re:

Is there a 2nd draft of the 7D Guide?

We have not sent any updates yet and will not for at least a few months. There was a pre-production version for a short while offered at a discount but we have been sending the real thing for several weeks now.

The first draft gave me a ton of excellent information and advice on setting up and using the camera.

Was your attachment marked “First Draft”?

Before I received my 7D, I read a number of reviews of it and was concerned about focusing and BIF. My impression from these reviews was that the Auto Select 19 point AF with AI Servo lost focus when the background was messy (not sky or water).

You can get in a lot of trouble listening to the on-line experts….

After reading your Guide, I decided to try it. Because of some medical problems of my wife, I haven’t gotten out much to shoot, so I just went to a mall and shot gulls flying around, and found that AF was pretty good. What has your experience been shooting BIF with trees, etc in the background?

That has and always be a difficult situation with any camera or system. Best bet is to use the central sensor only, keep it on the subject, and bump the focus if you lose the subject. Also, go to the User’s Guide and check out Focus Search Off. Be sure to study it carefully. Having that correctly can help when trying to photograph birds in flight against backgrounds other than sky.

Thanks for an excellent Guide. If there is a 2nd draft, please send it along. I got more out of your guide than I got out of a book on the 7D that has a lot more pages.

Is there a 2nd draft of the 7D Guide? If so, I haven’t received it.
The first draft gave me a ton of excellent information and advice on setting up and using the camera.

Before I received my 7D, I read a number of reviews of it and was concerned about focusing and BIF. My impression from these reviews was that the Auto Select 19 point AF with AI Servo lost focus when the background was messy (not sky or water). After reading your Guide, I decided to try it. Because of some medical problems of my wife, I haven’t gotten out much to shoot, so I just went to a mall and shot gulls flying around, and found that AF was pretty good. What has your experience been shooting BIF with trees, etc in the background?

Thanks for an excellent Guide. If there is a 2nd draft, please send it along. I got more out of your guide than I got out of a book on the 7D that has a lot more pages.