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Canon Knowledge Base Lacking In 7D MarkII AF Topics

digiquisitive
Enthusiast

I have reviewed all of the articles available (that I know of) on the CDLC Knowledge Base, pertaining to specifics and details as to how the predictive autofocus capabilities on the 7D MarkII work and can be used effectively.  I find a lot of Canon articles and guides on AF as they relate specifically to the EOS 1-DX and 5D MarkIII, dating back to 2012.  I understand the 7D MarkII's AF capabilities build on those technologies, so would like to have the same kind of information specifically for the 7D-II because there are differences in this newer AF system.  The newest material I see is from Rudy Windston, dated 9-15-2014 (Differences between Zone AF and AF Point Expansion).  I have reviewed various printed Canon materials many times (Instruction Manual, current version; EOS 7D Mark II AF-Setting Guidebook), Canon FAQs,and all available videos from CDLC and other sources (The-Digital-Picture.com, an excellent source) as well as David Busch's superb EOS 7D MarkII Fast Track Guide. Ideas/helps welcome.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Thanks to you both for responding.  Based on my experience he last many years, I would have to guess that  CanonTech Support is not allowed to take the time to provide even "yes" or "no" answers to very specific and detailed questions I have spent a lot of time developing as a result of reading all of the materials  and sources available (yes, all of them, multiple times), as a part of developing my own whitepaper on these capabilities. Why am I developing this on my own?  To pull together, reconcile, clarify, coalesce, and re-state information (including what seems to be contradictory or confusing terminology and usage) from multiple sources, so I have a personal single document I can refer to periodically to analyze unsatisfactory results, plan test scenarios, and refresh my understanding of how to use this gear on a regular basis.  I appreciate the effort Canon has put into development of the 7D2 AF-Setting Guidebook, and find this resource a good starting point for defining what I need to further analyze to create a uniform, coherent document on this subject for my own personal use. Are you aware, for example, that the current version of the 7D2 Instruction Manual has only one occurrence of the term "active AF point" in all of its 548 pages (according to Adobe Acrobat), and no reference to it in the index?  I have yet to find a really good, fairly complete and understandable explanation of this term, although after dozens of hours of research on my own, I think I comprehend the use of such points (even though sometimes it seems the terms "active AF point" and "AF point" are confusingly used interchangeably in your various materials).  I just want/need to understand this technology as well as I can, to have one single source to refresh that understanding, in order to use it most effectively.  I have been shooting Canon gear exclusively for about 55 years, and have a 35-year career in I.T.  I just need sufficiently-thorough, understandable, accurate, reliable, consistent information on which to base my use of this camera, and have found that it is apparently up to me to develop it in a form that makes the most sense to me.  Canon is obviously my gear of choice, and will remain so.  Am I alone in this pursuit?

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12 REPLIES 12

jrhoffman75
Legend
Legend
I assume you know this, but:

1. A camera can only focus at one distance at a time

2. The Canon AF system selects the focus point based on the closest item covered by a focus point with sufficient contrast to activate the phase detection system.

3. AF Expansion starts with the selected focus point first and then looks to the expansion points if the primary point cannot achieve focus.

4. Zone AF has no preferential focus point and will simply select the point that latches on the closest subject with sufficient contrast using any of the focus points in the zone.
John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, LR Classic

Zone AF does not have to select it’s starting point.  

 

30C78D50-633C-48F3-AB84-C347B9FD0B2E.jpeg

 

You can select a starting AF point for Zone AF Tracking when in AI Servo mode.

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"The right mouse button is your friend."


@Waddizzle wrote:

Zone AF does not have to select it’s starting point.  

 

Exactly. As I said above, but explained in more detail:

 

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART133839

 

 


 

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, LR Classic
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