madpaddler Loc: Near Seattle, Washington

I purchased a Canon R8 mirrorless body and have found a problem that I need help with. Is there a setting that will prevent touching the screen with my thumb while I have the camera up to my face using the view finder.
I was on an evening shoot, and later discovered that my thumb must have touched the screen in the lower right corner and changed the focus point. To correct this, I had to turn the “Touch Control / Standard” off and use the camara like a DSLR by focusing on the center focal point and then re-composed the shot. This is not the way this camera was designed to be used!

I know…Keep your thumb of the screen and you will not have this problem. Any other suggestions?

P.S. So far, I am really impressed with this camera as the focus is really sharp and fast and the eye focus is amazing.

Bill

thomasm650 Loc: SF Bay Area

I know how aggravating having settings change when unintended. My answer is based on using an R5 but Canon's menu set up fairly standard across their models.
Go to menu> yellow tab with wrench icon> scroll until "Touch Control" (mine is in tab 4). There should be a choice to "disable".

Additionally, if you wish to use touch control, but don't want your settings to change, you should be able to "lock" settings. Mine has a small button on top of the body labeled "lock". Pushing the button also "unlocks" settings.

Download the manual to verify operations. Good luck.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

madpaddler Loc: Near Seattle, Washington

Thomas: Thanks for your replay. Yes, my camera works the same as yours and it is the "Touch Control" that I had to turn OFF to stop the focus from moving if my thomb touched the screen and I did not notice it becouse it was very dark out. Maybe my problem has something to do with the touch and drag function. I seem to remember something about that...I will look into that.

Thanks again!

Bill

ecurb Loc: Metro Chicago Area

How about just turning off the screen once your settings are entered, it would avoid accidentally changing settings and discourage a tendency to chimp unnecessarily.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I'll be interested to see what you come up with. I ran into a similar when I updated a different brand camera a few years ago. Fortunately, that camera still had a good physical control layout, so I just disabled touch control. Some of the newer camera models give the impression that might not work very well today.

Good luck with your investigation.

madpaddler Loc: Near Seattle, Washington

Problem Solved!

I had the "Touch & Drag AF" set to ON. Turned it OFF as I did not use it anyway. Left the "Touch Control set at "Standard". I can now touch the screen while looking through the view finder and it does not move the focus point. I can move the focus point using the Cross Keys (left, right, up, or down) to reposition the focal point where I need it. However, when I am looking at the screen I can still focus by touching it.

Bill

leftj Loc: Texas

You can lock your focus point and this won’t happen.

wcmoorejr Loc: Birmingham Alabama

The way I handle this with my R7 is to keep the screen turned around unless i am showing someone a picture. It has the side effect of saving battery power.

madpaddler Loc: Near Seattle, Washington

Oh my, how simple...just turn the screen around and you can't touch it. Why didn’t I think of that?

However, by turning off the "Touch & Drag AF" it corrected the conflict with the "Touch Control”. It now works fine.

Thanks again for everyone’s advice. You guys are the greatest.

Bill

mmills79 Loc: NJ

I have the R7. I believe the various focusing features are the same. I exclusively use back button focus and the view finder (rarely the screen as when I am outside it is hard to see in bright sun light not to mention that using the view finder gives you better handholding stability when taking shots. You mentioned something that I didn't quite understand: "by focusing on the center focal point and then re-composed the shot". I hope you know by now that the "focus square" can always be "returned" to the screen or view finder "center", by depressing the "joy stick"? ....and that by using the joy stick, you can move the focusing square to just about any position on the screen or view finder you wish? .....so you don't necessarily have to recompose... just use the joy stick to move the focus point where you want - if I understood you correctly. I would recommend you get used to using the view finder for composing most shots; and the screen only when you are taking shots at difficult angles (like awkward over head or from very low angles, etc. which that is great for, or perhaps when on a tripod). I think the screen is more suited for shooting video or focusing in low light on a tripod; but for hand held shots, try using the view finder.

madpaddler Loc: Near Seattle, Washington

Yes, I also only use back button focus.

However, my problem was that my thumb touched the screen which moved the focus point to the lower right corner because the “Touch & Drag AF” function was ON and messed up the shot.

My method to get around this while I was in the field was to move the focal point (square) to the center by using the Cross Keys (left, right, up, or down) as the R8 does not have a joystick. I then placed the focal point on the subject I wanted in focus, pressed the back button to focus. I then moved the camera to compose the photo, just like I would have done on my DSLR that only had focus points in the center area of the screen.

My solution was to turn OFF the Touch & Drag AF as I did not use it as I am new to this camera. It seems that the Touch & Drag AF conflicts with the Touch Control.

Thanks for your replay and I hope that helps.

Bill

mmills79 Loc: NJ

My apology, for some reason I thought you had the R5. The R8 surprisingly does not have a joy stick.....
Don't ask me why. Very bad decision on Cannon's part.

mmills79 Loc: NJ

It seems that the easiest way to move the focus point is with the left right touch pad while using the view finder (Q/set are in the center of this button). To move the focus box back to the center, hit the "trash" can.
My apologies for the confusion.
Here is a video that discusses this (about 18 minutes into the video): https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+change+the+focus+point+r8&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS807US807&oq=how+to+change+the+focus+point+r8&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160.1061416843j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:50d40bf1,vid:6VMGjYHbEio

Bruce T Loc: Michigan

Comical, like a DSLR??? I have a Canon 5DIV, you can turn off the touch screen. There is a selection for that. I also have a RP.