Canon refusal to have third-party lenses manufacturers offer AF capable RF mount lenses (that was clear to me at the time). Again, I very much appreciate your dedication to helping R7 users understand the limitations of their camera, and I'm now a subscriber (don't know why I wasn't already one). Cheers

[@robertbohnaker9898]

Hi Duade. I guess Camera Makers Tier their models to allow superior capabilities for the more expensive models. I’m an old gezzer and I’m perfectly happy with the performance of my old Toyota Corolla. Alas I wouldn’t feel the same with the Canon R7. Fabulous video that finally shakes out the realities of the R7. It’s definitely off my list and I appreciate you clueing us in from the horse’s own mouth. I also appreciate Phil and Heather Tach’s fantastic results they get from using it. But I’m not a pro and want the bestest results with the least effort. Thanks. 👍👏🏻🌈.

[@TomatenDK]

Paying thousands of dollars on a camera and cant rely on the focus point "working" or not when taking crucial shots - thats just unacceptable in my world. If Canon hasnt informed about that flaw from beginning, I would say ppl are entitled to a refund if they wish to do so.

[@RichAdamsFineArt]

I was a Canon shooter for over 20 years and I recently sold my R7 and all my lenses and just switched to Nikon because of the autofocus issues they had. I am happily shooting with a much cheaper Nikon alternative that works perfectly fine for wildlife. The autofocus is reliable, which is much more than I could say for the R7. I am eagerly awaiting my 180-600mm and expect to by blown away by its performance for the price.

[@barryinny]

Hi - which Nikon model?

[@mareklesniak8768]

Thanks for diving deep into the issue. Yes, I think manufacturers should be a bit more open about such issues. I also think the R7 shouldn't be considered as the succesor to the 7D2...it never was, apparently. With fast moving subjects, like a jet figher during a fly by on an air show, even R6 Mark II just barely could keep up so R3 is the only solution for now. Everything else mirrorless from Canon is not fast enough, for now.

[@Duade]

Thanks, yes, I agree, the R7 is really a 90D blend, not a pro APSC that we hoped for. I'm sure things will improve over time, we just need to be aware of the limitations for now. Cheers, Duade

[@ChrisSummers]

Good video, Duade. I got my R7 a year ago to replace my beloved 7D MKII which I have used for sports and wildlife photography. I like a lot of things about the R7, I already owned the R but wanted the crop sensor mirrorless as I am transitioning to RF mount lenses. But as much as I like the R7 I feel it was pushed out a bit before it was really ready. The focus issue you discuss is one reason, I have noticed it on occasion with my camera as well and also shutter bounce. Another thing is the lack of a vertical battery grip. A lot of my shots, typically with longer lenses are verticals and my wrist gets so tired with the R7 not having the comfort of the buttons on a battery grip. I also like the balance better with long lenses and while one can easily swap out a dead battery I just prefer having 2 in the grip. I have a feeling in the 2024 we might see an R7 MkII which will have a much improved focusing system as well as less rolling shutter and finally a dedicated vertical battery grip. Just my 2 cents!

[@portueder61]

Hello Duade: Thank you very much for your work. For more than a year I have been going crazy with my Canon R5, as I had a problem similar to the one you explain happening with the R7, and sometimes even worse as sometimes shooting static birds, I couldn't even find any point of the image in focus. I was using the canon 100-400 is II and Sigma 500 f4 lenses with the corresponding adapter and always with the 1.4 is III extender. One day, in a session with large birds, I removed the extender as it was clipping the wings of all the birds. Upon returning home and reviewing the images, I realized that since I had removed the extender, most of the images were perfect, while with the extender there was a very, very large percentage of out-of-focus photos. Subsequently I have repeated many times the tests with the 2 lenses and with 2 different extenders and the same thing kept happening. Also, a friend of mine, with Canon R5 + Canon 500 f4 + Extender 1.4 also had the same issue. Canon has some problem with their mirrorless cameras that they don't tell us about, despite their "sincerity". Since I don't use the extenders I am happy. I hope this comment may help someone with the same problem.

[@tysonator5433]

For what it is worth here is my opinion, ... Most of the 7Dii users like myself were waiting for the 7Diii to be released, and after so many false reports of release date the camera was shelfed ! So I purchased a Sony A6600 as I wanted animal / human eye AF in a cheap camera body, and the A6600 gave me that, and the results are very good. Many moons later the R7 gets released , and then I had to wait months to get one, as the usual out of stock / production issue of demand outstrip production,..yeah right ! Anyway, ..the R7 is no 7Diii mirrorless version, it falls very short of that, and it does have many issues. One being the stupid small buffer., not great weather sealing, low res EVF, and a old sensor revamped which still has a slow read out speed regardless of what New processor it is attached to. However, what we get is canons Eye AF in a cheap body, and that is what I am buying. I only shoot in electronic 1st curtain, and only H speed ( 15fps) as I do not need 30 fps as I do not multiple poses by an animal or human which has not moved much. I f I was capturing a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun, or Peregrine Falco diving at 200mph then sure 30fps will be the right choice. I am not in love with the R7 like I am with my 7Dii, it just gets enough of the job done at a cheap price. When the MKII comes I will part Ex my R7 in a heart beat to upgrade. As I believe canon have cobbled enough tech together in a small body to give canon 7dii users an upgrade. Tweaking an old 90D sensor was always going to be a challenge for read out speed, and performance , and it shows. Hopefully in the Mkii version we actually get a new sensor with faster read out speed and a bigger buffer. I am sure canon can squeeze another RAM card in that body for a bigger buffer.# Were people expecting R5 performance for a quarter of the price in a cropped sensor,..really,.. if that was the case who would want to buy a R5 at £4,500 when a R7 at £1,350 would do the trick !

[@Duade]

Thanks for your comment and yes, it was a long wait for the R7 and likely why I am a bit critical when it really is a 90D blend, and for that it works well. I too hope the R7II has a much faster sensor which will hopefully solve many of these issues. Cheers, Duade

[@juliette-mansour]

Wow Duane, I'm so impressed on your follow-through with this! I'm grateful to hear this too because I returned my R7 within 10 days of purchase for the same reasons that you reported. Having your validation is good because I now know I wasn't crazy! Would I buy it again? I don't think so. I do like that Canon gave you an honest answer though. I've been using the Fuji xh2s and super happy since.Thanks again.

[@SnoopySenpai]

I bought my first DSLM in February and pondered getting the R7 or R6 II. I am really happy I got the R6 II.

[@9Mtikcus]

I shoot Fuji and not a wildlife shooter, in Fuji settings in AFS/AFC you can improve consistency by setting the Auto focus priority mode to Focus, the other option is release (Focus confirms focus before a shot is taking, release does not) it has a slight impact on how many FPS you can take but nothing major (granted I normally take 1 photo at a time, in studio, so has a zero impact to my daily routine). Does canon not have a similar setting? I also remember Sony actually saying their FPS is slower because they want near 100% in focus. If you shoot at 40 FPS and get 30 Keepers in a £1500 body seems fair enough, if you shoot at 8FPS and get 7 in focus, seems respectable too. We all want to get perfect images every time, but I also think people need to be more patient. If you go to a gallery to see wildlife photos from a single photographer, if they present 12 - 24 framed photos on a particular subject it may be 6 months on location to get them not 1 second

[@ziggypop123]

This honesty from Canon makes me appreciate their cameras a little more. For the price it’s an amazing tool! Thanks for all your great videos!

[@KurtisPape]

My previous camera the A7R IV had this problem, the focus jumps were not as severe they were jumping to the tail or legs. Part of the reason was the lack of bird eye AF but it happened much more in overcast conditions which means it was a contrast problem. I'm now using the Sony A1 and it's confidence inspiring to go through my images and see no strange autofocus shifts.

[@Duade]

Congrats on the camera mate, seems the readout is pretty important when it comes to AF accuracy. Cheers, Duade

[@ianslingsby3415]

Well done for getting a big OEM to respond to the issues and to actually be clear that there are limitations that all can work around or base a purchase decision on.

[@Duade]

Thanks Ian, yes, I was happy they were so honest, Cheers, Duade

[@pdk65]

I remember a time when 6fps was blazing...when I first heard about Sony shooting at 11fps I was gobsmacked. Utterly preposterous to even consider that "settling" for 15fps is a compromise. Just amazing.

[@stephen8238]

Since your last video I've done a lot of testing myself, and I've noticed that this issue was much more prominent in non direct light subject using ISO above 1600. I have found that turning off eye tracking as well as shooting in low drive gave the most consistent results in those situations.

[@nevadaxtube]

Thanks Duade for the excellent video. As an R7 owner, I found this info quite useful. It is interesting how Canon markets the great speed and autofocus of the camera, but then admits privately that the camera is not quite capable of meeting the marketing promises. I guess I shouldn't expect pro camera results from a $1500 camera. Overall, I'm happy with the R7. However, I'm always left slightly disappointed with Canon.

[@mattflorez2183]

Thank you for the follow up on this issue, I still love my R7 and will try these settings out as a work around!

[@Duade]

Thanks mate, it is still a lovely camera that delivers excellent photos, I just hope this small issues are fixed in the version 2. Cheers, Duade

[@pokharel_puru]

Thank you for honest presentation of facts, my 2 cent is that not all users of the R7 can understand the technicalities of sensor speed/memories/bandwidth etc... all we know is that the FPS is not based on actual capabilities of the AF system... in other words it's(FPS) is lure only... honesty is not one of the qualities of big a corporation you know...

[@ghalibsworld]

I own a R10. I faced this issue when I captured pictures of my boy when he was jumping. With 15fps mechanical shutter was not focusing on my boy's eye (Sigma 17-50mm EF ). Then I slowed the frame and it was completely fine.

[@SueK-jm4zb]

Thanks Duade. The R7 is my first mirrorless camera and my first with tracking etc. I thought that that the odd soft shot I was getting on high speed continuous was down to me. But now having looked back over my photos, I am pretty sure I’ve been experiencing the same issues you have described in low light/low contrast scenarios. I am still learning about what this camera can do (previous camera was a 7D2), so the advice you give on settings is invaluable. Thank you so much.

[@rexrex2012]

Hi Duade, It's really helpful to me. Once I dialed down from H++ to H, my keeper rate increase noticeably. I am shooting Tamron 100-400mm on R7 and really struggling, especially during low light conditions. Thumbs up, mate!

[@Duade]

Thanks Rex, great to hear, Cheers ,Duade

[@Crafty_Chops]

Thank you for this feedback. I am also having this issue. It's such a strange thing.

[@PotatoeChipz]

Thank you for your excellent videos on the R7. I'm in the process of upgrading from the 7DII and was about to bag the entire purchase until you said the AF issue doesn't seem to affect One Shot. Nonetheless, a big reason for the upgrade is because of the new AF system and it looks like Canon is still engineering the same mediocre results as they did a decade ago, just with difference technology. My 7DII has always had AI Servo issues and low contrast/light One Shot issues. Taking hundreds of photos per session and making sure to refocus quite often has been my only saving grace for keepers. For years I thought it was my technique until I purchased a 5DIV and realized that the same issues were presenting themselves at longer focal ranges. Canon cannot seem to get their AF system in check and it's completely unacceptable with these higher range lineups coupled with advanced microchips. It brings me to wonder if they're sourcing the lowest bidder when it comes to using their semi-conductor distributor, or the firmware programmers are just sleeping behind the wheel. I've got some deciding to do. Thanks again!

[@dmvdl1880]

Thank you for talking to canon and sharing the answer with us.

[@marcoalexandre6892]

First you are admirable person for photography comunity and Canon users. This video sets the mind of a lot of R7 users, for me R7 with RF 100-400mm is a unbeatable value combo. To keep in mind that using teleconverters changes the lenses autofocus performance and precision. Cheers

[@Helloyoudude9999]

This is such a great piece of information! Thank you, Duade! I have been following your R7 investigation as I have been considering buying one. Recently, I saw it was on sale at USD $1099 at Canon USA web site as a refurbished unit. It was a great price, but I did not buy one as I wanted to have an excellent AF for my next camera. I am currently using 80D DSR and wanted to upgrade it, but you know, cameras in these days are so expensive and I thought R7 could be a great option. Thank you again, Duade!!

[@PhilippeDHooghe]

Thanks! No one else did this and your tips are golden. Hat off !!

[@Duade]

Thanks for the support, I appreciate it, Cheers, Duade

[@GainesvilleKen]

Very nice to hear Canon was forthcoming! Thanks for doing the footwork and making this video.

[@markwiemels]

They are a lot of problems with this camera, I don’t use mine anymore because of them. Canons response doesn’t have much basis in logic, when you think that the camera “has focus” then looses it, drifting in and out. The subject isn’t even moving, in essence, the camera is not focusing properly, a core feature, and it simply doesn’t work.

[@dogpadogpa]

They do release lots of 'starter' bodies that look great on paper but get consumers to upgrade really fast. The same went for lenses back in the day. You could buy a cheap rebel 2 lens kit and after about 6 months dream of upgrading (gotta be full frame, gotta be L series!). It is marketing, I wish companies don't do that. Lots where consumers just throw away :(

[@jacquesberthier1470]

Thanks Duade, I believe these high burst speeds work well (AF and Blackout) with stacked sensors and less with other sensors. I have no problem with the OM-1 and the old Sony RX10M4, both equipped with stacked sensors.

[@DAVE_WHITE]

Glad you finally got us a follow up, seems like marketing crap to sell more cameras.. not smart as the consumer 99% of the time will find issues as a lot of of have with this body and focus issues.. without more hardware to speed things up it can not be fixed..

[@ehouli77]

Thanks for taking the time to sort out what's happening here. Canon is being honest because ultimately they designed the R7 to be an entry level mirrorless camera. Just above the R10. I don't think they will handle their mirrorless lineup as they did with the reflex one. I still haven't jumped to mirrorless and have my 7D mk II and 5D mk IV, and the 7D with it's aps-c image limitations is still a very capable camera with a good AF in terms of reflex cameras that people would take instead of paying the premium for full frame and loosing the 1.6x multiplication inherent to the smaller sensor. So, Canon wants photographers to pay the premium for the outstanding AF capabilities of their full frame mirrorless bodies.

[@omerbinyounos]

Excellent points and very helpful detailed feedback Duade. Well done for that. One point to add on it could be the RF 100 500 issue with R7. I use R7 and R6 with EF 100-400 ii. 2 weeks ago, i shot a kingfisher in a relatively dark environment, iso 5000 + on R7. I shoot with locked on subject -1, Acc Decel 0 (default), this is default for case 2. I used electronic shutter at H. I used RF 70 200 f4 anf EF 100-400 ii. Hundreds of shots, stationery birds, almost 0 out of focus, moving/ bird diving , very good hit rate. My point is it could be RF 100 500 lens combination with R7, which is resulting missing shots while stationery bird in low light. As the lenses i use were f4 and f5.6, so may be there is something to test there or the dual usm motors in 100 500 are too fast to be fully completing R7 auto focus system.

[@RVNmedic]

Thanks Duade. Looking at the R7 as a complement to my R5. I use the 100-500 and would use the R7 for my 24-105. Might even put my 200-400 F4L w/1.4 on it.

[@Duade]

Good luck, the AF is not as good as the R5 but in good light that extra reach is nice. The R6II is another good option. Cheers, DUade

[@QVL75]

Thanks for sharing this very valuable information, Duade! There are a lot of reasons that cause soft pictures. Knowing the imitations of the camera is very very important so that we don't waste time trying to change the wrong things and cause even more problems.

[@imaginariumpictures]

Getting ready to purchase this camera, moving up from the 80D. Good to know the limitation, but still has plenty of benefits to upgrade.