Using focus points?

[Orange Peel]

I've used the center focus point on my 40D since I bought it over a year ago. Mainly as I shoot motorsport.

I've never really used the full range of focus points and don't fully understand how they all work together.

If anyone can give me any info I'd appreciate it.

Also when shooting people and landscapes should I use all the focus points?

 

[Mike54]

The use of the focus points can quite a big topic for one post, so I'll add one bit.
A common practice when taking a photograph of a group or scene is Focus Lock and Recompose, where you focus on the subject, lock it, and then recompose the shot. This does have some problems, as an alternative you can select the focus you point you need when you frame the shot, and get a more precise focussed shots.

 

[mrtoad]

i looked through a digital slr recently with around 7 blue boxes as focussing points
i would like to understand this as well...i dont have the slr personally
i do use a spot focus facility then recompose but the argument against this was that when recomposing i was changing the...'distance' to the focal point
do the multi focus jobs cancel this 'problem'

 

[hashcake]

Last months Photoplus magazine has a really good guide for using foucus point.
As an example they suggest using the top focus point for landscapes and a top diagonal focused on an eye for portraits.
The guide is quite extensive and I've been putting their tips into practice and so far, it's worked well for me.