How to disable the focus on shutter button on the 5D MkIII if depressed halfway

[jestuh]

For the life of me I cannot find the custom function to disable this feature. I dont want the shutter button to focus if depressed halfway.

If you can walk me where in the menu I can do this, that would be awesome!

Thank you in advance

 

[JerryKnight]

C. Fn 2, Custom Controls, set the first option (shutter button) to either "Metering Start" or "AE Lock".

This was among the very first things I did to the 5D3 when it arrived. The whole point of back-button focus is to separate the focusing from the shutter activation. The AE Lock (on shutter half-press) is handy when shooting Av/Tv because you can focus on one point, meter on another, recompose, and activate the shutter independently. Total control.

Edit: I just saw how Canon chose to abbreviate the setting name.. "Shutter Butt. half-press". Really, Canon? There's no other way to abbreviate "button"?

 

[jestuh]

Found it! Whewww! Thank you!!

YUP! Your exactly right! Its the very FIRST thing I wanted to configure and man that was tough! LOL!

C. Fn 2, Custom Controls, set the first option (shutter button) to either "Metering Start" or "AE Lock".

This was among the very first things I did to the 5D3 when it arrived. The whole point of back-button focus is to separate the focusing from the shutter activation. The AE Lock (on shutter half-press) is handy when shooting Av/Tv because you can focus on one point, meter on another, recompose, and activate the shutter independently. Total control.

Edit: I just saw how Canon chose to abbreviate the setting name.. "Shutter Butt. half-press". Really, Canon? There's no other way to abbreviate "button"?

 

[Drizzt321]

C. Fn 2, Custom Controls, set the first option (shutter button) to either "Metering Start" or "AE Lock".

This was among the very first things I did to the 5D3 when it arrived. The whole point of back-button focus is to separate the focusing from the shutter activation. The AE Lock (on shutter half-press) is handy when shooting Av/Tv because you can focus on one point, meter on another, recompose, and activate the shutter independently. Total control.

Perfect timing, instead of digging through the manual tomorrow when I get mine

Edit: I just saw how Canon chose to abbreviate the setting name.. "Shutter Butt. half-press". Really, Canon? There's no other way to abbreviate "button"?

Indeed, someone forgot to proof the firmware developers ;D

 

[kiniro]

For the life of me I cannot find the custom function to disable this feature. I dont want the shutter button to focus if depressed halfway.

Pardon my ignorance, but why or when would you want to not focus on half press?

 

[CanineCandidsByL]

For the life of me I cannot find the custom function to disable this feature. I dont want the shutter button to focus if depressed halfway.

Pardon my ignorance, but why or when would you want to not focus on half press?

Its not ignorant at all...thanks for asking. Its frequently preferable to use the center point for a tack sharp focus, then you shift off center to compose your overall image and then shoot. Also, you may spend considerable time getting something in focus and don't want it to adjust automatically. Yes, you could turn off manual focus, but that means you have remember something. With the focus un-associated with the shutter, you don't have to remember. There are other reasons I'm sure, but those are some common ones.

 

[sublime LightWorks]

For the life of me I cannot find the custom function to disable this feature. I dont want the shutter button to focus if depressed halfway.

Pardon my ignorance, but why or when would you want to not focus on half press?

It's not a ignorant question, a lot of people will wonder why would you want to do this....until you've tried it and realize what an awesome function it is.

Example: multiple focus points active is going to give the camera the power to select a focus point. Guess what? When you depress the shutter button it's going to AF and possibly grab a point you don't want. Worse, if you're using flash you just told it "hey, light up this point way over here".

Example: AI Servo. No need to 1/2 depress the shutter to track. Just push the AF start button and track away...fire when you want to...release the AF start and you can keep shooting without the camera attempting to do an AF.

Example: AF then re-compose. Push the AF start to lock the focus...recompose the shot...press the shutter.

Example: Lock focus and keep shooting. Push the AF start to lock focus. Then shoot all you want. Camera will not attempt to refocus.

You'll never have to do a 1/2 press balancing act again.

 

[kiniro]

Sweet. Thanks guys. And sorry, didn't mean to steer this thread away from its original purpose.

 

[JerryKnight]

Sweet. Thanks guys. And sorry, didn't mean to steer this thread away from its original purpose.

I don't think it's been steered away from the topic, which is back-button focus. Once I learned about it, I can't shoot any other way. It's a disease.

Canon didn't make it obvious on how to "enable" back-button focus (by disabling shutter button focus), but they did give much more expanded flexibility with the camera controls vs. the 5D2.

 

[fotoray]

p. 321 of the user's manual covers the focus enable/disable of both the shutter button and back-buttons...

 

[wickidwombat]

Sweet. Thanks guys. And sorry, didn't mean to steer this thread away from its original purpose.

I don't think it's been steered away from the topic, which is back-button focus. Once I learned about it, I can't shoot any other way. It's a disease.

Canon didn't make it obvious on how to "enable" back-button focus (by disabling shutter button focus), but they did give much more expanded flexibility with the camera controls vs. the 5D2.

ditto i love back button focus, it drives my wife nuits though when she picks up my cameras because she doesnt set hers up that way. i'll convert her one day though!

 

[Drizzt321]

Sweet. Thanks guys. And sorry, didn't mean to steer this thread away from its original purpose.

I don't think it's been steered away from the topic, which is back-button focus. Once I learned about it, I can't shoot any other way. It's a disease.

Canon didn't make it obvious on how to "enable" back-button focus (by disabling shutter button focus), but they did give much more expanded flexibility with the camera controls vs. the 5D2.

Yea, I heard of this for a while, then finally tried it. Love it! Only problem is if I hand the camera to someone else to take a shot (for example, so I'm actually in it!) then I need to quick go in and fix it to the shutter again.

 

[JerryKnight]

Sweet. Thanks guys. And sorry, didn't mean to steer this thread away from its original purpose.

I don't think it's been steered away from the topic, which is back-button focus. Once I learned about it, I can't shoot any other way. It's a disease.

Canon didn't make it obvious on how to "enable" back-button focus (by disabling shutter button focus), but they did give much more expanded flexibility with the camera controls vs. the 5D2.

Yea, I heard of this for a while, then finally tried it. Love it! Only problem is if I hand the camera to someone else to take a shot (for example, so I'm actually in it!) then I need to quick go in and fix it to the shutter again.

That's okay. Throw it in "green square" mode and it should act like a "normal" camera.

Although, I'm not sure I understand why anyone would use their mighty 5D3 to take a casual group shot. The list of people I'd trust to hold and shoot mine is very short.

 

[Drizzt321]

Sweet. Thanks guys. And sorry, didn't mean to steer this thread away from its original purpose.

I don't think it's been steered away from the topic, which is back-button focus. Once I learned about it, I can't shoot any other way. It's a disease.

Canon didn't make it obvious on how to "enable" back-button focus (by disabling shutter button focus), but they did give much more expanded flexibility with the camera controls vs. the 5D2.

Yea, I heard of this for a while, then finally tried it. Love it! Only problem is if I hand the camera to someone else to take a shot (for example, so I'm actually in it!) then I need to quick go in and fix it to the shutter again.

That's okay. Throw it in "green square" mode and it should act like a "normal" camera.

Although, I'm not sure I understand why anyone would use their mighty 5D3 to take a casual group shot. The list of people I'd trust to hold and shoot mine is very short.

Well, this was with my 5d2 when it wasn't quite so shiny new, and with people I trusted to hold it (even if they weren't photographers). Also, the green square mode won't to RAW for me to edit later, will it?

Anyway, you make a good point. I should just setup a C1-3 to do that for me, as well as set it to some decent/sane defaults so I can throw it back to go back to 'defaults'.

 

[odie]

On the subject of focussing with the 5D3, when I focus and the camera locks onto it, the red square no longer lights up. It just flashes and then goes dark giving me a beep to indicate focus is completed.

Can I get back to the old 5D2 mode where the red box stays on?

 

[prestonpalmer]

On the subject of focussing with the 5D3, when I focus and the camera locks onto it, the red square no longer lights up. It just flashes and then goes dark giving me a beep to indicate focus is completed.

Can I get back to the old 5D2 mode where the red box stays on?

Im trying to figure out the same thing. Also, on my 5D2, I used the mulit-controller direct to select a focus point. Cant seem to make that happen now..?? Still playing. Any ideas?

 

[CanineCandidsByL]

Although, I'm not sure I understand why anyone would use their mighty 5D3 to take a casual group shot.

Because its there?
Because it, thank goodness, still beats a phone cam.

 

[JerryKnight]

On the subject of focussing with the 5D3, when I focus and the camera locks onto it, the red square no longer lights up. It just flashes and then goes dark giving me a beep to indicate focus is completed.

Can I get back to the old 5D2 mode where the red box stays on?

Im trying to figure out the same thing. Also, on my 5D2, I used the mulit-controller direct to select a focus point. Cant seem to make that happen now..?? Still playing. Any ideas?

Okay, first, odie. Go to the AF menu #5 and look for "AF point display during focus" and set it to "Selected (constant)". That should be what you want. If you want it to always light up red instead of just showing the view finder LCD display, go to "VF display illumination" and select "Enable (ON)". With the "Auto" setting, the viewfinder will only light up red when it thinks it's dark enough.

Next, Preston. Go to the C. Fn 2, Custom Controls. Go to the last setting (Multi-controller) and set it to "AF point direct selection". This was also one of the first things I did to my 5D3.. It's much more convenient for me, especially since you can quickly go back to the center zone/point by pushing the multi-controller inward (ie. clicking it).

 

[prestonpalmer]

Okay, first, odie. Go to the AF menu #5 and look for "AF point display during focus" and set it to "Selected (constant)". That should be what you want. If you want it to always light up red instead of just showing the view finder LCD display, go to "VF display illumination" and select "Enable (ON)". With the "Auto" setting, the viewfinder will only light up red when it thinks it's dark enough.

Next, Preston. Go to the C. Fn 2, Custom Controls. Go to the last setting (Multi-controller) and set it to "AF point direct selection". This was also one of the first things I did to my 5D3.. It's much more convenient for me, especially since you can quickly go back to the center zone/point by pushing the multi-controller inward (ie. clicking it).

I just setup those same settings, and was going to hop on and post a response to my own question. JerryKnight, this is just about exactly what I ended up setting up! I can officially use my new camera now.

 

[se7en]

How is the back-button focus any different than pressing the shutter button halfway on subject, composing your shot with, then depressing fully??