A/F Box Question

[Michael Eckstein]

On the EOS M is there any way you can set the A/F Box so it stays in the center all the time and will not move if you touch the screen?

Thanks for your help.

 

[areichow]

And how is giving the user the option to disable this is bad?

I'll never understand why people feel compelled to play apologist for bad design. With a handful of tweaks, the M could be a *great* mirrorless camera instead of just the best you can get for $300.

 

[davegorton]

Yep, I think I will have to learn to use the M differently to the way I use my Canon DSLRs. Shame though because I like pretty much everything else about the M.

I've tried a few similar cameras (small body, large sensor, reasonable price for body and fast prime lens) in the last 3 or 4 years:

Sony NEX F3 - Body is great, but prime lenses not good enough (either too slow or poor IQ or huge or v expensive)

Panasonic GF1 - Excellent body. Excellent 20mm. But image quality not up to todays standards and lens more expensive.

Fuji X100 - Very cool, but lens quite soft wide open close up (+ 2 or 7 other annoying quirks!)

Samsung NX10 - Superb, sharp, cheap 30mm. High ISO IQ not that great.

Samsung NX1000 - That superb 30mm lens again. Saving a RAW image was painfully slow and the IQ not amazing. I nearly stuck with this, just because the Samsung NX 30mm lens is so good.

Sony RX100 - Small(er) sensor. Not bad, but not really want I was looking for.

Then a few weeks ago I saw an M for a bargain price and thought I'd give it a go. Excellent size and fantastic 22mm. The controls and touch screen took at bit of getting used to, but menus and buttons feel familiar from EOS DSLRs. I'll be purchasing an adapter for my EF lenses and a couple of spare batteries. Also looking at what extra Magic Lantern can offer.

If only I could fix that pesky AF box in the center (and it would be nice to be able to turn off the screen completely so that I can have the option to use an OVF) It would be my ideal take everywhere camera.

BTW I haven't owned all of those cameras. Some were borrowed from friends to try out.

Thanks to all who helped.

Dave

 

[davegorton]

areichow wrote:

And how is giving the user the option to disable this is bad?

I'll never understand why people feel compelled to play apologist for bad design. With a handful of tweaks, the M could be a *great* mirrorless camera instead of just the best you can get for $300.

I agree, why not give the user the option to fix the AF box in the middle or turn off the touch screen or turn off the screen completely. Some people want these things.

It won't stop anyone else from using the camera as they always have done! They may even find it useful to be able to take more control of these things.

 

[Digital Shutterbug]

Nigel Wilkins wrote:

davegorton wrote:

Yep you can check the screen to see where the AF box is each time you shoot, that's not the problem. It's also easy to forget to check where it is just beofre you press the shutter, every time!

Dave, if you don't check where the AF box is, how do you know what you're focussing on? I'd suggest you look at your technique rather than the camera in this case. Unless your subject is always dead centre, moving the focus point on the M only has advantages. It's a very good habit to get into.

 

[Nigel Wilkins]

areichow wrote:

And how is giving the user the option to disable this is bad?

I'll never understand why people feel compelled to play apologist for bad design. With a handful of tweaks, the M could be a *great* mirrorless camera instead of just the best you can get for $300.

Where did I say that? I agree there should be many more controls on all cameras. I've never understood why people feel compelled to read things that aren't there!