EOS 20D - "soft shutter release"

When the 30D was introduced, a listed new feature was "Soft-touch shutter release button". It is reasonable to assume that this is "new" vs. the 20D.

The specifications section of the Canon White Paper for this machine says this:

Shutter Release: Soft-touch electromagnetic release

But in the body of the White Paper, there is this passage:

Although the shutter release mechanism is the same as the EOS 20D’s, the EOS 30D’s shutter button now allows the user to press it completely to take a picture, return it to the halfway position and then press it again to take another picture. [Emphasis added]

So what is the new "soft touch" feature?

Doug_Kerr said:

So what is the new "soft touch" feature?

Click to expand...

Sounds like marketoid speach to me, but then I haven't touched the 30D's shutter button, so I can't judge the tactile part from personal experience .

Bart

Hi Doug,

on my 20D, you press the button half way, to set af etc, then fully in to fire. You have to release the button fully, and repeat the process to get a second shot. From the description you give of the 30d, it appears if you only let off the button half way, you can fire again - I guess it keeps the first focus position, etc,. It may be a useful feature.

Best wishes,

Ray

Hi, Ray,

Sure.

Why is this "soft touch" shutter relase?

Best regards,

Doug

Because you touch the button softly? I can't think of any succinct description to differentiate 'twixt 20 and 30d wrt. the shutter operation. I mean, 'half press' shutter release - which half? The trouble is 'soft' has the opposite of 'loud', in particular when I think of the 20d shutter ;-)

Best wishes,

Ray

By the way, users of a 20D can have this same "multiple shot with only one AF/AE" feature by just setting Drive to Continuous. One can perfectly well take single exposures that way with just a little care not to hold the release button in full press for too long.

Then, after a brief full press to take a shot (returning to half press), another full press will take another shot, with the AE and AF retained.

I generally leave my 20D set to Continuous if in a situation where there is any chance I may need to take a burst (which is really always). After all, when such a situation arises, there often isn't time to change the Drive setting!

Perhaps we could say that I am a "soft touch" for the Continuous mode! (All together now - "Aaaaaargh!)

Best regards,

Doug

Hi, Ray,

Ray West said:

Because you touch the button softly? I can't think of any succinct description to differentiate 'twixt 20 and 30d wrt. the shutter operation. I mean, 'half press' shutter release - which half? The trouble is 'soft' has the opposite of 'loud', in particular when I think of the 20d shutter

Click to expand...

Typically, in connection with press button switches, "soft touch" actually means that there isn't any distinct "snap" action to the switch.

So I thought that perhaps the 30D switch didn't have a "snap action" in its first stage (just like a 20D switch with a broken strut in the contact member - the current condition of mine).

But the quote from the White Paper seems to deny that.

Best regards,

Doug