topic Re: Area selection zones not working in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 11:18:01 GMT

Someone please point out my foolish error.

The M-Fn button won't toggle through the different AF Selection modes.

Canon 5D Mark III
Manual mode
One Shot

I have selected all (or other combinations) of AF area selection modes from AF menu 4 (which means I should be able to toggle between them with the M-Fn button after pressing the AF Point Selection Button.

I should be able to:
Press the AF Point Selection Button (the one on the upper right that looks like a checkerboard)
Press M-Fn one or more times to toggle through AF area selection modes (Spot AF, Expand AF Area, Expand AF Area Surround, Manual Select or Auto Selection of 61 pt AF).
What is actually does is just toggle off/on the indicator in the viewfinder that show which AF point is selected (not the selection mode).

I also tried in on AI Servo, with the same response.

And, yes, I did check to make sure that the AF area selection method is set to M-Fn in AF Menu 4 (and not to Main Dial).

I also tried with two different lenses, since some of the focus system functionality is lens dependent.

What have I got set somewhere to restrict this functionality?

Re: Area selection zones not working

TCampbell — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 19:15:47 GMT

If you break it down it might help to figure out where it's not working as expected.

Make sure your "Info" button is toggled until your rear LCD display shows the camera's mode, shutter speed, f-stop, ISO, etc. etc. This wont impact the ability to change AF mode selection, but at least you can see that the camera is responding to your next button press.

When you press the rear AF selection button, it should be the button in the extreme top right corner of the back of the camera. After pressing this button (but before pressing the M-Fn button) the rear-display should change. The top of the rear display should read: "AF point selection", the row below should show which AF mode is currently selected. The row below that should display each of the available modes but at the extreme right you should see the "M-Fn" signifying that pressing that button will cause it to toggle to the next mode.

When you initially press the rear AF selection button, do you see the rear LCD display update to show that you can either select new AF modes -or- alter the selected point within your current mode?

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 19:39:03 GMT

It worked but when I tried it again it didn't.

When I'm in info mode with shutter speed etc and I press far right af point selection nothing is changing at all?

Re: Area selection zones not working

TCampbell — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 19:50:18 GMT

Are you, by chance, in full "Auto" mode (the mode dial set to the green "A"?)

AF mode selection is not available in that mode, but is available in all other modes.

If you are in full auto mode (green "A") then _while_ pressing the AF mode & point selection button, the rear LCD will display the message "This button is not available in Scene Intelligent Auto mode" (but the message is only displayed WHILE you continue to press and hold the AF mode selection button.)

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 19:59:07 GMT

Hi Tim,

Most definitely not in auto, I only shoot in manual or av. When I first pressed info to get to the info screen as you advised followed by af selection it switched over and I managed to select centre focus with 4 clusters around and I was able to scroll through each zone it's still now set to that but it's so strange that I can't choose any other zone again. It's like it's locking up but I'm not locking anything?

Re: Area selection zones not working

TCampbell — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 20:14:30 GMT

Ok,

Please press the menu button and check "purple" AF menu #4 in the camera menu system.

The 2nd row from the button should read: AF area selection method

This option allows you to change how you select different AF modes and the factory default would set this to the "M-Fn" button.

It's possible you changed it to "Main Dial" method.

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 20:25:39 GMT

Your very helpful Tim thank you but I have already tried both options wheel and mfunction. I have looked to see if you can change the af selection button just in case but I can't find anything in customising that key. When i press af selection key now on the far right the two af rows start flashing on either side of the middle block of af points. I have all 61 points showing in view finder. I'm not sure if you know anything else that may help?

Really greatful!

Re: Area selection zones not working

TCampbell — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 20:32:07 GMT

Orange camera #2 menu has a "Custom Controls" menu and one of hte options is to set the function of the M-Fn button... but I think this only controls the behavior when the M-Fn button is pressed on it's own... not when pressing it after pressing the AF selection button.

BTW, my default setting in the Orange camera #2 -> Custom Controls -> M-Fn is set to "FEL" (which is probably the factory default because I don't think I've ever tried to change it.) The possible choices for the menu don't include anything about focus modes.

The only other thing I can think of is that Orange camera #4 has a "Clear all Custom Func. (C.Fn)" choice... and Gold wrench #4 has a "Clear all camera settings" button -- if you think you may have changed something in a menu and can't find it.

I can't think of anything else that would control this.

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 20:36:17 GMT

Mine is also set to fel and tried many times on the whole reset thing.

Thanks anyway but I'm thinking it's a faulty unit now.

Many thanks for trying to help though it's really appreciated!

Re: Area selection zones not working

joke — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 22:24:20 GMT

dsoup, I am very interested to hear what you find out.

I too am having the exact same issue. I have tried everything.

I can get the AF selection to work in the view finder, but not in the LCD panel.

I have seen it once, then it quickly went black... so I suspect it's an issue with my brand new Mark III.

I wonder if this is an issue with Canon's design???

I'd be curious to hear what you find out.

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 22:44:22 GMT

I think its a bug in the software, mine started working but the moment i put a radio trigger on the hotshoe it stopped and hasn't worked since either through the viewfinder or the LCD really weird. I only use single spot zones anyway and that works ok but I can not chooes different af zones and trust me I have been through everything!

Re: Area selection zones not working

joke — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 22:57:27 GMT

Interesting. I have heard that Canon does not allow 3rd party flashes. I purchased a small SunPak fill flash, since the Mark III doesn't come with one. I used it once, and have not been able to get the AF selection mode to work since. Maybe the hotshoe of a 3rd party device shorts something out???

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 23:19:44 GMT

I doubt it's hardware I think it's a software glitch myself. I use pocket wizards and a nissin di866 mk 2. I can't believe very one with 5d mk 3's use only canon gear. At least you can still choose af zones via the viewfinder that's still workable! If you solve it please let me know.

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 12:39:19 GMT

Hi mate,

Did you manage to fix this? I'm still having the same problem.

Many thanks.

Re: Area selection zones not working

joke — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 18:40:59 GMT

dsoup,

I finally called Canon Customer Support. We wound up reseting the C-Fn and Clearing all Camera settings (admittedly resulting in my having to spend a lot of time to reset...). But it did fix the issue. The panel on the top of the camera does not change via design, it only reflects SEL [ ] (and [ __ ] AF) . But the large LCD on the back of the camera does work.

If I press the INFO button on the back of the camera (3 times) to bring up the Settings menu (Av/P/Tv, Shutterspeed, Aperature, ISO, etc), then press the 3rd button on the right behiind the top panel (AF point selection button - looks like a square with 5 dots in it), it brings up the 6 AF selection modes on the back of the camera. Immediately pressing the M-Fn button (behind the shutter release) toggles through the selection points.

BTW, this didn't work at all until I reset everything. Go figure. It works now.

Hope that helps.

The Canon Cust Serv folks were extremely helpful. It may be worth a call into them.

Re: Area selection zones not working

dsoup — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 19:53:40 GMT

Thanks buddy I'll give it a go.

Much appreciated and thanks for getting back to me!

Re: Area selection zones not working

AndyShust — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 10:56:59 GMT

Hello everyone.

I bumped into this problem some days ago. Only resetting camera settings (not custom functions) helped. I thought it would be useful to write this here.

Still no cue why the AF selection stopped working. I suspect connecting my camera to an Android tablet with DSLR Controller app, which might have messed up or locked the ability to choose AF points.

Re: Area selection zones not working

cpstephens — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 03:48:43 GMT

This is happening to me, M-Fn will not scroll / select the AF modes, i am stuck on single point? i reset everything as pointed in the thread and still no joy. i reset everything of this 5d3 to another one that does not have this problem . could it be a firmware issue, the problematic one is 1.2.3, its a used 5d3 with 43k actuations,

Re: Area selection zones not working

RobertTheFat — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 04:23:11 GMT

@cpstephens wrote:
This is happening to me, M-Fn will not scroll / select the AF modes, i am stuck on single point? i reset everything as pointed in the thread and still no joy. i reset everything of this 5d3 to another one that does not have this problem . could it be a firmware issue, the problematic one is 1.2.3, its a used 5d3 with 43k actuations,

The 5D3 is now at 1.3.5, (At least that's where mine is.) So you might as well start by upgrading yours.

Re: Area selection zones not working

cpstephens — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 04:47:36 GMT

It now works when I use the front wheel, have not done upgrade in firmware yet.