URGENT HELP - Is my used 40d faulty or am I doing something wrong ?

gothgirl

gothgirl

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I just bought my other half a used 40D from WEX , now I'm not sure if it's faulty or I'm hoping I'm so used to my 60d that I'm just making a mistake and pressing the wrong button (doubtful I know)

I think It might have a technical fault or a problem with the focus motor .

Here's the sitch.

If you put it on a preset mode (portrait, landscape etc) then the camera autofocuses fine.

However if you put it on a user mode (M, TV, AV) you can't select a focus point it just flashes a * on the display when you try , it'll let you take a photo but it comes out blurred as you can't select a focus point.

As there's no way of selecting focus, the camera is pretty much useless ?

Am I missing something here , or does it need to got back ?
 
I'd start with a reset to factory defaults Gothgirl.

God knows what has been set by the previous owner.

I'd also advise WEX asap if there does turn out to be an issue. (They are supposed to be tested before sending out).

Also does it happen with more than one lens?
 
GreenNinja67 said:
I'd start with a reset to factory defaults Gothgirl.

God knows what has been set by the previous owner.

I'd also advise WEX asap if there does turn out to be an issue. (They are supposed to be tested before sending out).

Also does it happen with more than one lens?
Click to expand...

I've already reset all camera settings and user settings on the camera, and deleted all the CF data.

I've tried it with 2 of my lenses, with no luck, a prime and a zoom
 
The camera does not have an autofocus motor. Those are in the lens.

Guaranteed the camera has been setup for back button focus. As said above. Reset the camera
The shutter button is now set to AE lock, hence the * displayed in the viewfinder.

Have a look for your custom functions. Custom function IV-1 I believe and set it to 0 for normal.
 
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The * signifies AE lock or FE lock (I think)
Try going into the custom function menu and turning off AE lock.

Not that I have a clue really.
 
Hmmm! could be simply that it is in AI Servo mode and needs to be put into 'one shot' mode???

As AI Servo allows shutter to fire whether in focus or not!
 
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Tony you should try it sometime, its something I use all the time. Look on Youtube for reasons why.
 
On my camera/s, I just half press the shutter button and it acquires focus.
Am I missing something?
 
soupdragon said:
On my camera/s, I just half press the shutter button and it acquires focus.
Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

BBF isn't for everybody but it does have it's advantages. I've been using it for years and will never go back.

For example I may want to lock exposure in one part of an image, but focus on another. BBF allows me to do this.

BBF means I don't have to switch my lens from AF to MF in certain cases such as manually focusing on a part of a landscape using live view to ensure perfect focus and then taking the shot. If focus was set to the shutter button the camera would try to refocus.

I can focus once and take multiple exposures, knowing that focus won't shift unless I hit the BBF button again.
 
You chaps are a lot more advanced than me that's for sure, but then I tend to use a "Spray and pray" technique.
 
soupdragon said:
You chaps are a lot more advanced than me that's for sure, but then I tend to use a "Spray and pray" technique.
Click to expand...

It can be be beneficial for spray and pray as well especially if you are using AIServo mode to shoot moving objects.
to keep focus lock you have to ensure your shutter button remains half pressed in between bursts of shots. If you take your finger completely off the button you loose focus and then have to try to refocus.

By using BBF you can keep your finger on the BB F button to ensure the focus is always locked on using the shutter button to fire off bursts of frames. Even if you stop shooting, as long as your finger remains on the BBF button, focus stays locked on.
 
ecoleman said:
It can be be beneficial for spray and pray as well especially if you are using AIServo mode to shoot moving objects.
to keep focus lock you have to ensure your shutter button remains half pressed in between bursts of shots. If you take your finger completely off the button you loose focus and then have to try to refocus.

By using BBF you can keep your finger on the BB F button to ensure the focus is always locked on using the shutter button to fire off bursts of frames. Even if you stop shooting, as long as your finger remains on the BBF button, focus stays locked on.
Click to expand...

My camera continues to AF during continuous high burst rates. I can also link the metering to the AF point.
Maybe I just have not encountered a situation where I feel I need that function.

Perhaps I'll give it a go anyway.
 
soupdragon said:
My camera continues to AF during continuous high burst rates.
Click to expand...

It will as long as your shutter button is pressed or half pressed. If you let go of the shutter button AF stops.

say you are tracking a bird in flight. You lock focus and fire off 10 frames, continue to track the subject and then fire off another 10 frames. Unless you keep your shutter button half pressed between the two bursts, AF will stop. Using the BBF button with your thumb it's much easier to ensure the focus remains active.
 
Well I'm off to the mach loop in two weeks so perhaps I'll give it a go.
I would normally just hold the shutter button down until the aircraft was out of sight.
 
If I remember correctly factory default reset only works on certain function, you also need to reset custom functions.

Been a while since I had a 40D, had two of them and pretty sure that's right,

Also live view has to be activated via the menu, set at off as default.
 
tijuana taxi said:
If I remember correctly factory default reset only works on certain function, you also need to reset custom functions.
Click to expand...
Yeah but no but. There is no single "factory default reset" on Canon DSLRs. You have to go through at least 3 (and on some models 4 or even 5) separate processes:
  • Clear all camera settings
  • Clear camera user settings [C12, C2, C3]
  • Clear all Custom Functions
  • Clear all Custom Controls
  • Set focusing screen type
 
ecoleman said:
The camera does not have an autofocus motor. Those are in the lens.

Guaranteed the camera has been setup for back button focus. As said above. Reset the camera
The shutter button is now set to AE lock, hence the * displayed in the viewfinder.

Have a look for your custom functions. Custom function IV-1 I believe and set it to 0 for normal.
Click to expand...
This^

Though why anyone would turn off BBF is a mystery to me.

In fact I almost recommended to @gothgirl that she should try BBF with her telephoto lens that’s ‘slow to focus’ on fast moving dogs. I recon using BBF to find the subject early would pay dividends.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
hows that then Phil ?;)
Click to expand...
Just press the * button with your thumb, and when the red box lights up press the shutter.
simples:p

In the event of someone not being bright enough to understand that... they aren't bright enough to be trusted with the camera.

further... what I like about the M5 is that you can just spin the knob to the 'auto idiot' mode when handing it to a complete idiot.
 
Phil V said:
Just press the * button with your thumb, and when the red box lights up press the shutter.
simples:p

In the event of someone not being bright enough to understand that... they aren't bright enough to be trusted with the camera.

further... what I like about the M5 is that you can just spin the knob to the 'auto idiot' mode when handing it to a complete idiot.
Click to expand...
i use that mode quite a lot :rolleyes::LOL::ROFLMAO:
 
Wish I had turned BBF off when I sold one of my 40D's, buyer thought it was broken when it wouldn't focus via the shutter button.

That's back when they were a lot more expensive, took me a little while to think what was wrong.
 
I too have suffered mockery for carrying stubby fingers.
It's a genetic thing.:crying:
 
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