5DMK3 - Af question

[hippoeater]

So, I just got my 5DMK3 in the mail (yay) and I'm completely confused by this AF system.

For some reason it's set to "Single Point AF (Manual Selection) - if I go in to my "select AF area selec. Mode option (the 4th sub option under AF) I have a series of choices :

SPOT AF
SINGLE POINT AF
AF POINT EXPANSION
AF POINT EXPANSION (SURROUNDING POINTS)
ZONE AF
61 POINT AF

I can choose to Check or Uncheck my choices - I can check and uncheck all but the second one (it won't even allow me to highlight it) SINGLE POINT AF.

When I look through the viewfinder I can either configure it to see only that SINGLE POINT AF or the 61 POINT AF (however, the 61 point af lights up every AF point no matter how or what I'm shooting - it's not showing me what i'm specifically focusing on).

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense - it's very confusing. I've read through the entire AF section of the manual and I cannot seem to figure this out.

I'm used to either Nikon - where it will light up the focused AF boxes or the old Canon's (5dmk2) where it would also only light up what was in focus.

The MK3 keeps allowing only SINGLE AF or the 61 where it all lights up.

Help

Thanks!

 

[DanielG]

Re: 5DMK3 - Af question/problem

The button placements are a little different/confusing. Hopefully if I understand you right this will help you along.

Turn the camera on, press the info button till you can see all of the settings that you can tweak on your screen. (ISO aperture, white balance ect...)

Once that screen is up, press the button on the far right corner that looks like a +.

Your auto focus point selection will come up.

To change between them press the M-Fn button near the shutter.

(not sure if that works in auto mode(green mode) because auto mode chooses for you. Try it in M, Av, or Tv.

 

[hippoeater]

Re: 5DMK3 - Af question/problem

haha, wow! Awesome! Thank you! That is so different than anything I've used in the past!

Thanks for translating what I was trying to say and helping me out!

 

[Alker]

Re: 5DMK3 - Af question/problem

Change the title please into AF Question....

It's not a problem.
I see so much other topics about all AF issues which are all explained in the manual....

 

[hippoeater]

Re: 5DMK3 - Af question/problem

Sure can, I read through the AF section 4 times and I couldn't come across that.

and it was a problem for me

 

[Daniel Flather]

Yes, this is great. Now I can turn off the options that I'll never use and never have to scroll through them again. So I have spot and single point only, single seems to be the only one you can't turn off. Does that have to do with the grouping of lenses that I see in the manual? Some slower lenses won't jive with spot AF? I use the finest spot 100% of the time.

 

[jalbfb]

Yes, this is great. Now I can turn off the options that I'll never use and never have to scroll through them again. So I have spot and single point only, single seems to be the only one you can't turn off. Does that have to do with the grouping of lenses that I see in the manual? Some slower lenses won't jive with spot AF? I use the finest spot 100% of the time.

I think you're right about the center point. It fits all cameras in their A-G groups. I limited what I want to use as well. I see no reason for zone focusing and will probably also get rid of the center point with 8 surrounding points as well. The main way I access and change the AF points is to hit the AF point selection button on the top right of the back of the camera, then hit the M-Fn button to get what I want and if need be use the Multi-control as the manual recommends. However, I am guessing that for the majority of pix I'll take I'll use their center focus-recompose or manual focus like I have done with the 5D2 (at least at the start) and try out the evaluative/61-point AF for landscapes and see how that works.

 

[jlev23]

that just totally hooked me up. thank you.
now i have it just spot and single point too, i wonder why sometimes theres a red flash in the viewfinder and sometimes theres not?

 

[DanielG]

I think the red flash is due to lower light scenarios. The subjects you are shooting can also see the red flash as well. It's kind of crazy.

 

[DavidRiesenberg]

You can set how you want the AF illumination to behave. Always Off / Always On / Auto (based on light level).

 

[jlev23]

You can set how you want the AF illumination to behave. Always Off / Always On / Auto (based on light level).

oh, its probably on auto and i was doing it in a dark area? hmmmm, thank you!

 

[mtavel]

Actually, the illumination function for AF is very limited right now (I would call it broken)

Here is the reply I got from Canon support:


Dear [mtavel]:

We appreciate your continued correspondence regarding AF point visibility on your EOS 5D Mark III.

The autofocus points will only illuminate AFTER focus is achieved. I can understand where it would be difficult to see the AF points in low light. Hopefully, with enough feedback from our customers, our engineers may be able to develop some fix or implement an option to better illuminate the AF points prior autofocus is locked.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your EOS 5D Mark III. Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Rxxxxx
Technical Support Representative