question about Canon focus points on viewfinder [Digital Cameras]

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From: Mike Eisenstadt on 14 Jan 2010 12:50

Hi,

I have been doing art documentation in 35mm slide film and I want to
upgrade to digital AS INEXPENSIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I already own a Canon
EOS 50mm macro lens which would argue for getting a Canon 10D or the
like. But art photography really requires having a grid in the
viewfinder to keep from keystoning rectangular paintings. The Nikon
D70s has the option of enabling an on-demand grid in the viewfinder,
although I could not find this option in the manual for the Nikon D40
or D60. The Canon 10D manual does not seem to offer on-demand gridding
the viewfinder, however it describes an option of illuminating the 7
automatic focusing points in the viewfinder. Their arrangement is
similar to a cross-hair grid, according to the illustration in the
manual.

I am writing to ask Canon owners if illuminating the focusing points
is feasible as a substitute for
the Nikon option of an on-demand grid in the viewfinder. I know that
after market focusing screens for Canon cameras with different grid
options are available, but they seem very pricey.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Michael Eisenstadt
Austin Texas

From: ransley on 14 Jan 2010 15:35

From: Mike Eisenstadt on 14 Jan 2010 17:09

On Jan 14, 2:35 pm, ransley <Mark_Rans...(a)Yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Jan 14, 11:50 am, Mike Eisenstadt <micha...(a)ando.pair.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hi,
>
> > I have been doing art documentation in 35mm slide film and I want to
> > upgrade to digital AS INEXPENSIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I already own a Canon
> > EOS 50mm macro lens which would argue for getting a Canon 10D or the
> > like. But art photography really requires having a grid in the
> > viewfinder to keep from keystoning rectangular paintings. The Nikon
> > D70s has the option of enabling an on-demand grid in the viewfinder,
> > although I could not find this option in the manual for the Nikon D40
> > or D60. The Canon 10D manual does not seem to offer on-demand gridding
> > the viewfinder, however it describes an option of illuminating the 7
> > automatic focusing points in the viewfinder. Their arrangement is
> > similar to a cross-hair grid, according to the illustration in the
> > manual.
>
> > I am writing to ask Canon owners if illuminating the focusing points
> > is feasible as a substitute for
> > the Nikon option of an on-demand grid in the viewfinder. I know that
> > after market focusing screens for Canon cameras with different grid
> > options are available, but they seem very pricey.
>
> > Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> > Michael Eisenstadt
> > Austin Texas
>
> My T1i has a grid and I bet alot of other models do

I believe I mentioned that I want to upgrade inexpensively. The T1i
model you mention costs more than I am prepared to pay. As I do not
have access to a Canon digital SLR, I wrote because I was wondering if
the automatic focus points when illuminated might serve as a cross-
hair grid. If so, I would look for one of the less expensive Canon
SLRs used on EBay seeing as I already have a Canon EOS 50mm macro.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Michael Eisenstadt
Austin Texas

Michael Eisenstadt

From: Nervous Nick on 14 Jan 2010 18:38

On Jan 14, 11:50 am, Mike Eisenstadt <micha...(a)ando.pair.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have been doing art documentation in 35mm slide film and I want to
> upgrade to digital AS INEXPENSIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I already own a Canon
> EOS 50mm macro lens which would argue for getting a Canon 10D or the
> like. But art photography really requires having a grid in the
> viewfinder to keep from keystoning rectangular paintings. The Nikon
> D70s has the option of enabling an on-demand grid in the viewfinder,
> although I could not find this option in the manual for the Nikon D40
> or D60. The Canon 10D manual does not seem to offer on-demand gridding
> the viewfinder, however it describes an option of illuminating the 7
> automatic focusing points in the viewfinder. Their arrangement is
> similar to a cross-hair grid, according to the illustration in the
> manual.
>
> I am writing to ask Canon owners if illuminating the focusing points
> is feasible as a substitute for
> the Nikon option of an on-demand grid in the viewfinder. I know that
> after market focusing screens for Canon cameras with different grid
> options are available, but they seem very pricey.

You might not need a grid at all if you try this ridiculously simple
method of aligninment:

Set a mirror down on your copy stand (or on the artwork itself, if you
can) and adjust the camera so that the reflection of its lens in the
mirror is exactly centered in the viewfinder. If your camera is not
seriously out of whack, your film or sensor plane will then be just
about as close to exactly parallel to the plane of the copy stand or
the artwork as you can get it.

I have copied thousands of pieces of flat artwork using this method
(with 35mm film cameras) and it has never failed me.

And since you are going digital, any minimal perspective imperfections
are easily rectified with software.

It cannot hurt to try.

--
YOP...

From: Ofnuts on 14 Jan 2010 18:41

On 14/01/2010 23:09, Mike Eisenstadt wrote:

>
> I believe I mentioned that I want to upgrade inexpensively. The T1i
> model you mention costs more than I am prepared to pay. As I do not
> have access to a Canon digital SLR, I wrote because I was wondering if
> the automatic focus points when illuminated might serve as a cross-
> hair grid. If so, I would look for one of the less expensive Canon
> SLRs used on EBay seeing as I already have a Canon EOS 50mm macro.
>

On my 450D the focus points appear in the viewfinder as small squares
which I routinely use to make sure the camera is level by aligning them
on a vertical/horizontal line of the scene. I don't even need to
illuminate them.

--
Bertrand

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