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Thread: cross type sensors

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    cross type sensors

    how important are they ? in my t4i i have 9 but im looking at a 6d that seems to be a way better camera , but it only has 1. i pretty much take pics of everything except portraits . am i even using the 9 cross type sensors now ?
    Stuart Edwards
    1DX Mark II , 6D , Samyang 14mm f2.8 ,Sigma 85mm f1.4A , 24-105mm f/4L IS , 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II ,100-400 f5.6L II , 300mm f/2.8L II , EF 1.4x III , EF 2x III, 430EX II

  2. #2
    Senior Member neuroanatomist's Avatar
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    A cross-type sensor is able to lock focus on more types of subjects than a single line sensor. It can make a difference sometimes, other times not so much - it all depends on the subject...

    More details here: Canon EOS DSLR Autofocus Explained

  3. #3
    For the first time in seven years I now have a camera where not all AF points are cross-type (the 1DX). I rather often get surprised about "Why can't it focus here? There's a good contrast in the subject" and then I realize the contrast/line is in the wrong direction... Good that 41 out of the 61 points are cross-type (at least with f/4) and that you can prevent the manual selection of points that are not.

  4. #4
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    Re: cross type sensors

    Do you mainly use your center focus now? I used the center focus for a long time with my 40d. When I changed gear that had more cross types, it changed how I took pictures. It wasn't wrong/bad, just different. I wouldn't be scared of the 6d only having one. It "sees" pretty good in the dark.
    Words get in the way of what I meant to say.

  5. #5
    No, I use the AF point I need. My main interest is sports (runners and stuff), which I need Servo AF to track. So focus and recompose doesn't work for me. I want the AF point that gives the the composition I like to work. It has only 19, but I'm a bit spoiled by the fact that the 7D has indeed all its AF points working as cross-type at f/5.6, where the 1DX has only those in the center cluster working as cross-type at f/5.6. Sure, there's 21 of them there, but they don't allow for much offset compositionwise. Now you can often use a group of AF points outside the cluster with the cross-type points, to somewhat compensate for the lack of cross-type points further to the side.

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