What do you shoot? (1 Viewer)

[Marianne]

I haven't figured out the AF-ON button yet - I guess I had better read the manual. OK - the manual says it is the same as pressing the shutter button halfway and is available in Creative Zone modes. Also it can be used with Live View which might be where you need it. I don't know because I haven't tried Live View yet.

 

[Citizen87645]

I've tried Live View and it's handy for macro photography, but I don't see it especially functional for anything else. I was sort of hoping it would be like using a compact digital's LCD, but it's not really designed to work that way.

My question about the C.fn. IV preference is just because I've read how some shooters prefer the separation of having the shutter release just be about taking the picture and/or exposure and the AF-On button just be about controlling focus. I'm hesitant to try changing habits for any critical situation, so I'll have to try it over an extended period. It's even a little weird for me to have exposure settings change when I lock focus and recompose; I'm so used to the Rebel and previous film SLRs locking exposure and focus with the half press of the shutter release.

 

[Marianne]

I haven't noticed any difference with this on the 40D over the XTi. If I press the shutter button halfway to get focus/exposure and then recompose before pressing down it is locked. I only use the * button if I want to lock exposure from a different area than where I want to focus. This works the same on the XTi and 40D.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Marianne,

The added weight of the 40D over my Rebel XT has not been a problem here. In fact, I like the way my bigger lenses (EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 and EF 70-200 f/4 IS L) balance on the new body. They were too big on my old camera. I do need to invest in a better camera strap, though, as you did to distribute the weight better when carrying the camera.

My 40D also came with DPP version 3.3. It works very well. The RAW files for the 40D are huge, though! They are about twice as big as the XT's, even though the megapixels only went from 8 MP to 10 MP.

Cameron, I have not tried the AF-On button yet, either. Like you, I am so used to the half-press of the shutter button method for focusing that I haven't tried another method yet. If I need to lock focus on an area different from where I need to meter for exposure, I usually move my focus point to one of the non-centered ones (or I'll just shoot "manual"). The 40D makes this much easier than my Rebel XT via the joystick on the back of the camera.

I played with Live View a little just to see how it works. I doubt it's a feature I'll use much. As Cameron said, it could be useful for macro work on a tripod, but I do very little of that. I never liked trying to compose a photo on the LCD's of point & shoots... holding a camera away from your body is poor technique as it's hard to hold the camera steady (at least for me).

I do like the three custom settings on the mode dial. I have setup two so far -- one in manual mode customized for indoor flash, and one for outdoor action (AI Servo, high starting shutter speed, etc.). I'm not sure what I'll use #3 for yet.

 

[Citizen87645]

I've been using the original Rebel (300d) for the past four years and focus and exposure would lock with the shutter half-press on that model. Now with the 40d if you focus and recompose, the focus stays locked, but the exposure adjusts (if needed) with the adjusted composition. I don't THINK there's a setting that affects this and in many ways it makes sense. It's just something I need to get used to.

 

[Marianne]

Scott, this is the strap I use and it distributes the weight nicely.

Tamrac | N-27 Boomerang Quick Release Strap (Black) | N2701


Cameron, I guess I haven't noticed that yet but I suppose it makes sense if you're using Evaluative Metering, not sure about the other modes.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Thanks for the link, Marianne. I need to order a few other accessories for the 40D from B&H anyway. For one, I did not know that the 40D uses a different remote shutter release than the Rebel series. So, I need a new one (and the person who bought my old camera got a free cable release).

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Hmmm... If the AF-On button of the 40D is anything like that on the D200-and-up/later Nikons (and maybe also D80, but not sure), you might find it useful for shooting action w/ whatever continuous focus mode the 40D allows. People often use the AF-On button on the Nikons *not* so much to lock focus, but to do continuous focusing (w/ the extensive AF system available) when shooting action, birds in flight, and such. That way you don't need to lock exposure too soon since you'd be tracking a moving target.

_Man_

 

[Scott Merryfield]

That's a good point, Man. I've just started attempting some birds in flight shooting, which is quite a difficult skill to learn. I'll have to give the AF-On technique a try next time I'm shooting BIF.

 

[Citizen87645]

So I figured out the behavior and confirmed it with the manual (yeah, I know, backwards).

Anyways, the exposure locks with focus only when in Evaluative Metering mode. With all other metering the exposure settings will adjust with the composition unless the AE Lock is pressed. It's on page 76 of the manual.

 

[Sam Posten]

I use AF-on on both my 20D and D300, there is simply no other way to shoot. On the 20D its annoying to have to go into the custom functions to switch it back out when I hand my camera to someone who doesnt understand how it works (and its usually not worth taking the time to explain it) but on the D300 you can set one of the many buttons to be a personalized setting so I have a 'noob' mode that I can give them that DOESNT switch you out of raw to jpeg like the 20D does in the green box or P modes.

 

[mahinderk]

Oh dear! Does that mean we can expect more digital camera reviews and more writing about pixel pushing? I hope not.

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