I know it's still new to all who have one in their hands, but I'd like to know your AF settings for BIF shots. I will have my hands on a Mk III Monday, but only for a few days. I want to give it an honest go at BIF without having to figure out the settings as I would normally do.
If you have the time, I'd like to know why you changed a particular setting from default too.
I do not have a 5D3, but since no one has replied I'll at least tell you what I use on a 5D2. I may mention a bit more than just AF settings.
I generally, but not quite always, have the camera in burst mode. However, most often I don't actually burst, but instead do a light single press to make a single photograph. If I need to burst I simply leave my finger on the shutter longer.
Most often I use AI Servo mode. If the background is plain - e.g. sky - I'll likely leave all AF points on so that I can place the bird (or birds) in more areas of the frame and still get AF. However, if the background is complex, I'll probably use only the center point in order avoid having the camera AF on something behind the bird, even though this means I have to center the bird in the frame, thus reducing compositional flexibility.
There are variations depending on the situation. In a few cases I may not use AI Servo, using single shot mode instead. I do this if I want to have that added flexibility of bird placement in the frame. I can, sometimes, AF the bird in the center and then move the camera a bit to place it off center when that is a better composition. (And, yes, I can sometimes think about composition while tracking a bird. I don't always succeed.)
With some birds that were following a predictable path to and past me, I have even used the technique of pre-focusing and turning AF off a few times.
I raise ISO as necessary to keep a high enough shutter speed, if minimizing motion blur is what I'm after. (Though I also do some shots in which I intentionally shoot at lower shutter speeds in order to use motion blur.) If possible, I use a slightly smaller aperture since this makes focusing a bit more forgiving. However, quite a bit of such shooting is done in less than optimal light, so that isn't always possible.
One more thing. I'm convinced that success in this sort of shooting depends as much or more on practice as it does on "the right" settings. You can have the best AF system in the world, but the skill of keeping the AF points over the moving target requires a lot of trial and error and practice.
I had the opportunity to shoot some eagles a couple months ago. The white head is easily over exposed. I chose to shoot in manual mode with manual iso. That way my background changing from woods to sky did not affect my exposure of the subject. As the light slowly varied, I would adjust my settings in between the action. I think this works well if you are set up in one place. If you are hiking or moving around a lot, I imagine this method would not work well.
With AI servo I found that I, at times, would lose tracking of the subject and I needed to release the focus button and push it down again to regain it. I might do this several times or none at all as I track a particular fly by.
I'm sure there are so many correct ways (no wrong way)...but here's mine since you asked.
After "endless" experimentation, I've gone back to the default case (case 1 I think) for focus tracking sensitivity. I also use the default autofocus (all points) because it works best for me. I can watch via the viewfinder the 5D3 do its magic where the box(es) follow(s) the bird as it flies past without me having to even pan. I never get tired of watching it with my mouth open in amazement, having used a 50D before where you almost have to dead-center on the bird for good results.
As for the rest of the setting. I use Tv set to 1/1200, AI Servo, High Speed (non-silent). I also use the back button focus (the shutter button press doesn't focus) as it gives me more control.
I use AI-Servo all the time and Case 2 at default for BE's. For all others I am using Case 1. The shooting mode is mostly Tv 1/1250 or higher with ISO range 100-1600.
I also used Artie's tip but my problem was that everything other than my choice were in sharper focus I know it is user error as I am swinging instead of panning smoothly
My default BIF setting is case 4 with 4 AF point expansion, I use single point only in busy BG. For a quick reaction or fast action and close combat situation I use case 6 with 8 point expansion. If the bird is coming toward me ( and if I have time to change the setting) I use Case 6 with zone AF. Anything to do with big bird in blue sky, any set up with work great. Swallows in flight, automatic AF selection using all 61 points was quite successful. Remember if you change the tracking sensitivity or any other setting in a particular case, it may become one of the existing cases(out of these 6 cases).
I shoot manual with regards to exposure.
I've set mine up so that I use case 2 as my default AF class, but have assigned the DoF button to allow me to switch to case5/6 hybrid instantly.
I have assigned different combo to the c1 and C2 mode dial, but I tend to use Tv mode, and auto ISO, seeing M mode is useless with auto ISO. Basically I can cover most AF classes without going into the menus and I have also set it up so that my * button will say have 4 exapnsion points, and the AF-ON will use 8 expansion points.
I get reliable 5D III BIF shots with these settings:
AI servo focusing
shutter priority & Auto ISO
I use Case 4 often / sometimes case 3
AI servo first image priority FOCUS
AI servo second image priority FOCUS
Thanx everyone. If you look at the date of my original post, you will see that I asked this question last April, and only had the body for a few days. Good info though ~ Ron
surfnron wrote:
Thanx everyone. If you look at the date of my original post, you will see that I asked this question last April, and only had the body for a few days. Good info though ~ Ron
Love to keep this thread open. I too am interested.
Concerning AI servo, no-one has commented on AI Focus, which automatically switches from a one shot mode to servo if the bird moves. Does anyone use this, is it effective?
" He believes that when the shutter is released that AF tracking may be momentarily interrupted but that when you use rear focus the camera continues to track well even when the shutter is released. Canon’s top tech reps are noncommittal but concede that it could be possible. "
Is there any validity to this?
As well he says AI SErvo and one shot mode is switched automatically by using the rear AF button
"If you are limited to the central sensor when photographing a static bird like the Marbled Godwit above, you first place the active sensor on the subject’s eye, face or neck. Then you press the rear button too set the focus and then you release it. This effectively “locks” the focus–the system will not begin to focus until you press the rear button again. Now you can recompose without worrying that the system will focus. Finally you press the shutter button to make an image. If the bird moves or takes off you simply press and hold the rear button to activate AI Servo tracking AF. With rear focus you have the best of both worlds available at all times: you always have what effectively amounts to One Shot AF (by pressing and releasing the star button or the AF-ON button, whichever one you use for rear focus) and you always have AI Servo Tracking AF by pressing and holding the star button or the AF-ON button, whichever one you use for rear focus. "
Is this true in practice? IE When you use a dedicated AF button you can lock focus, effectively in one shot mode, with no need to switch from servo to one shot mode?
And then to activate servo just refocus.
PaulCal wrote:
Is this true in practice? IE When you use a dedicated AF button you can lock focus, effectively in one shot mode, with no need to switch from servo to one shot mode?
And then to activate servo just refocus.
I found this works fairly well on the 5DIII but have not done critical testing. This is different from the 5D I which seemed quite poor when trying to use AI servo on a static subject with a thin dof. Some have argued with the 5D I that AI servo for static objects worked fine but the examples I have seen had a very large dof. At this point I use AI servo for static objects only when I feel I have to. Otherwise, I use the dof button to toggle modes. One issue with toggling is when you have all your focus points active. Initial focus behavior is different with AI servo and One shot when using all af point. In AI servo, a designated (often center) af point will be used by the camera to achieve initial focus, then all focus points are used to track. However if you then switch to one shot with the dof button, the closest in focus object using all the af points is chosen. Hence I tend to use the center point with surrounding assist to focus. This allows me to switch modes and still pick out my focus point deliberately. Being able to choose the af area would be a cool feature but probably not a huge deal.
" He believes that when the shutter is released that AF tracking may be momentarily interrupted but that when you use rear focus the camera continues to track well even when the shutter is released. Canon’s top tech reps are noncommittal but concede that it could be possible. "
Is there any validity to this?
As well he says AI SErvo and one shot mode is switched automatically by using the rear AF button
"If you are limited to the central sensor when photographing a static bird like the Marbled Godwit above, you first place the active sensor on the subject’s eye, face or neck. Then you press the rear button too set the focus and then you release it. This effectively “locks” the focus–the system will not begin to focus until you press the rear button again. Now you can recompose without worrying that the system will focus. Finally you press the shutter button to make an image. If the bird moves or takes off you simply press and hold the rear button to activate AI Servo tracking AF. With rear focus you have the best of both worlds available at all times: you always have what effectively amounts to One Shot AF (by pressing and releasing the star button or the AF-ON button, whichever one you use for rear focus) and you always have AI Servo Tracking AF by pressing and holding the star button or the AF-ON button, whichever one you use for rear focus. "
Is this true in practice? IE When you use a dedicated AF button you can lock focus, effectively in one shot mode, with no need to switch from servo to one shot mode?
And then to activate servo just refocus.
Interesting I have often wondered if lifting off the * button for AF, really does stop AI servo from continuing to focus. Sometimes it seems that the camera keeps tracking at least for a second or two.
One thing you can do if you are worried about this is to map the AF-ON button to AF stop, so that when you press and hold it you really do stop the camera from AF'ing, and releasing it will engage AI servo again
I know it is user error as I am swinging instead of panning smoothly 
