20D focus points

The 20D simply does not have the capability.

Now, I would not be shocked if someday a month from now if Canon offered a firmware upgrade on the 20D, and that allowed some kind of focus point averaging feature.

However, that isn't here or now, so it isn't relevant to the discussion.

---Bob Gross---

You keep repeating that, but what do you base that on?

wait, IronDad, your agreeing that the 20D does not average the focus points, but asking Bob to prove the answer, to something you agree on??

ok, Now I'm Confused..

-Johnny

HUH?! Where did I agree with anything Gross said? I only responded that I was aware this thread was on the 20D. (Believe it or not I can read )

He just keeps on claiming something without anything to back it up, so I'm asking for what he's using to base his conclusion on.

My conclusion is based on the Canon 20D manual.

Now, we want to see your claim to the contrary.

---Bob Gross---

Right... and it's what, about 160 pages? Care to be more specific about where it says that "you can't have the camera focus on more than one focus point at the same time"?

I'm sorry that you are so unfamiliar with this document. It is a good resource for all beginners.

Pages 67-68.

The camera does not allow you to choose point A and point B simultaneously.

I see that you chose not to substantiate your claim to the contrary. OK.

---Bob Gross---

if you set AF to auto-select and more than 1 lits up it means that the points that lit up cover parts of the subject that are at the same distance from the focal plane. Also - auto selection picks up what is the closest to the focal point. I have 1DMkII and EOS3, both with 45 focus points, but 99% I use the middle and recompose. (Except the cool feature in EOS 3 where you look at stuff and the camera reads what you look at and sets the point to it...1700 CAD camera (or 200US on ebay) can do it but 10000CAD like 1DsMKIIcan't... shame on you Canon...) If I had a joystick like 20D - I might reconsider selcting different points but with 2 weels it takes too much time. Also - auto select takes more time since the camera must decide what to pick, if you don't belive compare auto with middle in the low light sitation - this is where the delay ist the bigest. Hope this answered the question.

Nowhere on pages 67 or 68 does it say that the camera can't focus on more than one focus point at the same time. That section deals with manually selecting focusing points. Regarding your latter comment, I have already provided the basis for my argument. You, however, continue to fail to support your position.

Correct, unfortunately Mr.Gross believes that even on the same plane only one focus point is used by the camera.

I'm sorry that you are so unfamiliar with the camera. Pages 67-68 cover both the automatic selection as well as manual selection. Perhaps you have a defective document.

My position is maintained in the document and in the actual product. You, however, fail to support your contrarian position.

Maybe there is somebody else here who would like to explain it to the beginner. He seems to want to argue without any facts.

---Bob Gross---

Thanks Bob I was also wondering about why more than point tends to light up every once and awhile.

(although now that I don't have a broken camera I can tell the camera where to focus)

You are arguing without any facts. What you claim is stated in the manual does not exist. I've provided support for my position, however you continue to ignore it and respond with non-sequiturs.

Now you resort to insulting my photographic abilities. That's a bit childish. Almost as nice as your "welcome to the forum" post to me in another thread Curiously I'm at a loss as to how shooting for 29 years makes me a beginner

IronDad wrote:
You are arguing without any facts. What you claim is stated in the manual does not exist. I've provided support for my position, however you continue to ignore it and respond with non-sequiturs.

Now you resort to insulting my photographic abilities. That's a bit childish. Almost as nice as your "welcome to the forum" post to me in another thread Curiously I'm at a loss as to how shooting for 29 years makes me a beginner

You seem to show beginner understanding of the 20D. That's my point. I made no statements about your photographic abilities at all. You jumped to that conclusion.

It is impossible for the user to select two focus points. It simply doesn't work that way. If you think it does work that way, then try it and report back to us.

---Bob Gross---

I believe that a Canon EOS 1-series camera will allow you to select two focus points at one time.

However, that is on a 1-series, and this thread is purely about the 20D, which does not allow two. That's why I made the statement that I would not be shocked if Canon were able to introduce that to the 20D via future firmware change. But that is purely hypothetical.

---Bob Gross---