Sydney city skyline early evening. Canon EOS R5 with EF 70-300mm lens. The original shows much more detail than this version which has been automatically downsized and compressed for Blogger.
The material in this post was first published as part of a previous post “Setting up the Canon EOS R5 for still photography” which you canread here.
However I have made several changes to the way I set up the buttons and dials hence this post dealing with customizing the buttons and dials and the Custom shooting modes.
The underlying concept of this setup is
a) I try to keep camera use as straightforward and the options as easy to remember as possible.
b) I use the camera for a wide range of different types of subject so I want to be able to shift gears quickly and easily.
It is all too easy to get lost in the options and combinations with a camera like this so I have made an effort to keep the process of using the camera as straightforward as possible in each use case.
* Customize buttons. This is where things start to get a bit complicated due to the huge number of options available. The best I can do is tell you what function I allocate to each programmable button and why. Button function allocation is likely to be a work in progress anyway with much experiment required.
* Shutter button. Here you have to decide whether you prefer back button focus or front button focus. There is a little brigade of YouTube promoters who swear by back button focussing. Others are more likely to swear at it.
For the record I use standard, old fashioned front button focus even for sport/action/BIF for the simple reason that making the picture requires me to press only one button, not two. I can get the effect of pressing the AF-ON button by simply half pressing the shutter button and holding it half pressed.
So I just leave shutter button function at default which is metering and AF start.
* Movie button, movie. It can be used for other things.
* Mode button, Mode.
* AF-ON button. I allocate [Eye detect AF] to this button. note [Eye detect AF] is different from [Eye detect]
To Explain: If I am using an AF Method other than [Face detect+tracking] then Eye detect focus is by default unavailable. But if I press the AF-ON button (to which I have assigned [Eye detect AF]) then the camera will search for an eye and if it finds one, focus on it.
The button function [Eye detect] is a toggle for use when the AF Method is set to [Face detect+Tracking]. It toggles [Eye detect] on and off as indicated by a notice on the monitor and in the EVF. I have no use for this as I always want eye detect to operate when face detect is on.
* AF Lock (*) button. I allocate [Dial function settings] to this button and [Servo AF/One shot AF] to the AF point button just to the right.
The logic of this is a bit convoluted but here we go:
What I really want is quick access to ISO via a button which easily located by feel in Prepare or Capture phase of use.
My thumb can reach the AE-L button more easily than the AF Point button.
One of the many options available for the AE-L button is ISO, BUT this option only enables a fixed ISO setting, not Auto ISO. So that doesn’t work for me at all.
However the first item on the [Dial function settings] list is ISO and this does enable selection of Auto ISO as well as a fixed number.
I use the AE-L button as my ISO button via the [Dial function settings] operation.
I sometimes want to switch quickly from one shot AF to servo AF so I allocate that to the AF point button.
What I have now is a row of buttons readily located and pressed by my right thumb with which I can control most of the settings I need to make in the Prepare phase of use.
* I allocate Drive mode to the DOF preview button on the front of the camera body.
* I have the lens AF stop button OFF. This can be used for a variety of things (if the lens has one) but the main thrust of my approach to setup is to create a control layout which is as simple and streamlined as possible to facilitate finger learning and reduce the likelihood of mistakes.
* The most easily accessed button other than the shutter button is the Multi-Function (M-Fn) button to which I allocate [Direct AF method selection] for fast access. I also disable some of the AF methods to reduce the number of clicks required to cycle through the options. I keep Face/eye detect/tracking, Spot, 1-Point, Expand AF area:Around, Zone AF.
* LCD panel illumination button, default.
* Set button, Set AF point to center. Press the thumb stick also returns AF point to the center.
* Multi-controllers (Thumb stick). Direct AF point selection. Note the thumb stick (Multi controllers) does not by default move the active AF area.
Now we come to Customize dials which is a less complex process.
* Front top dial (Main dial) Tv.
* Rear top dial (Quick control dial 2) Exposure compensation. By default exposure compensation goes to the back dial but I can use the top rear dial with fewer actions each less complex than the back dial.
* The back dial ( Quick control dial 1) does Av in M mode.
* The lens control ring I have off to simplify proceedings and prevent accidental activation.
I leave the remainder of the Custom functions at default.
Note about ISO settings and button/dial functions
This is an issue which has come up in user forums and which Canon needs to clarify in a firmware update. The current situation is confusing and in my view frustrating.
There are 4 ways to access ISO sensitivity setting:
1. Camera (red) menu > ISO speed settings (can be assigned to My Menu). This is too slow for changing settings in Capture Phase of use.
2. If I allocate [Dial Func] to a button (in Customize buttons) then the first item in the list which comes up when I press the button is ISO. I can now turn a dial to access Auto ISO or any set ISO speed at will, anytime. This is how I access ISO.
3. If I go to Customize dials and allocate [ISO] to a dial for direct access, I can set ISO 100 or more at any time but if I have pressed or half pressed the shutter button I have to wait until the meter times out (default is 8 sec) before I can set Auto ISO. This would be the most direct portal by which to access ISO except for the meter time-out provision which is a frustrating nuisance.
4. If I go to Customize buttons and allocate [ISO] to a button then I can only ever set a specific ISO level, not Auto ISO.
What I want Canon to do is allow me to access Auto ISO anytime via a dial or button.
And also make the items which can be allocated to [Dial func] and [Q] user selectable.
My Menu
The procedure for allocating items to MyMenu is easily figured from the on-screen prompts.
* On MyMenu1 I have: Expo.comp./AEB, ISO speed settings, Focus bracketing, Shutter mode, IS and subject to detect (people/animals).
* On MyMenu2 I have Format card, Sensor cleaning, Image quality, Focus mode, Record func+card/folder sel.
The process of getting everything set up can be a bit tedious but when done well the camera is a pleasure to use.
Setting up the Custom shooting modes C1, C2, C3.
The R5 has three custom shooting modes for stills. You can set these up for any desired purpose. Each Custom mode saves menu, dial and button settings separately. You can if you really wish, have the buttons and dials operate in one way in one Custom Mode and in a quite different way in another Custom Mode.
I don’t recommend this as I need each button and dial to do the same thing in every mode. This reduces confusion (I am easily confused) and the chance of mistakes.
Get your ducks in a row before committing settings to a Custom Mode. Note that if you change a menu setting in one of the P, Tv, Av,M modes this will not transfer automatically to a Custom Mode. You have to re-do the Custom Mode settings with the changed menu setting if desired.
In effect you have four shooting mode sets. The main one has the menu dial and button settings assigned to P, Tv, Av, M modes. The three Custom Modes are additional.
In the Setup Menu (wrench, yellow) go to screen 5 > Custom shooting mode (C1-C3) > Auto update set. The options are Enable/Disable. I set this to Disable. This ensures that when I exit a Custom shooting mode then re-enter that mode at a later time the settings will be as they were when I first set up the Custom mode.
This way I know where all the settings will be when I enter that Custom mode.
If I set [Enable] some or all the settings will likely have changed. This is not what I want at all.
For the record my Custom Modes are
C1, Tripod
For this I have
ISO 100
Stabiliser OFF. For lenses with an IS switch on the barrel this controls IBIS and lens IS together. For budget lenses like the 50mm f1.8 set IS Off in the menu.
Av, f8 as a starting point.
CRAW
Drive mode 2s timer delay. Note, I discovered recently that when a long lens is mounted, 2 seconds may not be enough time for the camera to settle after pressing the shutter button. In this case the 10 second timer is recommended.
Metering pattern evaluative. I use evaluative for everything all the time. Note that in evaluative metering the camera biases exposure towards the part of the subject in focus.
AF operation one shot
AF method 1 point AF
Shutter type EFCS
Disable dual pixel Raw
Experiment with anti-flicker if indoors in mixed artificial lighting.
For Raw capture I set HDR PQ settings and HDR mode Off, Auto Lighting optimiser Off, High tone priority Off, long exposure NR Off, Auto WB, lens aberration corrections Off.
JPG shooters will need to experiment with white balance, HDR, ALO, HTP, NR, Lens aberration corrections and picture style.
This by the way is one of the reasons I shoot Raw: Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, Raw workflow and file management is easier than JPG especially in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw. The bonus is better pictures.
C2, hand held panorama
Canon ILCs do not have auto panorama function so you have to make a series of shots to merge later in Photoshop or other software.
So I set:
Manual exposure mode, f8, ISO 400 shutter speed 1/160 sec. This is a starting point. Adjust aperture and shutter speed to suit the conditions.
IS On
CRaw
Evaluative metering
Manual focus. Set this at the switch on the side of the lens barrel if there is one, otherwise in the menu.
I find the best focus aid is the [Focus guide] >AF menu, screen 2 > Focus guide. I disable peaking which I find a complete nuisance, inaccurate with false color splattered all over the screen. Focus guide is your friend.
C3 Sport/action and Setting up for 12 fps Hi+ frame rate.
First see pages 450-452 of the R5 Advanced user guide.
I set Tv 1/1600 sec (for birds in flight go faster: 1/2000 or faster if light levels permit) , Auto ISO, Drive mode High+ (usually)
The advice from Canon is:
* Use a shutter speed faster than 1/1000 sec
* Use the maximum aperture for the lens
* Disable Anti-flicker, Camera menu screen 2.
* Wi-Fi settings, Wi-fi menu screen 1, Disable.
* Battery charge status LPE6NH >60%
* Temperature optimum 23 degrees Celsius.
* Check that the lens in use will support 12 fps. I think all RF lenses will and there is a list of EF lenses which will support 12 fps on pages 897-898 of the Advanced user guide. A firmware update may be required.
In addition I suggest you think about the following settings to reduce computational demand on the processor and enable best quality viewing:
* Use CRAW instead of full RAW. (I can't see any difference in image quality)
* Camera menu screen 1, disable dual pixel RAW.
* Camera menu screen 2, HDR PQ Settings OFF, Auto lighting optimiser Off, Highlight tone priority Off, Anti-flicker Off.
* Camera menu screen 3, Lens aberration corrections, all Off.
* Camera menu screen 4, Long exposure NR Off, High ISO NR Off.
* Camera menu screen 5, HDR mode Off.
* Camera screen 8, Display performance Smooth.
I use First curtain shutter for everything. Mechanical first and second curtain shutter works OK at 12fps. E-Shutter is 20 fps in H+.
When Drive mode [H+] is set, look in the viewfinder. A green [H+] indicator lower left on the display indicates 12 fps is possible. A white [H+] indicator indicates a rate of about 9 fps, a white indicator blinking indicates a lower rate, given by Canon as 7 fps.
I think that about covers this issue.
Summary
The EOS R5 like all modern cameras worth owning is a complex device which presents the new owner with a steep learning curve in the setup phase of use.
It is all worth while though as when set up just right the camera is a pleasure to use.