canon's 2-part "on" button

Elaine

I've asked this over in "Cameras" but I'm impatient for an answer, so I moved it over here! :wink
The 40D has a 2-part "on" button. Do other cameras have this? Is this just a personal preference thing about how one choses to use their camera (and the dial on the back), or am I missing something here? I can't imagine not wanting to use the dial, but I keep wondering if I'm limiting some other options either way.

Also...is the A-DEP function helpful? It seems like it could be nice in a group portrait setting...allowing the camera to choose the aperture based on the DOF needed, but I guess I wonder about letting the camera try and figure that out. Any experiences to share?

jeffreaux2

Happy holidays Elaine!!!

I am not sure about the power button, mine is on or off(XTi).

The A-DEP mode is indeed auto depth of field. I personally have never used it. It only works on my camera with ALL of the focus points on, and I have always feared the camera focusing on something before or beyond my subject. I think you are better off just stopping aperature down to 5.6 to 8.0 or so for groups. You can get away with couples from 2.8 to 4.0 pretty easy and even larger if they are farther away. All of this depends on distance, but is a good place to start. I nearly always shoot in AV mode. If not there, then manual. Now and then if using the flash in very dark places, and getting snapshots(not paid clients) I will use program mode(P). This is a situation where I would shoot manual at say a wedding.

hgernhardtjr

I look at it as simply a setting-security feature.

On my 30D, the only reason the top position of the power switch (where the "/" line connects to the big dial ... I assume that is what you are talking about) is to allow the "quick control dial" to set exposure compensation (at least that's what I use it for). In the lower position of the power switch ("on") the quick control dial works in menus etc. but you are protected from accidently re-setting your exposure compensation.

When I checked out a 40D recently, that appeared to be the same thought pattern of the designers.

Elaine

hgernhardtjr wrote:

I look at it as simply a setting-security feature.

On my 30D, the only reason the top position of the power switch (where the "/" line connects to the big dial ... I assume that is what you are talking about) is to allow the "quick control dial" to set exposure compensation (that's what I use it for). In the lower position of the power switch ("on") the quick control dial works in menus etc. but you are protected from accidently re-setting your exposure compensation.

When I checked out a 40D recently, that appeared to be the same thought pattern of the designers.

OK, thanks! That's what I was thinking, too. I was very happy to discover in the custom settings that I could switch things around and use the dial for directly choosing focus points and not for exposure compensation at all. That function was moved to the front dial while holding down the far right button under the thumb. That works so much better for me, so I was very happy to figure that out!

Elaine

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Happy holidays Elaine!!!

I am not sure about the power button, mine is on or off(XTi).

The A-DEP mode is indeed auto depth of field. I personally have never used it. It only works on my camera with ALL of the focus points on, and I have always feared the camera focusing on something before or beyond my subject. I think you are better off just stopping aperature down to 5.6 to 8.0 or so for groups. You can get away with couples from 2.8 to 4.0 pretty easy and even larger if they are farther away. All of this depends on distance, but is a good place to start. I nearly always shoot in AV mode. If not there, then manual. Now and then if using the flash in very dark places, and getting snapshots(not paid clients) I will use program mode(P). This is a situation where I would shoot manual at say a wedding.

Thanks, Jeff! Yes, I wondered about the same thing...the camera grabbing focus farther in front of or farther behind than I really wanted it to, and therefore choosing a larger DOF than necessary. Still...it's kinda a cool feature! And I use Av or Manual, too.

OffTopic

Hi Elaine - I couldn't find your post over in "Cameras" about the two-part "on" button, so I don't know if you already got an answer.

I'm assuming that the on button works the same way it does on the 20D. If you are shooting in full manual mode you need to have it on the second "on" (the slash) so the top dial changes your shutter speed and the back dial changes your aperature. You'll also need to use that "on" to dial in exposure compensation when shooting in Av, Tv or P.

In any other mode (Av, Tv, P), my back dial still works to control ISO, WB, select an AF point, scroll through menu options, etc., even if the "on" button is only in the first "on" position. The manual is a bit misleading when it says that the "slash on" must be used for the back dial to function; it has additional functions when that "on" is selected. Play around with it and I think you'll find the same thing. I just ran through everything I could think of to double check, hopefully I didn't miss anything.

That being said, I always use the full "on" because I usually shoot in manual mode and it has become habit for me.



ETA - looks like a few of us posted responses at the same time!

evoryware

Elaine wrote:

Also...is the A-DEP function helpful? It seems like it could be nice in a group portrait setting...allowing the camera to choose the aperture based on the DOF needed, but I guess I wonder about letting the camera try and figure that out. Any experiences to share?

That's the point of A-Dep. It figures out what's the best aperture to get all the points in focus. I used it in the past but now I just use M or AV cuz I have more control.

Slinky0390

i think they shouldve made it a one part on button, because you have no clue how many times ive went to shoot in manual and wondered why i couldnt change my aperture