Canon EOS R Review: Autofocus
The EOS R’s staggering number of 5,655 selectable autofocus positions makes it one of the most advanced offerings of any mirrorless camera on the market. Having the ability to shift the AF point so extensively across the frame with the choice of two different AF frame sizes (normal or small) is great, but as already mentioned, what it really lacks is a joystick to shift the AF point around the frame with your thumb.
Servo AF, burst shooting (5fps) and remote shooting via the Canon Connect app were all put to good use to capture this image of a steam train exiting the tunnel Canon EOS R, Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports with EF-EOS R adapter, 1/1400sec at f/6.3, ISO 1600
Users are given access to AF area and AF modes from the quick menu and if the M-Fn button is set to its Dual Function setting it’s possible to switch between One Shot and Servo AF in an instant. If users want a more immediate way of changing the AF area this can be assigned to the M-Fn bar. The real highlight of the EOS R’s autofocus is its ability to acquire focus in light levels as low as -6EV. The way it locks on and focuses hastily in dark conditions is remarkably impressive and will be popular with photographers who frequently shoot in poor lighting conditions or under the cover of darkness.
Testing the various AF area modes in combination with Servo AF demonstrated that the AF is fast, silent and accurate just as you’d expect. The disappointment when shooting with AF tracking is that the burst drops from 8fps to 5fps. Though I did manage to capture some good shots of moving subjects, high-speed action and sport isn’t the EOS R’s forte.
The EOS R’s Eye Detection AF didn’t immediately identify this railway engineman in the frame Canon EOS R, EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM with EF-EOS R adapter, 1/1250sec at f/1.8, ISO 800
Trying out the EOS R’s Eye AF system, which is enabled as part of the Face Detection AF option, revealed that it only works in AF-S mode and not AF-C. It’s reasonably effective when a face is fairly large in the frame, but less so when shooting people from distance. There were a few instances during testing when Eye AF didn’t identify an eye in the frame. From my experience it doesn’t have a patch on Sony’s more accurate and reliable Eye AF functionality.
