Canon R5, BBF and cable release

EverLearning
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

I have had my R5 for a couple of years now and I have been using single BBF almost since I got the camera. I created three custom modes that work very well for me. One is a configuration optimized for BIF. Until today this has met my BIF needs well. Today I set up a "Christmas wreath" feeder (looks a bit like a wreath, peanuts in the shell go into it) in hopes of attracting a blue jay or two to photograph. Well activity was much better than expected! Lots of Jays, but I ran into a bit of a snag.

I am using the wreath as a known destination for the birds and have set my camera to point to the area that they generally approach the feeder from; just before the feeder to get approach and pre-landing shots. The camera is on a tripod and I have a cable release attached to the camera. I want to be able to stand motionless and just press the shutter release when they leave a nearby branch and approach the feeder. What I quickly came to realize is that I am not getting any AF happening because of the BBF configuration.

Is there any way to configure the camera so that the cable release performs metering and AF without going into the Customize Buttons -> Shutter Butt. Half Press and changing it to Metering and AF and then saving my Custom Mode, then having to remember to change it back when I am done with this "non-normal" form (for me anyway) of BIF photography?

Thanks

Nov 01, 2023 at 03:26 PM

dj63401
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

I don't think so. If you went to full automatic mode, I think it returns autofocus to the shutter button, so that might work if you can live with full automatic mode.

Nov 01, 2023 at 07:09 PM

EverLearning
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

I really like using Manual Auto ISO and a variety of other custom configurations for my BIF custom mode configuration. Fully auto rather defeats the purpose of having a sophisticated camera like this.

I still can't find anything that suggests there is a way to configure the cable release mode of operation. It is looking more and more like I will need to add this feature to My Menus and remove and add the BBF configuration depending on how I am shooting BIF, unless somebody is aware of a way to do this with the cable release that I have yet to find.

Nov 02, 2023 at 02:52 PM

dj63401
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

I also use manual with auto ISO and have never used full auto.
Did not think you would want that.
I used double and triple BBF for a few years, and have gone back to focus tied to shutter button the last 6 months, and I can override it with my BBF buttons. You might try that and see how it works for you.

Nov 02, 2023 at 04:16 PM

EverLearning
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

Interesting. Can you elaborate a bit on how your shutter button with BBF override is configured and works?

Nov 02, 2023 at 04:37 PM

dj63401
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

EverLearning wrote:
Interesting. Can you elaborate a bit on how your shutter button with BBF override is configured and works?

Everlearning,
I have my shutter button programed for whichever focusing method I want to use, usually full screen. I can have animal, person ect and eye on or off. If that suits me, that is what happens when I push shutter. I still have two buttons programed for bbf. I have one as spot in the center of screen. The other is usually 9 point.If I push it , it works as bbf usually does. If I don't want the shutter to change it, I continue to hold it and it overrides the shutter focus function. Seems to have worked well for me so far.
Dave

Nov 02, 2023 at 09:26 PM

jedibrain
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

The back buttons supposedly override the AF mode on the half press of the shutter. Its important not to be on the shutter button when engaging the back button. In my experience, whichever one you hit first wins. I was getting inconsistent results, so took the focus off the shutter button. But it may very well have been a muscle memory issue I could have worked through.

The other thing to keep in mind about changing a menu setting in a custom function mode - if the camera goes back to sleep, it wakes up with the pre-programmed settings. It does not remember you changed something.

If you have a free custom function, just make a new one with this single change for the application.

Brian

Nov 03, 2023 at 08:17 AM

EverLearning
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

dj63401 wrote:
I continue to hold it and it overrides the shutter focus function. Seems to have worked well for me so far.
Dave

Very interesting! Definitely something I will want to experiment with. If I have understood you correctly, I should be able to continue to use my camera exactly as I do now with BBF but also be able to use the cable release and have it invoke AF just like the default shutter button activation.

Thanks for the follow up!

Nov 03, 2023 at 10:10 AM

EverLearning
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Canon R5, BBF and cable release

Thanks for the reply Jedibrain. What you said makes sense (first to be pressed wins). I think my muscle memory for BBF is well ingrained and will not be a problem if I make this config change permanent

Given that Custom Modes are digitally selected rather than via dial like in the old days, I don't understand why Canon has restricted the number of modes to three. I already have three configured and all of them are very valuable to me (daylight stationary/slow-moving subjects; BIF; low light stationary/slow-moving subjects (I shoot wildlife almost exclusively)). I would love to have a BIF2 configuration for this new situation but it is the least frequent of the four situations.

I have added the button config menu item to one of my custom menus so I can quickly select it, make the change and save it to my BIF custom mode (so that it doesn't revert back) and then when done, make the change back to the "normal" BIF config for that custom mode.

Nov 03, 2023 at 10:18 AM


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