Is there a way to lock on to an AF point using just the shutter release button, or maybe with the AF ON button? I know that the AF of the 7dmk2 is very different than the AF of my R6, but I'm wondering if there's a way to lock the AF on a specific target (like a subject's eye), then move/recompose while still keeping that point in focus no matter where it moves (like the R6 does)? For example, lets say I'm taking a picture of my kid standing next to a large church in the background. My kid is positioned to the lower left side of the image, the church is behind my kid to the rear/right of the image. With my R6 all I would do is focus on one of the eyes, slightly press on the shutter release button (or the AF ON button) and reposition my frame. The AF stays locked on my kid's face no matter where I move the camera as long as I'm slightly pressing the shutter release button. I want to do this with the 7dmk2. Same would apply for sports. I'd like to lock on to one football player's face while he moves anywhere on my screen, regardless of how many other players are in the scene.
Are you using the AI Autofocus or AI Servo modes? Page 88 of https://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/5/0300016615/01/eos7d-mk2-im-en.pdf That setting is designed to track movement. Every Canon camera I have is setup the same regarding how AF functions and has allowed the half press/hold/recompose that your describing as long as it is in One-Shot mode. I take it a step further and manually select the focus point I would like to use, generally the middle one since its the most accurate, unless recomposing would be a a noticeable change to the plane of focus.
Greetings Johnsey, Many thanks for this most valuable information. As much I truly like the 7D MK II, I have found the Auto-Focus System a bit confusing. Thanks again for clearing it up. Hope this finds you well. Tony
Yes, there is a way to lock on to an AF point using just the shutter release button or the AF ON button on the Canon 7D Mark II. To do this, you will need to use the AF Point Selection button on the back of the camera to choose the AF point you want to use. Once you have selected the AF point, press the AF ON button to activate autofocus. Then, while keeping the AF ON button pressed, half-press the shutter release button to lock the focus on the selected AF point. Once the focus is locked, you can recompose the shot as needed while still keeping the selected AF point in focus. Keep in mind that the focus will only stay locked as long as you keep the AF ON button pressed. If you release the button, the camera will refocus on the active AF point. This technique can be useful for situations where you want to track a subject that is moving within the frame while keeping a specific AF point in focus, such as in sports or wildlife photography.
