7D gurus - help needed

[Hilary Hann]

Is this the right forum? Anyway, this is what has happened. My 7D has been working just find, but I decided to set all my 'camera user settings' and thought I'd start with Artie's settings as a beginning point. So I've set up C1 and changed the AF to Select 19 point to practise my BIF and so far so good. Then I've played around with 'live view' and still ok.

Then today the camera will not AF, not with any lens, not with any setting, nothing, nada. :(

I've changed batteries and CF cards, reset all my menu settings, I've sworn at the camera and the husband … nothing works. When I point the camera at a subject none of my focus points light up, absolutely nothing happens.

Anyone have this happen to them? Any suggestions? Or is it into the Canon hospital for my 7D?

Appreciate any advice or even someone to tell me that it isn't fatal. :( :confused: :o

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Hilary, I have never had that happen with either of my 7Ds...hopefully someone can come up with something for you, but it might be the hospital i fear...Does it refuse to AF even in the Auto mode?
If you are desperate you could always try a firmware update?
grant

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Hilary Looks like it needs to go to the Canon Hospital. Probably has nothing to do with it but did you reset all to factory settings on the menu?

[Doug Brown]

Have a look at this link. If it doesn't help, you'll need to provide us with all of your button assignments. Is this happening only in C1 or in all dial modes?

[James Prudente]

Hilary,

Press the * button and see if the camera autofocus works. If it does and in CF IV you have the * set to meter/AF and the shutter set to * you will need to change it to metering and AF Start.

Hope this helps.

Jim

[Jamie Strickland]

agree with Jim I bet thats it, if not just set the camera back to factory defaults to blow away the settings

[Hilary Hann]

Thank you for ideas. I've just woken up and am still in bed checking replies on my iPhone so will get back to my camera and try suggestions soon.

Just to clarify, AF won't work on any setting, not just C1. The * symbol appears next to the battery in the viewfinder when I press the shutter and I don't remember that before. I haven't reset to factory settings even though I thought that I had so will have to go back to the instructions again.

I can't thank you all enough and I'll post later on when I've tried all the above. It is under warranty so don't know why I'm so worried, but if this happened when I was on safari ... doesn't bear thinking about.

[Hilary Hann]

Doug, your link provided the answer. I had set the shutter button to off JUST like shown on the blog. I can't thank you enough.

Dramas like this have one big advantage. You learn a huge amount about your camera.

I can't thank you all enough. What a tremendous community.
Hilary

[James Prudente]

Hilary,

There is an advantage to using the * button on the back of the camera to start AF and the shutter to meter. That allows you to AF by depressing the * with your thumb, take the thumb off the * then depress the shutter 1/2 way to meter, then adjust image in the viewfinder to compose the image and then fully depress the shutter to make the image.

Jim

[Doug Brown]

Here's another link Hilary to an online 7D setup guide that I authored a while back. You may find some useful stuff there.

[Hilary Hann]

Thanks James, I understand the benefits and that is what I thought I had set up under one of my controls however the * button would not activate the AF so I obviously need to go back into my settings and find out why. And of course I will need to practise, practise, practise.

Thanks Doug for the link, most helpful and I've bookmarked both so they will appear in my iphone.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Is this the right forum? I've sworn at the camera and the husband … nothing works. :o

Hmmm....I thought that is a sure shot way for the camera to work. :D I have such a severe cold that I can't even laugh.:(

During my initial days in photography I was not using the * button for AF. But then later on started using it and find it better than using the shutter button for AF.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Hilary Hann]

Hope you start feeling better soon Sabyasachi, not being able to laugh would be a killer.

I am going to have another try at the * button for the AF. I just need a couple of days to recover from the shock of losing my AF!! :eek:

Oh how I wish for my old Mamiya Press 6x7 camera … so simple.

[Arthur Morris]

Using a rear focus button for AF is strictly a personal choice. I do not choose to do so though at times like Sabya I did. There are other options that are especially useful when you are working only with the central AF sensor.

[Hilary Hann]

Arthur, I have found that the shutter button for AF is so intuitive as it has been used seem AF began, or so it seems. I find as I get older that it is harder to change some of these basic functions as I rely on the intuitive knowledge of them to help my mind have room to deal with all the other stuff.
But I see the value in being able to change these settings around, especially for the young at heart! I am looking at all the options and do find you guide invaluable. It wasn't following your guide that led me into AF ****, it was my inadvertent fiddling without instructions. :o