Purpose: A practical, no-nonsense guide for photographing birds in flight (BIF) with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. Designed as a quick reference you can read through once and return to in the field.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II AF Tracking for Birds in Flight
Canon EOS R5 Mark II AF Settings for Birds in Flight
1. Philosophy & Approach
"Photographing BIF is a mix of anticipation, technique, and reliable autofocus. Treat the R5 Mark II as a precision tool: set it up to minimize decision-making while shooting so you can concentrate on tracking and composition. Prioritize fast shutter speed and accurate AF tracking, then refine exposure and composition.
2, Core Camera Setup- Mode: Shutter Priority (Tv) or Manual (M) with Auto ISO.
- Shutter speed: 1/2000s (start) — faster for small/fast birds, slower for slow flight if panning creatively.
- Aperture: Depends on lens; for long telephotos f/5.6–f/8 is common.
- ISO: Auto ISO with a cap (e.g., 12,800) and minimum shutter speed set if using auto ISO in Manual.
- Drive mode: High-speed continuous.
- AF method: Zone AF or Expanded AF with Animal/Eye detection; use Case 1–4 custom AF cases for different flight types.
- AF area size: Large or Zone for erratic subjects; 1-point for predictable flight paths.
- AF release priority: Focus/Release priority — prioritize focus in high-stakes shots.
3. Exposure basics for BIF
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Shutter speed: Fast enough to freeze wing motion — 1/1600–1/4000s for most small/fast birds. For larger birds (eagles, herons) 1/1000–1/2000s can suffice. If you want wing motion blur for artistic effect, 1/250–1/800s while panning will create motion blur.
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Aperture: Telephoto lenses perform well at their sharpest apertures — often f/5.6–f/8. Stopping down one or two stops can improve edge-to-edge sharpness but reduces light and shallow DOF further isolates the bird from background.
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ISO strategy: Use Auto ISO with a maximum limit that keeps noise acceptable for your output. For the R5 Mark II, ISO 12,800–25,600 is usable if you plan careful noise reduction; for critical large prints keep it lower.
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Exposure compensation: If shooting in evaluative metering, apply +1/3 to +1 EV for dark backlit birds to retain detail. Use spot metering if you want to meter the bird itself but be aware of rapid scene changes.
The R5 Mark II has powerful AF; the key is choosing the right AF case and area mode for the bird’s behavior.
A — Fast, erratic small birds (Swifts, Swallows)- AF Case: Use a high-tracking sensitivity AF case (custom if available) or a pre-made Bird/Animal AF tracking mode.
- AF area: Large Zone or Dynamic Zone (wide grid) — gives camera freedom to follow.
- Detection: Animal+Bird detection on (if available) with Eye AF enabled.
- Back-button AF: Assign AF-ON to back button — improves tracking and control.
- AF area: 1-point or small Zone aimed at the expected path.
- AF Case: Lower tracking sensitivity to allow faster reacquisition when the bird re-enters.
- Shot technique: Pre-focus on a point and wait, use continuous burst as subject crosses.
- AF area: Zone or Large Zone; Eye/Animal detection useful but may fail on distant birds — rely on center-sensitive tracking.
- Shutter: 1/1000–1/1600s minimum; increase if wings are actively flapping.
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AF behavior: Keep AF area tight on the subject and use exposure compensation to protect highlights or deepen silhouette.
Make these changes so you don't think about settings under pressure.
- Back-button AF: AF-ON for AF; set the shutter button to only fire when focused (AF linked to back button). This prevents accidental AF disruption during tracking.
- Custom Modes: Use C1/C2/C3 to store three complete shooting setups (e.g., small fast birds, soaring, panning slow flight).
- Focus Tracking Sensitivity: Place in a custom case slot and label them (e.g., Aggressive, Balanced, Relaxed).
- AF area shortcut: Map a button to quickly toggle between Large Zone and 1-point.
- Silent shooting: Map to a button for stealth in sensitive areas (but beware of rolling shutter / EVF blackout differences).
- IS Mode: Set lens/camera IS to Mode 2 for panning shots (if available) or appropriate for telephoto stabilization.
- Drive: High speed continuous (H or H+ depending on preference). For R5 Mark II, use H for controlled bursts; H+ only if you need maximum frames and are comfortable with large buffers.
- RAW vs JPEG: Shoot RAW+JPEG if you want quick JPEGs for review but rely on RAW for final edits. RAW gives maximum latitude for exposure correction and noise reduction.
- CFexpress cards: Use fast cards (CFexpress or comparable) to avoid buffer slowdowns. Set card/recording to prioritize continuous burst performance.
- Pre-shot buffer: When you know the action is coming, begin a short burst before the moment — the camera will keep focus tracking active and maximize keeper chances.
- Classic choices: 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4, 100-500/100-600 zooms. On a 35mm full-frame body, 400–600mm is the sweet zone for most BIF work.
- Zoom vs prime: Zooms (100-500, 150-600) give framing flexibility; primes often deliver better sharpness and AF performance but are heavier and less adaptable.
- Teleconverters: 1.4x is useful; 2x reduces AF performance and light by a stop or two. Test your combination — modern RF/EF primes manage 1.4x well but results vary.
- Handholding vs monopod/tripod: For long primes (400mm+), use monopod or gimbal head for comfort and smoother tracking.
- Background: Watch for clean backgrounds and separation. Move your body to angle the bird against less cluttered sky or distant backgrounds that compress into a clean bokeh.
- Anticipate: Learn typical flight patterns — shorebirds follow the shoreline, raptors circle thermals, swifts follow insect swarms — prediction wins more keepers than pure AF tech.
- Eye placement: Aim for the eye to be in the top third or the nearest third of the frame when possible; crop later if needed.
- Panning: Smooth body rotation — keep shoulders and elbows locked in a stable stance. Rotate on the hips for long tracking sessions.
- Burst discipline: Short bursts of 5–10 frames often yield better keepers than endless long bursts that fill your buffer and produce many near-identical frames.
- Take-off
Pre-focus on the point where bird will lift off. Use 1/1600s+, large AF area, burst as it launches.
- Fly-bys
Use continuous AF, Zone or Large Zone, and hold burst slightly before the bird reaches your framing.
- Overhead / against bright sky
Expose for the bird; use exposure compensation or spot metering to avoid blown highlights.
- Birds among branches
- Use a tighter AF point; temporarily disable animal detection if it picks background twigs by mistake.
10. Menu Checklist
- AF: Animal detection ON, Eye AF ON, Tracking Sensitivity as preferred.
- IS: Set to panning mode if panning shots are planned.
- Drive: High-speed continuous.
- Shutter: Electronic vs mechanical — mechanical is safe for moving subjects; electronic silent may give faster frame rates but test for rolling shutter distortion.
- Auto ISO: ON with max limit (e.g., 12,800), min shutter speed set to desired baseline (e.g., 1/1600s).
- Exposure: Highlight tone priority OFF unless you need it; set picture profile or color space to taste (RAW recommended anyway).
11. Practical field workflow
- Arrive early: Set up in good light; watch the birds and pattern their behavior.
- Set conservative defaults: 1/2000s, f/5.6–f/8, Auto ISO capped, H continuous, Animal AF, back-button AF.
- Observe and adjust: If birds are soaring, lower shutter to 1/1000s; if tiny or distant, increase shutter to freeze wings.
- Short bursts: Use 3–7 frame bursts during critical moments.
- Review: Every few sequences, check histogram and critical focus at 100% on the EVF to verify sharpness.
12. Post-Processing Tips
- Select: Cull aggressively — you want the best 5–10% of frames. Use rating flags to mark keepers.
- Crop vs noise: Cropping a high-ISO shot is often better than acceptance of poor composition in-camera. R5 Mark II’s resolution gives flexibility to crop.
- Sharpening: Apply flight-specific sharpening: focus on bird details (eye, beak, feather edges) and avoid boosting noise in background.
- Noise reduction: Use local NR on backgrounds when noise is distracting; preserve detail on the subject.
- Color and contrast: Slight clarity and contrast boosts help subject pop but watch halos.
13. Common problems and fixes
- AF hunting / losing subject: Try a larger AF area, increase tracking sensitivity, or use a custom AF case more aggressive to follow sudden moves.
- Blurry wings: Increase shutter speed or accept some blur if panning intentionally.
- Overexposed backgrounds: Use spot metering for the bird or dial negative exposure compensation if the sky is very bright and you want silhouettes.
- Fogging/condensation: Keep camera in dry bag when moving between temperares; let it acclimatize.
- Focus stacking is not applicable for BIF; rely on AF performance and high shutter speeds.
- Use AI-based culling: Tools that detect animal faces and keep best-focused frames can speed workflow.
- In-camera cropping / aspect: Use a 4:5 or 1:1 crop for tight portraits during post to give a more striking composition for social platforms.
- Heat management: Long bursts and high-resolution shooting can heat the R5 Mark II; plan timed shooting windows and carry spare batteries.
15. Quick cheat-sheet reference
- Mode: Tv (or M + Auto ISO)
- Shutter: 1/2000s start (1/1000–1/4000 depending on species)
- Aperture: f/5.6–f/8
- ISO: Auto ISO with cap (e.g., 12,800)
- Drive: High-speed continuous
- AF: Animal/Bird detection ON, Eye AF ON, Zone or Large Zone
- AF control: Back-button AF
- Cards: Fast CFexpress, high write speed
- Lenses: 400–600mm prime or 100-500/150-600 zoom
16. Gear checklist
- Camera body: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Lenses: 100–500mm or 400mm/500mm/600mm prime
- Tripod/monopod and gimbal head or beanbag
- Fast CFexpress card(s)
- Extra batteries (cold weather reduces battery life)
- Lens cloth, rain cover
- Polarizer (for glare control on water) and UV filter (optional)
17. Final reminders
- The best settings are the ones that let you focus on the bird, not on the menus. Build and practice with 2–3 custom modes for different flight types.
- Practice tracking using different AF areas and shutter speeds — muscle memory and anticipation matter more than a single perfect camera setting.
- Keep learning: review your sessions, catalog what shutter/AF combos produced the best keepers, and adjust your custom cases accordingly. (Source: ChatGPT 2025)