Problems with my af points and red flashing light in viewfinder

[mikkidk]

Just bought the canon 7d mark II. Before I had a Canon 40D.

Right from the start I have some annoying issues about the viewfinder. Every time I press half to adjust the AF points there's a red flash showing up in the whole viewfinder.

I don't want this red flash and can't see the idea with this, if It should be some new "smart" feature from Canon.

But there must be a way to turn this off. Or is my camera broken?

Please see my little video where I show this issue.

[bdodd]

Perhaps there's a problem with your camera. But I suspect what you are seeing is normal. In low light conditions, the camera will illuminate the autofocus point(s) in red. A side effect of that is that the red light "spills" into the rest of the viewfinder display. The darker the ambient light conditions, the more noticable it is.

You can disable that behavior via the menus. See the "VF display illumication" setting. In the full English manual, it is on page 131:

Cheers,

Bill

[ezpop]

That's the answer.

So obviously instructional manual helps.

RTM or scroll through all the tabs in the camera menu and you will find a lot of answers to your uncertainty.

bdodd attaching the image of the manual is a very good way to explain the solution. I am also using this method when I can't explain myself clearly in words.

Hope that it help the OP to solve the problem.

[ezpop]

Yes. Even though you activated just one AF point, the flash comes on when AF is achieved (by default setting) Red light is not just from the AF point but also from the grid lines which again can be removed in the menu.

However, you may turn it off it it annoys you.

[ezpop]

I just remove the grid from the VF and only the focus point flashes when AF is achieved. The flash (illumination) can be disabled completely from the menu.

[RPAspey]

I don't use the grids either, and mine still flashes enough to be annoying in less than bright lite.

[ezpop]

Bob (bdodd) posted above that the illumination can be disabled completely. See image of P. 131 of the manual in his post.

[mikkidk]

the VF grid was already disabled

[mikkidk · Accepted solution]

I just had my cam to canon service. The red flash is supposed to be there.

I asked them why and asked them what the point was with the red flash. They couldn't explain It (!?)

So I suppose this red flash is some kind of half ass.... smart thing made by Canon without any idea. Great Canon..... not!!

[ezpop]

don't mean to be rude but I think it is a commonly accepted short form of expression - many times appeared in many other forums. Apologize if offend anybody here

[RPAspey]

Nothing wrong with your camera. Mine did it too. I found it annoying so I turned off the VR illumination.