Canon EOS RP - Autofocus doesn't work by half-pressing the shutter release button

[Tova64]

Hello evryone

I have a Canon EOS RP camera. I'm trying to make the autofocus work by half-pressing the shutter release button. I have tried all the settings but it doesn't work - it only works when I use the touch screen. Is it possible at all to make autofocus work through half-pressing the shutter button?

[p4pictures]

Firstly which mode are you using? If it's P, Tv, Av, M, B, Fv, C1, C2 then its possible that a custom control setting has been used to reconfigure the shutter button half-press to only meter, not focus. Does pressing and holding the AF-ON button make the camera focus?

If the AF-ON button works, then your camera is configured for "back button focus" to return it to regular focus with the shutter button. Press MENU, navigate to the C.Fn section then choose the third entry Operation / Others. Finally choose the fifth setting Custom controls, select the shutter button and change it to be Metering and AF start as shown.

[justadude]

Hey Brian, quick question for you... The jpegs you posted of the camera menu, are those something that you have access to as an EOS specialist trainer?  Or are these something anyone can access?  I'm asking because I'm often helping people out in a few different Canon Facebook groups for the RP, R8, and R6m2.  I'm often taking cell phone photos of the menu to explain things, like you did here.  

Basically I'm wondering if there is an online library of these menu images somewhere.  It would be easier than fairly often taking photos of the screen.  

[deebatman316]

Canon has free online copies of their manuals online. I take screenshots of them and post in the forum. Note some very old products may not have them available.

[justadude]

Great idea!  Thank you!

[Stephen]

Hey!

Check out https://cam.start.canon. I think you'll find it to be a valuable resource. The EOS RP isn't listed there (it's "older"), but all of the newest models are, and there is a very handy HTML version of all of the newer models, which are super helpful.

[justadude]

Thank you, Stephen!  I just saved the link.

I had to laugh at the RP which came out in 2019 as being "older".  Does my 60D qualify for "Historic antique" status?  

[p4pictures]

I actually make these myself from the camera menus - it's a long and boring process. I use a device that connects the camera HDMI output to my computer and grabs that. Currently I use a Blackmagic Design UtlraStudio Recorder 3G but plenty of other devices exist. 

Over the years I have had almost all the Canon cameras in my hands for enough time, and have many of the models from the last 15 years stored in my archive. When this question came up I looked in my "archive" and found EOS RP screen grabs from a while ago.

On some past Canon projects I needed to capture the camera screens in many languages for the European market. Navigating the menus in a language you cannot read and following the same set of steps up to 17 times builds a certain familiarity with the menu system and location of the items you need. Though Arabic is a challenge due to the right to left arrangement compared to all the other languages that are left to right.

I'm an EOS Specialist Trainer by name, as Canon - in Europe for sure - doesn't certify trainers. However given my past position at Canon Europe I do know rather a lot of details and nowadays I work to continue to maintain this knowledge.