Canon Please Change 1 series Mark III Focus Selection

[TimRucci]

Well, I share the opinion that all 45 points should be selectable, whether it is from a custom function or by default. That's the way the earlier 1-series bodies worked, and that's what I'm used to. Frankly I'm afraid I would really miss the additional 26 points because I use a lot of those in-between points on the Mk2N. One reason I have not upgraded beyond the "N" is the scaled back option of selecting only 19 of the 45 points.

One underlying question I have is with the 'type' of focus points the 'assist' points actually are. Since there are 7 cross point sensors on the N, and 19 on the Mk3, I have to wonder if somehow the assist points are not quite as helpful in autofocusing as the NON cross-point sensors on the N and earlier models. Otherwise why would Canon remove the ability to select them by the user (are those assist points really there?... or are they something less than the regular (single line) auto-focus points of earlier models?)

Logic has to make one wonder if this could somehow be a contributing factor to all the early problems with the Mk3 autofocus system. Now I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but when you suddenly have problems with an autofocus sytem that has been state of the art up until the time it was "improved" in the Mk3, one has to consider all the things that were changed. The autofocus capability in the 1-series bodies was always the industry leader, but I'm not sure it still is. Nikon uses an array of 51 points and they are arranged very close together, much like the 45 points in the earlier Canons. I have not shot with the Nikon system and don't plan to, but neither do I hear of autofocus complaints on the d3 or d300.

I for one hope Canon goes back to all points selectable on the Mk4, whenever it emerges as the new flagship camera. That's the next one I plan to purchase if all the ducks are in a row. I'd like to have the micro adjustment and some of the other features of the Mk3, but the autofocus reservations were the deal-breaker for me, personally.