What's the best way to change focusing point on the 5D / 5Dm2

[andrew_harto]

<p>I shoot with 5D (older version) and 5D Mark II. On both cameras I use the custom function that lets me choose the focusing points by toggling the "multi-controller" (the smaller controller right above the larger rotational "quick control dial" on the camera's back). I often find that choosing the diagonal focus points -- the 10, 2, 5 and 7'o clock -- to be quite tricky. At times, I would miss critical moments while fiddling my thumb trying to get to one of these points.</p>

<p>Using the main dial (the one above the shutter button) is less tricky, of course, but I don't like the process of having to go through the other focus points to get to the one desired.</p>

<p>Have others find this to be the case as well? What is the better and quickest way to change focusing points on a 5D/5D2? Your advise is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>As an aside, a photographer friend just lost all her Nikon gears through robbery and now is shopping for a new system...a fresh start. I let her borrow my 5D. She also complained about the trickiness of choosing the focus points with the 5D. Nikon bodies, she said, have a much reliable mechanism for choosing the focus points quickly. I wonder why Canon can't match that, or am I missing something?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

[philip_wilson]

As I 5DII user I suggest you use the center point only (center plus expansion in AI Servo) and just recompose. You

decide if you want the AF on the shutter or on the back. I love my 5DII but anything except the center AF point does

a poor job

[john_a5]

<p>On the II, I find the best way to select the autofocus point is to move it to the the little toggle above the dial. You can set this in the camera fnIII, number 3--set to the middle option. This way, as you look thru the viewfinder, your thumb can move the focus point to fit your composition in a very intuitive way. Much easier, IMO, than any other method.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

Unlike Philip, I find the outer AF points of my 5D2 to be very reliable in all but the worse low light. Certainly better than

my EOS 3, 1N, Élan 7 and 10D/20D. Oddly my old 5D had a very similar AF array but the outer points weren't nearly

was good. Whatever, with practice I learned to quickly select ant AF point with the joystick. But, yes, I recall it took me

a few weeks to develop the delicate control to nail the diagonal points. The only tricky situation seems to be verticals--

I need a much longer thumb. Wish It had ECF...

[savas_kyprianides]

Canon doesn't want things to be too easy, else you'll rest on your laurels. Go Canon!

[andrew_harto]

<p>@ Philip, yeah, I often find myself using the middle af point and recompose when the scene before my eyes flies at a fast pace (sports, events, etc.). But I hate to do this when I'm composing off-center headshots or portraits with razor thin DOF at wide open aperture. Recomposing potentially shifts the plane of critical focus.</p>

<p>@ Puppy Face, In my experience, the outer AF points tend to hit and miss, so I compensate by refocusing and reshooting the same scene twice or thrice. At least one of them would be properly focused. It's one other thing that I have learned to live with -- but I assume other camera brands have more or less similar af accuracy with the off-center af points.</p>

[pjmeade]

<p>For the most part I use centre point with focus and recompose. With the fairly sparse number of AF points on the 5D, it's easy enough to cycle through all points using the large dial at the back. It's less than 180 degrees rotation to cycle through all AF points.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>I use a 5D and at (few) times a MkII also.<br>

I have the AF selector on the toggle, the same as you.<br>

I use Centre Point extensively / almost exclusively and I lock focus and I recompose.<br>

Even for head shots at large apertures I recompose: yes recomposing by twisting, shifts the Plane of Sharp Focus, but not as much as many people cry about. And for tight head shots or for a large compass of recompose, one can learn to effectively make the recompose parallel to the plane of focus - or near enough to it, to make the shot.</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

[robin_sibson1]

<p>In my view the problem with the joystick ("multi-way controller") is that it tries to do too much. I would like to be able to switch off the diagonal movements. OK, I would need to make more than one movement with i in some cases, but there would be much less chance of getting it wrong. I would also like more "headroom" around the press movement, so that pressing slightly off-straight was still interpreted as a press movement rather than a tilt. That apart, I find it by far the most convenient way to select the AF point.</p>

<p>You can either make a lot of fuss about achieving ultimate AF accuracy, or you can use focus-recompose. Your call, but you can't have it both ways. Sure, there are some circumstances where focus-recompose is good enough, but also plenty where it is not.</p>

[philip_wilson]

Puppy I think part of my approach is due to years of doing this with MF cameras. By the way I find my 1NRS is about

the same AF performance as my 5DII and that my EOS3 and pair of EOS1Vs outperform the 5DII. I find that using the

joystick to change AF point means I have to take the camera from my eye and toggling through the AF points with the

button is too slow.