5D Mk III and Back Button Focus

Hi,

I am not the most experienced user of the 5D Mk III and was hoping someone can tell me if this was the correct way to set back button focus.

I have used it always on my Mk II and love it so;

On the Mk III I went into the Custom Controls menu and

• selected the AE Lock Button
  
• set it to Metering and AF Start
  

Hi,

Well, I don't have a 5DIII yet, but from the manual this appears to be very much the same to set up as on 7D....

On 5DIII, go into the menu and navigate to the Camera Setup 2 tab.

Scroll down to Custom Controls and select it.

This should show an image of the camera button and control layout.

First go to the Shutter Release Button and deselect AF or AF Start from it. Choose one of the options that doesn't include AF start

Then navigate to the button you want to assign AF to on the back of the camera (usually AF On or */SE Lock).

The AF On button, if that's what you choose to use, should be set up and ready to use this way by default.

If instead you choose to assign AF Start to the * (AE Lock) button, don't forget to assign AE Lock to the AF On button.

The Custom Control layout is described in a great deal more detail starting on page 321 of the 5DIII manual.

In other words, it's now at least a two step operation, to unselect AF Start from the Shutter release button and to reassign the function to one of the alternatives (but one of the alternatives - AF On - should be set up by default).

I believe metering start, and IS start for that matter, will follow whatever you set to start AF. However, I notice on my 7Ds (which are similar) that I still get both metering and IS start also occur with the half-press of the shutter release button. That's not a problem in any way, as far as I can tell after using the cameras set up this way for a couple years now.

Geez, 400+ page user manual! That's got to be a new record for a Canon model short of the 1D series with all their customizability.

EDIT: This article in the Canon Digital Learning Center might be helpful, but needs to be updated with new models, lacks any info about the 5DII and doesn't really go into much about the 7D, which seems to be similar to 5DIII (but, again, this is just from reading the 5DIII manual).

400 pages? Is 1/2 of it ads?

rick_reno wrote in post #14140152
400 pages? Is 1/2 of it ads?

Finally, I get a real laugh!!

Hi Amfoto1,

I did eventually go to the shutter button and remove the AF On from there, so I guess I am good to go.


Thanks for the help.


TB

General_T wrote in post #14140189
Hi Amfoto1,

I did eventually go to the shutter button and remove the AF On from there, so I guess I am good to go.

Thanks for the help.

TB

Good! Then all you have to do is decide which rear button you prefer.

(I use the */AE-Lock button for several reasons... It's closer to my thumb, less of a reach, and larger and more prominent than the AF On button... And I still have a couple models that don't have AF On button on either the body or vertical grip, or both, so need to use the * button on those. Plus, I learned back button focus with the * button, so am already in the habit of using it.)

Re: 400+ pages..... Nope, no ads! It's largely all the additional AF system info that's increased the size of the manual dramatically (5DII's manual is 260 pages). The 5DIII's 61-point system is like 7D's 19-point system on steroids... It's even more complex and customizable.

Heck, it took me a couple months to feel comfortable (and learn to get consistently good results) with the 7D.... I hope my 7D experience will help with the learning curve when I eventually get a 5DIII! I'd hate to be coming from any of the 9-point AF cameras directly to a 5DIII... I bet we'll see a lot of "HELP!" posts here on POTN, from people who make that leap!

It does appear that the new 61-point system and the "tweaks" it offers address some of the shortcomings or confusing aspects of the 7D's system. There are now menu selectable "Case" modes for AF... six of them... that are sort of like "Scene" modes are for Exposure settings, offering short cuts to some pre-programmed, ready to use AF setups. Those should be helpful to someone coming from one of the simpler cameras.

amfoto1 wrote in post #14140321
Good! Then all you have to do is decide which rear button you prefer.

(I use the */AE-Lock button for several reasons... It's closer to my thumb, less of a reach, and larger and more prominent than the AF On button... And I still have a couple models that don't have AF On button on either the body or vertical grip, or both, so need to use the * button on those. Plus, I learned back button focus with the * button, so am already in the habit of using it.)

I'm gonna stick with the AF On button for now and see if its comfortable for me. As you mentioned I am used to the * button of the Mk II, hopefully its a quick adjustment.

Thanks Again