Optimal Focus Setup for the Canon EOS R5 and R6

One of the shining points of the latest EOS Mirrorless cameras from Canon is the eye detection autofocus. Here is a brief guide on how to set your R5 or R6 to unleash this power and make your camera more flexible in most shooting scenarios.

Back Button Focus

The key to this method is using Back Button Focus (BBF). If you are unfamiliar, this is a method of shooting where you remove the focus from the shutter button and rely on the AF ON button on the back of the camera to enable autofocus. By separating these functions, you will not find that you get sharper focus on your shots but you will find that you reduce focus errors and you will find it to be a more efficient way to operate your camera. Additionally, using the methods you see in this post, you will be able to use two completely different focus methods without going into settings. This can be hard to get used to at first but once you get the hang of it, you will wonder why you didn’t use BBF sooner.

How to Set it Up

Let’s start in the pink auto-focus (AF) menu.

In tab 1, verify the following settings
AF operation - SERVO AF
AF method - AF(square)
Subject to detect - People or Animal, not auto
In tab 5, verify that Initial Servo AF pt is set to AUTO

Now jump to the custom functions menu (orange) on tab 3 and we are going to customise your buttons.

First up is the Shutter button half-press, this will be set to Metering start.

Next, the AF-ON Button will be set to be your Eye Detection AF. Keeping in mind, this method is shown using the AF-ON button for eye and the AE Lock (*) button for point AF but if it is more comfortable to you, these two could be swapped in function.

Next we will set up the AE Lock button to be Metering and AF Start. Notice there is a Detail set button on the bottom of the screen now, press INFO to the right of the LCD screen to set details and verify AF operation is set to SERVO, AF method should be set to a mode you are comfortable with for a non-face, be it a point style or a zone style, and set Servo AF characteristics to the method that best suits you. I use Auto because I shoot so many different scenarios I would be chasing AF cases all the time and I have found that on the R5 and R6, Auto seems to handle the changes quite well.

Set the AF method to the style you like but NOT Face Detect (second one on the top row)

Everyone uses the Custom Menu differently, I keep things here minimalistic but I do register Format card, Subject to detect, and Shutter mode here as they are the three settings that I access frequently.

The last step is to verify a couple things in your “Q” menu. Press the Q button to the right of the LCD display and verify this following items:
Top Left, you should be set to AF(square) - not Face detect
Just below that, you should see SERVO

Finally, how to use this method

You are ready to shoot, eye detection, you will press and hold AF-ON the entire time you are tracking your subject. Make sure you have the subject you want selected and that the blue box stays on his/her eye. You can pull off or AF-ON and use the joystick to change subject, you will see the white box jump from eye to eye and head to head.

Then when you want to focus on a surface or an item or something that it can’t find a eye, you shift your thumb to the * button which is now set to single point.

Now you have two focus methods to work with without going into settings but in both cases, always keep holding that focus button down because you are on SERVO mode. If you want to use ONE SHOT autofocus for the * button, you can change that in the Q menu.

You also have, in your custom menu, the ability to jump back and forth between electronic and mechanical shutter and animal and human.