BG E2N & AF on a 50D

I recently bought a 50D and set the camera to focus using the AF button on the rear near my thumb instead of the shutter release button. I had my XSi set up like this and loved it.

I installed a battery grip today and realized that I don't have the AF button on the grip. So, I can't auto focus unless I sprout another finger that will reach the back of the camera. This wasn't an issue with the gripped XSi.

Am I missing an obvious solution? Or, have I done something I shouldn't have done?

I'll do some more searching/reading on the 50D. I'm sure there are some excellent tips on setting it up right here on .net.

Thanks for the help.

I'm not sure if the XSi grip has a dedicated AF-on button, but I know it's missing on the BG-E2N. The solution is to swap functions of the AF-on and "*" (zoom out or AE lock) buttons in the Custom Functions menu. It's the C.Fn IV-2.

Here's the deal. While the 50D has the AF-ON button, the battery grip does not. If you want to AF using the battery grip, you need to tell the 50D to switch the AF-On and AEL buttons (the button with the * above it). What this does is move AF from AF-On butto, to your AEL button. Since both the 50D and BG-E2N have an AEL Button, you will be able to AF. To make this work, you need to

1. Change C. FnIV:Operation/Others - AF-ON/AE Lock button Switch - 1:Enable
2. Change C. Fn IV: Operation/Others - Shutter Button/AF-ON button - 3: AE Lock/Metering + AF Start

Once you make these changes, you can use the AEL button to AF on the grip.

Serious question here, why not just depress the shutter half-way and AF? What is the advantage to swapping the * button?

There's more control to use the AF-On button from the back and only have your main shutter button for activating the shutter (and not AF). It's mostly a preference thing but once you start using it consistently, the AF-On has its advantages.

That said, personally I haven't evolved into using the AF-On button. Much to learn I have.

J-Guy wrote in post #8653181
Serious question here, why not just depress the shutter half-way and AF? What is the advantage to swapping the * button?

It gives you much better control over focus.

This explains it nicely: http://www.usa.canon.c​om …ArticleAct&arti​cleID=2286

BigBlueDodge wrote in post #8653037
Here's the deal. While the 50D has the AF-ON button, the battery grip does not. If you want to AF using the battery grip, you need to tell the 50D to switch the AF-On and AEL buttons (the button with the * above it). What this does is move AF from AF-On butto, to your AEL button. Since both the 50D and BG-E2N have an AEL Button, you will be able to AF. To make this work, you need to

1. Change C. FnIV:Operation/Others - AF-ON/AE Lock button Switch - 1:Enable
2. Change C. Fn IV: Operation/Others - Shutter Button/AF-ON button - 3: AE Lock/Metering + AF Start

Once you make these changes, you can use the AEL button to AF on the grip.

Thanks a million! That did the trick.