It may seem a bit late in this camera’s product cycle to be posting a setting up guide. However a succession of firmware updates have made this model more capable and more attractive to buyers who, like me, might have purchased an EOS R recently.
I suspect that some potential Canon buyers might have been hoping for the EOS R5 to arrive in the first half of 2020 but with Canon Japan head office and some factories now closed due to Covid-19 they might be waiting quite awhile longer.
All of which might mean that the EOS R will have to carry the flag for the RF mount longer than initially anticipated.
First lens
Of course you can mount any EF lens via the dedicated adapter but if we are considering just RF lenses, the choice is relatively uncomplicated.
I selected the RF 24-105mm f4 L which is priced at $1499 Australian today but can often be found on special for less. For the enthusiast/prosumer this is an excellent general purpose zoom which delivers very good results without being excessively large or expensive.
Professionals will go for the f2.8 trinity. These are the 15-35, 24-70 and 70-200mm. At today’s prices in Australia these three lenses can be had $12,097 plus filters if required.
Budget conscious users will be much more interested in the 24-240mm superzoom/travelzoom ($1299) and/or the 24-105mm f4.0-7.1 utility zoom ($699) which is about to reach the market as I write.
There is already something for everyone in the RF lens catalogue with more options promised for 2020 including compact primes.
Carry bag
The EOS R with RF 24-105 f4 zoom mounted fits nicely into a LowePro Apex 140 AW with handle up for easy access. There are many alternatives available.
Neck strap/wrist strap
Some camera buyers dutifully unpack the neck strap which comes in the box and attach it to the camera. I have not done this for 15 years as I think neck straps are a nuisance.
I use cheap generic wrist straps for all my cameras. They work fine and streamline the process of using the camera.
Spare battery
A spare Canon LP-E6N batter is a worthwhile investment. This is a version of the battery used by the EOS5.x series DSLRs. Mirrorless cameras use more power than DSLRs so the number of shots per battery will be less.
Firmware
Download and install FW 1.6 or later if any FW after 1.6 becomes available.
Memory card
With Servo AF operation and Continuous Drive Mode, performance is very influenced by card selection. I use a Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB 170MB/s UHS3 card.
The settings suggestions which follow are for stills photography. Video requires some different settings about which there are several posts and Youtube instruction tutorials available online from people who know a great deal more about video than me.
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| Canon has a reputation of getting colors right. My experience with the EOS R generally confirms this but there are occasional lapses such as the lorikeet's head which is actually blue but looks more purple on my (calibrated and profiled) monitor screen. |
Dial and button functions
Custom Menu 4
These are my preferred settings. They are offered for interest and may be a useful starting point for users new to Canon. Operation of the camera is decently straightforward with these settings.
Customize buttons:
Shutter Button: Default, AF/AE-L with half press and shutter release with full press.
Movie (red) button: Default, Movie.
M-fn button: Default, [Dial Function Settings]
LCD Illum: Default.
Mode: Default.
AF-ON: Default. Same as half press shutter button. Users who want to use the AF-ON button for back button focus can set the shutter button to [metering start only].
Star button: Q Menu (Upper button on the thumb support)
Magnify button: Menu (Lower button on the thumb support)
Lens control ring: Disable.
Cross keys: Move AF frame.
Set button: Center AF frame.
Customize dials: Default.
Customize M-Fn bar: Not assigned.
My Menu
On my Menu I have Format card, Expo.Comp./AEB, Silent shutter, [Camera] ISO speed settings.
Touch screen
Touch functions appear in several different places in the menus, some not entirely expected.
In Wrench Menu 3, Touch Control: Standard.
In Camera Menu 5 Touch shutter: Disable. Enable if you want the shutter to fire when you touch the screen.
In AF 1, Touch and drag AF settings: set Enable/ Relative/ Top Right.
Custom Modes
Wrench menu 6: Custom shooting mode {C1-C3)
The EOS R offers three Custom Modes. Each of these can memorise and recall many camera settings in a group. This allows the user to quickly reconfigure the camera in Prepare Phase with one action.
Here are my selections for information.
C1: Camera on tripod. (Stabiliser OFF at slider on lens). ISO 100, AF Method 1 -Point AF, Aperture Priority f8, One Shot AF operation, Drive Mode Self timer 2s, CRaw, AWB, Metering evaluative,
C2: Hand held panorama for later stitching in Photoshop. (MF at slider on lens) . ISO400, M mode 1/60s f8, Drive Mode single.
C3 Sport/action. P Mode, AFMethod Expand AF area-Around, AF Operation Servo, Drive Mode High speed continuous. Auto ISO Speed settings ISO speed Auto, Min. shutter spd. Auto, +3 Faster.
Menus
Canon menus are generally easy enough to understand with fewer complexities than some other brands.
I leave menu items at default unless indicated below.
If you get in a muddle, go to Wrench6 Clear all camera settings then Custom6 Clear all custom func.(C.Fn).
Wrench1 Auto rotate On
Wrench2 Eco mode Off, Sensor cleaning Auto at power off
Wrench4 Shooting Info.disp. Follow the prompts. Some users like lots of info on the screen other like an uncluttered view.
I use VF vertical display Off and Grid display off and I never have a histogram parked all over my image preview.
I have the focus distance displayed in MF.
Disp. Performance Smooth.
VF Display format Large.
Custom1 Exposure level increments 1/3, ISO speed setting increments 1 EV, Bracketing auto cancel On, Safety shift Off,
Custom3 I leave dial directions at default
Camera1 Image quality CRAW, Dual pixel raw disable, Image review Off.
Camera5 Long exp noise reduction Off, High ISO speed NR Off,
AF2 Focus guide On
AF3 For the present I leave Tracking sensitivity and the two options below this at default, mainly because I have not done sufficient research to make alternative settings.
AF4 AF assist beam firing Off
AF5 Orientation linked AF point On, Initial Servo AF pt for Face/Tracking at the topmost of the three options.
Playback3 Magnification (apx) Actual size.
And that’s about it for still photography..