7D settings for peregrine flight shots?

I have an excellent peregrine falcon flight shot location but my first visit with my 40D was very frustrating - the center AF sensor rarely locked onto the close but fast moving bird, leave alone its eye or head. Few shots.

I am pondering buying the Canon 7D tomorrow for hopefully improved Af. Aware that I'll have a new learning curve, might I best use this 7D setting for peregrine fly-by shots?

Central sensor and AF point expansion - 4 more sensors in AI Servo mode

(my concern is purchasing the 7D for improved flight capability but having to deal with more noise at ISO 400 and 800 than my 40D-thus final decision is hard to make. Nope-can't get the 1DmkIV)

Hi Jeff The 7D performs much better than the 40D regarding noise and AF performance !! ... you will like it !!

Have been using even more than the Mk4 !! Do experiment for settings but using the center and the four around it seems to work mighty fine. It is very easy to cycle through the different af settings !!

I have both MKIV and the 7D and love the AF options in the 7D. Artie has a nice user book you might purchase to look things over. Like Al said, easy cycle between focus options with the 7D, I still use singe sensor often, but the expanded center and zone system can be effective (play with it). Easy to move off the center sensor as well. Nice menu system - can change main functions in a snap, leveling system, get the extra battery grip and you will have a nice kit.

As a general rule, I still stay around ISO 400/500 on the 7D - move up on the pro-body. I had the 40D and this is a significant upgrade at a fantastic price - highly recommend the 7 body - great value and HD video to boot.

The 7d is pretty accurate with it's AF. I find myself keeping it on center focusing rather than shifting from one side to another. As far as noise goes, I have gotten completely clean images at iso 1250. I also have shot a few peregrines in flight with my 7d (they were far away) and the images seemed to come out fairly decent from extreme cropping. Another thing to consider is lens AF. A quick AF lens matched with the 7d gives you extremely accurate focusing. Hope this helps

thanks-just ordered one.

For birds in flight I'm using either the expanded point or the block of nine AF points. Leave the indicator on so that you see which AF point is locking. I prefocus on something with lots of contrast if I'll be shooting against a clear sky or low contrats, I "bump" the AF for distant birds making certain that an AF point is on the bird each time I "bump", I stop down to get the most DOF that circumstances will allow and keep trying. Practice following anything that flies by, including planes, geese, song birds, etc.