another AF point selecton option I would like in future

[wickidwombat]

It would be nice if in the future a firmware update could add another selection in the selectable AF point area where it allows only 5 AF points to be selected
the center and the 4 outer points closest to the rule of thirds intersections

this would be sweet to make it very speedy to switch AF point, these are the 5 points I use 90% of the time

anyone else see the benefits of this?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I just use the center point, all the other points go unused. Perhaps a option like you mentioned would convince me to start using other points.

 

[Loswr]

I think that would be very useful...

 

[Wideopen]

Definately not a bad idea. Im also for the 5point AF

 

[dr croubie]

On the EOS 3, there's 45pt AF, same as the 1-series until the 1DX.
But, there's also the option to limit it to 11 points (with the plus of having spot-linked metering).
And it's this that I use most often, i'm never tracking birds with it so don't need all 45, and I don't mind a bit of focus+recompose if I really have to.

On my 7D, however, there's 19 points, or there's only options for 5 in a +, or 9 in a square.

If there was a way to limit it to centre+4 corners of the diamond, or even centre+8 (four corners of the diamond and 4 on the sides, like a 5D2), then yeah, i'd probably use that occasionally.


Seeing as this is the digital age, how about we just have a "custom AF selection" screen, so we can select/deselect any combination out of the 19/45/61 that we want?

 

[wickidwombat]

on page 98 and 99 of the manual fro the 5Dmk3
you can change the selectable AF point
you have the following options
61 point
only cross type points
15 points
9 points
it would be cool to add in the 5 points as a further option in this menu
that is what I am refering too


http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/8/0300007348/01/eos5dmkiii-im-c-en.pdf

 

[takoman46]

On the EOS 3, there's 45pt AF, same as the 1-series until the 1DX.
But, there's also the option to limit it to 11 points (with the plus of having spot-linked metering).
And it's this that I use most often, i'm never tracking birds with it so don't need all 45, and I don't mind a bit of focus+recompose if I really have to.

On my 7D, however, there's 19 points, or there's only options for 5 in a +, or 9 in a square.

If there was a way to limit it to centre+4 corners of the diamond, or even centre+8 (four corners of the diamond and 4 on the sides, like a 5D2), then yeah, i'd probably use that occasionally.


Seeing as this is the digital age, how about we just have a "custom AF selection" screen, so we can select/deselect any combination out of the 19/45/61 that we want?

The last option makes the most sense to me. Full customization would be awesome! I would therefore select and deselect points in order to make aesthetically appealing patterns in the AF point spread. j/k

In all seriousness, full customization FTW!

 

[Taemobig]

I've actually been thinking about why can't we just have the full customization option with the current technology in the 5D mk III. It shouldn't be too hard to do it with a firmware upgrade.

For now, I'm just gonna keep using the 15 point selection as a compromise.

 

[briansquibb]

I often use the outer 11pt on the 1D4 when doing sports.

 

[wickidwombat]

I often use the outer 11pt on the 1D4 when doing sports.

oh where its just the outer ring? then as you scroll round the point goes around the ring?
that is pretty quick to select your point

 

[briansquibb]

I often use the outer 11pt on the 1D4 when doing sports.

oh where its just the outer ring? then as you scroll round the point goes around the ring?
that is pretty quick to select your point

5 across the middle, 3 top and 3 bottom

I have it set up for horizontal movement on the small wheel, vertical movement on the big wheel

Dont think there is a way to scroll it round the points

 

[wickidwombat]

I often use the outer 11pt on the 1D4 when doing sports.

oh where its just the outer ring? then as you scroll round the point goes around the ring?
that is pretty quick to select your point

5 across the middle, 3 top and 3 bottom

I have it set up for horizontal movement on the small wheel, vertical movement on the big wheel

Dont think there is a way to scroll it round the points

yeah the joystick will scroll around the points, the 1Dmk3 must not have that point selection mode i've never seen it

 

[dr croubie]

I've actually been thinking about why can't we just have the full customization option with the current technology in the 5D mk III. It shouldn't be too hard to do it with a firmware upgrade.

Someone go tell Magic Lantern to make a hack for it.

 

[briansquibb]

I often use the outer 11pt on the 1D4 when doing sports.

oh where its just the outer ring? then as you scroll round the point goes around the ring?
that is pretty quick to select your point

5 across the middle, 3 top and 3 bottom

I have it set up for horizontal movement on the small wheel, vertical movement on the big wheel

Dont think there is a way to scroll it round the points

yeah the joystick will scroll around the points, the 1Dmk3 must not have that point selection mode i've never seen it

c3/12 for the af point selection
c3/10 the selectable af point

 

[janvehrenkamp]

It would be nice if in the future a firmware update could add another selection in the selectable AF point area where it allows only 5 AF points to be selected
the center and the 4 outer points closest to the rule of thirds intersections

this would be sweet to make it very speedy to switch AF point, these are the 5 points I use 90% of the time

anyone else see the benefits of this?

While I absolutely agree with you, setting the AF5:1 to continuos with only crosstype FPs active is a neat little workaround which i use.
It takes a while to get used to it, but now when i have the top left FP selected and want to get to the bottom right, I just tap the joystick up and left.
And if I need the center point (I rarely do), I just push the joystick (while metering), which resets the active FP to the center.
I hope this helps you as much as it is helping me.
Still, the mode you suggested would be alot better, especially if you could set-up up to "5 favourite points" or something like that, because "closest to the thirds" is not what I'm personally looking for in most of my compositions.

 

[sanj]

On the EOS 3, there's 45pt AF, same as the 1-series until the 1DX.
But, there's also the option to limit it to 11 points (with the plus of having spot-linked metering).
And it's this that I use most often, i'm never tracking birds with it so don't need all 45, and I don't mind a bit of focus+recompose if I really have to.

On my 7D, however, there's 19 points, or there's only options for 5 in a +, or 9 in a square.

If there was a way to limit it to centre+4 corners of the diamond, or even centre+8 (four corners of the diamond and 4 on the sides, like a 5D2), then yeah, i'd probably use that occasionally.


Seeing as this is the digital age, how about we just have a "custom AF selection" screen, so we can select/deselect any combination out of the 19/45/61 that we want?

Super good idea...

 

[Jettatore]

Great idea Wicked.

 

[SambalOelek]

On the other hand, Canon, along with other Japanese electronic manufactures are too dumb to come up with intelligent firmware because they still run those firmwares under DOS! A real OS with multitasking kernel is the foundation to software intelligence. Look at smart phones, they run OSX (iphone), Linux Kernel (Android) and Window Kernel (Windows Mobile). The OS limits how complicated your software layer can ever be.

Most contemporary Canon DSLRs (and many compacts) run DryOS, a RTOS (completely unrelated to DOS, by the way). This limits costs compared to licensing another OS. None of the operating systems you list are real-time operating systems, and would not necessarily be suitable for Canon DSLRs. The DryOS kernel fits in 16kb of memory, the Android kernel is, what, 2MB?

 

[KevinAv4]

I don't Get why Canon doesn't improve they're features Via firmware or software tweaks, as something like Custom Af point selection and such could set them apart from the competition and create competitiveness with other companies, becoming a win-win for everyone.

 

[kdsand]

I could see the benifit of a touch screen for af selection especially in live view ( yes I know some hate touch screens but then again alot of people used to detest a screen of any type).

Perhaps we could use our noses while looking through the viewfinder .

But in all seriousness why not allow full af customization? I can understand rebels menus options being kept simple but other than that it seems overly constrained.