Introducing the Canon EOS 70D

The new Canon EOS 70D has just been announced, and based on its specs, it looks to be a superb camera. If fact in many ways, it appears that it will be quite similar to the Canon 7D, albeit with the two current gripes many Canon users have – the thumbpad autofocus Multi-Controller and the single function top buttons of the 6D and 60D, rather than the small thumb-joystick and the dual-function top buttons of the 7D and Canon 5D Mark III. Of course there are also more subtle differences that I will address below.

Canon EOS 70D, image courtesy of Canon USA

The 70D has the 19 point, cross-type autofocus system of the 7D, and a 7 frames per second rapid shooting speed (just slightly slower than the 8fps of the 7D) – features which have both proven to be ideal for action, sports, and wildlife shooting. Plus the 70D adds a new “Dual Pixel CMOS” autofocus system for Live View and movie shooting, which should prove to be much faster at Live View autofocusing and smoother at Movie autofocusing than previous models – effective with any current Canon lens, and especially helpful when paired with one of Canon’s STM stepping motor lens. While this will allow still photographers to focus much faster when using Live View, it will also now allow action photographers to effectively work in Live View and be able to successfully track and retain focus on moving subject. And this should prove to be practically revolutionary to those shooting video, as it will allow then to also retain focus on moving subjects, plus allow them to quickly and automatically pull focus to a different part of the scene, simply by tapping on the rear LCD screen.

However back to the Viewfinder autofocus system: while it seems to share the 7D AF system, the 70D has a limited number of AF Area Selection Modes compared to the 7D. The 70D only offers Single Point AF, Zone AF, and Auto 19-point AF Area Modes (while eliminating Expansion and Spot AF). This could make or break the decision for a sports, action, or wildlife shooter who often make use of these additional modes. For example, Expansion (not on the 70D) allows the photographer much more control over where the camera focuses, as you choose a specific AF point to focus on your subject and the surrounding points assist if needed. While with Zone AF, (included on the 70D), the camera will choose from among the group of AF points and decide which one(s) to use for focusing, thus not allowing you to as accurately choose the exact area of focus.

With 20.2 megapixels, there is even a slight increase in image resolution over the 18 MP of the 7D. While we will have to wait for some lab tests to see about low light performance and dynamic range, I suspect the results will be excellent.

And the 70D adds Wi-Fi capability. As with the recent Canon 6D, this will allow you to:

  • Wirelessly connect the camera to an iPhone, smart phone, iPad, or tablet, using the EOS Remote app, so that you can control the camera remotely. You will then be able to view on your smart-device screen what the camera sees – basically remote Live View shooting where you can autofocus and release the shutter by tapping your tablet/ phone screen. You can then also use your tablet/ phone to view and download the images that are on your camera’s memory card (download smaller versions only).
  • Wirelessly connect the 70D to your computer and perform “untethered” shooting using EOS Utility. This will allow much greater control of the camera than with the remote tablet, enabling you to change additional settings. You can then instantly download and view the full size image on your computer screen.
  • Upload images directly from the camera to Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • Share images between cameras, send images directly to a Wi-Fi printer, or view them wirelessly on a compatible TV.

The EOS 70D adds the very useful Touch Screen of the T5i, which allows you to quickly access and change the camera’s functions, settings, and menus. While some may think this is an extraneous feature on a camera of this level, I have find from using the Touch Screen with the T5i that it is as responsive as an iPhone screen, and incredibly handy for quickly changing settings and viewing images. You may soon find yourself in the habit of making use of it regularly.

Canon EOS 70D, image courtesy of Canon USA

The EOS 70D is not quite as strongly constructed and weather-sealed as the 7D, but I can assure you that it will be rugged and durable enough for most every user. And the 70D is certain to lack a few of the advanced Custom Function options of the 7D, though it will have the newer in-camera processing options like we have seen on the 5D3 and 6D – such as chromatic aberration correction, multiple exposures, in-camera HDR, and easy JPEG and RAW image processing of images directly during playback using the Quick Control Screen.

The advanced 19 Point autofocus system necessitates the addition of the M-Fn Button – now simply an AF Area Expansion Control Button – which allows you to quickly choose among the Autofocus AF Area Selection Modes such as Single-Point AF and Zone AF. These AF area modes dictate how many AF points the camera is using to focus on the subject or to track a moving subject, and can come in handy when shooting speed or subject speed doesn’t allow you to align an autofocus point with your subject as precisely as you would normally desire. As I mentioned above, the 70D offers Single-Point, Zone, and 19-Point Auto AF Autofocus Area Modes.

Canon EOS 70D, image courtesy of Canon USA

Those upgrading from a Rebel, 40D, 50D, 60D, etc. will be pleased that the image playback zoom-in and zoom-out buttons will remain the same as always – while those considering the 70D as a second body to their 5DIII or 6D will be frustrated to learn that, (just when they finally retrained their finders to use the new Magnify Button in conjunction with the Main Dial), the 70D still retains the old-style buttons.

Here are the major specs of the Canon EOS 70D:

  • 20.2MP CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 5+ processor
  • 19-point AF System (all accurate cross-type points)
  • 7 frames per second for High Speed Continuous Shooting
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
  • 3″ rotating Touch Screen LCD
  • ISO 12,800 Maximum
  • Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus for Live View and Movie shooting
  • Full HD Video
  • in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure
  • LP-E6 Battery – same as the 7D and 5DIII
  • single SD memory card slot
  • Wireless flash control
  • 98% Viewfinder coverage with illuminated grid and electronic level

What many reviews leave out is the all important Menu and Custom Functions options, which can really differentiate cameras in terms of the user’s ability to customize the controls and functions of the camera. As cameras move up the model line from entry level through enthusiast to pro, the amount of customization increases significantly. The 70D is certain to have certain features such as autofocus microadjustment for numerous lenses, but it is always interesting to see which options are included and which are left out. Although many photographers never bother to make use of these types of options, they can make a significant difference for a demanding user.

As with all new Canon dSLR cameras, I will be offering an e-book camera guide for the EOS 70D called Canon 70D Experience. My very first guide was for its predecessor, the 60D, and my books have come a long way since then with my Full Stop camera guides being among the bestselling and highest rated guides on Amazon. With Canon 70D Experience you will learn not only how but more importantly when and why to use the features, functions, and controls of the 70D. Learn more about the guide on my Full Stop website here.

Read my hands-on preview of the 70D with some sample images at my Canon 70D Unboxing and Hands-On Preview post.

 

Order your Canon EOS 70D from Amazon or B and H Photo:

Amazon:

Canon 70D – Body or with choice of kit lenses – $1,199 to $1,549

B and H Photo:

Canon 70D – Body only – $1,199

Canon 70D – with 18-135mm STM lens – $1,549

Canon 70D – with 18-55mm STM lens – $1,349

The First User’s Guide to the Canon Rebel T5i / EOS 700D Now Available!

Canon T5i / 700D Experience, my latest Full Stop dSLR e-book and the first (and best!) available user’s guide to the T5i / 700D, goes beyond the manual to help you learn the features, settings, and controls of the advanced and versatile Rebel T5i / 700D, plus most importantly how, when, and why to use the functions, settings, and controls in your photography.

Written in the clear, concise, and comprehensive style of all Full Stop guides, Canon T5i / 700D Experience will help you learn to use your Canon T5i / 700D quickly and competently, to consistently make the types of images you desire. The e-book is available in PDF and EPUB formats for reading on your computer, e-reader, or tablet.

Learn more about it, preview it, and purchase it here:

http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_T5i_Experience.htm

As one Canon user has said about Doug’s previous Canon guide:

“The author skillfully unlocks all of the camera’s features and power, while offering clear guidance about how to use them to achieve the camera’s full potential. This is not just an explanation of each feature, but a road-map for their best use…in combination with good photographic technique.”

Canon T5i 700D Rebel EOS manual book dummies user guide how to setting tips tricks quick start

For beginner, intermediate and enthusiast photographers:  This Canon T5i / 700D guide is for those who wish to get more out of their camera and to go beyond Auto+ and Program modes and shoot in Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual (M) modes. To get you set up, it begins with explanations and recommended settings for all Menu settings, Custom Function options, and Movie Mode Menu settings of the T5i / 700D.  It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, and explains more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and making use of the built-in flash or an external Speedlite.

Canon T5i / 700D Experience focuses on still-photography with an introduction to the movie menus and settings to get you up and running with video. Sections include:

  • Setting Up Your T5i: Explanations of all the Menu options and Custom Function settings including Movie Mode menus, with descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use.
  • Camera Controls: Description of all of the camera’s controls plus when and how to use them, including how to take advantage of the Touch Screen and Quick Control settings screens.
  • Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual (M) Modes: How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field, freeze or express motion, or take total control over exposure settings.  Plus using the multi-shot exposure modes.
  • Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes: How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects, for both viewfinder shooting and Live View.
  • Exposure Metering Modes: How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation.
  • Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance: Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
  • The Image Taking Process: Descriptive tutorials for using the settings and controls you just learned to take still and action photos.
  • Introduction to Video Settings: Explanation of the settings and options to get you started shooting movies.
  • Flash: Using the built-in flash, external Speedlites, and wireless flash.
  • Lenses: Explanation of Canon lenses and choosing your next lens.
  • Composition: Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
  • Photography Accessories: The most useful accessories for the T5i and for dSLR photography.

This illustrated digital guide to the Canon T5i / 700D goes beyond the manual to explain how, when, and why to use the features, settings, and controls of the T5i / 700D to help you get the most from your camera.

Take control of your Rebel T5i / EOS 700D, the image taking process, and the photos you create!

Canon T5i 700D rebel EOS book guide manual dummies how to tips tricks tutorial
Example images from Canon T5i / 700D Experience

Learn more about Canon T5i / 700D Experience e book manual for the Rebel T5i / EOS 700D on my Full Stop website here:

http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_T5i_Experience.htm

Canon 5D Mark III Firmware Update 1.2.1

Canon has released firmware update 1.2.1 for the Canon 5D Mark III, which includes uncompressed HDMI output and enables the center AF point to be cross-type at f/8 maximum aperture.

Both of these updates will mostly affect those who use their 5DIII in very specialized situations: high end video recording and super-telephoto lenses with extenders. However, there are also a number of other fixes, including increasing focusing speed when using the AF-Assist lamp and various minor errors with some functions or lenses.

Canon 5D Mark III Mk 3 5DIII 5D3

Uncompressed HDMI output for video means that you can save uncompressed – thus highest quality – video files to an external recorder via the camera’s HDMI port.

Cross-Type Center AF up to f/8 maximum aperture means that you can use a super-telephoto lens with an extender which limits the maximum aperture to f/8 (rather than say f/2.8 or f/5.6) yet still have accurate cross-type autofocusing with the center AF point.

Because the Uncompressed HDMI output update includes the addition of some new Movie menus, I will be updating my e-book guide to the 5DIII, Canon 5D Mark III Experience.

You can learn all about the firmware update, and find the download link and instructions on the Canon site here.

Here is the complete list of updates:

Firmware Version 1.2.1 for the EOS 5D Mark III incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

  1. Uncompressed HDMI output is now enabled.
  2. Enables the centre AF point to autofocus when the camera is used with Canon EF lens/extender combinations whose combined maximum aperture is f/8.
  3. Improves the speed of the camera’s acquisition of focus when using a Canon Speedlite’s AF-assist beam.
  4. Fixes a phenomenon in which the LCD monitor may freeze and display ‘Err 70’ or ‘Err 80’ when a still photo is taken during Live View or in movie shooting mode.
  5. Fixes a phenomenon that may occur when the continuous shooting priority setting is enabled for multiple exposures, such that, after the sixth image is taken, there is a slight pause before the remainder of the sequence is completed.
  6. Fixes a phenomenon in which the viewfinder display shows incorrect information during AEB shooting.
  7. Communication with the WFT-E7 Wireless File Transmitter has been improved.
  8. When images have been successfully transferred with the WFT-E7 Wireless File Transmitter through the FTP protocol an ‘O’ will be displayed. When images have not been successfully transferred with the WFT-E7 Wireless File Transmitter through the FTP protocol, an ‘X’ will be displayed.
  9. Fixes a phenomenon in which the camera may not function properly when an Eye-Fi card is used.
  10. Fixes a phenomenon in which the focal length value listed in the Exif information is not displayed correctly for images shot with the EF24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens.
  11. Fixes a phenomenon in which the lens firmware cannot be updated properly.
  12. Corrects errors in the Arabic language menu.
  13. Fixes a phenomenon in which the camera changes the AF microadjustment value to -8.
  14. The lens compensation data for the EF24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens has been added.
  15. Fixes a phenomenon in which the on-screen guidance cannot be fully displayed when setting the maximum limit value for the ‘Setting the ISO Speed Range for Auto ISO’ option.

The First Canon 6D User’s Guide Now Available!

Canon 6D Experience, my newest Full Stop e book and the first EOS 6D user’s guide, is now available! This e book goes beyond the manual to help you learn the features, settings, and controls of the powerful and highly customizable full-frame Canon 6D. Plus most importantly it explains how, when, and why to use the functions, settings, menu options, and controls in your photography – including the autofocus system, exposure and shooting settings, and the in-camera features such as Multiple Exposure, HDR, RAW image processing, and the new Wi-Fi and GPS functions.

Written in the clear, concise, and comprehensive style of all Full Stop guides, Canon 6D Experience will help you learn to use your full-frame 6D quickly and competently, to consistently create the types of images you want to capture. This e-book is available in either PDF or EPUB format for reading on your computer, tablet, iPad, e-reader, etc.

Canon 6D EOS book manual dummies field guide instruction tutorial how to use learn full frame autofocus system

Learn more about it, view a preview, and purchase it here:

http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_6D_Experience.htm

As readers have said about Full Stop guides:

“An excellent guide, clear and concise. A great tool for budding photographer as well as the seasoned pro. A sure way to get the most out of your camera.”

and

“I don’t know how I could fully take advantage of all the features the camera has to offer without this publication! It’s well-organized, easy to understand, and succinct enough to keep your attention while still containing a wealth of information to get the most out of your camera.”

Take control of your Canon 6D, the image taking process, and the photos you create!

For Intermediate and Enthusiast Photographers:

This instant download Canon EOS 6D e book is designed for enthusiast dSLR photographers who wish to take fuller advantage of the capabilities of their camera:

  • Go beyond Auto+ and Program modes and shoot competently in Av, Tv, and M modes.
  • Take full control of the versatile autofocus system.
  • Learn how, when, and why to use and customize the various controls, buttons, and features of the 6D.

To get you started, it includes explanations and recommended settings for all Menu settings and Custom Function options of the 6D.  It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those learning digital SLR photography, and explains more advanced camera controls and operation, such as taking control of the autofocus system for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, and taking advantage of the newer features found in the 6D such as in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure Modes.

For Experienced Photographers to get up and running with the 6D :
For experienced photographers coming to the EOS 6D from other models, this guide explains the new and advanced features and settings in order to quickly get you up and running and taking advantage of these capabilities.  Plus it explains the camera controls, the in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposures features, in-camera image processing, introduces the HD video capabilities, Wi-Fi and GPS functions, and guides you through all the 6D Menu and Custom Function items in order to help you best set up and customize the camera and its controls for your specific shooting needs.

Canon EOS 6D ISO     Canon EOS 6D af autofocus point

Canon 6D multiple exposure shooting mode     Canon 6D wireless wi-fi wifi control ipad tablet iphone shootin
Example images from Canon 6D Experience:
High ISO sample, Autofocus AF Points in Viewfinder,
Multiple Exposure Shooting Mode, Wi-Fi remote shooting using smart device.

Canon 6D Experience not only covers the various settings, functions and controls of the Canon 6D, but also explains when and why to use them for your photography. The guide focuses on still-photography with an introduction to the movie menus, settings, and options to get you up and running with HD video.  Sections include:

  • Setting Up Your EOS 6D – Explanations of all of the Canon 6D Custom Function settings and Menu options, with recommended settings for practical, everyday use. These settings are a significant part of what makes the 6D such a powerful and versatile camera.  Set up and customize the advanced features to work best for the way you photograph.
  • Camera Controls – Description of all of the camera’s controls, how to customize them for your needs, and when and why to use them.
  • Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual (M) Modes – How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field, freeze or express motion, or take total control over exposure settings.
  • Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes – How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock and back-button focusing.
  • Exposure Metering Modes of the Canon 6D – How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
  • Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance – Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations or for capturing a range of exposures to combine into HDR images.
  • Wi-Fi and GPS – Introduction to the set-up and use of the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. Wirelessly control the 6D, save, or share images with your smart device or computer, and geotag and map your photos.
  • Introduction to Video Settings – Explanations of the menus, settings, and options to get you started.
  • Composition – Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
  • The Image Taking Process – Descriptive tutorials for using the settings and controls you just learned to take still and action photos.
  • Lenses – Explanation of Canon lenses and choosing your next lens.
  • Photography Accessories – The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography including those specific to the 6D, plus recommended photography books.

This digital guide to the Canon 6D is a 248 page illustrated e-book that goes beyond the 6D manual to explain how, when, and why to use the features, settings, and controls of the 6D to help you get the most from your camera.

Learn more about Canon 6D Experience, view a preview, and purchase it on my Full Stop website here:

http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_6D_Experience.htm

The Secrets to an Interesting Photo – Unlocked!

A few days ago Reuters published a collection of the Best Photos of the Year 2012. This collection, similar to the Atlantic’s 2012: The Year in Photos, is a sometimes inspiring, often depressing look back at the events of the past year. The content and subjects of the images aside, they are both excellent presentations of some of the best in photojournalism and image making for the year, and I encourage you to not only look through the images, but to analyze the ones that you like or that move you, and determine what it is about the images that makes them so powerful. Look at the position and point of view of the camera, the aperture settings used (shallow depth of field vs. deep dof), the composition including wide vs. tight and what was put in the frame and what may have been left out, how the elements, forms, and colors in the image relate, the moment captured, etc.


Reuters photographer Joseba Etxaburu is knocked down by a wild cow during festivities in the bullring following the sixth running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona July 12, 2012. Etxaburu suffered some scratches on his right elbow but was able to continue shooting afterwards. Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, lens 70-200mm, f3.5, 1/640, ISO 500. http://blogs.reuters.com/fullfocus/2012/11/30/best-photos-of-the-year-2012/#a=1

In an interesting exercise, someone has compiled the type of cameras and lenses used for the photos, and the exposure settings, and then put it all into easy to read pie charts. To turn this information on its head, it seems that to have the best chance of make an interesting image, what you need is a Canon 1D Mark IV with a 16-35mm lens (likely the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L), set your aperture at f/2.8, shutter speed at 1/320, and use 200 ISO.

But to look seriously and more in-depth at the information compiled and presented in the charts, one can learn a lot about how photojournalists in the field operate:

They seem to prefer Canon dSLR cameras, with Canons used in about 90% of the images* – or it perhaps merely shows that Reuters provides, supports, and/ or encourages Canon equipment. (For example, they likely have a collection of Canon bodies and lenses at their offices for the photojournalists to use or to supplement their equipment when they need a specialized lens.) The top camera used, the Canon 1D Mark IV is a very rugged and reliable professional camera, which is interesting to note has “only” 16 megapixels (though it has a much higher quality image sensor than consumer cameras). It has recently been replaced with the more current Canon 1D X.

Prime lenses were used (rather than zooms) in about 55%* of the images, and the most common favorites were nearly equally divided over the 24mm, 50mm, and 16mm (each used about 8% of the time overall when including all lenses*).

With zoom lenses, the wide angle 16-35mm (EF 16-35mm f/2.8L) was used most often (about 19% of the time overall with all lenses*), followed by the 70-200mm (likely the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS version I or II). (The lens links here are for Canon lenses – I’ll try to get back to this and add similar Nikon lens links.)

(*these numbers may be off, as the numbers on Reddit seem to be inconsistent/ incomplete)

What this tells us is that wide angle lenses really are the “bread and butter” lens of the photojournalist, used to capture a wide scene or to place the subject or the action into a larger context – which is often important in telling a full and accurate story in a single image. It also means that the photographer was typically very close to the subject, right in the middle of the action. Sometimes however, a close-up portrait or detail best tells the story, or a photographer can’t get as close as desired, and that is where the 70-200mm comes in.  It is interesting to note that when I did extensive research into choosing lenses at the start of my professional career, I followed many working photographers’ advice and settled first upon these exact lenses – the 16-35mm and 70-200mm. You can do a lot of great travel and photojournalism work with those two lenses alone. One problem you will run into if you are only using one body, however, is that you sometimes have to quickly switch to the other, and that is where the more versatile 24-105mm f/4L or 24-70mm f/2.8L lenses can be more practical.  And you can see that these mid-range zooms were two of the other, lesser used zooms in the chart.

After some time with the zooms, most people want to try their hand at a prime lens – to increase image quality, help them work a bit more at composing and framing, and to provide even shallower depth of field. And as you can see, the wide primes are the most popular among photojournalists. The 50mm f/1.2L or the more affordable 50mm f/1.4 will give you a field of view approximating your normal vision (hence they are called “normal” lenses. The 24mm f/1.4L and 16mm focal lengths are much wider. These also show that the photographers were right up in the action.

The photojournalist’s expression used to be “f/8 and be there” but based on this data, it will obviously have to be modified to “f/2.8 and be there.” The most common aperture setting in these images was f/2.8, used in about 29% of the photos, followed by f/4, f/1.4 (which is possible with some of the prime lenses), and f/3.2. What this means is that they are most often using a very shallow depth of field, usually in an attempt to visually separate the subject of the image from the background, and to call attention to exactly where in the image they want the viewer’s eye to fall. Plus the wide aperture lets in lots of light, which may help them be able to use the fast shutter speeds and low ISO settings they desire.

The “f/8 and be there” expression has been interpreted in a few different ways, but what it seems to say is have your camera ready, and then just be at the scene. The camera settings aren’t nearly as important in photojournalism as simply being there to capture the action.  It also shows that with f/2.8 (and other wide apertures) being used as the most common aperture setting today, photography has likely made a shift over the past few decades where shallower depth of field is much more common.  This would be interesting to investigate, but it could be the result of autofocus systems, allowing a photojournalist to be much more sure of their focus and able to use shallow dof – where as before they had to quickly manually focus and a slightly deeper dof allowed some focusing lee-way. It could also have to do with lenses now being sharper at wider apertures.

The most often used shutter speeds were 1/320, 1/250, 1/800, and 1/640. A photojournalist is often capturing action or precise moments, and thus a fast shutter speed is desired. The best thing to do in these types of situations – especially if working in Aperture Priority Mode so that you have full control over your depth of field – is to set an ISO speed (based on the lighting of the scene) that will allow the camera to select appropriately fast shutter speeds. The best shutter speed depends on the situation and how fast/ what direction the subject might be moving, but from these results it shows that anywhere from 1/250 to 1/800 can work for many scenes – although 1/1000, 1/2000, or faster will be needed for sports and fast action. So set an ISO speed that will result in this shutter speed range when your aperture is set around f/2.8 or f/5.6 (or whatever aperture range you plan to use). The results show that the photojournalists seem to choose the lowest ISO possible for the situation (based on the lighting), as this will result in the least amount of digital noise – interestingly the most used ISO settings actually went in order from 200, 400, 800, to 1600. The fact that ISO 100 came in next, but at a much smaller percentage seems to say: don’t risk it with 100 ISO – just use 200 ISO so that you don’t inadvertently use too slow of a shutter speed when the lighting level decreases but you aren’t paying attention to the exposure settings. The noise and sharpness difference between 100 and 200 is pretty negligible for most current cameras.

Don’t quite understand all these settings and the terminology?  Have a look at my Full Stop dSLR camera guides, such as Canon 5D Mark III Experience and Nikon D600 Experience, which cover not explain the functions, features, and controls of Nikon and Canon dSLR cameras, but more importantly how, when and why to make use of them in your photography.

full stop dslr photo photography camera manual guide for dummies canon nikon

 

Canon 6D Hands On Review

Several weeks ago I wrote a post previewing the Canon EOS 6D, based on its specs and information available at its announcement. I’ve now had some hands-on time and have done significant research on the camera and its functions and features as I work on my latest e-book camera guide Canon 6D Experience. So now I am able to share some more insight into the body, controls, features, and handling of this very nice new full frame dSLR camera. And thanks to Newtonville Camera of Newton, Mass. for getting it into my hands so quickly!

Canon 6D EOS unbox unboxing new full frame dslr review preview hands on test how to use manual guide dummies
The Canon EOS 6D Unboxing – shown here with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens attached, not the EF 24-105mm f.4L kit lens.

The EOS 6D is first “affordable” full frame camera from Canon, priced at about $2,100. This means it is a consumer level camera that boasts an image sensor the same size as a frame 35mm film – rather than the smaller APS-C sized sensors that have been the necessary compromise for so many years in order to offer highly capable dSLRs which are still affordable to enthusiast photographers. With the availability of the 6D, many more photographers will now be able to gain the benefits of full frame photography, including the ability to use your lenses at their “intended” focal lengths (no more 1.6x crop factor) as well as obtain great image quality, resolution, and low noise at high ISO settings.

The Canon 6D is aimed at intermediate and dedicated enthusiast photographers (and dSLR beginners willing to learn!), not only with its price and body size, but also with its features and straightforward controls and menus. It is obviously not as fully-featured as the professional-level 5D Mark III, yet it contains nearly every feature that the majority of “non-pro” photographers will need. Besides the much more basic 11 point autofocus system (vs. the 61 AF points of the 5DIII), what the 6D leaves off are often very specific customization options that even some pros never get around to figuring out or using. Plus the 6D adds a couple new features previously not yet seen on a Canon dSLR such as built-in WiFi and GPS.  Most importantly, with its 20.2 megapixel sensor, the image quality of the 6D should prove to be nearly at the level of the 22.3 megapixel 5D MkIII.

As the author of dSLR user guides, my primary interest is more with the controls, features, functions, and “real world” use of any camera – as opposed to the image quality/ sensor issues (resolution, dynamic range, noise, etc.), which I leave up to DP Review, DXOMark, and other sites to examine in depth.  Although I will discuss and give examples of some of these issues in this post, I direct you these other sites to view sample/ comparison images and read detailed discussions of sensor and image quality issues.

Body: Weight and Size: The very first thing I noticed when picking up the camera is how incredibly light it is.  Granted, it was just the body only without a lens attached yet, but I was pleasantly surprised at its light weight. The body only (w/o battery) weighs a mere 1.5 lb. (680g), much lighter (relatively) than the full frame 5D Mark III (1.9 lb./860g) and the APS-C sized 7D (1.8 lb./820g).  The EOS 6D is nearly the same weight – and size – as its closest sibling the (smaller APS-C sensor-sized) EOS 60D, and truly represents an important milestone in dSLR evolution where a full-frame sensor and several advanced features fit into a similar body as an mid/upper-level consumer camera.

Body: Controls and Feel:  The controls of the 6D are similar to those of the 60D. It shares many of the same buttons (though some are relocated) as well as the thumb-pad Multi-Controller that sits inside the rear Quick Control Dial. This replaces the thumb-joystick version of this controller that was seen on all non-Rebel Canon dSLR cameras up until the 60D. Personally I am still not a fan of this thumb-pad, as the joystick is more comfortably located for autofocus selection, and I also find that I sometimes accidentally hit the thumb-pad while turning the Quick Control Dial when navigating menus, and thus suddenly jump to a different menu option. I also prefer to have the Playback and Delete buttons on the left side, so that I can access them with my left thumb, perhaps due to much more experience and muscle-memory with that set-up. However, these are simply a matter of getting use to the locations and sensitivity of the controls – after some use, muscle memory and habit typically allows one to easily use the controls they are provided with. The top Main Dial (for adjusting aperture and changing various settings) has a great “soft” feel as if made of firm rubber rather than the harder plastic of lower-end models. The rubber of the grip areas also feels great, no complaints regarding the over-all ergonomics of holding and carrying the camera, and the body feels perfectly solid.

Canon 6D EOS unbox unboxing new full frame dslr review preview controls button autofocus hands on test how to use manual guide dummies
Detail of the Canon 6D, including some of the buttons and controls.

There are several “quirks” to get used to with the 6D if you are accustomed to working with a different Canon body such as a 50D, 7D, or one of the older 5D models. Primarily, the 6D has the new single Magnify Button introduced on the 5DIII, rather than the Zoom-in/ Zoom-out buttons of previous models. Your muscle memory will definitely cause you frustration with this one for awhile until you get used to reaching for this new button rather than using the top-right rear buttons for zooming in and out during image playback. Now during image playback, you press the Magnify Button located just above the Playback Button, and then use the top Main Dial to zoom in and out. One of the advantages of this Magnify Button is that its initial magnification level is customizable from 1x to “zoom-in immediately to pixel level on the area of the image where you focused” (Actual size from selected point). Instead of pressing the Playback Button and then zooming, you can simply press the Magnify Button and immediately view the image at your zoom-level of choice. I found that I actually prefer to set the Magnify Button for 1x zoom. Then after taking an image, I can press the Playback Button to view the thumbnail of the image with the histogram (since I leave this as my default Image Playback view), or press the Magnify Button to immediately see the image full-screen. Using the two buttons, I can easily toggle between these two views.  Others will enjoy immediately zooming in on the area where they focused to ensure that it is indeed in-focus.

As with the 7D and 5DIII, the 6D has the ability to customize the various buttons and controls of the camera. I recommend that you use these Custom Functions to set the Multi-Controller to AF Point direct selection. That way you can simply use the Multi-Controller to manually select your desired AF Point instead of having to first press the AF Point Selection Button. However, if you do this, the SET Button will not select the center AF Point, as you may be used to from other cameras. Instead it will activate whichever function you set the SET Button for. But if you press the AF Point Selection Button first and then use the Multi-Controller, you can then still use the SET Button to select the center AF Point, which can be very convenient for quickly choosing this point.

The 6D has the Live View/ Movie switch and START/STOP Button which makes it quick and easy to switch between the two, start Live View, or begin Movie recording. However, this may bring you to another “quirk” (ok, it is not really a “quirk,” more a necessity of design and function, but until you realize that you may feel like it is a quirk!).  There are a couple functions that will be greyed-out in your menus if you have a certain conflicting setting option set. For example, some features will not be available (like HDR Mode) if you have the image quality set for RAW or JPEG+RAW.  You will have to switch to JPEG only in order to access these features.  Or you cannot access the Multi Shot Noise Reduction feature if you have Long Exposure Noise Reduction enabled or if you are shooting in RAW. This is bound to aggravate you at first as you try to determine why the function is greyed-out and not accessible in the menus. So, back to the Movie function, you cannot begin movie shooting if you have WiFi enabled. Thankfully with this particular incompatibility, the camera will alert you to this on the rear LCD Monitor. With the other conflicting settings, you are simply going to have to learn and remember the conflicting option.

As with the 60D, the 6D has the top row of buttons that only access one function (such as ISO or Drive Mode) rather than two functions as with previous/ other Canon models. However, this means you can press the button and then use either the top Main Dial or the rear Quick Control Dial to change the function. Or you can always use the [Q] Button and Quick Control Screen to access these functions or other functions that there is not a dedicated button for, such as Image Quality, White Balance, or Flash Exposure Compensation. And Canon has continued the use of the locking Mode Dial, which I prefer as there have been many times my 50D Mode Dial was accidentally turned when pulling the camera out of its bag.

Brief Commercial Interruption: I have completed my e-book guide to the Canon 6D, called Canon 6D Experience. The guide covers all the controls, functions, features, Menus options and Custom Function settings (with recommended settings), autofocus system, exposure, metering, and more. Plus most importantly, it explains how, when, and why to use the various controls, features, and functions of the 6D. Click the link above or the cover to learn more, preview, and purchase the guide.

Canon 6D EOS book manual dummies field guide instruction tutorial how to use learn full frame autofocus system

Use and Response: There really isn’t too much I can say about the 6D in action, as it performs as expected.  Not really any complaints, aside from my personal issues with the controls issues I described above.  The autofocus response is quick and accurate in normal use. I realize now that I was paying more attention to my photographic tasks and wasn’t paying particular attention to the AF performance as I was out and about with the camera, and didn’t specifically test the center vs. outer points, so I need to get back out and do that.  But on the other hand I didn’t notice and wasn’t limited by any issues or shortcomings.  In low light, night-time scenes, such as the in-camera Multiple Exposure image below and the in-camera HDR image above, the camera locked right on and focused well with the center and outer points. In extremely low light when using the outer points, it did not seem to react as quick and instantaneous – in my experience so far – as the highly advanced AF system of the 5DIII. For example the 5DIII could immediately find focus on the black face of a cat in very low light, while the 6D needed me to find a slightly stronger area of contrast on the kitty’s face before it locked on. But you can see from the exposure settings and the lack of contrast in the focus area of the image below, it still performed rather admirably for the situation (I focused just above the eye and recomposed slightly).

Canon 6D eos in camera hdr mode autofocus af system low light high iso hand held
Canon 6D – In-camera HDR Mode, with three images automatically combined and processed in-camera. “Adjust Dynamic Range” setting +/-1, “Auto Align” enabled, hand-held. Resulting image 1/40, f/2.8, ISO 6400. This image was also automatically geotagged with the GPS, as can be seen on Flickr.


A closer look at the above image.  I focused at about the center of this image, where the white meets the blue dome, though it may have focused on the closer branches.  Keep in mind this was handheld, for 3 images that were aligned and combined in camera.

The center cross-type AF point of the 6D is said to be even more sensitive (both in specifications and by users in real life use) than that of the 5DIII (according to Canon, the 6D center point is EV -3 while the outer points are EV +0.5; 5DIII is EV -2 all points; 60D is EV 0 all points).  Unfortunately I now realize I did not test the center point in this situation, and I will have to go back and do that.  So, I acknowledge it is premature for me to take away any conclusions about the extreme low light AF performance of center vs. outer points before I re-examine this further. Others are already saying that the center AF Point is stellar in very low light. And I did not test the AF system for tracking moving subjects using AI Servo yet. What does all this EV info mean?  If you are a wedding photographer or a concert photographer and simply need to get the shot and capture a very precise moment with no delay, then you may prefer to work with the 5D Mk III. If you are not working on assignment and perhaps have 1 extra second to re-position an outer AF point on an area of slight contrast, or else use the center AF point and recompose in dark situations, then you will certainly still be able to capture great low light shots with the 6D.

Canon 6d autofocus af low light auto focus system sample image center outer af point
Canon 6D Autofocus in low light – I had to focus just above the eye where dark meets light, and then I slightly recomposed. But as you can see from the settings, it was very low light, and that type of performance is a major accomplishment for any camera: f/2.5 1/60 ISO 6400 (screenshot from DPP in order to show AF points.)


A closer look at the above image. I think due to the high ISO setting some sharpness was lost, but that could be recovered with sharpening.

WiFi: The Canon 6D is the first of their dSLR models to incorporate built-in WiFi and GPS capabilities. Neither of these is something I thought I needed – but I can already see the benefits. With the 6D you can wirelessly connect your camera to your computer, smart phone/ tablet, wireless network, printer, or TV to perform a variety of functions:

Computer: when wirelessly connected to your computer, you can make use of the included EOS Utility software to remotely control the camera (change settings and release the shutter) and save the images directly to your computer.  Previously you could do this only through the use of a USB cable.

Canon 6D wifi wireless tablet ipad iphone smartphone android share connect upload test review preview hands on
Canon 6D WiFi – Control the camera remotely with an iPhone, iPad, or tablet.  Here the aperture setting is being changed, and the focus area is positioned on the subject.

Smart Phone/ Tablet: You can also control your camera through your smart device (iPad, iPhone, Android phone or tablet) using the free EOS Remote app, and this takes it to a higher level than with EOS Utility. You can actually monitor on your device what the camera is seeing, as if you are seeing the camera’s Live View screen on your device.  You can change some settings (like aperture, shutter speed, ISO), move and resize the focus area to tell the camera where to focus, and release the shutter. You can also view the images that are on the camera’s memory card, and transfer images from your camera to the device, however they will be reduced size JPEGs.

Wireless Network – Internet Services: You can set up your camera with websites including Canon Image Gateway, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube, and directly send images or videos to these sites – straight from the camera! (Some instances like Twitter will merely share a link to the image on Canon Image Gateway, but with Facebook the actual image will appear.)

Canon 6D wifi wireless facebook share connect upload test review preview hands on
Canon 6D WiFi – Send your images directly to Facebook (or links to Twitter, or movies to YouTube) straight from the camera.

TV and Printer: You can wirelessly show a slideshow of the images on your camera with a compatible TV, or print images directly from the camera with a wireless compatible printer.

The great thing about these wireless functions is that they are actually easy to set up and use (at least in my experience). By following the simple instructions in the manuals and the prompts on the camera’s screen and the software and apps, you can just keep clicking OK (and enter your password and name your connections) as the camera finds the network or device and connects them together. The EOS Utility software also automatically installs a “device pairing” function on your computer that finds the camera and easily lets you connect. The biggest challenge was setting up the connections to the Internet sites (Facebook, Twitter)  since the instructions were not straightforward. But once you determine that you need to first connect the camera via USB to the computer then open EOS Utility, the right set-up screen is available on EOS Utility.  Then the Internet sites can be selected and registered with the camera, and it works great. There are lots of intimidating wireless set-up option screens on the camera that may have to be used if the connections to your wireless network or devices are not so straightforward.

GPS: The built-in GPS function can be enabled so that your images are automatically geotagged with data such as location and elevation. You can even log your camera’s journey – even when the camera is turned off (as long as it can “see” the satellites) – and then view the route on a Google map (with the included Map Utility software). You can set the camera to communicate with the satellites at anywhere from every 1 second to every 5 minutes, though note that this will drain the battery to some extent.

Functions and Features: The 6D has all of the features of the other current Canon dSLRs, such as in-camera HDR Mode, Multiple Exposure Mode, Handheld Night Scene mode, and various Noise Reduction features. In my standard camera use, I don’t typically have a need for many of these types of features, but they might come in handy or be fun to experiment with for many users. The image rating option is also included and can be quickly accessed during image playback. While initially this seemed unnecessary for me, I have found that it is a great time saver for marking either really good images or likely deletions, both of which require a quick review on a full size monitor once back at my computer – and now can be easily located with their 1 to 5 star rating.

Canon 6D EOS multiple exposure how to manual instruction use review preview hands on tutorial dummies guide book
Canon 6D Multiple Exposure mode used to create a multiple exposure image in-camera, combining three images. Multiple Exposure Control setting: “Average” used here, as it works best for night/ dark scenes. This image was also automatically geotagged with the built-in GPS, as can be seen on Flickr.

The fast Digic 5+ processor of the 6D also allows for some lens correction features – Peripheral Illumination Correction and Chromatic Aberration Correction – to correct for issues introduced with some lenses, several of which are pre-registered in the camera. These types of corrections can also be done with specific lens profiles in Lightroom or Photoshop, so you will need to decide if you want to make these corrections with more control in post processing.  However, if you will be outputting JPEG files, you may want to take advantage of this in-camera.  You can even apply the corrections in-camera after the fact if you have shot in RAW. There are also several other in-camera RAW processing options which will allow you to fully process the image in camera (for brightness, Picture Style, White Balance, JPEG size, etc.) and output a JPEG file for immediate use.

One other nice feature is that not only does the 6D have lens autofocus microadjustment capability to correct for minor autofocusing distance issues, but (as with the 5D Mk III) you can adjust separately for the wide end and tele end of a zoom lens! Of course this means a lot more work in your AF microadjustment process. Also, through the Custom Functions you can choose the number of shots to take during bracketing, either 3, 2, 5, or 7. This is extremely desired by HDR shooters who were previously frustrated with the 3 shot limit.

On the down-side, the 6D has a relatively slow continuous shooting speed of 4.5 frames per second, and no Low-speed and High-speed Continuous settings – unless of course you use Silent Continuous Shooting at 3fps (though be aware that use of the Silent Drive Modes can result in slight shutter lag). This slower maximum rate, along with the less sophisticated 11 point AF system may limit the camera’s appeal to sports and action shooters who need to track moving subjects. (“Less sophisticated” = not as many AF Points as the 7D or 5DIII, only 1 cross-type AF Point, not as many options to customize how it tracks and responds to moving subjects.) Action photographers should look instead at the Canon 7D or 5D Mark III.) On an unrelated note, I should also mention that the 6D has a slower 1/180 flash sync speed.

Menus and Custom Functions: The 6D has the standard menu interface and options as the other current models. You can adjust and customize a few more settings than with the 60D, but the menus are reduced and simplified a bit from the 5DIII.  For an enthusiast photographer this is generally a good thing, as the 6D contains most all of the customization options that you will need, without overwhelming you with extremely specific or advanced items that are found on the 5D Mk III. After becoming familiar with the 5DIII however, it is interesting to note what options were left off, such as additional Multiple Exposure and in-camera HDR Mode processing options, no Auto level for LCD Brightness, and the elimination of some of the extremely precise, nearly “hidden” Custom Controls sub-sub-menus and options.

But the 6D does contain the additional ISO settings used to specify the minimum and maximum ISO available for you – or the camera in Auto ISO – to select, plus the minimum shutter speed for the camera to use in Auto ISO.  If you choose to use Auto Lighting Optimizer, you can tell the camera to turn it off when shooting in M (since you will want full control of your exposures and don’t want the camera to over-ride your careful settings).  A nice feature is the Safety Shift options, where instead of merely enabling the camera to over-ride your settings if it needs to in order to obtain the proper exposure, you can specifically tell it shift either the shutter speed/ aperture setting, or the ISO setting.  Generally, I believe, it will be better to shift the ISO setting in order to obtain the exposure, as you probably intentionally selected your aperture or shutter speed. The Custom Setting for autofocus Tracking Sensitivity now helpfully lists the options as “Locked On” and “Responsive” rather than the previous vague and confusing notations, so you can tell the camera to remain locked-on to your subject or to be more responsive and begin focusing on a new subject that enters the field of view of your active AF Point.

The Orientation Linked AF Point feature is much simplified from the 7D and 5DIII in that you do not need to pre-register the desired points, but rather the camera makes use of the current, manually selected AF points for each specific camera orientation, and then returns to them when you hold the camera in that orientation.

Image Quality: I am not a pixel peeper, I am more of the “just get out there and shoot” variety, and I believe that most all the current consumer cameras – including the 6D – offer more than enough in terms of image quality and low noise for most every photography from enthusiast to semi-pro. So I will leave it up to DP Review and other sites to evaluate the image quality and sensor performance. I have shot some informal ISO tests, which can be viewed on Flickr. For pixel peepers, here is a 6400 ISO, 100% crop detail of the scene below, with no in-camera Noise Reduction or White Balance correction.

Canon 6D high iso noise full frame test review preview hands on
Canon 6D full frame sensor – high ISO noise performance. Click image to see larger version with notes of all the settings.

Video: Oops, I just realized that I forgot to discuss this in the review!  I will come back to this, but it is interesting to note that while the 6D has manual audio input level control, the Wind Filter and Attenuator, it lacks a headphone jack for monitoring audio.

Manuals: Canon has unfortunately followed the trend of not including the full printed manuals with the camera.  While the camera comes with the printed version of the basic instruction manual and “pocket guide” for the camera, plus the basic WiFi/ GPS manual, you have to access the PDF files on the included disc for the full camera manual, the full detailed manual for WiFi, plus the instruction manuals for the software including Map Utility and EOS Utility. Of course you need the full manual to properly set up and learn all the features of the camera, plus you will need to look at some of the the other manuals in order to learn how to get your camera connected to Internet services.  It is a bit frustrating not to have these at hand to quickly refer to.  Fortunately if you have an iPad or tablet, you can download the PDF version of all the manuals from the Canon website and easily read and search through them and take them with you.

However, to quickly learn all the essential and important features of the camera, how to set up the menus and Custom Functions, and learn how, when, and why to use the various controls, features, and functions of the Canon 6D, have a look at my e-book guide Canon 6D Experience.

Canon 6D EOS book manual dummies field guide instruction tutorial how to use learn full frame autofocus system

Conclusion: Overall I think the Canon 6D is an excellent dSLR camera, a very good value for the price, and should easily meet or exceed the needs of most enthusiast and dedicated photographers. It provides the wonderful possibility for a non-pro or aspiring-pro to finally shoot with an affordable full-frame camera. Landscape photographers should enjoy this, as their wide angle lenses will once again act as true wide angle lenses, and be able to capture sweeping vistas.  It should provide general, portrait, and travel photographers with the controls, features, durability, and image quality they desire. Sports, wildlife, and action photographers may not find what they need, however, due to the limited 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting speed and the less sophisticated 11 point autofocus system with only one cross-type point. edit 12/13/12DXOMark summarized it well when they concluded that the 6D “is a high-end, full-frame camera ideal for enthusiast and advanced photographers, or professional photographers looking for a second camera body. Its resolution and AF system mark it out as a camera that is aimed at those shooting portraits or landscapes, where good resolution and a full-frame sensor are key, but where the fastest AF is not as important.”

Designed as a consumer-level camera, a few features (or lack of features) – such as those mentioned – obviously prevent it from being a full-fledged professional level body for highly demanding users (at least not the primary body), but its sensor, image quality, and capabilities will certainly provide anyone with the potential to take professional quality images – and in most situations capture exactly the image you intend. And that, in the end, is the number one goal of photography!

If you enjoyed this post, please be sure to share it, mention it, or link to it!

If you are going to be ordering your Canon 6D online, please consider using my affiliate links below or on the left side of the page (Amazon, B and H, Adorama). Your camera (or other gear) will be the same price, but they will give me a small referral bonus – thanks!

Canon 6D on Amazon (body only or 24-105mm f/4L kit)

Canon 6D at B and H Photo – body only

Canon 6D at B and H Photo – with the 24-105mm f/4L IS kit lens

New Nikon Camera and Canon Lenses

There is a lot of exciting news today, and not just with the US Presidential election but also on the dSLR front. Nikon has announced the new Nikon D5200 upper-entry-level dSLR and Canon has announced the Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens.  Yes, a 24-70mm with Image Stabilization! Plus they announced  the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens.

The Nikon D5200 is a pretty big leap for an upper-entry level camera in that not only does it boast the 24 megapixels of the new Nikon D600, it also incorporates the 39-point autofocus system of the D7000 (and D600).  This is a sophisticated, complex AF system that was challenging for many experienced enthusiasts to learn, so it is going to be an interesting challenge for those with much less dSLR experience. A very interesting move by Nikon.

Nikon D5200 dslr 39 point autofocus AF

The new Canon 24-70mm F/4L IS, with Image Stabilization, is designed to be the kit lens for the upcoming Canon 6D, though it will also make a great lens for any other Canon dSLR. It is going to create a very difficult decision for photographers who will have to weigh the pros and cons of the 25-105 f/4 IS (with Image Stabilization too), the original 24-70 f/2.8L or newer 24-70 f/2L II (both without Image Stabilization), and the brand new 24-70 f/4L IS – which adds Image Stabilization.

Canon 24-70mm lens ef is image stabilization f4 f/4

The original 24-70 f/2.8L quickly became my main walk-about lens immediately after obtaining it, so I can say that it is a wonderful lens and a great focal length.  Have the additional reach of the 24-105mm f/4L IS would be great, but I didn’t want to give up the wide f/2.8 aperture which creates even greater background blurring. Now people are going to have to analyze the Image Stabilization vs. the f/2.8 or f/4 aperture vs. the additional reach of the 24-105mm (especially on a full-frame camera) vs. the price vs. image quality vs. size and weight.  Not an easy decision! Perhaps when I get a chance, I will try to break it down and try to help with the decision.  Just know, before you lose your mind analyzing the pros and cons of each element, each of these lenses has amazing performance, built, and image quality.  You really can’t go wrong with any of them. Just pick one and start shooting!

And perhaps most exciting, Canon has introduced the Mark II lens caps! Finally, a center-pinch cap that can easily be accessed inside a lens hood.  I know you had to copy Nikon to do this, but thank you Canon!

Canon lens cap center centre pinch new

Canon 6D – The Second Affordable Full-Frame dSLR

Introducing the Canon 6D Full Frame dSLR Camera

First, I have been corrected – the Sony a850 was the first “affordable” full frame (meaning ~$2000 price at introduction), followed by the Nikon D600, then the Canon 6D. But as I unfortunately only have time in my work day to mostly follow, research, and write about Canon and Nikon news and dSLR cameras, this one slipped by me.

Just as I have been digesting the specs and features of the new Nikon D600 full frame dSLR, Canon quickly follows on their heels with their version of a “pro-sumer” full frame camera, the Canon EOS 6D.  The big deal about these two cameras – and indeed they are a big deal – is that they are the first full frame cameras priced at around $2000 at first release.  In fact they are each priced at just under $2100.  dSLR cameras with full frame sized sensors (sensors about the size of a frame of 35mm film – remember film?) have typically cost several hundred, if not $1000 more than this when first introduced. The Canon 5D, though also referred to as “affordable” at the time, was around $3300 when introduced as a professional camera. The Canon 5D Mark II was about $2700 at introduction, and the Nikon D700 and D800 were each about $3000.  The latest Canon full frame, the 5D Mark III is around $3400, but Canon knew they would be coming out with the 6D to fill in the price point vacated by the 5D Mark II.

Canon EOS 6D full frame dslr review
Canon EOS 6D

Previously, the compromise in order to put a high-quality, fully featured camera into enthusiasts’ and semi-pros’ hands was a smaller sensor – the APS-C sized sensor which is about 64% of the size of a full frame sensor.  Nikon calls the smaller size the DX and the full frame the FX format, while Canon really doesn’t have a special name for either that I can recall. But larger sensors have always been prized for several reasons.  They typically deliver better performance in terms of improved resolution, increased dynamic range, and improved low light / high ISO performance.  In other words, the images have much better detail and can withstand serious cropping, display a fuller range of colors and tones, and are cleaner with less digital noise, especially in low light situations.  The full frame sensor will also affect the field of view of your lenses. For those moving from an APS-C sized sensor camera to a full frame body, a 50mm lens will now act as a true 50mm lens – no more 1.6x crop factor to consider. This means that your wide angle lenses will now act as true wide angle lenses, but your telephoto lenses will no longer have quite as much reach as you may be used to.

I have long warned that Canon users should carefully consider buying EF-S lenses that are only compatible with APS-C Canon dSLRs, and my reasoning was that one day you would either want to upgrade to a full frame 5D that does not accept AF-S lenses, and/ or eventually full frame bodies would become more affordable.  Well, that day is today!  The 6D is the “affordable” full frame camera, and indeed it does not accept EF-S lenses, only EF lenses.

For those who can’t or don’t wish to spend $3400 on the 5D Mark III yet still want the full frame experience, the 6D is now a reasonable option.  The 5D Mk II of course is currently under $2000, but it really isn’t very desirable anymore with its relatively slow and outdated 9 point autofocus system and relatively slow 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting speed.  Not to mention the wide variety of feature, HD video improvements, and in-camera processing features that have been added to more recent models.  However, based on its controls, autofocus system, and other features (whether included or left out), the 6D can be considered a full frame version of the 60D, and thus sits firmly in the enthusiast range rather than the professional range. Again, some compromises were made in order to offer a well-featured full-frame camera at an enthusiast photographer price point.  But its full frame coupled with its smaller, lighter body (more like an APS-C camera body) will make it a great option for everyday and travel use.

Canon 6D EOS book manual dummies field guide instruction tutorial how to use learn full frame autofocus system

Brief Commercial Interruption: I have written an e-book camera guide to the Canon 6D, Canon 6D Experience, now available. Click the link or book cover to learn more, preview, or purchase this guide (as well as all my other e-book camera guides for Nikon and Canon dSLR cameras).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canon EOS 6D full frame dslr review
Canon EOS 6D

Here are some of the specs of the Canon 6D, and more importantly what they mean. After reading about what the camera offers, be sure to also read my Canon 6D Hands On Reveiw:

Sensor: The 6D sits between the 7D and the 5DIII in terms of resolution, with 20.2MP compared to the 18MP of the 7D, 21MP of the 5DII, and 22.3MP of the 5DIII. As mentioned above, a full-frame size sensor promises not only improved image quality but also increased dynamic range and improved low light / high ISO performance (100-25,600 max. ISO expandable up to 102,400). Have a look just below and at my images here to see some example images of the performance of the 5DIII at various ISO settings.  The 6D may not be quite as excellent, but it should be very close (edit: my informal ISO tests of the 6D can now be seen below and here.  And as noted above, the full-frame sensor will also affect the field of view of your lenses. Your wide angle lenses will now act as true wide angle lenses, but your telephoto lenses will no longer have quite as much reach as you may be used to.

Canon 6D high iso noise digital camera slr pixel test compare preview
Example image of the Canon 6D ISO performance and digital noise. Image by the Author – click on the image to view larger.

A full frame sensor also affects your depth of field…indirectly.  This is because depth of field is affected by not only your aperture setting but also the camera-to-subject distance.  So say that you were to use the full frame 6D to frame a shot with a 50mm focal length and f/2.0 aperture, from 10 feet away.  To “recreate” this same shot with the APS-C sensor-sized 7D and a 50mm focal length, you would have to back up several feet (6 more feet I believe?) to have the same field of view.  (The full frame sensor will capture a wider field of view, while the APS-C “crops” the scene due to its smaller size.)  Even though you use the same f/2.0 aperture setting, the depth of field is not as dramatically shallow because the camera-to-subject distance has increased.  The depth of field in this case changes from less than a foot to over 2 feet.  (I may be wrong about backing up from 10 feet to 16 feet for this example, which means my final numbers are off, but none-the-less, the dof increases as you move back.)  So…indirectly…a full frame camera can contribute to more dramatic depth of field.

Processor: The 6D incorporates a single speedy Digic 5+ processor – the latest processor that is also included in the 5DIII (there as one of two processors). This allows you to take more continuous photos at the maximum frame rate, as well as to keep up a fast rate as the camera applies optional in-camera processing to the images, such as lens aberration corrections.  The speedy processor also allows for the in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features.

Viewfinder: The 6D also has a nice big and bright 97% view viewfinder, not as awesome as a 100% viewfinder would have been to be able to frame the entire scene to be captured, but excellent none-the-less.  Unfortunately, there is not an electronic grid included in the viewfinder view as there is with the 7D.  In order to get a grid, you will have to make use of the optional Eg-D matte focusing screen.  You can see a simulated view of the viewfinder below the Autofocus section.

Autofocus (AF) System / FPS: The Canon 6D has a new 11 point autofocus system with only the center point as a more accurate cross-type point.  Not quite the 19 AF point system of the 7D as one might have expected, and also significantly lower than the 61 AF point system of the 5DIII.  In terms of number of focus points, it is a minor improvement to the 5DII.  However, I am sure that it is a system that will react and perform significantly faster (even despite only one cross-type point) as well as offer numerous customization options. This AF system, along with its 4.5 frame per second (fps) continuous shooting speed, indicates that the 6D is not intended to be a sports and action camera, but rather a camera geared towards standard photography, weddings, portraits, travel, etc.

Canon 6D EOS autofocus AF viewfinder 11 points compare choose dummies guide book digital dslr
Simulated view of the Canon 6D viewfinder, showing the Spot Metering circle and the 11 autofocus AF Points

Body, Size, Battery, Memory Cards:  Regarding size and weight, the 6D is nearly the same size and weight as the 7D – in fact it is not quite as wide and as deep as the 7D, stands at the same height, and weights a little less.  Overall it is 145 x 111 x 71 mm, weighing 770g (with the battery) compared to the 860g of the 7D.  The 6D accepts the same excellent LP-E6 battery as the 7D and 5DIII, as well as SD memory cards (single card slot).  The body is constructed primarily of magnesium alloy, is weather sealed against dust and moisture, and should prove to be quite durable for any everyday-type use plus more rugged situations.  It boasts a 3″ LCD screen – fixed not articulating – with 102,400 pixels, making it large, clear, and sharp – but not a touch screen as originally speculated.

Interface and Controls: The controls on the body of the 6D closely resemble those of the EOS 60D, with a few changes.  The Multi-Controller pad is used for autofocus AF point control rather than the thumb joystick of the 5D cameras, the top row of buttons control one function only, and the Mode Dial has the handy center locking button.  The power switch has been moved to the typical current location for Canon dSLRs – at the Mode Dial.  The row of buttons on the rear left side, common on most Canon dSLRs without a rotating screen, has been pared down and moved to the right of the screen.  Rather than the zoom-in and zoom-out buttons, there is a single Magnify button that was first found on the 5DIII and initially drove users crazy due to the muscle memory of their thumbs that had to be retrained.  The exposure lock and focus lock buttons remain, thus allowing for back-button focusing and easily separating focus and exposure functions.

Canon EOS 6D full frame dslr review
Canon EOS 6D

New Features: The 6D is the first Canon camera to offer built-in wireless and built-in GPS capability.  The Wi-Fi feature will allow photographers to do some great wireless stuff, including cable-free “tethered” shooting and camera control using EOS Utility and a computer, easily sharing images on Facebook and other social networks straight from the camera, controlling the camera (in Live View) from a smartphone or tablet – including focusing and changing some settings, using the smart device to view and transfer images that are on the camera’s memory card, and Wi-Fi connection to a TV or printer.  And the GPS will allow geotagging of images with the coordinates, altitude, and orientation, and mapping the route of the camera.

Accessories: Of course there will be a battery grip for the 6D, the BG-E13, for the use of two LP-E6 batteries for longer shooting.  The larger body size created by the grip is also more comfortable for some, especially when shooting often in the portrait orientation and/ or when using larger, heavier lenses.  There are also a couple optional focusing screens that are compatible, the Eg-D and Eg-S matte focusing screens which make manual focusing eaiser.  The Eg-D offers a grid as well for assistance with compositions and keeping the framing straight.  This means that there is no electronic grid built into the viewfinder, as with the 7D.

The typical remote shutter releases are certain to be compatible, such as the Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3 or Canon Wireless Remote Control RC-1 or RC-5 or RC-6.  These remotes will allow either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake. There is also the Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3 for time-lapse or long exposure photography.

Flash: Similar to the 5D line of cameras, the 6D does not include a built-in flash, though it is fully compatible with all the Canon Speedlite flashes such as the new Canon 600EX-RT as well as the older but still highly capable 580EX II.  It will certainly be compatible with the Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT radio wave wireless transmitter, which can control and trigger up to 5 groups of 15 flashes, up to 30 meters, with no line-of-site required. (Currently only compatible with the Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite.)

HD Video: And of course the 6D offers full HD video with manual control and all the usual frame rates (1080p at 30/25/24 fps and 720p at 60/50 fps plus 480p at 25/30 fps. The new sensor is not capable of full time autofocus, though most dedicated videographers still prefer manually focusing anyway. The camera records mono audio but is compatible with optional stereo mics, and unfortunately lacks a headphone jack for audio monitoring.

Bracketing: The offers 3, 2, 5, or 7 frame Auto Exposure Bracketing, which will please HDR shooter. There is also a built-in “HDR mode” which combines and processes three automatically bracketed images in-camera, and a Multiple Exposure mode that can “overlay” and process up to 9 images in-camera. And there are a couple more multi-shop options where the camera takes a few shots in a row and then combines them for a better final result, such as the multi-shot noise reduction option, and the hand-held night scene.

Of course the 6D offers the usual 63-Zone dual layer exposure metering system for consistent, accurate exposures in all types of situations including challenging scenes like back-lit ones.  It has the usual Canon Metering Modes and Drive Modes as well as the familiar Picture Style settings and in-camera image processing and filter/ art effects as found in the 7D, 60D, and 5D Mk III.

Conclusions:  Just as with the new Nikon D600 full frame camera, I expect the Canon EOS 6D to be an extremely popular camera, offering an affordable full-frame dSLR for dedicated enthusiasts, aspiring pros/ semi-pros, or a highly competent second body for semi-pros and pros on a budget. There is nothing lacking in this camera that would prevent any photographer from capturing the highest quality, professional level images in most every shooting situation, be it general photography, portraits, street photography, studio work, wedding photography or travel use.  Its pairing with the professional 24-105mm f/4L lens is an indication of its exceptional image quality capabilities.  Plus it offers the ability, although somewhat limited by its autofocus system and maximum continuous frame rate, to capture sports, wildlife, and other action type situations.

The 6D may not be the “fully featured budget pro-sumer full frame dSLR” that many had hoped for, however.  Its 11 point AF system with only one cross-type point is clearly on the consumer/ enthusiast level, as are its external controls such as the thumb pad Multi-Controller and the single function top buttons.  Its inclusion of the Scene Modes on the Mode Dial also indicates that it is targeted to enthusiasts, as well as its single SD memory card slot.  But these are the types of compromises that had to be made to keep the price within reach of more enthusiast photographers while still offering full frame image quality.  As Canon says in their 6D press release, “the EOS 6D bridges the gap for budget-minded photographers, videographers and cinematographers who are eager to step up into the world of full-frame imaging.”

Be sure to also read my subsequent Canon 6D Hands On Reveiw, written after the camera became available.

As I work on a comparison post of the current Canon dSLR line-up, have a look at these other Canon related posts, including how to take full advantage of your autofocus system.

The camera will be offered as a body-only or with the 24-105mm f/4L IS (image stabilized) lens, and is expected to be available in December 2012.

Canon 6D EOS book manual dummies field guide instruction tutorial how to use learn full frame autofocus system

And as I mentioned, I have written the first guide to the Canon 6D, my Full Stop e-book user’s guide for the Canon 6D – Canon 6D Experience, now available.

Order your 6D today on Amazon or B and H:

Canon 6D on Amazon (body only or 24-105mm f/4L kit)

Canon 6D at B and H Photo – body only

Canon 6D at B and H Photo – with the 24-105mm f/4L IS kit lens

Anticipating the Canon EOS M Mirrorless Camera

Canon EOS M Mirrorless Interchangable Lens Camera

Several weeks ago Canon announced their long anticipated entry into the mirrorless camera segment, the Canon EOS M.  While Olympus and Panasonic were early pioneers in this market, Sony soon joined them and raised the bar with their NEX line, including the current NEX-5 and NEX-7 (and upcoming NEX-6).  Nikon then came along with their Nikon 1 series, the J1 and V1, leaving Canon as the last of the major players to bring out a mirrorless offering.

Canon EOS M mirrorless camera
Canon EOS M – Image courtesy of Canon USA

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are a sort-of hybrid of a high-end compact camera and a dSLR system – with various advantages and disadvantages born of this mix.  Then are much smaller and lighter than a dSLR, while still allowing one to change lenses.  Thus rather than a lower-quality all-purpose built-in zoom of a compact, one can use a variety of lenses to fit their needs (wide angle, telephoto zoom, etc.) and allow them greater control over aperture settings and depth of field.  However, many of the cameras require the use of smaller (and lighter) lenses specifically designed for the mirrorless body, and most manufacturers offer a very limited set of lenses at this time.  Many brands offer adapters to allow the use of dSLR lenses, but adding a larger and heavier lens may defeat the purpose of a small, light, portable mirrorless body!

Mirrorless cameras don’t have an optical viewfinder but instead use a rear LCD screen like a compact camera – plus some models offer a standard or optional electronic viewfinder (a teeny tiny LCD screen in a viewfinder).  One of the important advantages is that the mirrorless cameras contain a much larger image sensor than most compact cameras, with some of them (such as the Sony NEX models) even boasting an APS-C size sensor.  (APS-C is the same size as found in most entry level, intermediate, and pro-sumer dSLR cameras from the Canon T4i or Nikon D3200 to the Canon 7D or Nikon D7000 and D300S.  Professional dSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D line and the Nikon D700/D800 have a larger, full frame sized sensor).  These larger sensors provide much better image quality and better low light / high ISO performance than most every compact camera.

Mirrorless cameras don’t share the same phase detection autofocus system as a dSLR with a dedicated AF sensor, but instead have a contrast-detection AF system that uses the image sensor to focus, just as if using a dSLR in Live View mode.  This contrast AF system is typically slower than the dSLR system, which contributes to a bit more shutter lag than the near-instantaneous response of a dSLR shutter.  However great improvements have been made in the AF systems and shutter lag of the mirrorless cameras.

While the new Canon EOS M is not yet out there for real world use and review, many including myself are very pleasantly surprised with all that it offers, based on its specs.  The EOS M take nearly all of the great features and capabilities of the extremely competent Canon T4i dSLR, and packages it in a small, light, and portable body.  The major difference of course is of the phase detection AF system of the T4i which is not able to be fit and used inside the EOS M.  The EOS M is thus very comparable to using the T4i in Live View.

Canon EOS M mirrorless camera
Canon EOS M – Image courtesy of Canon USA

Canon EOS M mirrorless camera
Canon EOS M – Image courtesy of Canon USA

 

Minor Update to Canon 7D Firmware 2

Canon has just released a minor update to the previous major Firmware 2.0 update.  It fixes an auto off issue and a couple display errors.

Canon 7D EOS Firmware 2.0 2 2.0.3 update

Version 2.0.3 can be obtained here or on the Canon 7D product page at CanonUSA.

In light of this, please note that my Canon 7D Experience e-book user’s guide for the EOS 7D is the only guide (other than the Canon 7D manual) that has been updated for the Version 2 Firmware!  The guide includes all the new menu and Custom Function items and options, as well as explanations of all the other upgrades. Learn all about it and purchase it at my Full Stop e-book website here.

Canon EOS 7d e book guide manual firmware 2 2.0 2.0.3 update instruction

Top Ten Accessories for the Canon T5i / EOS 700D

Now that you’ve decided on the Canon Rebel T5i / EOS 700D (or Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650DCanon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D) you’ll want to get the basic, essential accessories. Don’t get carried away yet with elaborate flash modifiers and color balance correction tools before you gain some experience and determine which advanced accessories you will really need and use. But you can’t go wrong with these initial 10 additions to your camera bag. Click on the links or the images to view and purchase them on Amazon.com or from the manufacturer (and help support my blog by doing so – thanks!)

1. SanDisk Extreme 8GB or 16GB Memory Card – You are going to need a high quality, high speed memory card to save all those images and capture those videos. Go with the best and don’t risk corruption and errors – a SanDisk Extreme. Perhaps a couple 8GB, 16GB, or even 32GB capacity Secure Digital (SD) cards to capture and store your photos – more if traveling. Use at least class 6 cards, or better yet class 10 if you will be shooting video.  Be sure to check the Sandisk site for current rebates.

2. Canon LP-E8 Battery – You will probably want a spare battery, especially if you are traveling, or just for those times you forgot to charge the battery before going to an important event. Go with the official Canon brand and avoid battery communication and charging issues. If you are a fan of the optional battery back / vertical grip, the one for the T3i and T4i is the Canon BG-E8. The battery grip allows you to use 2 LP-E8 batteries for extended shooting, or six AA batteries, and also increases the size of the camera body, which some users find more ergonomically comfortable, especially when shooting in the portrait orientation.

3. Canon T5i/700D Experience e-book (or Canon T4i Experience E Book or Canon T3i Experience E Book) – You will want to go beyond Auto and learn to use the advanced functions and settings of your sophisticated camera, so be sure to check out my e books, Canon T5i/700D Experience, Canon T4i Experience and Canon T3i Experience. They will help you to take control of your camera so that you can consistently take better images – the images you wish to capture. You’ve invested the money in an advanced camera, now invest the time to learn how to use it to its full potential! (There is also a Canon T2i Experience book available.)

Canon Rebel T5i 700D EOS book manual guide dummies how to tutorial tips tricks learn use setup     Canon T4i EOS 650D book ebook how to manual dummies field guide    

4. Black Rapid RS7 Strap – This sling-style camera strap provides a more comfortable and practical – and somewhat more discreet – way to carry around your camera, especially if you have a larger lens on it. They also make a couple of slightly different versions of the sling-strap, such as one designed for women, and a active “sport” version.

5. Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod Legs and Manfrotto 496RC2 Ball Head:  This is an excellent “starter” combination of tripod legs and head for the enthusiast.  They are sturdy and durable yet affordable.  If you know you will be doing a lot of tripod work, such as for studio, landscape, or travel photography, it is best to invest in more advanced (expensive) versions, including lighter carbon fiber legs, four section legs that close to a shorter length, and a head with additional or specialized features.

    

6. Giottos Large Rocket Blower – Blow the dust off your lens, camera body, interior, and sensor safely with the Rocket Blower. Get the large size for maximum “whoosh!” Use with the LensPEN Lens Cleaning System to clean those fingerprints, smudges, and mysterious spots off your camera lens (filter) safely and quickly with the LensPEN. Brush off the loose spots with the brush end, “charge” the tip with a twist of the cap, then clean by “drawing” in a circular motion. Read the manufacturer’s instruction for complete details.

 

7. Canon 430EX II Speedlite Flash – Upgrade to the Canon Speedlite Flash to obtain more flash power and control for your low light pictures. Take advantage of the T3i’s wireless remote flash capabilities. Rotate and bounce your flash for more flattering indirect light, diffuse it and scatter it for less harsh shadows. Consider the Canon 580EX II Speedlite for more advanced needs.

7a. Stofen Omni Bounce Diffuser – Diffuse and scatter the light from your Speedlite flash with the Omni Bounce Diffuser to eliminate harsh shadows. Use it with your flash head at a 45 degree angle up, or to the side or behind you, as it is designed to be used. Don’t aim it straight on, and don’t use it outside. I don’t care if you see others doing that, even if they have a 5D and a big lens – they don’t know that all they are doing is wasting flash power and not affecting the results.

8. B+W Brand UV Filter – Protect your lens from scratches, dust, and impact damage with a high-quality, multi-coated B+W brand UV filter. It generally shouldn’t affect your image quality due to its high quality glass and coatings, and it just may save you from a $200 repair. Leave one on each of your lenses at all times, unless you are using another filter like the circular polarizer. Be sure to get the right size filter for your lens.

8a. B+W Brand Circular Polarizer Filter – Use this high-quality, multi-coated filter to dramatically darken skies, increase contrast, and cut through reflections. Turn the rotating lens to adjust the amount of darkening or reflection.

9. Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens – After you’ve realized the limitations of the kit lens in both quality and focal range, pair your T3i with this high quality all-purpose “walk-around” lens, great for everyday and travel use. It provides the full focal range from wide angle to telephoto, and delivers excellent image quality, color, and contrast, as well as Image Stabilization to prevent blur from camera movement.

9a. EW 78D Lens Hood – And you will want the lens hood for the 18-200mm lens, to shade the lens from unwanted glare and flare and protect it from bumps and bangs.

10. M Rock Holster Bag – Carry and protect your camera and walk-around lens in a holster style bag from M Rock. I used the Yellowstone style extensively in my travels throughout South America, and I love its durability and extra little features like a built-in rain cover, micro-fiber cleaning cloth, zippered interior pocket, adjustable interior, and extra strap. Be sure to get the model that fits your camera body and lens-length.

Bonus. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson – If you don’t yet understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, read this book immediately. This knowledge is essential to understanding and using your powerful dSLR to its full potential.

For additional photography gear, accessories, and books, be sure to check out my dSLR Photography Gear, Accessories, and Books post!

What the Canon 7D Firmware 2 Upgrade Will Do For You

Soon after the release of the long awaited 5D Mark III professional full-frame dSLR, Canon announced that it would update the firmware of the EOS 7D to expand its functions and to add several new menu items that had been introduced on the 5D Mk III (as well as some additional features). And now, this Canon 7D Firmware 2 update is here! You can download it from Canon on the 7D product page:

Canon 7D Firmware 2 2.0 EOS upgrade update

With this update, Canon has increased the versatility and boosted the capabilities of the popular and powerful 7D. These improvements now give you more control over Auto ISO settings and over audio recording during Movie shooting, quick access to new and existing editing features during playback, and in-camera RAW processing. The 7D is also now compatible with the optional Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver. Perhaps most dramatically, the maximum continuous burst capability has been increased so that the 7D is now able to shoot more continuous frames before pausing: up to 25 RAW or 130 JPEG images when using a 128GB UDMA card, or 23 RAW and 110 JPEG images when using a standard (8GB minimum) CompactFlash card. When saving both RAW+JPEG image files, the camera has improved from 6 consecutive shots to 17.

Here are all of the Canon EOS 7D Firmware 2 improvements:

  • Option to set the time zone and daylight saving time along with the date. Now when you travel, you merely have to adjust the time zone setting for your destination and not reset the time.
  • Increased maximum burst during continuous shooting. This is a fantastic update for those shooting long continuous bursts, allowing you to shoot 23 RAW or 110 consecutive JPEG images when using a typical memory card, or even 17 RAW+JPEG images over the previous 6. Invest in a 128GB UDMA card and shoot 25 RAW or 130 JPEG consecutively.
  • Ability to set the desired maximum ISO Auto setting. Now when using Auto ISO you can select the maximum ISO setting, between 400 and 6400, that the camera will choose – to avoid creeping into unwanted noisy ISO settings.
  • Registering or changing the file name prefix of JPEG and RAW files. If you have the need to customize the file name prefix of your images, due to using more than one camera or any other reason, the camera now offers you a few different ways to do this.
  • Manual adjustment of audio recording levels for Movie shooting (64 levels). Like the 5DIII, you can now adjust the audio level while shooting video. While the in-camera microphone is mono, an optional external mic can record in stereo.

Canon 7D eos firmware 2 2.0 update video movie sound audio recording level manual adjust

  • Option to rate images (1 to 5 stars). You can now rate your images in-camera, which can help you to get a head start on editing.
  • Added option to Jump through images by Rating. The rating can also be used in conjunction with Image Jump or when putting together a slide show.
  • Quicker scrolling of magnified image view during playback. This is an unexpected but welcomed update to help make in-camera image review a bit easier.
  • Quick Control screen during playback to easily access various image options. The various Quick Control screens can often be the quickest and easiest way to access and change a variety of settings and features. The camera has now added a convenient Quick Control Screen for image playback. When reviewing an image, or when in Live View or Movie Shooting Modes, pressing the [Q] Button will bring up Quick Control screens specific to those operations. The Playback Quick Control Screen allows you to easily access image functions including Protect, Rotate, Rating, RAW image processing, Resize JPEG, Highlight Alert, AF Point Display, and Image Jump. During Live View shooting, you can quickly access Auto Lighting Optimizer and the image recording quality by pressing the [Q] Button. During Movie shooting, pressing the [Q] Button will allow you to quickly access similar functions as with Live View plus the movie recording size setting.

Canon 7D eos firmware 2 2.0 update quick control rating q screen

  • RAW image processing in-camera. Now you can process RAW images in-camera and then save them as JPEG images. This is useful if you need to quickly output a processed file, and you can apply a White Balance, Picture Style (and adjust its variables), Auto Lighting Optimizer, High ISO Speed Noise Reduction, choose the JPEG Image Quality output, select the Color Space (sRGB, AdobeRGB), and utilize Peripheral Illumination, Distortion, and Lens Aberration corrections.

Canon 7D eos firmware 2 2.0 update raw processing in camera

  • Ability to resize JPEG images in-camera. This new menu item can be used to resize (reduce only) a JPEG image in-camera, which could be useful if you need to quickly output a smaller JPEG file (with lower pixel count). You can also use the [Q] Button during image playback to quickly access Resize.
  • GPS settings menu and added compatibility with optional Canon GPS device. The 7D is now compatible with the optional Canon GPS Receiver GP-E2, which will allow you to record location information as part of the EXIF data of your image including elevation, direction, longitude, and latitude.

My e-book camera guide Canon 7D Experience is being updated to incorporate all the EOS 7D Firmware 2 updates. If you have already bought the guide from my Full Stop website or from Amazon you will be contacted about how to obtain the revised guide. This updated guide, perhaps the only Canon 7D guide incorporating Firmware 2 additions, should be available by mid-August.

Canon EOS 7d manual guide book firmware 2 update 2.0

The First User’s Guide to the Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D Now Available!

Canon T4i / 650D Experience, my most recent Full Stop dSLR e-book and the first available user’s guide to the T4i / 650D, goes beyond the manual to help you learn the features, settings, and controls of the advanced and versatile T4i / 650D, plus most importantly how, when, and why to use the functions, settings, and controls in your photography.

Written in the clear, concise, and comprehensive style of all Full Stop guides, Canon T4i / 650D Experience will help you learn to use your Canon T4i / 650D quickly and competently, to consistently create the types of images you want to capture. The e-book is available in PDF format for reading on your computer, e-reader, or tablet.

Learn more about it, preview it, and purchase it here:
http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_T4i_Experience.htm

As one reader has said about the previous Canon T3i Experience e-book:A Must-Have Accessory – What a great addition to my bag. This is a well written, full body of work that explains, in plain English, how to get the most out of my new camera.  Doug provides the knowledge and experience to bring you to the next level.  I look forward to learning more every time I open the book.”

Take control of your Rebel T4i / EOS 650D, the image taking process, and the photos you create!

Canon Rebel T4i 650D book ebook manual guide tutorial instruction bible how to dummies field EOS

For beginner, intermediate and enthusiast photographers:  This Canon T4i / 650D e-book is for those who wish to get more out of their camera and to go beyond Auto+ and Program modes and shoot in Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual (M) modes. To get your camera set up, it begins with explanations and recommended settings for all Menu settings, Custom Function options, and Movie Mode Menu settings of the T4i / 650D.  It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, and explains more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and making use of the camera’s new multi-shot exposure modes.

Canon T4i / 650D Experience focuses on still-photography with an introduction to the movie menus and settings to get you up and running with video. Sections include:

  • Setting Up Your Camera – All of the Menu settings and Custom Function settings for the T4i / 650D, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the advanced features of this dSLR to work best for the way you photograph.
  • Camera Controls – Description of all of the camera’s controls, plus when and why to use them, including how to take advantage of the new Touch Screen and Quick Control settings screens.
  • Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual (M) Modes – How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field, freeze or express motion, or take total control over exposure settings.
  • Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes – How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock and back-button focusing.
  • Exposure Metering Modes of the Canon T4i / 650D – How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
  • Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance – Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
  • Lenses – Explanation of Canon lenses and choosing your next lens.
  • Composition – Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
  • The Image Taking Process – A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take still and action photos.
  • Photography Accessories – The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography including those specific to this camera, plus recommended photography books.
  • Introduction to Video Settings – Some basic settings to get you started.

This digital guide to the Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D is a 165 page illustrated e-book that goes beyond the manual to explain how, when, and why to use the features, settings, and controls of the T4i / 650D to help you get the most from your camera.

Learn more about Canon T4i / 650D Experience e book manual for the Rebel T4i / EOS 650D on my Full Stop website here:

http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_T4i_Experience.htm

 

Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D Hands-On

I’ve had a chance to get some hands-on time with the new Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650 as I’ve been working on my e-book user’s guide for the camera, Canon T4i / 650D Experience.  While the T4i shares the outward appearance and many of the features of its predecessor the T3i (and the T2i as well), if definitely has something new to offer.  Its improved autofocusing system for viewfinder shooting, its revamped AF modes for continuous movie shooting, its faster maximum continuous shooting rate, and its touch-screen all contribute to the T4i being a dramatic leap over the prior uninspired T2i/ T3i improvements.

I wrote about all the new features of the T4i and what they will mean for real life camera use in a recent post, Introduction to the Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D, so please have a look at that.  I will speak a little bit here about my thoughts on actually using these features.

Trickle-Down Features: The new Canon Rebel T4i / 600D demonstrates a significant leap in this “trickle-down” trend by taking the all-cross-type 9 point autofocus system and faster continuous shooting speed from the 60D and introducing these to the Rebel line. Although these previous omissions were seemingly necessary to differentiate the Rebels from the mid-level 50D/ 60D line, they resulted in two of the few but important “shortcomings” of the Rebels: they always had a less precise autofocus system with only one cross-type AF point (the center one), and a slower frames-per-second maximum continuous shooting speed. (Learn more about why cross-type points are so great just below.) Now with these improved features, the differences between the T4i and the mid-level 60D have been significantly reduced. (The 60D still offers additional external buttons and controls, slightly more rugged build and weatherproofing, and additional Custom Function options.)

All New LCD and Movie Focus: In addition, the T4i adds a first for a Canon dSLR: a touch-screen LCD that can be used for settings selection, image review, menu navigation, and even autofocusing or shutter release in Live View. Plus it offers a totally revamped hybrid autofocus system for Live View and Movie shooting that makes use of phase detection and contrast detect, allowing for another Canon dSLR first: continuous autofocus during Live View and Movie shooting. The phase detection aspect of the new AF system allows the camera to determine both the out-of-focus distance and the direction in which to correct, finally eliminating the slow and awkward focus hunting of previous models. Add one of the new “step motor” STM lenses such as the 18-135mm kit lens or the 40mm “pancake” and the lens will now silently focus during movie shooting, thus eliminating the autofocus motor noise previously picked up by the camera’s microphone. (Did I mention the built-in mic is now a stereo mic! And there is a stereo mic input jack.) Plus the image stabilization of the 18-35mm EF-S IS STM lens is designed to counteract camera shake caused by walking while shooting video.

All Cross-Type AF Points:  Cross-type autofocus points are more accurate and more desired because they can grab focus on a wider range of subjects. If your non-cross-type point is oriented only in the vertical direction, and you aim it at a subject displaying a strong line also also in the vertical direction (such as the side of a door frame) it will not be able to detect the line or a change in contrast, and will not be able to focus. Aim it at the strong horizontal line of the top of the door, and it will lock right on. (learn more about autofocus concepts here.)

So the fact that the T4i uses cross-type AF sensors for all 9 AF points means that the autofocus system is significantly more accurate, and you can confidently use not just the center AF point but all the outer points as well to focus on or track a subject. Not to mention that the center AF point is now also an even more accurate diagonal cross-type sensor when using an f/2.8 lens.

Faster Frame Rate: The T4i now boasts a more rapid 5 frames per second maximum continuous shooting speed, and incorporates the speedy Digic 5 processor, narrowing another major difference with the mid-level 60D. These features will allow you to capture quicker shots in a burst thus giving you the greater possibility of capturing just the right moment of action or the best facial expression or pose.

As mentioned, the Canon T4i also finally brings us great quality touch-sensitive (not old-fashioned pressure-sensitive) touch-screen capabilities on a Canon dSLR (with smear-resistance!). You can select and change your settings on the Quick Control Screen (Q Screen) simply by touching your choice, or use it to tell the camera where to focus during Live View shooting. It can also be used to navigate the menus, and during image playback you can easily swipe and zoom with iPhone-like multi-touch motions and response. Early reports indicate that the screen responds incredibly well, and the graphic layout of icons and options make it easy to use. This 1 million pixel LCD screen is fully articulating, as with the T3i and 60D.

New Live View/ Movie AF Modes: So in addition to the upgraded AF system during stills shooting, Canon has modified the Live View and Movie Shooting autofocus system, which now offers Face Detection+Tracking, FlexiZone-Multi, and FlexiZone-Single AF modes rather than the previous Quick, Live, and Face AF Modes. Quick Mode AF is still also available for Live View shooting. (With Quick Mode you use the 9 auto focus points, similar to the viewfinder AF Points, as displayed on the LCD Monitor. But since the camera is using the autofocus sensor to focus, it momentarily interrupts the Live View on the LCD Monitor when it flips the mirror back down to access the AF sensor.)

All of these features contribute to the T4i / 650D being quite an amazing consumer level camera. In most ways it is a higher-quality, more capable camera that the pro-sumer 50D of just a few years ago, and it will definitely fulfill the needs and expectations of most any enthusiast shooter. The only reasons one would need to step up to the 60D would be if you need more direct access to controls, buttons, and settings on the body of the camera in order to change and adjust settings on the fly, if you needed a slightly more rugged and dust/water-proof body, and wanted greater ability to customize the controls and functions of the camera with its additional Custom Functions.

Borrowing from the 5D MkIII:  The specs also note that due to the faster Digic 5 processor, the T4i has Lens Aberration Correction and Chromatic Aberration Correction features as first seen on the 5D3, as well as a new Ambient Light Correction.

Canon Rebel T4i EOS 650D mode dial
Note the additional Mode Dial options and Power Switch change (Movie Shooting Mode) to the Canon T4i (image courtesy of Canon USA)

Some Extras: And in addition to the standard Creative Zone shooting modes (Av, Tv, P, M) and the Basic Zone modes (Flash Off, Creative Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait) the T4i eliminates the Automatic Depth of Field mode on the dial and adds Night shooting without a tripod and HDR backlight compensation. Movie Shooting mode is removed from the Shooting Mode dial and is added to the On-Off switch. The T4i includes the Auto+ Shooting Mode (Scene Intelligent Auto) introduced on the T3i and even used on the 5D Mark III, where the camera analyzes the specific scene in order to automatically determine the best and most appropriate exposure, white balance, Picture Style, focus, and other settings.

The T4i shares the same battery (the LP-E8) and the same battery grip (the BG-E8) as the T3i and T2i. The fun filter (Creative Filters) effects introduced in the previous models (including Grainy Black and White, Soft Focus, Fish-eye Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Miniature Effect) are all still available, plus a couple new ones such as Water Painting and Art Bold.

Canon Rebel T4i / 650D vs. EOS 60D

Canon Rebel T4i vs. EOS 60D

I first introduced and discussed the new Canon Rebel T4i in this recent post, Introduction the the Canon Rebel T4i.  I encourage you to read that first to learn about all the features of the T4i. Then you may be wondering about how to choose between the T4i vs. the Canon EOS 60D, so I go into more detail about that here:

The predecessor to the T4i, the T3i, shared several important features with the 60D including the same 18 MP image sensor and the 63 zone exposure metering mode, both allowing you to get great, high-quality, well exposed images even in challenging lighting situations.  However, the T3i lacked a couple critical features that dedicated enthusiast photographers might eventually find that they would need, even if they weren’t ready or knowledgeable enough to use them right away.  They might have found that the less accurate autofocus system was eventually not up to their needs and that the slower continuous shooting speed limited the moments they could capture.

Canon Rebel T4i EOS 650D unbox unboxing compare vs T3i 60D choose decide

As I discussed above, the new Canon Rebel T4i / 600D demonstrates a significant leap in the “trickle-down” trend by borrowing several additional important features from the 60D, including the more accurate all-cross-type 9 point autofocus system and 5 frames per second, faster continuous shooting speed.  The fact that both of these cameras, the T4i and 60D, now share numerous key features, it is obviously a challenge to decide between them.

There are still a few features, however, that may help you decide one way or the other. The T4i has added continuous autofocusing while shooting video and a couple new Movie autofocus modes to best make use of this.  If you intend to shoot lots of video with your camera, this could be an important deciding factor. The T4i also adds a Touch Screen, allowing you to change settings, navigate menus, and browse through images with iPhone-like multi-touch gestures.  This isn’t a vital feature for taking better images, but it may be a convenience issue that makes a difference.

But the 60D still holds some important advantages for those who intend to be serious and dedicated to their photography, and who wish to use their camera as a versatile tool to fit with how they shoot. The 60D still offers a bigger and brighter viewfinder, additional external buttons and controls which makes changing camera settings on the fly much quicker and easier.  For example it has the metering mode, autofocus mode, etc. buttons right on top for easy access, plus the large Quick Control Dial on the rear of the camera to quickly change exposure compensation or to help with changing settings and rapidly moving through menus, and the all-important AF-ON button allowing more control over autofocus operation.

The 60D also has a slightly more rugged build than the T4i and some amount of weatherproofing seals, where the T4i basically has none.  Even more importantly, the 60D boasts additional Custom Function options, which will allow you to customize the camera and its functions to operate  exactly how you want them to: Safety Shift, Bracketing Sequence, ISO increments at 1/2 or 1/3 rather than full stops, dial direction reversal.  While some of these options may not seem important to the casual user, the heavy-duty user will find them indispensable in increasing their efficiency and deceasing their aggravation. And due to some of the additional features/ controls and stronger build, the body of the 60D is larger, feels sturdier, and is better balanced with the larger heavier lenses that a more dedicated photographer will likely be using sooner or later.

Important Firmware Update to the Canon 7D

It has been reported that Canon will soon be releasing an important firmware update for the Canon EOS 7D.  Unlike most firmware updates that correct a little bug and a typo in one of the foreign language menus, this update will add a considerable amount of features that were recently included in the Canon 5D Mark III.  These include:

IMPROVED RAW MAXIMUM BURST
Increasing the maximum burst when shooting RAW images from 15 fps to 26 RAW frames in a singlecontinuous burst.

IN-CAMERA RAW CONVERSION
Post-processing of RAW images in-camera, including adjusting or setting the white balance, Picture Style, High ISO Noise Reduction, Color Space (AdobeRGB/sRGB) and lens corrections (Peripheral Illumination Correction, Chromatic Aberration Correction, and distortion correction).

The file can then be saved as a JPEG for immediate output and use.

IMAGE RATING CAPABILITIES
Rate your images in-camera, from 1 to 5 stars.  This feature speeds up the process of sorting and organizing images when you return to your computer and begin to work in Adobe Bridge, Apple Aperture, etc.

AUTO ISO MAXIMUM SETTING
Set the maximum ISO that the camera will use while working in Auto ISO, between 400-6400 (inclusive).

MANUAL ADJUSTMENT FOR AUDIO RECORDING LEVELS
Manually adjust the audio recording level while shooting video, as well as the volume during playback.

JPEG RESIZING
Resize (downsize) a JPEG image in-camera and save it as a separate image, for easy immediate output and use.

SUPPORT FOR THE GP-E2 GPS UNIT
Use the new Canon GP-E2 GPS unit to geo-tag your images.

QUICK CONTROL DURING PLAYBACK
Press the Q Button during image playback to quickly access several options including Protect Image, Rotate, Rate, Resize, Highlight Alert, AF Point Display, and Image Jump.

FILE NAME SETTING
This adds the ability to change the naming convention of file name prefixes, so that instead of an image file being named IMG_xxxx, it can now be anything you wish such as DJK1xxxx or 7D12xxxx.  The second option of this feature allows you to change just the first three letters of the name, and the third letter will reflect the file size setting, such as IMGL0025.JPG for Large JPEG files or IMGL0025.CR2 for large RAW files.

TIME ZONE SETTING
Set your time zone with the option to adjust for daylight savings time.

FASTER SCROLLING OF MAGNIFIED IMAGES
When reviewing an image during playback, this will allow you to scan around a magnified image quicker.

~ ~ ~

Be sure to check the Canon 7D page under Drivers and Software to see when this update has been released.

~ ~ ~

Canon 7D Experience e-book guide to the 7D – If you are looking to take full control of your Canon EOS 7D and the images you create, be sure to have a looks at my e-book guide Canon 7D Experience.  Since I publish only in e-book form, this may be the only book that will be able to quickly incorporate these major changes to the menus and features of the camera!  I will send out an update supplement to all those who have purchased the PDF version of Canon 7D Experience, and I will incorporate all the changes in an updated version of the guide, so that all new readers will obtain the latest information.

Canon EOS 7d manual guide book firmware 2 update 2.0

Introduction to the Canon Rebel T4i / 650D

Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D:

(After learning about the features of the new T4i here, see this other post for a comparison of the Canon Rebel T4i vs. EOS 60D)

Each year as Canon updates its high end Rebel (or xxxD) model, they borrow additional features from their more advanced (and more expensive) dSLR cameras, resulting in higher and higher quality consumer models that incorporate previous “pro” and “pro-sumer” features. The T2i then T3i added the improved 63 zone exposure metering system, 18 megapixel sensor, wireless controlled external flash, and full HD video of the pro-sumer models, plus threw in some additional menu items, custom function options, and in-camera processing features that were lacking in previous Rebels.

Canon Rebel T4i EOS 650D features compare
The Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D (image by the author)

Trickle-Down Features: The new Canon Rebel T4i / 650D demonstrates a significant leap in this “trickle-down” trend by taking the all-cross-type 9 point autofocus system and faster continuous shooting speed from the 60D and introducing these to the Rebel line. Although these previous omissions were seemingly necessary to differentiate the Rebels from the mid-level 50D/ 60D line, they resulted in two of the few but important “shortcomings” of the Rebels: they always had a less precise autofocus system with only one cross-type AF point (the center one), and a slower frames-per-second maximum continuous shooting speed. (Learn more about why cross-type points are so great just below.) Now with these improved features, the differences between the T4i and the mid-level 60D have been significantly reduced. (The 60D still offers additional external buttons and controls, slightly more rugged build and weatherproofing, and additional Custom Function options.)

All New LCD and Movie Focus: In addition, the T4i adds a first for a Canon dSLR: a touch-screen LCD that can be used for settings selection, image review, menu navigation, and even autofocusing or shutter release in Live View. Plus it offers a totally revamped hybrid autofocus system for Live View and Movie shooting that makes use of phase detection and contrast detect, allowing for another Canon dSLR first: continuous autofocus during Live View and Movie shooting. The phase detection aspect of the new AF system allows the camera to determine both the out-of-focus distance and the direction in which to correct, finally eliminating the slow and awkward focus hunting of previous models. Add one of the new “step motor” STM lenses such as the 18-135mm kit lens or the 40mm “pancake” and the lens will now silently focus during movie shooting, thus eliminating the autofocus motor noise previously picked up by the camera’s microphone. (Did I mention the built-in mic is now a stereo mic! And there is a stereo mic input jack.) Plus the image stabilization of the 18-135mm EF-S IS STM lens is designed to counteract camera shake caused by walking while shooting video.

Canon T4i EOS 650D Rebel T3i autofocus viewfinder 9 point cross type
Simulated view of the Canon T3i/ T4i viewfinder with 9 autofocus (AF) points. (Image by author)

All Cross-Type AF Points:  Cross-type autofocus points are more accurate and more desired because they can grab focus on a wider range of subjects. If your non-cross-type point is oriented only in the vertical direction, and you aim it at a subject displaying a strong line also also in the vertical direction (such as the side of a door frame) it will not be able to detect the line or a change in contrast, and will not be able to focus. Aim it at the strong horizontal line of the top of the door, and it will lock right on. (learn more about autofocus concepts here.)

So the fact that the T4i uses cross-type AF sensors for all 9 AF points means that the autofocus system is significantly more accurate, and you can confidently use not just the center AF point but all the outer points as well to focus on or track a subject. Not to mention that the center AF point is now also an even more accurate diagonal cross-type sensor when using an f/2.8 lens.

Faster Frame Rate: The T4i now boasts a more rapid 5 frames per second maximum continuous shooting speed, and incorporates the speedy Digic 5 processor, narrowing another major difference with the mid-level 60D. These features will allow you to capture quicker shots in a burst thus giving you the greater possibility of capturing just the right moment of action or the best facial expression or pose.

As mentioned, the Canon T4i also finally brings us great quality touch-sensitive (not old-fashioned pressure-sensitive) touch-screen capabilities on a Canon dSLR (with smear-resistance!). You can select and change your settings on the Quick Control Screen (Q Screen) simply by touching your choice, or use it to tell the camera where to focus during Live View shooting. It can also be used to navigate the menus, and during image playback you can easily swipe and zoom with iPhone-like multi-touch motions and response. Early reports indicate that the screen responds incredibly well, and the graphic layout of icons and options make it easy to use. This 1 million pixel LCD screen is fully articulating, as with the T3i and 60D.

New Live View/ Movie AF Modes: So in addition to the upgraded AF system during stills shooting, Canon has modified the Live View and Movie Shooting autofocus system, which now offers Face Detection+Tracking, FlexiZone-Multi, and FlexiZone-Single AF modes rather than the previous Quick, Live, and Face AF Modes. Quick Mode AF is still also available for Live View shooting. (With Quick Mode you use the 9 auto focus points, similar to the viewfinder AF Points, as displayed on the LCD Monitor. But since the camera is using the autofocus sensor to focus, it momentarily interrupts the Live View on the LCD Monitor when it flips the mirror back down to access the AF sensor.)

All of these features contribute to the T4i / 650D being quite an amazing consumer level camera. In most ways it is a higher-quality, more capable camera that the pro-sumer 50D of just a few years ago, and it will definitely fulfill the needs and expectations of most any enthusiast shooter. The only reasons one would need to step up to the 60D would be if you need more direct access to controls, buttons, and settings on the body of the camera in order to change and adjust settings on the fly, if you needed a slightly more rugged and dust/water-proof body, and wanted greater ability to customize the controls and functions of the camera with its additional Custom Functions.

Borrowing from the 5D MkIII:  The specs also note that due to the faster Digic 5 processor, the T4i has Lens Aberration Correction and Chromatic Aberration Correction features as first seen on the 5D3, as well as a new Ambient Light Correction.

Canon Rebel T4i EOS 650D mode dial
Note the additional Mode Dial options and Power Switch change (Movie Shooting Mode) to the Canon T4i (image courtesy of Canon USA)

Some Extras: And in addition to the standard Creative Zone shooting modes (Av, Tv, P, M) and the Basic Zone modes (Flash Off, Creative Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait) the T4i eliminates the Automatic Depth of Field mode on the dial and adds Night shooting without a tripod and HDR backlight compensation. Movie Shooting mode is removed from the Shooting Mode dial and is added to the On-Off switch. The T4i includes the Auto+ Shooting Mode (Scene Intelligent Auto) introduced on the T3i and even used on the 5D Mark III, where the camera analyzes the specific scene in order to automatically determine the best and most appropriate exposure, white balance, Picture Style, focus, and other settings.

The T4i shares the same battery (the LP-E8) and the same battery grip (the BG-E8) as the T3i and T2i. The fun filter (Creative Filters) effects introduced in the previous models (including Grainy Black and White, Soft Focus, Fish-eye Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Miniature Effect) are all still available, plus a couple new ones such as Water Painting and Art Bold.

Order your T4i from Amazon or B and H Photo today:

(If you plan to purchase the T4i, or any photo equipment or books etc., I encourage you to do so through these referral links. While your price will be the same, they will give me a little something for the referral, which helps to support my blog and my work – thanks!  I appreciate your support!)

Canon T4i from Amazon – body only, 18-55mm kit, or new 18-135mm STM kit

Canon T4i from B&H Photo – body only, 18-55mm kit, or new 18-135mm STM kit



Remember to check out this other post for a comparison of the Canon Rebel T4i vs. EOS 60D.

For a full list of Rebel T4i / EOS 650D specifications and features, have a look here:

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_rebel_t4i_18_135mm_is_stm_lens_kit#Specifications

 

Top Tips and Tricks for the Canon 5D Mark III

OK, I admit, I’m being a bit deceptive.  While this post will include “tips” for taking full advantage of the Canon EOS 5D Mk III, it won’t really contain any “tricks.”  That is because with digital photography, especially a camera as powerful and complex as the 5D3, there really aren’t any tricksTricks implies shortcuts, and to paraphrase Euclid, there is no royal road to dSLR photography.  Instead there are techniques and camera controls that can and should be learned.  These will then allow you to adapt not just to a specific situation or emulate a certain image or style, but will give you the tools and knowledge to adapt to any situation and create the images you desire.

I spent several intimate weeks with the Canon 5D Mk III as I researched and wrote my dSLR camera guide, Canon 5D Mark III Experience, the first (and hopefully best!) book available for the 5D Mk III.  In the process I learned and discovered a few obvious and not so obvious things about the 5D3 that will help you get the most from your camera.

Canon 5D mark III mk 3 Experience e book tips tricks how to learn manual guide instruction
Detail of the Canon 5D Mark III

Learn and Take Advantage of the Autofocus System

First and foremost is to learn, understand, and make full use of the new 61 Point autofocus system.  This powerful and highly customizable AF system will allow you to capture more sharp images of a variety of moving subjects which was not previously possible with the 5DII, or even the 7D.  But to do this you will need to take control of it in order to focus on, or begin tracking, your intended subject.  This involves making use of the AF Modes as well as the AF Area Selection Modes and AF Points.

For moving subjects you can then employ the AF Cases and their settings to let the camera know what to expect as far as subject movement.  AF subject tracking works in part by predicting where the subject will be when the Shutter is pressed, so if the camera knows the subject is going to be moving erratically about the frame and changing its rate of speed, then it can take measures to better follow this than if it is set for a subject that is expected to move smoothly at a steady rate.  Ten tips could easily be written about the autofocus system alone, but I will limit it to a few (my e-book guide Canon 5D Mark III Experience contains extensive explanation of the AF system and all its elements, if you wish to learn it inside and out.)

Canon 5d mark iii mk 3 auto focus autofocus 61 af point select
Simulated image of the Canon 5D Mark III viewfinder showing the 61 autofocus points, with the desired AF Point shown as the larger black square.

One of the essential steps in taking a successful and sharp photo is controlling where the camera autofocuses.  If you allow the camera to autofocus by automatically choosing its own focus point(s) (such as in Auto+ Shooting Mode or with One-Shot AF Mode and Auto Selection – 61 Point AF Area Selection Mode) it typically focuses on the closest object.  This may or may not be what you want to focus on, so you should select or at least narrow down where the camera focuses using the autofocus AF Points or Zones.  By doing so you are telling the camera exactly where to autofocus or to look to find a moving subject to track.  For example, you often want to focus on a subject’s eyes, but if you allow the camera to choose the autofocus point itself, it may select another part of the face, or somewhere else on the body, or even a raised hand that is nearer to the camera than the face to focus most sharply on.  If you are capturing an image of a bird in a tree, the camera has no idea you want the autofocus system to zero in on the bird so that it is in sharp focus and not the branches or leaves near it or the perhaps even the leaves closer to you.

You will select an AF Mode based on whether the subject is still or moving, and select an AF Area Selection Mode based on how large of an area you want the camera to look at to find your intended subject – ranging from a small spot to a wider Zone to all the available 61 AF Points.  You can set the AF Modes and AF Area Selection Modes in a variety of combinations based on what and how you are shooting.

Activate all the Available AF Area Selection Modes at first and experiment with them all.  Then if you decide that you will never or rarely use one or more of them, de-activate those modes so that you don’t have to “click” through them every time to select your desired mode.

canon 5d mark III mk 3 autofocus auto focus af point zone 61 af area selection mode
Available AF Area Selection Modes of the Canon 5D Mark III

Spot AF is Not Necessarily More Accurate than Single-Point AF.  You may be inclined to use Spot AF all the time, assuming it will be more accurate than Single-Point AF, but this is not advised.  Spot AF is designed for specific situations and autofocusing challenges, where you need to focus on a very precise area and avoid any surrounding or foreground objects that the AF system may otherwise lock onto.  This can include making sure you zero-in on a bird that is sitting among leaves and branches, or perhaps shooting through a fence to a subject beyond.  In those situations you may find that Single-Point AF searches back and forth between the near leaves/ fence and the further subject, because the area it is looking at to find the subject encompasses both potential subjects.  Spot AF will allow you to target in on a more precise area.  Although Spot AF is indicated in the Viewfinder by the tiny square within the larger selected AF Point square, Spot AF will actually pinpoint the focus to an area about the size of the larger square.

So while Spot AF will be more accurate in certain situations as described, it should not be used for general use.  Because it is so precise, the area it looks at to find contrast or a detail on which to focus may be an area of solid color.  For example if you used Spot AF to quickly focus on the general cheek and eye area of a face, it may be aimed at an area of skin without contrast, whereas the Single-Point AF area might encompass the cheek and the eye and thus find enough contrast to be able to properly and quickly focus.

Decide How Many Selectable AF Points you wish to Choose From.  If you are coming from a Canon 5D Mark II, the 60D, or any number of other previous Canon dSLR cameras, you may be used to only having 9 AF Point to choose from.  If you still wish to manually select a specific point or zone, you may find that 61 points are a bit overwhelming at first.  Even if you are used to the 19 AF Points of the Canon 7D, you may not wish to suddenly jump up to 61 AF Points.  So you can limit the number of AF Points you wish to choose from to either 15 or 9, or to just the more accurate cross-type points.  Unfortunately, the 9 points are not in the nice diamond pattern of previous EOS cameras, but you may find them to be more manageable.

canon 5d mark III mk 3 auto foucs autofocus af mode point area selection 61 11
Limit your Selectable AF Points if 61 are too many to deal with.

Choose Your Priority when Working in AI Servo – Focus or Release.  You will need to tell the camera what your priority is when shooting in AI Servo AF mode – is it to ensure that the subject is in focus, or that the shutter is release immediately, whether or not the subject is in focus?  There are two menu items to set the priority for the first image and the second and subsequent images if shooting in Continuous Shooting Mode.

For AI Servo 1st Image Priority, Release priority will prioritize shutter release, or immediately capturing the initial shot at the possible expense of exact focus.  Generally when taking a photo, you are supposed to half-press the Shutter Button, allow the camera to focus, then continue the full-press of the Shutter Button to take the image.  If you simply “mash” down the Shutter Button, this setting will cause the camera to take the photo without bothering to focus first.  Sometimes when photographing sports, news, or events, capturing the “decisive moment” may take priority over exact focus.

Setting for Focus priority will prioritize focus for the first shot, ensuring that the subject is in focus before the picture is taken.  So when you fully press the Shutter Button, this setting may cause a brief, perhaps micro-seconds delay while the camera confirms focus before actually releasing the shutter.

Equal priority is a slight compromise between Release and Focus priorities.  It allows a brief (perhaps micro-seconds) pause for the camera to possibly find focus before releasing the shutter.  It does not guarantee that the image will be in focus, but merely gives it more of a chance to find focus.  It generally seems to make more sense to choose Release or Focus based on your priority.

Canon 5D mark III mk 3 custom setting function control multi controller direct autofocus point
AI Servo 1st Image Priority menu to determine if capturing the shot or getting the subject in-focus is the priority.

AI Servo 2nd Image Priority is similar except that it applies to the second and subsequent images in the burst.  Setting for Speed (Shooting speed priority) will prioritize shutter release, or continuing the high speed burst at the possible expense of exact focus.

Setting for Focus will prioritize focus tracking for the following shot(s), ensuring that the subject is in focus as you continue to take the burst of images.  Again, this may cause a brief, perhaps micro-seconds delay while the camera confirms focus before releasing the shutter for each image.

Equal priority again allows a slight pause before each of the subsequent shots to perhaps give the camera time to find focus before releasing the shutter.  This pause may be slightly more pronounced when shooting in low light or low contrast situations.

These 1st Image Priority and 2nd Image Priority settings should be set in conjunction with each other, based on the type of situation you are photographing and thus your priorities.  Generally, it sharp images are your goal, you will want to set both for  Focus Priority.  You may sacrifice the maximum 6 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting speed (if you have the Drive Mode set for High Speed Continuous) as there might be a  couple micro-seconds or more delays as the camera ensures that the subject is in focus before taking the subsequent shots.  If you are capturing a “decisive moment” such as a runner at the finish line or a goal being scored, you will want to set one or both of the settings to Release Priority/ Speed Priority, but ensure somehow that you have pre-focused on the subject distance so the result is not wildly out of focus.  Again, I go into much more detail about the various combinations and when to make use of them in my e-book.

Set the Custom Controls for Multi-Controller Direct.  This will allow you to manually select your AF Point or Zone more quickly by simply toggling the Multi-Controller thumb joystick, without having to first press the AF Point Selection Button.  You have probably noticed, to the dismay of your muscle memory, that the AF Point Selection Button no longer controls image zoom.  This is because there are many more image review options that are now made possible by Comparative Playback (side by side image review), discussed just below.

canon 5d mark iii mk 3 multi controller direct af auto focus autofocus point select

canon 5d mark iii mk 3 auto focus autofocus multi controller direct af point select zone control custom function setting
Set the Multi-Controller for AF Point Direct Selection for ease and speed.

Take Advantage of Comparative Playback (Side by Side Image Review).  Of course you can instantly review the image you just captured on the rear LCD Monitor, but the 5D Mk III now also offers Comparative Image Playback Mode (Two-Image Display) which gives you the ability to simultaneously compare two images or two different sections of the same image.  Whereas before, one would have to “flip” back and forth between two images and navigate around the images, this feature allows for some extremely helpful and flexible image analysis that was previously only possible once you were back at your computer.

To enter Comparative Playback Mode during image playback or review, press the Creative Photo / Comparative Playback Button (at the top of the row on the left of the camera back), which is also indicated by the side-by-side blue squares icon for side-by-side image playback.  Use the SET Button to highlight which of the two image windows you wish to navigate, then use the Quick Control Dial or Main Dial to scroll or jump to the desired image, the Magnify Button followed by the top Main Dial to zoom in or out of the selected image, and the Multi-Controller to navigate around the selected image frame.  You can press the INFO Button repeatedly to change the Shooting Information Display in order to view shooting information and/ or the Histograms.  If you zoom in on a specific area of one image and wish to zoom in on the other image to the same magnification and same area of the image, press the SET Button to switch to the other image window, then press the [Q] Button.  Also, press and hold the Playback Button to view the highlighted image as a single, full-screen image.

canon 5d mark iii mk 3 view image lcd side by side comparative playback review rear screen
Comparative Playback Mode view of two different images, also showing the images’ Histograms.

There are several different viewing options and potential uses for Comparative Playback, whether you are simultaneously viewing two separate images or two areas of the same image.

-Display the active AF point(s).
-Preview alternate cropping guides.
-View the thumbnail plus the Luminance Histogram.
-View the thumbnail plus the RGB Histograms.
-View the thumbnail plus basic exposure information.

For two different images:
-Compare the compositions of two images simultaneously.
-Zoom in and simultaneously compare a specific area for focus or exposure.
-View the thumbnails along with histograms or basic exposure information of both images.

For the same image:
-Zoom in and simultaneously compare two separate areas of the same image to have a closer look at focus or exposure.
-View the entire image for overall composition while also zooming in to view an area of detail for focus or exposure (see Figure 61).

Set the Default Magnification for Image Review.  In order to immediately review your images according to your preferences, you should set the initial magnification and position that you will view an image during image review (Playback) when you press the Magnify Button.  You can set for no magnification (1x) and then use the top Main Dial to zoom in and out.  This can be handy if you have the image review set to initially show the Shooting Information Display with the Histogram.  Since the image in that view is a thumbnail, you can then press the Magnify Button to show the full size image.  After this initial zoom, you can then use the Main Dial to zoom in or out.

Or set for 2x, 4x, 8x, or 10x magnification and it will instantly zoom to that magnification when the Magnify Button is pressed.  Again, after this initial zoom, you can then use the Main Dial to zoom in or out.  Each of these magnifications will zoom from the center of the image.  Or you can set it to quickly zoom in to full size, 100% view of the pixels, zoomed into the AF Point where focus was achieved, using setting Actual size (from selected pt).  This can be useful to quickly check for precise focus, though note that if you focused with a selected AF Point and recomposed, it will zoom into the final position of that AF Point in the composition, not the actual position where you used it to focus on your subject.  But if you only recomposed slightly, it will often be easy to quickly navigate to the actual area of focus.  The setting Same as last magnif. (from ctr) will zoom in at the same magnification that you last viewed an image at, centered at the image center.

canon 5D mark III mk 3 magnify button lcd view zoom
Magnification menu to set how images are initially viewed during Playback when the Magnify Button is pressed.

 

I’m still putting this post together but wanted to share what I had already written.  Next week I will go into more detail about the tips below:

Turn on the Viewfinder Warnings

canon 5D mark III mk 3 viewfinder warning custom function setting

 

Auto Rotate Images in the Camera and on Your Computer

canon 5D mark III mk 3 auto rotate image view lcd

 

Use the Q Button for Quick Access to a Variety of Features for Still Images

canon 5d mark iii mk 3 q button control edit image view lcd

 

Make Use of the Silent Control Touch Pad and Q Button for Movie Shooting

canon 5d mark iii mk 3 movie video silent control touch pad q button menu

 

canon 5d mark iii mk 3 movie video silent control touch pad q button menu

 

All of the above information – and much, much more – can be found in Canon 5D Mark III Experience, my latest Full Stop dSLR user’s guide e book, which goes beyond the manual to help you learn the features, settings, and controls of the powerful and highly customizable EOS 5D Mk III, plus most importantly how, when, and why to use the functions, settings, and controls in your photography.

Written in the clear, concise, and comprehensive style of all Full Stop guides, Canon 5D Mark III Experience will help you learn to use your Canon 5D Mk 3 quickly and competently, to consistently create the types of images you want to capture. The e-book is available in either PDF, EPUB, or MOBI format for reading on any device.

Learn more about it, preview it, and purchase it here:
http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_5DMkIII_Experience.htm

As one Canon user has said about Full Stop guides, “I don’t know how I could fully take advantage of all the features the camera has to offer without this publication! It’s well-organized, easy to understand, and succinct enough to keep your attention while still containing a wealth of information to get the most out of your camera.”

Take control of your 5D Mk III, the image taking process, and the photos you create!

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 book ebook manual guide tutorial instruction bible how to dummies field EOS

 

The First Canon 5D Mark III e book user’s guide Now Available!

Canon 5D Mark III Experience is my latest Full Stop dSLR user’s guide e book, which goes beyond the manual to help you learn the features, settings, and controls of the powerful and highly customizable EOS 5D Mk III, plus most importantly how, when, and why to use the functions, settings, and controls in your photography.

Written in the clear, concise, and comprehensive style of all Full Stop guides, Canon 5D Mark III Experience will help you learn to use your Canon 5D Mk 3 quickly and competently, to consistently create the types of images you want to capture.  The e-book is available in either PDF, EPUB, or MOBI format for reading on any device.

Learn more about it, preview it, and purchase it here:
http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_5DMkIII_Experience.htm

As one Canon user has said about Full Stop guides, “I don’t know how I could fully take advantage of all the features the camera has to offer without this publication! It’s well-organized, easy to understand, and succinct enough to keep your attention while still containing a wealth of information to get the most out of your camera.”

Take control of your 5D Mk III, the image taking process, and the photos you create!

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 book ebook manual guide tutorial instruction bible how to dummies field EOS

For experienced photographers coming to the 5D Mk III from previous EOS models, this guide explains the new and advanced features to quickly get you up and running and taking advantage of these capabilities, including the new 61 Point Autofocus System and its Modes, Area Modes, Menu options and AF Case Presets. Plus it explains the new camera controls, the in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposures features, introduces the new video capabilities, and guides you through all the Menu and Custom Function items to help you set up the camera for your specific needs. This guide is also designed for Intermediate and Enthusiast dSLR Photographers who wish to take fuller advantage of the capabilities of the camera to go beyond Auto+ and P modes and shoot competently in Av, Tv, and M modes; take control of the sophisticated 61 point autofocus system; learn how, when, and why to use the controls, buttons, and features of the 5D Mk III, and much more. It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those learning digital SLR photography, and explains more advanced camera controls and operation such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image.

Canon 5D Mark III Experience focuses on still-photography with an introduction to the movie menus and settings to get you up and running with video. Sections include:

  • Setting Up Your 5D Mk III – Explanations of all of the Custom Function settings and Menu options, with recommended settings.
  • Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes – Taking control of the new 61 point autofocus system will enable you to successfully capture more sharp images in still and action situations. Learn the AF Modes, AF Area Modes, and AF Configuration Presets and how and when to take advantage of them.
  • Aperture (Av), Shutter (Tv), and Manual (M) Modes – How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field, freeze or express motion, or take total control over exposure settings.
  • Exposure Metering Modes – How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation.
  • Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance – Understanding these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
  • HDR Shooting mode and Multiple Exposure mode – Configure and use these new features.
  • The Image Taking Process – Descriptive tutorials.
  • Composition – Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
  • Lenses – Canon lens notations and choosing L series lenses.
  • Photography Accessories – Useful accessories for the 5D Mk III and for dSLR photography.
  • Introduction to Video Settings – Explanations of the settings and options to get you started.

This digital guide to the Canon 5D Mark III is a 195 page illustrated e-book that goes beyond the manual to explain how, when, and why to use the features, settings, and controls of the 5D Mark III to help you get the most from your camera.

Learn more about Canon 5D Mark III Experience e book manual for the EOS 5DIII, preview it, and purchase it on my Full Stop website here:
http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/Canon_5DMkIII_Experience.htm

 

A Response to Ken Rockwell’s Review of the Canon 5D Mark III

I just came across a certain review of the new Canon 5D Mark III and am compelled to respond.  It is one thing to write a critical review, but a whole other thing to list various perceived shortcomings and deficiencies that simply don’t actually exist in the camera.  After having spent several intimate weeks with the 5D Mk III (as I wrote the Canon 5D Mark III Experience camera guide), it is disappointing to then read about alleged issues and faults which actually don’t exist but were merely assumed by a reviewer because effort wasn’t put into reading the manual and properly learning the camera.

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 eos manual book ebook instruction how to guide dummies
Detail of the Canon 5D Mark III by dojoklo

I have put together a list of some of my responses.  KR quotes are in italics and blue, and my replies below them.

Slower Autofocus – With so much more to set, learn and get in the way, the new AF system will slow you down until you master it.  The 5D Mark III’s AF system is that is about ten times more complicated than earlier cameras. Now it will take you forever to learn how to use it, and if you do, you’ll discover that the Auto AF Area Select mode takes much longer to select which of the 61 points it feels like using, while the original 5D and the 5D Mark II instantly selected among their 9 points..

Yes, the sophisticated and highly customizable autofocus system of this professional camera needs to be fully learned and understood in order to take full advantage of it and to gain proficiency at using it.  But the AF system and menus are designed to be powerful yet easy to get the most from, and this proves to be true once the user puts some effort into learning and setting it up.  Then you will find that there are numerous solutions to quickly accessing it, changing it, and making full use of the Canon 5D Mk 3 autofocus system, including:

  • Limiting the number of selectable AF points in the AF4 menu to just 15, 9, or 41 cross-type (while all of the 61 AF Points will still be available for use by the camera to find, track, and capture subjects).
  • Setting up all the AF menu and Custom Function items initially to best suit your style of shooting and then not dealing with them anymore.
  • Or better yet, tweaking any of the Autofocus Case presets to your liking, then quickly choosing among the Cases based on your shooting situation.
  • Setting up your favorite combination of AF settings, modes, tracking settings, etc, which can then all be registered and called up with the press of the DOF button.
  • Adding any of the AF menu items to My Menu, setting My Menu to come up with one button push, then quickly accessing the AF menu items you need to change.

A different response to the Canon 5D Mk III autofocus system would be to marvel at the incredible, never-before-possible opportunities to customize and use a state-of-the-art AF system to track, retain focus, and capture shots that could not have previously been captured, through pre-setting the camera to be aware of the rates of speed and amount of erratic movement to expect from the subject, as well as take into account the user’s desire to either retain focus on a subject/ distance or to quickly be able to change to another subject/ distance.  Not to mention the various configurations of AF points and Zones which can be chosen to most accurately focus on and track a variety of subjects and situations.

AF is much more complicated, not necessary better than the original 5D and 5D Mark II.

Anyone who has used the 5D and 5DII autofocus system for more than 6 minutes and then used the 5DIII AF system will tell you that:

1. there were some major shortcomings with the 5D and 5DII autofocus, particularly in lower light, and

2. the AF speed, accuracy, and low light focusing abilities of the 5DIII are on a whole new performance level than those previous models.

It’s not any different from other AF cameras as far as low-light is concerned.

As indicated above, I found quite the opposite to be the case as, for example, I quickly and easily grabbed focus on a black furry face in incredibly dim lighting, which could never have been accomplished so easily with the 5D II or 50D:

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 low light high iso 25600
Canon 5D Mark III – 25,600 ISO, JPEG straight from camera.  25,600 ISO plus 1/640 plus f/1.4 will help indicate the light level.

The finder’s AF display is inferior. Instead of discrete LEDs that only blinked as needed, the Mark III’s new screen uses solid black LCD boxes that get in the way of seeing your subject’s subtleties — like when they smile.

The big, bright, glorious viewfinder of the 5D3 offers several options for how and when to display and/ or illuminate the AF points as they are seen in the viewfinder, including different options to have them visible and/ or blink just when used or needed, as listed below.  See the AF5 Menu, AF Point Display During Focus item as well as other menu items to set up exactly how and when they illuminate such as VF Display Illumination.

Selected (constant) – The selected AF Point (or points) is always visible, but not all of the other 61 AF Points.

All (constant) – All of the 61 AF Points are always visible.  Recommended:  this will make it easier to always know where the other points are for when you quickly need to select a different point.  These AF Points are typically too important to hide!

Selected (pre-AF, Focused) – The selected AF Point(s) is visible when the camera is ready to shoot even before you have started any AF operations, when you are selecting an AF Point or zone, and when focused is achieved by the camera (except when working in AI Servo AF mode).

Selected (focused) – The selected AF Point(s) is visible only when you are selecting an AF Point or zone, and when focus is achieved (except when working in AI Servo AF mode).

Disable display – The selected AF point(s) will only be displayed when selecting an AF Point or zone.

Plus you can turn the grid display off or on.  I myself find seeing all the AF points as well as the grid indispensable to taking full advantage of the AF system while keeping my framing straight and level.

The AF points are now poorly lit. An LED lights up the entire screen and sort of helps you see the dark LCD AF point boxes in the dark. The older cameras were much better.

Again, I did not find this to be the case, and had no problem making use of the AF points in the dark as I took these images.  In fact I rather enjoyed using the AF system in the dark as I shot these images, and marveled at how pleasant it made night shooting.  However, other 5D3 users have shared KR’s complaint regarding the black AF Points in dark situations, and it sounds like Canon is going to address this with a future firmware update.

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 multiple exposure low light high iso
Canon 5D Mark III – In-Camera Multiple Exposure feature

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 in camera HDR shooting mode low light
Canon 5D Mark III – In-camera HDR Shooting Mode – Art Embossed setting, +/-3 EV

No Highlight AND Shadow optimization – While all Nikons and the 5D Mark II can optimize both highlights and shadows at the same time, the 5D Mark III no longer can do this.

Auto Lighting Optimizer is designed to automatically adjust contrast and brightness and helps to maintain detail in both the shadow and highlight areas.  The new HDR shooting mode, when set to Natural, can also capture a wider range of shadows to highlights.  ALO and Highlight Tone Priority were never designed to be used simultaneously.

A huge defect in the 5D Mark III’s AF system is that no longer can I switch among the AF modes I use with one click, without stopping or taking my eye from my subject.

The DOF Button can be set to instantly switch between One-Shot and AI-Servo AF Modes on the 5D Mk III.  I’m not sure how one did this “one-click switch” with the Mk II in a way that can’t also be done with the Mk III.

No Zoomed-in Histogram – When you zoom, the histogram goes away.

With the new side-by-side Comparative Playback, you can view the entire image with histogram on one side of the screen, and a zoomed in detail from that image in the other window.

Not to mention that the incredibly versatile side-by-side image playback feature offers numerous other review and comparison opportunities never before available.

Impossible-to-set custom manual white balances – It still takes about ten steps to set a custom manual white balance.

Add Custom White Balance to My Menu and access it much faster.  Then take your WB photo, access Custom WB through My Menu, select that photo you just took, and set the camera WB setting to Custom with the quick press of a button and turn of a dial.  I count 4 steps to access an advanced feature that very few photographers employ on a regular basis.  Not really that hard.

No Custom White Balance Memories

True, but you could register the custom WB as part of one of the C1, C2, or C3 Custom Shooting Modes.

The Ratings button is a waste of a button, unless you really like to edit in-camera.

That may be true if you find you don’t use it.  I have unexpectedly grown fond of the Rating feature, and use it to save much time later when back at my computer.  In addition, the 5D Mk III offers an incredible amount of options for customizing the buttons and controls of the camera, as demonstrated by the grid of choices on pages 322-323 of the manual, plus several additional options discussed with the functions they control.

As I’m learning to use the AF system, I’ve realized that it will never make sense because the AF-Area settings were removed from the Quick Control screen. Now we always will have to look in two different places to set the AF Mode (AI SERVO, AI FOCUS or ONE SHOT), and someplace else to select the manner in which the various AF areas are used.

If you first press the INFO Button and access the Shooting Settings screen and then press any of the three setting-selection buttons on the top of camera (including AF Mode), you can view and change their settings on the rear LCD Monitor, also using either the Main Dial or the Quick Control Dial as you would when changing the function while viewing the top LCD Panel.  In other words, an amazingly awesome and handy Quick Control Screen specifically for each of the top button’s paired functions.  This will also work with the AF Point Selection Button after pressing the INFO Button and accessing the Shooting Settings screen, and then you can view and select an AF Area Selection Mode on its very own Quick Control Screen.  BUT, the reason that the 5D Mark III has buttons that the T3i does not have is so that a knowledgeable user can quickly and easily access these functions on the fly (such as AF Mode and AF Area Mode) without using a Quick Control Screen.  Sigh.

To learn much more about how to use and take advantage of all of the features, controls, and capabilities of the Canon 5D Mark III, have a look at my guide Canon 5D Mark III Experience.

Canon 5D Mark III Experience – The Still Photography Guide to Operation and Image Creation is an e-book user’s guide that goes beyond the manual to help you learn the features, settings, and controls of this sophisticated, powerful, and highly customizable camera.  Most importantly, it explains not only how but also when and why to use the features, settings, and controls in your photography.

Canon 5D Mark III mk 3 manual guide book dummies how to beginner intermediate advanceWritten in the clear, concise, and comprehensive manner of all Full Stop guides, Canon 5D Mark III Experience will help you learn to use your EOS 5D Mk III quickly and competently, to consistently create the types of images you want to capture.

As one Canon user has said about Full Stop guides:
“I don’t know how I could fully take advantage of all the features the camera has to offer without this publication!  It’s well-organized, easy to understand, and succinct enough to keep your attention while still containing a wealth of information to get the most out of your camera.”

Take control of your Canon 5D Mk III, and the images you create!