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    Changing the AF Mode to Use the Live View Function to Shoot Still Photos and Movies (EOS 7D Mark II)

    16-Sep-2014
    8202226300

    Solution

    With your camera, you can shoot photos while viewing the image on the camera's LCD monitor. This is called "Live View shooting".
    This page describes how to change the focus mode for Live View shooting. For details on how to perform easy Live View shooting in default settings, please refer to the 'Related information' section at the end of the page.
    Please note that some shooting procedures differ between still photos and movies. To shoot still photos, please refer to the instructions for still photos, and to shoot movies, please refer to the instructions for movies.
    REFERENCE
    Live View shooting is suited to shooting situations like 'Still Life' photography where the distance between the camera and the subject stays constant.
    If you handhold the camera and shoot while viewing the CD monitor, camera shake can cause blurred images. Using a tripod is recommended.

    Part I. Preparing for Live View Shooting
    1. Set the camera's power switch to <ON>.



    2. To shoot still photos, you can set the Live View shooting/Movie shooting switch to <>. To shoot movies, select <> (Movie shooting).
    When < > (Movie shooting) is selected, the image will be displayed on the LCD monitor.

    3. For still photos, press the <> button. The Live View image will appear on the LCD monitor.


    REFERENCE
    To shoot still photos, select the [　 ] tab, and then select [Enable] in the [Live View shoot.] option.
    ([Enable] is set by default.)

    To use AF to focus, please proceed to Part II. To focus manually, please proceed to Part III . Part II, and III describe procedures for both still photos and movies.

    Part II. Selecting the AF Method
    4. Set the lens focus mode switch to <AF>.



    5. Make sure that the camera is ready to take shots, and then press the <MENU> button.



    6. Press the <> button and select the [ ] tab.

    7. Turn the <> dial to select the [ ] tab for still images, or the [ ] tab for movies.
    　

    8. Turn the <> dial to select the [AF method], and then press <>.

    9. Turn the <> dial to select an AF mode, and then press <>.





    10. Press the <MENU> button, and then close the menu window. An image will appear on the LCD monitor.


    NOTE
    While the image is displayed on the LCD monitor, pressing the <> button will enable you to set the AF method etc. on the Quick Control Screen.
    For more information, please refer to the instruction manuals included with your camera.

    As the next step may differ depending on the AF method setting, Please confirm your AF mode setting before proceeding.
    Part II-1 Using AF (Face+Tracking) to Focus
    Part II-2. AF Using AF (FlexiZone - Multi) to Focus
    Part II-3. Using AF (FlexiZone - Single) to Focus


    Part II-1 Using AF (Face+Tracking) to Focus
    In [ +Tracking] AF The camera detects and focuses human faces. If a face moves, the AF point <> also moves to track the face.

    11. Focus the subject's face.
    • When a face is detected, the [ ] frame will appear over the face to be focused.
    • If multiple faces are detected, [ ] will be displayed. Use <> to move the [ ] frame over the face you want to focus on.
    • If no faces are detected, the camera will switch to FlexiZone - Multi for automatic selection



    12. Press the shutter button halfway to focus.



    • When focus is achieved, the AF point will turn green and the beeper will sound.
    • If focus is not achieved, the AF point will turn orange.
    IMPORTANT
    • At this point the camera has only achieved focus and a picture will not be taken. To take a picture, follow the procedure in Part IV.

    REFERENCE
    • If the subject’s face is significantly out of focus, face detection will not be possible. You can prevent this by setting [ : Continuous AF] to [Enable].
    • An object other than a human face may be detected as a face.
    • Face detection will not work if the face is very small or large in the picture, too bright or too dark, or partially hidden.
    • The [ ] may cover only part of the face.
    • Since AF is not possible with a face detected near the edge of the picture, the [ ] will be grayed out. If you press the shutter button halfway in this situation, the subject will be focused on in FlexiZone - Multi method with automatic selection.
    • The shape of the AF frame [ ] varies depending on the size and shape of the subject.



    Part II-2. AF Using AF (FlexiZone - Multi) to Focus
    [FlexiZone - Multi] is an AF method that makes it easy to focus a moving subject. You can focus over a wide area with up to 31 AF points (automatic selection). This wide area can also be divided into 9 zones for focusing (zone selection).

    11. Select the zone for the AF point.
    • Pressing <> or the <> button will toggle between automatic selection and zone selection. In <> mode, automatic selection is set automatically.
    • Use <> to select the zone. To return to the center zone, press <> or <> again.
    : Zone frame



    12. Aim the AF point over the subject and press the shutter button halfway.



    • When focus is achieved, the AF point will turn green and the beeper will sound.
    • If focus is not achieved, the area frame will turn orange.
    IMPORTANT
    At this point the camera has only achieved focus and a picture will not be taken. To take a picture, follow the procedure in Part IV.

    REFERENCE
    • If the camera does not focus on the desired target subject with automatic AF point selection, select a zone or switch the AF method to [FlexiZone - Single] and refocus
    .• Depending on the [ : Aspect ratio], the number of AF points varies. At [3:2], there are 31 AF points. At [4:3] and [1:1], there are 25 AF points. And at [16:9], 21 AF points. Also, at [16:9], there are three zones.
    • For movie shooting, there are 21 AF points (or 25 AF points if [640x480] is set) and three zones (or nine zones if [640x480] is set).



    Part II-3. Using AF (FlexiZone - Single) to Focus
    In [FlexiZone - Single AF], the camera focuses with a single AF point. This is effective when you want to focus a particular subject.

    11. The AF point <> () will appear. During movie shooting, if [Movie Servo AF] is set to [Enable], the AF point will be displayed in a larger size.



    12. Move the AF point.
    • Use the <> to move the AF point to where you want to focus. (It cannot be moved to the edge of the screen.)
    • Pressing <> or <> will return the AF point to the screen’s center.



    13. Aim the AF point over the subject, then press the shutter button halfway and hold it.



    • When focus is achieved, the AF point will turn green and the beeper will sound.
    • If focus is not achieved, the AF point will turn orange.
    IMPORTANT
    At this point the camera has only achieved focus and a picture will not be taken. To take a picture, follow the procedure in Part IV.



    Part III. Focusing Manually
    You can magnify the image and focus precisely with manual focus.

    4. Once you have completed steps 1-3 of Part I, set the lens focus mode switch to <MF>.



    5. Turn the lens focusing ring to focus roughly.

    6. Press <> to display the magnifying frame ().



    7. Use <> to move the magnifying frame to the position where you want to focus.
    Pressing <> will return the magnifying frame to the screen’s center.



    8. Press the <> button to magnify the area within the frame.
    • Each time you press the <> button, the magnification within the frame will change as follows:
    Normal view -> 1x -> 5x -> 10x > Normal view
    • While in magnified view, you can use <> to scroll around in magnified image.

    : AE lock,: Magnified area position, : Magnification (Approx.)

    9. While looking at the magnified image, turn the lens’s focusing ring to focus.

    10. After achieving focus, press the <> button to return to the normal view.


    Part IV: Shooting
    After focus is achieved by following the instructions in Part II-III, you can start shooting.

    To shoot still photos, press the shutter button completely.
    • The picture will be taken and the captured image is displayed on the LCD monitor.
    • After the image review ends, the camera will return to Live View shooting automatically.



    To shoot movies, press <>.
    • To stop shooting the movie, press <> again.
    • While the movie is being shot, the " " mark will be displayed on the upper right of the screen.



    General Notes for Live View Shooting
    Please be aware of the following items when performing Live View shooting.
    IMPORTANT
    <Live View Image>
    • Under low- or bright-light conditions, the Live View image may not reflect the brightness of the captured image.
    • Even if a low ISO speed is set, noise may be noticeable in the displayed Live View image under low light. However, when you shoot, the image recorded will have minimal noise. (The image quality of the Live View image is different from that of the recorded image.)
    • If the light source (illumination) within the image changes, the screen may flicker. If this happens, exit Live View shooting and resume Live View shooting under the actual light source.
    • If you point the camera in a different direction, it may throw off the Live View image’s correct brightness momentarily. Wait until the brightness level stabilizes before shooting.
    • If there is a very bright light source in the image, the bright area may appear black on the LCD monitor. However, the actual captured image will correctly show the bright area.
    • In low light, if you set the [ : LCD brightness] to a bright setting, noise or irregular colors may appear in the Live View image. However, the noise or irregular colors will not be recorded in the captured image.
    • When you magnify the image, the image sharpness may look more pronounced than in the actual image.
     
    <Custom Functions>
    • During Live View shooting, some Custom Functions will not work (settings become invalid).
     
    <Lens and Flash>
    • The focus preset function is possible for Live View shooting only when using a (super) telephoto lens equipped with the focus preset mode, available since the second half of 2011.
    • FE lock will not work if the built-in flash is used. FE lock and modeling flash will not work if an external Speedlite is used.
     
    < Image Quality>
    • When you shoot at high ISO speeds, noise (such as dots of light and banding) may become noticeable.
    • Shooting in high temperatures may cause noise and irregular colors in the image.
    • If Live View shooting is used continuously for a prolonged period, the camera’s internal temperature may rise, and image quality may deteriorate. Always exit Live View shooting when you are not shooting.
    • If you shoot a long exposure while the camera’s internal temperature is high, image quality may deteriorate. Exit Live View shooting and wait a few minutes before shooting again.
     
    < White < > and Red < > Internal Temperature Warning Icons>
    • If the camera’s internal temperature increases due to prolonged Live View shooting or under a high ambient temperature, a white < > or red < > icon will appear.
    • The white < > icon indicates that the image quality of still photos will deteriorate. It is recommended that you temporarily exit Live View shooting and allow the camera to cool down before shooting again.
    • The red < > icon indicates that the Live View shooting will soon stop automatically. If this happens, you will not be able to shoot again until the camera’s internal temperature decreases. Exit the Live View shooting or turn off the power and let the camera rest for a while.
    • Using Live View shooting at a high temperature for a prolonged period will cause the < > or < > icon to appear earlier. When you are not shooting, turn off the camera.
    • If the camera’s internal temperature is high, the quality of images shot with high ISO speed or long exposure may deteriorate even before the white < > icon is displayed.
     
    < Shooting Results>
    • In magnified view, the shutter speed and aperture will be displayed in red. If you take the picture in magnified view, the exposure may not come out as desired. Return to the normal view before taking the picture.
    • Even if you take the picture in magnified view, the image will be captured in the normal view range.
     
    < Notes for AF>
    • Even when focus is achieved, pressing the shutter button halfway will focus again.
    • The image brightness may change during and after the AF operation.
    • If the light source changes while the Live View image is displayed, the screen may flicker and focusing may be difficult. If this happens, exit Live View shooting and execute AF under the actual light source.
    • If [ +Tracking] is set, magnified view is not possible.
    • When [FlexiZone - Multi] is set and you press the < > button, the center of the selected zone (or image center with automatic selection) will be magnified.
    • When [FlexiZone - Single] is set and you press the < > button, the area covered by the AF point will be magnified. If you press the shutter button halfway, focusing will be performed while displaying the magnified view. If focusing is difficult in magnified view, return to the normal display and use AF. Note that the AF speed may differ between the normal and magnified views.
    • If you magnify the view after focusing with [FlexiZone - Multi] or [FlexiZone - Single] in the normal view, precise focus may not be achieved.

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