Canon Rebel 2000 Focus points questions

[blub blub]

Forgive my stupidity here but I'm confused on the 7 point auto focus on this camera. If I'm pointing the center focus point at my subject and a focusing square at the very end of the line is the only one lit up -is only that one spot going to be in focus?

[Lisa Horton]

Yes, that is correct. Often people will manually select the center
focus point (you must be in one of the "creative" modes) and use only
that. You may need to move the focus point over the subject, lock focus
(push the shutter release halfway) then recompose. But you will get two
benefits: You'll *always* know which focus point is being used, and
you'll get slightly faster AF performance overall. Reason? Because you
don't have that slight delay while the camera decides which focus
point(s) to use.

Lisa

[blub blub]

So would it be fair to say that it's actually more difficult to get your
centered subject in focus because of the 7 point focusing system? I tried
and tried to get the area I wanted in focus according to the lit focusing
square but had a really hard time doing it. I was using either portrait mode
or the green square mode.
Is there something more I should be doing to achieve this without going into
the creative modes right now?

"Lisa Horton" <Ge...@GatorGames.Com> wrote in message
news:39C140...@GatorGames.Com...

[Lisa Horton]

That's a good question blub, but the answer's not necessarily simple.

It might help to have a little more info on just how the camera selects
a focussing point. Typically, with the Rebel 2K, it's often the closest
thing the computer can make out, or the thing it can "grab" easiest. As
you've noticed, this may or may not be the thing you *want* to focus
on. It's actually a great deal more complicated than that, but you can
think of it as working this way. That alone is a good reason to avoid
that 'other' side of the dial:)

P, or Program mode is really very similar to green box mode. The main
differences are that in green box mode the flash pops up automatically,
and you have virtually no control or influence over the decisions your
camera makes. Why not try P mode then? You can choose which focus point
you want to use then.

Although I'm a huge fan of modern computerized cameras, I've never been
pleased or impressed with the algorithms used for auto focus point
selection.

But to directly answer your question, no. You cannot have any control
over the focussing point in use unless you go into the creative modes.
Turn away from the dark side my son, feel the power of the force:)

Lisa

[scot...@my-deja.com]

The one that lights up is the focus point that the camera decided would
be best. But that doesn't mean that thats going to be in focus and the
rest of your picture will be out of focus. The aperature that you are
selecting will determine the depth of field that will be in focus. I
have a rebel 2000 and it picks the correct focusing point almost 100%
of the time, unless I am shootting through a fence or something, then
it is correct almost 0%, I don't have any of those lens that you can
tell the range to focus in. -Scott

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Snorre A. Selmer]

Yes, but depending on the Depth of Field (how deep the area in focus is),
more in front and behind can also be in focus...

I have two tips for you:

1. Read the manual a bit, and start using the Creative Modes (P, Av and Tv)
as soon as possible! When you start learning what the different things do
(especially what the aperture means to your pictures), you'll rarely/never
go back to the Program Modes...

2. You should concider buying a book called "Canon Rebel 2000/EOS 300" (from
your local camera-shop or Amazon.com or some other online bookstore) by
Heiner Henninger and Bob Shell... I bought my Rebel 2000 this June, and got
the book one month later... Lots of information about how the camera works,
what it does in the different modes, tips on how to take better pictures
etc...

--

Snorre A. Selmer
Helgeshaugen 25
3517 Hønefoss
NORWAY

Computer Consultant @ SRV in Oslo
E-mail: sno...@statvoks.no

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[Dan]

Snorre A. Selmer wrote:
> 1. Read the manual a bit, and start using the Creative Modes
> (P, Av and Tv)

Is there no "M" mode on this camera?

> you'll rarely/never go back to the Program Modes...

"P" mode isn't a program mode?

Dan

[Chris Maddock]

Dan wrote:
>
> Snorre A. Selmer wrote:
> > 1. Read the manual a bit, and start using the Creative Modes
> > (P, Av and Tv)
>
> Is there no "M" mode on this camera?

Yes

> > you'll rarely/never go back to the Program Modes...
>
> "P" mode isn't a program mode?

Sort of - it is a program mode, but it is not preset to a specific type
of shot (portrait, landscape, etc.)

KRs
Chris

[Snorre A. Selmer]

> Is there no "M" mode on this camera?

Yes, there is, but it's fully manual... No automatic... Kinda difficult to
start with... That's why I didn't mention it...

> > you'll rarely/never go back to the Program Modes...
>
> "P" mode isn't a program mode?

Yes, it's automatic, but not completely... It still leaves you with a few
choises (mainly flash)... "P" is classified as a Creative mode, not a
Program mode...

Snorre

[jake18...@nospamhotmail.com]

Correct except "P" does stand for "Program" (in English), kind of
makes it confusing. It is automatic but on most Canon cameras it
allows Program Shift, very handy when starting. Don't know about the
2000 though I suspect it does. I used it forever it seems, still
great for quick snaps.

>
>

[Snorre A. Selmer]

> It is automatic but on most Canon cameras it
> allows Program Shift, very handy when starting. Don't know about the
> 2000 though I suspect it does.

You mean the function that lets you vary the aperture/shutter around the
camera's otherwise fully automatic metering? Yep, it's there... Never used
it though...