topic Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing in Camera Software

DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

CHAPLAINMARK — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 11:43:03 GMT

When I tick the AF Points checkbox, no AF points are visible, niether in Quick Check nor Edit windows.
I saw a post here about this issue, which contained a reference to Tools>Preview>Multi-Function Preview, but that did not make AF points visible for me.
Am I missing something?
Thanks..!
Chaplain Mark

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

shadowsports — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 14:15:31 GMT

Chose a photo and enter Edit mode. Now press ALT+J you should get all AF points, or just AF points in focus depending on what you selected on the Tools > AF Point Display settings menu.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

kvbarkley — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 18:23:02 GMT

RAW or JPEG? What camera? What lens?

I know that using Lens Optimization will prevent the focus points from showing in the camera, I don't know about DPP.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

CHAPLAINMARK — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 18:24:30 GMT

Cameras: PowerShot G3X PowerShot G5X

RAW image files.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

CHAPLAINMARK — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 18:26:52 GMT

Hi, Rick,

Thanks for the repy.
I know about ALT+J to toggle AF points; it doesn't work, nor do any of the other menu selections for AF points.
Although my cameras are listed as supported, I'm wondering if perhaps the fixed lens on the PowerShot models is not supported to show AF points?
Let me know what you think, Sir, and thanks!

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

Waddizzle — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 23:14:15 GMT

@CHAPLAINMARK wrote:
Hi, Rick,

Thanks for the repy.
I know about ALT+J to toggle AF points; it doesn't work, nor do any of the other menu selections for AF points.
Although my cameras are listed as supported, I'm wondering if perhaps the fixed lens on the PowerShot models is not supported to show AF points?
Let me know what you think, Sir, and thanks!

Are you using BBF, Back Button Focus? For some reason, if the AF system is not “alive” when the shutter is activated, then DPP does not display any “focus locked” AF points.

The solution to this quirk is to be sure that you are depressing BBF when you activate the shutter. This activates the focusing system, and the camera will write the data to EXIF. Actually, the camera always writes the data. Other programs, like Lightroom, can display the AF points, irregardless of whether or not the AF system was active.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

CHAPLAINMARK — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 23:19:33 GMT

Thanks for your reply.

The shots in question were not captured using BBF, no.

I am going to go back and double-check my findings in DPP4, with the above postings in mind, and will report back here.

Thanks again,

Chaplain Mark

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

RobertTheFat — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 14:15:30 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@CHAPLAINMARK wrote:
Hi, Rick,

Thanks for the repy.
I know about ALT+J to toggle AF points; it doesn't work, nor do any of the other menu selections for AF points.
Although my cameras are listed as supported, I'm wondering if perhaps the fixed lens on the PowerShot models is not supported to show AF points?
Let me know what you think, Sir, and thanks!
Are you using BBF, Back Button Focus? For some reason, if the AF system is not “alive” when the shutter is activated, then DPP does not display any “focus locked” AF points.

The solution to this quirk is to be sure that you are depressing BBF when you activate the shutter. This activates the focusing system, and the camera will write the data to EXIF. Actually, the camera always writes the data. Other programs, like Lightroom, can display the AF points, irregardless of whether or not the AF system was active.

Doesn't that "solution" pretty much defeat the main purpose of BBF, i.e. to decouple focusing from the shutter button? Won't holding down the BBF button while you activate the shutter simply return the camera to its default behavior?

And if the camera captures the AF point data but DPP doesn't use it, doesn't that say that a) there's a bug in DPP or b) Canon doesn't trust the accuracy of the captured data?

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

kvbarkley — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 20:23:08 GMT

Or it doesn't work on Powershots. i.e., that is a feature that requires an EOS camera.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

Waddizzle — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 01:30:34 GMT

@RobertTheFat wrote:
@Waddizzle wrote:
@CHAPLAINMARK wrote:
Hi, Rick,

Thanks for the repy.
I know about ALT+J to toggle AF points; it doesn't work, nor do any of the other menu selections for AF points.
Although my cameras are listed as supported, I'm wondering if perhaps the fixed lens on the PowerShot models is not supported to show AF points?
Let me know what you think, Sir, and thanks!
Are you using BBF, Back Button Focus? For some reason, if the AF system is not “alive” when the shutter is activated, then DPP does not display any “focus locked” AF points.

The solution to this quirk is to be sure that you are depressing BBF when you activate the shutter. This activates the focusing system, and the camera will write the data to EXIF. Actually, the camera always writes the data. Other programs, like Lightroom, can display the AF points, irregardless of whether or not the AF system was active.
Doesn't that "solution" pretty much defeat the main purpose of BBF, i.e. to decouple focusing from the shutter button? Won't holding down the BBF button while you activate the shutter simply return the camera to its default behavior?

And if the camera captures the AF point data but DPP doesn't use it, doesn't that say that a) there's a bug in DPP or b) Canon doesn't trust the accuracy of the captured data?

You can use BBF in One Shot mode to set focus, and then press the shutter without worrying about the camera trying to refocus. I do this when I am trying to focus one a bird in a tree, when there are lots of surrounding branches. So, no, it does not defeat the purpose of BBF.

Canon displays the AF points in one of two states Active in Inactive. Lightroom has a module, or had an add-in module, which could display the AF points in one of four states, which adds Selected and Not Selected states to the display. Selected means the AF system is active, but only because a point cannot be “selected” if the AF system is idle.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

CHAPLAINMARK — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 03:12:34 GMT

Canon emailed me their answer to my question about AF points not showing in DPP4.

Here's the copy-and-paste of Canon's email to me:

Dear Chaplain Mark,

Thank you for contacting Canon product support regarding the Digital Photo Professional 4 software for your PowerShot G5 X. I can assist you with the software.

I understand that you are experiencing trouble with the Canon software. As you have a PowerShot G5 X, the Digital Photo Professional 4 software works fully with Canon Digital EOS cameras. Some features will not work as you are using a PowerShot camera.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your PowerShot G5 X.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Torrey
Technical Support Representative

-------------------

So there we have the answer.

I guess I'll have to go out and buy an EOS so I can see those AF points on my computer screen...

Ah, no.... 😁😁

Thank You,
Chaplain Mark

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

debashisghosh — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 16:21:09 GMT

Your suggestion of using Alt+J helped. Thanks a lot.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

ejohansen — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:02:42 GMT

FWIW, I have the same situation. G5x. Cannot view AF points in DPP.

Pretty lame of Canon not to support power shots.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

Waddizzle — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 10:13:55 GMT

@ejohansen wrote:
FWIW, I have the same situation. G5x. Cannot view AF points in DPP.

Pretty lame of Canon not to support power shots.

Lame? No, it isn't. How many AF points does your camera have? It has the same number as most PowerShots. One!

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

ejohansen — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 16:00:40 GMT

You can move the AF point.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

Waddizzle — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 16:24:02 GMT

@ejohansen wrote:
You can move the AF point.

"Cannot view AF points in DPP."

Good, we're on the same page now. One AF point, not multiple AF poinnts. It is what it is. I doubt if it will change.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

garymak — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 17:18:01 GMT

7 years later....

Same problem. Was searching for a solution to the same issue and came across this thread. Must be a HUGE problem if it's 7 years later and Canon still can't figure out how to fix it and make it easy to use...

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

Waddizzle — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 18:37:23 GMT

As I noted earlier, if the AF system isn’t active and locked when the shutter is fired, then DPP will not display a locked AF point.

Your cameras should behave the same way.

Re: DPP4 AF Points Not Showing

garymak — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 19:15:32 GMT

Thanks for the reply. Actually, AF was active and it originally showed these points when I opened in DPP, but had a huge "info" panel obscuring 1/4 of the screen In trying to get rid of that screen suddenly the focus points now won't come back. I tried the advice given earlier in this thread after searching for "how to", but the indicated button to select for showing the focus points (which was helpful info here!) won't work.

DPP has always been a clunky, non-intuitive piece of kluged-together software and for that reason I've always used other software - mainly GraphicConverter, which does everything DPP can do - and much more (like always show the focus point, regardless of manual or auto-focus - ) and works well and intuitively. Then of course Photoshop for post-processing. I was just trying to see what DPP might show for a particular situation (kinda as a double-check) but have already spent way too much time trying to figure out this archaic clunky software. It just reminds me why I don't use it and why there isn't any good reason to waste my time further. I do appreciate your time to respond. Thanks!