EOS 5D Mark IV, DPP Focus Point - single point vs expanded

[March411]

Normally I shoot single point, I can't think of a time that I used extended. While I was doing some wildlife shooting yesterday I tried the expanded 9 point cluster. When I viewed the images in DPP it still showed a single point of focus, one red box, everything else black. I normally use DPP to view my focus points when I end up with a soft image in PS. I was using my 5D IV, when I finished I left it on cluster of 9 and went back and checked, it was 9.

Does DPP display focusing clusters?

[Tronhard · Accepted solution]

DPP has two options, to show all focus points, or the one the provided the one in focus.  Personally, I have never managed to get the thing to show all the FP's but that me just me!

[FloridaDrafter]

"Personally, I have never managed to get the thing to show all the FP's but that may just be me!"

Trevor, I can get it to show all, with the point actually used in red, or just the one actually used, in red, without all the others, if that's what you are referring to.

Newton

[March411]

Same here and I tried view all.

Thanks for the response Trevor. I will try to figure it out, it would be a great tool if it worked.

[Tronhard]

Absolutely, it would be - if it worked! 🙄

[jrhoffman75]

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@March411 wrote:

Normally I shoot single point, I can't think of a time that I used extended. While I was doing some wildlife shooting yesterday I tried the expanded 9 point cluster. When I viewed the images in DPP it still showed a single point of focus, one red box, everything else black. I normally use DPP to view my focus points when I end up with a soft image in PS. I was using my 5D IV, when I finished I left it on cluster of 9 and went back and checked, it was 9.

Does DPP display focusing clusters?

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9 Point AF starts with the center point. If it can’t find focus then it starts looking at the surrounding points. There is still only one point that focuses. 

[March411]

Interesting, thanks John.

After watching a Canon video I thought that the expanded 9 zone points used all those points to obtain focus. My thinking was by expanding to 9 zone I could capture a higher percentage of in flight images. The real time results in DPP support what you are saying regarding single point.

And with Trevor's results being the same as mine, and he is much better at this then I am, it seems to reason that DPP will only display the single point.

They are older videos and somewhat misleading or my interpretation is incorrect. 

[jrhoffman75]

Mirrorless may be different because of the many more focus points, but for DSLRs,

1. when selecting focus mode Single Point up through the expanded modes the camera assumes that the maker knows what he wants to focus on and will attempt to achieve focus at that point. If focus cannot be achieved then it starts looking at the surrounding points. It still only uses a single focus point.

2. In the Zone modes that higher end DSLRs have the camera assumes that there is something in the Zone that the maker wants to focus on and starts using its focusing algorithms, typically size and closeness to the camera. In Zone modes multiple focus points may be activated. Similar for AI Servo.

In DPP4 showing focus points is a two-step process. There are two dropdown choices - all and in-focus. Then the button can be toggled ON-OFF.

Focus onlyDropdownAll