Question for 7D owners

I currently shoot a 40D and am considering adding the 7D as my primary and keeping the 40D as backup. I played around with one at a local camera store and was having trouble figuring out how to change my AF point when I was in manual selection mode. On the 40D, I have the custom functions set so that I can do this "multi-controller direct" which basically means that all I have to do is hit the little joystick and then move it around until I get the point I want. I have found this to be very quick and easy. How can this be done on the 7D? Is there a quick way to choose another AF point? How do you get the camera to light up the AF point you are using?

Thanks guys.

As far as I know, all of those things can be done via the user settings.

Don't need to do it through the menu, it can be done on the fly using a new button near the shuttle button, its very easy and very nice

I dunno. I also have the 40D and last week rented a 7D - had no problem moving it around quickly (easier than the MkII N!). I wished it was lit up red like the 40D and also I missed having the option of lighting them all up at the same time (doable?). Oh well, should have my MkII N back by Friday.

Kento wrote in post #10451599
Don't need to do it through the menu, it can be done on the fly using a new button near the shuttle button, its very easy and very nice

I'm watching some video tutorials and it looks like you can hit the button on the far right (by the AF-on button) and then hit the M. ftn button by the shutter and scrolling the wheel until you get the AF point you want. This seems harder than multi-controller direct or am I missing something.

40Driggs wrote in post #10451617
I'm watching some video tutorials and it looks like you can hit the button on the far right (by the AF-on button) and then hit the M. ftn button by the shutter and scrolling the wheel until you get the AF point you want. This seems harder than multi-controller direct or am I missing something.

You are missing something, tapping the m.ftn button will switch you between the 4-5 different AF modes that the 7D has. If you want to specify a certain point within that AF mode you need only use the thumb stick which is quaintly located right next to your thumb.

Kento wrote in post #10451628
If you want to specify a certain point within that AF mode you need only use the thumb stick which is quaintly located right next to your thumb.

What indication does the camera give as far as whichever focus point is chosen?

Sorry for all the stupid questions. I am thinking of getting this camera tommorrow and I hadn't planned on being able to, so I'm doing last minute research to make sure that I'll be comfortable using the new AF system.

Just answered my questions via some research....thanks for the help.

40Driggs wrote in post #10451638
What indication does the camera give as far as whichever focus point is chosen?

Sorry for all the stupid questions. I am thinking of getting this camera tommorrow and I hadn't planned on being able to, so I'm doing last minute research to make sure that I'll be comfortable using the new AF system.

NP, when you switch between the focus modes you can see them change in the viewfinder. The 7D imprints the new modes onto the eyeport or the viewfinder the same way it can imprint leveling lines if you so chose to enable it for horizon line corrections and such. It is great because you can pretty much do absolutely everything without ever having to take your eye out of the eyeport.

All I can say if you buy this camera is READ THE MANUAL! Too many people are jumping the gun on this forum and crying about how their 7D doesn't focus right because they were too lazy to read the manual and figure it out.. this camera is SUPER advanced in comparison too all the other crops so it has a pretty steep learning curve.

Kento wrote in post #10451679
NP, when you switch between the focus modes you can see them change in the viewfinder. The 7D imprints the new modes onto the eyeport or the viewfinder the same way it can imprint leveling lines if you so chose to enable it for horizon line corrections and such. It is great because you can pretty much do absolutely everything without ever having to take your eye out of the eyeport.

All I can say if you buy this camera is READ THE MANUAL! Too many people are jumping the gun on this forum and crying about how their 7D doesn't focus right because they were too lazy to read the manual and figure it out.. this camera is SUPER advanced in comparison too all the other crops so it has a pretty steep learning curve.

This camera keeps sounding better... I will definitely be reading the manual though.

Kento wrote in post #10451679
NP, when you switch between the focus modes you can see them change in the viewfinder. The 7D imprints the new modes onto the eyeport or the viewfinder the same way it can imprint leveling lines if you so chose to enable it for horizon line corrections and such. It is great because you can pretty much do absolutely everything without ever having to take your eye out of the eyeport.

All I can say if you buy this camera is READ THE MANUAL! Too many people are jumping the gun on this forum and crying about how their 7D doesn't focus right because they were too lazy to read the manual and figure it out.. this camera is SUPER advanced in comparison too all the other crops so it has a pretty steep learning curve.

Spot on!

I have both, still use the 40D for work (Real Estate) and the 7D for sports

Older cameras (like the 40D) have two AF point selection modes, automatic and manual. The 7D has five, so another way of selecting them had to be designed.

You select AF point selection mode by pressing the AF point button on the rear, then cycle through those you've enabled with M-Fn.
Once you've selected a method, you can then select which point within that method by pressing the AF point selection button on the rear, and then use main dial, quick dial or joystick.
Or you can use Custom Function IV-1 to set the rear dial and/or the joystick to make such a selection directly, without pressing the AF point selection button first.

You can select to have the AF points light up in red always, only when it's dark outside or never. If you don't want them to light up, you'll still see them in black in the viewfinder.
You can also select to see all points, including those not used, in the viewfinder. Or only those you actually use.
When using Servo AF with multiple points, you can select to see which are active, or not see them at all.
When selecting a single point, you can select that the camera will stop at the edge of the AF point pattern, or wrap around from the left side to the right, for example.
When holding the camera... Well, I think I better stop here. This list would be at least twice as long, before all the settings and customizations of the 7D's autofocus system have been mentioned.

There are many more AF-related settings on the 7D than you'll find on the 40D. Several things are done in a different way, compared to the 40D.
Some things are pretty complex, like having the whole AF mode selection and optimization settings changed by just holding a button, and then back when releasing it, and all this adapting to how you hold the camera (horizontal/vertical) automatically!