You were correct! There has been a noticeable improvement in speed of AF and resulting image quality. Keeper rate is higher now. Still learning the quirks of the R7 but now getting images that make me happy. Will get a big test in a couple of weeks when we have an offshore trip... see if I can catch those seabirds whizzing by, going above and below the horizon... I may need to practice manual exposure to keep the AE from alternately under-and over-exposing the birds.
Looking forward to seeing those. I've tried to take pics of hirundines and swifts at a migration site yesterday and it's been a bit of a disaster. Focus lock was very tricky and the camera was hunting a lot. Still getting to grips with the slight delay in seeing the image with mirrorless but would have managed to get on much better with my old 7d2. Lots to learn, hopefully will manage in due course. I had the focus set at flexible zone AF1 but couldn't even get lock on very distant Purple Heron. Any advise much appreciated.
I did not really achieve any good images of any hirundines unfortunately. Very mobile and did not stick in one area for very long. My advice is to get on them in the blue sky and just hope the camera sticks onto them. If its helpful I can post the af setup I have because it does quite well when it locks on. I have found that it is very difficult to get the camera to lock onto a bird like a jackdaw against a dark background at a distance. I would think with purple heron it was against some reeds?
