Canon 5d Mark IV autofocus area selection button

[Gino-Mazzaferro]

When Autofocus Area select button is pressed, the LCD on the back of the camera does not display the selection area. It only shows up in the viewfinder.

[wq9nsc]

I have never used the 5D series but with the 1D series this is how it is supposed to work. The AF point display annunciator is part of the optical viewfinder system.

Rodger

[Gino-Mazzaferro]

I think I just figured it out. It will show up when you toggle thru the info button options.

Thanks for your help

[wq9nsc]

Gino,

Good to know!  I rely pretty much completely on the optical viewfinder so I have never tried to set the AF points up any other way. 

While you are working with the AF system, be sure and review the Canon AF micro focus adjust procedure to perfectly calibrate your camera body to each lens.  I use a slight variation of the system Canon suggests, instead of shooting and comparing on a computer monitor each time you adjust the calibration I shoot a series of 5 frames at zero adjust then with adjustments up to 7 points away in each direction. This way you can determine the exact calibration offset in one session at the computer instead of iterating to the final solution.  Using this process it should take about 5 minutes per lens maximum.

Rodger

[Gino-Mazzaferro]

Rodger

Thanks for the info. I will check that out

Gino

[Waddizzle]

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@wq9nsc wrote:

Gino,

Good to know!  I rely pretty much completely on the optical viewfinder so I have never tried to set the AF points up any other way. 

While you are working with the AF system, be sure and review the Canon AF micro focus adjust procedure to perfectly calibrate your camera body to each lens.  I use a slight variation of the system Canon suggests, instead of shooting and comparing on a computer monitor each time you adjust the calibration I shoot a series of 5 frames at zero adjust then with adjustments up to 7 points away in each direction. This way you can determine the exact calibration offset in one session at the computer instead of iterating to the final solution.  Using this process it should take about 5 minutes per lens maximum.

Rodger

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Look for the "Dot Tune" AFMA video on YouTube.  It removes all of the potential for a bad adjustment.

[Waddizzle · Accepted solution]

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@Gino-Mazzaferro wrote:

I think I just figured it out. It will show up when you toggle thru the info button options.

Thanks for your help

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Right.  The [INFO] button was the answer.  It works the same way on all Canon DSLRs, not just the 5D series.

There is something Canon DSLRs can do that no other brand can do.  When you shooting from a tripod, you do not need to use the top LCD to see your exposure settings.  But first, you need to disable the shutter button from blanking the LCD when it is pressed.

Once you disable the shutter from blanking the LCD, you can display the current exposure settings by pressing [INFO].  If you press the shutter while the exposure information is displayed, it will come alive and become a real time display of your exposure settings.  

AFAIK, no other camera brand can do this!  I have found this to be very useful when capturing HDR landscape shots, or any time I am focusing manually on a tripod.