CANON R7 - Field Tested Settings and Button Layout for Bird and Wildlife Photography

On this episode we walk through my full setup for the Canon R7 that I have tested for the first 3 months using the camera in the field.
It's a detailed walkthrough of each setting, why I am using these settings, and the button layout to move through the settings with the quickest way to access them and keep you focused on taking the picture as opposed to fumbling through menus.
Use the chapters to move around to the subjects you are interested in.
--------------------------Video Chapters-------------------------------------------
00:00 - Introduction
01:49 - Reset Camera
03:08 - Photo Menu (RED)
05:57 - Autofocus Menu (PURPLE)
06:46 - Setup / Wrench Menu (YELLOW)
08:19 - Custom Function Menu (ORANGE)
10:27 - Video Menu (RED)
10:45 - High Frame Rate
12:33 - Video Autofocus Menu (PURPLE)
13:07 - 24 FPS SET-UP
13:43 - How to Use in the Field
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WHO I AM.
My name is Scott West and I am a nature and wildlife photographer located in Alaska. I am very lucky to live in a place surrounded by amazing landscapes and even more amazing wildlife.
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Best Wishes

[@dangold2595]

I set my r7 up with your recommendations last night and went out this morning to shoot , unbelievable difference it made . Thank you so much for your teachings 😊

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks. You may want to check this video out next kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWqrlYZuZtejbac

[@JeffandLeslie]

thanks for all your posts and videos. I just pulled the trigger on an R7 and a suite of lenses including the 100-500. Now to figure out how to customize it to my liking and then remember where the buttons are.

[@WILDALASKA]

You will enjoy the camera especially when you need reach

[@kenanmammadov7281]

damn.... that 100-500 is not cheap. i wish I could afford that one lol

[@randylee2189]

Thank you for this video !!! I have been struggling with the auto focus on this R7 for months until I watched this video and reset to factory settings then added yours My raw photos look a 100 times sharper without any edits . Thank you !!!!

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad it helped!

[@rreichar1]

Really solid video Scott! I believe that all my setting are the same as yours with 2 exceptions. I often use the dial around the joystick fro EC with Auto ISO rather than straight ISO rather than straight ISO. This is something that I’ve for years on other cameras. It doesn’t work quite as well on the Canon bodies that I have used as on other systems. But I have a fairly restricted Auto ISO range so I know whatever the camera chooses won’t be completely out of the ballpark. I feel like Auto ISO gives me an edge for when I am surprised by a bird in flight. I will check the shutter speed and be cranking on that and then the EC with my thumb. This issue to me is that there is often a noticeable delay before the EVF actually changes the preview in response to the EC dial. I use my MF/FN button to toggle continuous AF on and off. I don’t use it often but when I do it seems like a really need it. I am still trying to decide between my R7 and the OM-1. Going to Canada tomorrow And am taking the OM-1. I am leaving in 2 hours for the airport and might still switch to the R7. This not primarily a wildlife trip though I expect some opportunities. Again I found this very helpful to confirm that my settings are similar are to someone with lots more experience.

[@simonthibodeau7082]

Same thing as you for ec on the back dial with auto iso instead of straight iso. I'm sure it's just preference and if you're used to straight iso it's extremely similar. Auto iso doesn't mean you forget about iso after all. I always have an eye on it and adjust my other settings if iso gets too high, and if I feel the auto isn't exposing properly (sometimes by reviewing my histogram/highlight alert) I'll often use that back dial to micro adjust. If you're used to manually set the ISO like the Scott here I'm sure we get to the same settings in the end anyway, I just find it's more reliable/quicker in rapidly changing conditions, but it's preference and I guess it depends what you learned on initially and what you're used to from your previous systems. The mn-f button, I use the same as Scott as it allows switching between subjects or switching between the right or left eye. Rarely gets used (ex. two birds in the frame, it's happened to me a few times) but when it does it really comes in handy. I've never had to not use continuous AF personally. If your half press shutter isn't set to AF on like all good dual BBF setups are, I don't see why you wouldn't want to use non-continuous AF. Whereabouts in Canada ?? That's where I'm from 🙂

[@WILDALASKA]

good luck and happy shooting

[@leilanidevries6642]

Hey Scott! Met you a couple of days ago at the Fox area. No foxes, but really enjoyed chatting and learned so much. Always appreciate a photographer who shares their knowledge. Watched your review on the R7 and went to Stewart’s yesterday and bought one! Ha! I’ll be using this video to set it up when I get home today. Thanks so much! I’m now a bit poorer but excited to try my new toy! Leilani Loving Life in Alaska

[@WILDALASKA]

Very cool. Shoot me an IM on Facebook or Instagram if you need any help with your new camera. Grats!!

[@leilanidevries6642]

@@WILDALASKA thanks so much!

[@robertbennett6410]

Sir, thank you SOOOOO much for this great instructional video!!! Saving up for my R7, hope to have it in a cpl months and am learning as much as I can on it until then!! your VERY helpful!

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad it was helpful.

[@robertbennett6410]

@@WILDALASKA going up there and photographing like you do!! Im watching ALL your videos and learning as I go! Your living my dream sir!!

[@WILDALASKA]

It is an amazing place !@@robertbennett6410

[@ajjaeger8995]

So glad I found your channel. I recently upgrade to the R7 and your explanations really help. I'm going to have to go shoot some birds after watching again with muy camera in my hands not a cat.

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad it was helpful.

[@1deadgypsy]

Wow! Thank u you for this great video and instrution. Went out and tried it after completing! SPOT ON! You are my hero!!!!!

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad it helped!

[@dm51964]

Superb video and have been using mine similar but will now try some of your button control settings.

[@WILDALASKA]

very cool

[@phutchis]

Good to know how to set up back button focus on this new camera after years with a 7Dmk2!

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad to hear. Next video up is how to use the R7 autofocus in the field.

[@keeskraaijeveld4704]

Thx. Great video again. Q: what is the reason to set "Subject tracking" to "OFF"? There must be a reason... :)

[@WILDALASKA]

If you leave it on then when you hit your star button in this set up method the eye detect will over ride the single point and jump to the subject and not where you had your single point at. SO by turning it off your single point goes to where you aim it and you af-on will be your animal eye detect.

[@philipnovis9433]

Brilliant. Exactly what I needed.

[@WILDALASKA]

glad it helped

[@GermanOsorio]

Hi, Wild Alaska. Would you suggest buying that Smallrig Cage for the R7? Are you happy with it?

[@WILDALASKA]

pretty much. only issue is that the lens release is hard to get to. Otherwise its very nice

[@GermanOsorio]

Great, thank you!

[@simonthibodeau7082]

Mine is pretty similar to yours. I prefer center expand over whole area as I can directly use * for prefocusing when the camera is struggling a bit with acquisition without swapping to single point every time. Covers the whole frame just as good when tracking I find. I also prefer accel/deccel to -2 in case 1 in the AF menu, seems to keep the tracking a bit more steady. I think Jan uses that too for his 100-500, as well as sensitivity to -2, but I use 0. Control ring for aperture (incl. With the EF RF adapter), main dial for shutter, back dial for exposure compensation in auto ISO (the back dial consequently micro adjusts ISO, which is often very important). I keep a seperate dial custom mode (C2) in mechanical shutter H+ for action/BIF too, that one has whole area instead of center expand. Thanks for sharing!

[@WILDALASKA]

Good info.

[@johndehority6602]

I set up my camera last night using the recommended settings from this video. Tried it out shooting some birds today. Found the bursts pushed my frame count up higher than I'm used to for a shooting day. I'm going on a Road Scholar 10 day trip to Alaska this summer. Bringing my R7. Hoping to shoot a lot of wildlife. What quantity of SD memory cards am I likely to fill?

[@WILDALASKA]

Feather that shutter. Small fast bursts.

[@keeskraaijeveld4704]

Hi. I’m using your settings. Working great for me. Thanks👍 I have now the canon RF 100-500 and have a question about the stabilistation setting for photographi with R7. Which mode is best? Is there difference for BIF or sitting birds? Or switch it off because of the high shutter speeds?

[@WILDALASKA]

2 is for lateral movement with the camera assistance which is what we use the most and it shows the stabilization in the view finder. 3 will not show the stab in viewfinder but execute on shutter push.

[@IanJames56]

Great advice again! Thank you .

[@WILDALASKA]

You are so welcome!

[@jackieboshoff2013]

I haven't yet found a shortcut to quickly switch between Electronic and Mechanical shutter. Is there a quick way where you can just hit one or two buttons to switch between the two?

[@WILDALASKA]

Haven't looked myself. I just shoot electric and go with it.

[@martynkellett7261]

What a superb video. Exactly what Ive been looking for. Thank you. I’m subscribed 😊

[@WILDALASKA]

Welcome aboard!

[@davebeebe9066]

A tip I picked up from Whistling Wings Photography is to configure the DOF button to enable/disable eye autofocus. This is not an option on the R5. Perhaps because the R7 lost a convenient button next to AF On.

[@WILDALASKA]

to sure why I would turn off EYE AF. If I need something else I just use single. But that's the great thing about these cameras. You ca customize it for what your shooting needs/preferences are.

[@QVL75]

Nice and quick!

[@WILDALASKA]

👍

[@waynearnoldCanada]

Thanks so much, I use these settings now on my R7 with my RF 100-500, and love it. I have a problem though, when I put on my RF 50mm 1.8, the autofocus is disabled. Are these settings (custom buttons) lens specific? Can I save these custom settings (if I have to remove them say for my nifty 50)?

[@WILDALASKA]

Make sure the af/mf switch on the body is set to af and the lens is set to focus. My rf 50 1.8 works fine in this configuration.

[@waynearnoldCanada]

@@WILDALASKA That was it, the switch on the body was at MF, cannot say I even saw this button before :)

[@chrisseager4866]

Great video, could you tell me what the name of the cage is that you have on the R7?

[@eponymousable]

Looks like the Smallrig R7 cage

[@WILDALASKA]

Its a Small Rig Black Mamba Cage amzn.to/3Vs3f4j It makes the R7 feel more metal solid more like the R5, plus makes the connections to Ninja V, mics, tripods, etc. easier.

[@kylesivers11]

​@@WILDALASKAjust bought my r7 ... upgradrd from a 750d so will be a substantial upgrade for wildlife .... i want to get a moderate price body for portrait and travel that has wildlife capability .... do you recommend de r8 or the r6 mark ii?

[@dipankarchatterjee9416]

Will you do a comparison between R7 and R6 II?

[@WILDALASKA]

r7 vs r8 probably

[@eltwilliams1116]

Thanks for all your videos. One question. Coming from a Sony rx10, I have been using same settings of shooting in manual with auto iso. What I'm struggling with is my exposure compensation. On the canon when I adjust exposure it also changes my iso settings. Where's on my Sony it never. Is there a way to use exposure compensation without adjusting my iso. Thanks

[@WILDALASKA]

Just get out of auto iso and you won't have that issue. Just adjust your iso as needed and you can see the exposure in the viewfinder and you histogram to make sure your not blowing anything out

[@eltwilliams1116]

@@WILDALASKA thanks

[@doncordell3422]

Thanks for the info. In an earlier video you said you used c-raw. Why have you changed to straight raw?

[@WILDALASKA]

Ive found that when using DXO Purer that the processing is better if I use raw vs craw

[@lee-annruttan2563]

Hi. I would like to know how you asign the * on the back to single point focus. I think You had it on metering af

[@WILDALASKA]

Yes. In the menu you set you af method to be single point and in the buttons you un-assign metering an dAF start from the shutter and map that to the * button. So anytime you hit the star it initiates what is stored on the AF method which is single point. The you hit the AF-on button which is the eye detect. You can watch how use it all in the field here ---> kzbin.info/www/bejne/np_VqWyef8h4Z7s

[@bradgreen5860]

Hi. I do like your videos. I see you have a cage on your R7. How do you like it? Also, do you still use EF glass? Thanks.

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks and Yes my Wildlife main lenses for the Canon R7 and my Nikon Z9 are the EF 70-200 MKIII and the EF 500 F4 MKII. And I use both with the 1.4x and 2x extenders. The cage is the Black Mamba from SmallRig. It makes the camera not feel as small. The R7 is a good camera and fits a very good reach out there camera and its great for video.

[@bradgreen5860]

@@WILDALASKA

[@bradgreen5860]

Hi again, Do you find it hard to get to the lens release button on the R7? You have I think are larger fingers like me and I need a honest opinion. Thanks.

[@WILDALASKA]

@@bradgreen5860 The cage makes it hard for anyone to hit that release button. but after having it on fr a while you remember how to hit it to get it to release correctly

[@keeskraaijeveld4704]

Q: at 9:00 min (Star-button set up to AE Lock button), to left down corner you can select "INFO/DETAIL set." Do you need to configure these setting overthere?

[@WILDALASKA]

nope ;)

[@jcphenix1]

Hi subscribed for the R7 ;)

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks

[@nsbhagwat]

Hey Scott, what version of firmware are you running on the R7? 1.1? Please do let me know.

[@WILDALASKA]

V1.1.0 Looks like Canon updated it when it was serviced it as I got my copy day of release.

[@matthewbrookes8561]

Hey Scott, are these the same settings you used in a video you made a couple of months back or have you improved on these earlier ones?

[@WILDALASKA]

The Autofocus settings are pretty much the same and that's all that video cored. I do discuss the subject tracking use in real world. This video is the entire camera setup, all menus, and how I set up my video settings. So yes it's how I have modified how I use the camera for daily field use. This set up covers 99% of my shooting needs.

[@matthewbrookes8561]

@@WILDALASKA Thank you Scott, I have been using your previous settings and love them but I haven't made any video settings, so will plug them in. Love your posts !

[@georgemccormick1247]

Nice vid, thanks

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad you liked it!

[@angelogarciajr5356]

I tried this and still confused. I am using an R7. Double back button. I have my AF-on button set for metering and AF start. I have my asterisk or AE lock or star button set to the eye tracking. I use the AF On to focus in single point, then switch to the star to get the eye. Now with subject tracking on, my box can jump all over. I turn subject tracking off, it seems way more under control. So I keep subject tracking OFF. Now I see in Custom Settings that on the AF-On, I can hit Info button and there are a few sub settings. I am not sure if I am supposed to change any of these? One choice is single or servo with a check box. What do you do here. If you dont check the box, does that mean they dont apply? So confusing and there is no info on this anywhere. Thx

[@WILDALASKA]

I would reset the camera and follow the setup step by step. you can swap the af-on and star button if you like after that test it out.

[@angelogarciajr5356]

@@WILDALASKA I updated my firmware, then I reset my R7 to default. I set up back button. Put on servo, and subject tracking OFF, set to animal and now getting the greatest sharp photos ever. Not sure what happened but now I just need some eagles lol. Thx

[@WILDALASKA]

@@angelogarciajr5356 awesome

[@martynkellett7261]

By the way, what lens is that in the intro please ?

[@WILDALASKA]

At the beginning of the video its the Canon Rf 100-500 f4.5 -7.1 lens

[@keeskraaijeveld4704]

Bedankt

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks

[@jonnyfez]

One thing I found is that Spot AF is not a single point. The Single Point AF is the next one to it. If you want only a single point you need the second one along.

[@WILDALASKA]

yes you can choose any of the methods you want, but the point is for that button to do THAT autofocus method :)

[@eprohoda]

‘ssup?, total outstanding - see you later!amigo~

[@WILDALASKA]

🖐