5D3 - AF Area Issue?

Hey guys,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I just made the jump from a Nikon D70s to a 5d3 and am loving it so far, however I have a question regarding the AF area selection.

While looking through the viewfinder:
When I press the AF point selection button, my entire viewfinder lights up a light red. The 61 focus points light up a darker shade of red, so they're still visable but I'm wondering if this is normal. I'm concerned because I've seen videos of only the focus points turning red during the AF area selection.

Any insight you can provide is appreciated.

Yeah, it's normal. It's a love or hate thing....The older AF point only illumination makes better sense to me....if you looked through the front of your lens, you can see the red light come on when focus is achieved.

Read somewhere that this approach helps faster AF as they don't have to load the AF screen with 61 individual LEDs. I am not sure. Don't quote me on that.

http://www.slrlounge.c​om …-update-coming-april-2013

Aswald wrote in post #16397868
Yeah, it's normal. It's a love or hate thing....The older AF point only illumination makes better sense to me....if you looked through the front of your lens, you can see the red light come on when focus is achieved.

Read somewhere that this approach helps faster AF as they don't have to load the AF screen with 61 individual LEDs. I am not sure. Don't quote me on that.

http://www.slrlounge.c​om …-update-coming-april-2013

Thanks Aswald. I understand the issue of the focus point(s) not illuminating, but my question is regarding the area surrounding my foucus points. Whenever I hit the AF point selection button, my entire viewfinder appears to be covered by a red veil. This just doesn't seem right to me.

Yup, it happens on mine too.

It is due to the side LED used to illuminate the AF points. I think that the AF screen consists of passive reflective points rather than individually lit LED points. It uses the side LED "lamp" to illuminate itself. Unfortunately, it illuminates the whole AF screen too.

It gets worse when subject lighting becomes a bit hectic. Hopefully, we'll get used to it. I'm still getting used to it but prefer how it used to be.

Dont know if this answers your question but if you are trying to change the autocus points, hit the autofocus point button like you have done and hit the m.fcn button beside the shutter release to go through the different autofocus options. If you have custom controls then use the 8 direction pad or the scroll wheels.

Welcome to the forum by the way 😊

milleniumking wrote in post #16397942
Dont know if this answers your question but if you are trying to change the autocus points, hit the autofocus point button like you have done and hit the m.fcn button beside the shutter release to go through the different autofocus options. If you have custom controls then use the 8 direction pad or the scroll wheels.

Welcome to the forum by the way 😊

Thanks Millenium!

I haven't had a chance to see if the red veil appears while outside, so I plan to try it out this eveneing.

the non lit AF point is kinda disturbing for sure. Been playing with the 5D3 for a while, and I'm not sure about ever making the jump. Shoot too much at night, and something like this would annoy me to no end.

I've had this now in a few 7D bodies (first EOS camera with transmissive LCD in the viewfinder) and now in the 1DX. Hardly notice it any more.

What's even more fun is being on the receiving end of the red-confirmation-flash.

Your subjects, when looking through the lens from the front end, will be able to see a red flicker.

Yes, somebody once asked me about that, when I used the 7D. I claimed they saw me thinking...

It was your synapse firing. They looked into your soul.

Oh gee. I wouldn't want to do that, myself!