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Sydney sunset Canon EOS R5 with RF 24-105mm f4 L |
The Canon EOS R5 provides many opportunities to configure menus, settings, dial and button task assignments and operation to an individual user’s requirements.
This is a wonderful thing but the number of permutations and combinations is enough to make an ordinary mortal’s head spin.
The question “how do you set up your R5 for……..” Is a common one on user forums and usually produces such a diversity of responses as to confuse rather than clarify.
Camera usage
I use my camera for stills, not video. I do not cover video setup or usage in this post.
I need to set up my camera so it is ready to go for many different usage cases including landscape, architecture, people, documentary, sport/action and wildlife including birds in flight.
I like to keep my user experience as simple as possible in each usage situation.
I want my camera to operate as far as possible the same way in every photographic situation. This means making sure the buttons and dials do the same things so my fingers can memorise where to go without my having to think about it.
This approach has some consequences.
For instance I use the front (shutter) button all the time for focus acquisition and capture in every use case. If I were to try to use front button focus for landscapes and back button focus for action my brain and fingers would become completely disoriented.
I use the same shutter type (Electronic first curtain) for everything.
I use evaluative metering mode for everything. The EVF in the R5 is good enough that I can use EVF appearance to determine how much exposure compensation is required. The R5 does not enable zebras for still photography and they are probably not required.
I have never been a fan of the histogram which clutters up the display and can be hard to interpret at the highlight end.
I disable some controls such as the lens control ring to keep things as simple as possible and reduce the risk of inadvertent parameter changes.
Individual preference
There is no single best way to set up the R5. There are many different ways each of which could be satisfactory for a particular user.
There are many YouTube videos describing how various users set up their R5. Each setup is different. Most probably work well enough for their owners even though I do not care for some of the recommended settings.
Setting up a complex device like the R5 is always a work in progress and subject to change with experience over time.
The menus
I have described my preferred menu settings at length here.
However since writing that piece I have changed some items.
* AF Menu, screen 3 Servo AF. This is one of the most difficult screens to understand and configure. It is particularly relevant when one is using Servo AF, High speed drive mode and Face detect/tracking for birds in flight or other fast action situations. In the past I used Case 1 or Auto and left Tracking sensitivity and Accel./decel. tracking at default.
But on the advice of a bird photographer I have been experimenting with Case 2, with Tracking sensitivity at minus 2 and Accel./decel. Tracking at Plus 2.
I think the jury is still out as to whether these settings are better than default or auto but maybe time will tell.
* AF menu, screen 5, Initial Servo AF pt for face detect/tracking. I have found that for birds in flight [Auto] works best here.
Customize buttons
* Shutter button: half press metering and AF start. This is the default and the shutter button function with which most cameras users would be familiar.
* Movie button: Movie recording.
* Mode button: Shooting mode settings.
* AF On button: Eye detection AF. The idea here is that if I am photographing a person using Spot or 1-point AF method I can jump to eye detection AF immediately by pressing and holding the AF On button.
* AE Lock (*) button: I set this to Dial Functions settings. This provides access to 5 functions but I only want the first which is ISO. This allows me to set any specific ISO value or Auto ISO without having to wait for the metering timer to run down.
* AF point button: One shot AF <> Servo AF. So I can quickly switch from one to the other.
* DOF preview button: Drive mode. So I can quickly change drive mode.
* Lens AF stop button: None of my lenses has one.
* Multi function button: Direct AF method selection. This allows me to toggle quickly between AF methods, something I do quite often.
* LCD panel illumination button: Default.
* Set button: Set AF point to center. I like to do this when moving from one subject to another so I know where the AF area starting location will be.
* Multi-controllers (thumb stick): Direct AF point selection. Canon should make this the default but for some reason unknown to me that is not the case.
Customize dials
* Main dial (top front): Shutter speed setting in M mode. The dial also changes shutter speed in Tv mode and aperture in Av mode by default.
* Quick control dial 2 (top rear): Exposure compensation. Exposure compensation can be allocated to this dial or quick control dial 1. I just find it easier to use the top rear dial for exposure compensation.
* Quick control dial 1 (lower rear): Aperture setting in M mode. By default this dial does other things like scrolling in the menus or in playback.
* Lens control ring (not every lens has one, the RF 50mm f1.8 does not): Off. I do this to simplify operation and reduce the likelihood of inadvertent changes to settings.
Custom shooting modes
There are only three custom shooting modes which means not every use case can be assigned to a custom mode. There will be a wide divergence of views about how best to utilise the three modes provided depending on each individual’s most used shooting scenarios.
For the record:
* C1 is for tripod mounted landscape and similar work.
Main settings are: Av shooting mode, ISO 100, drive mode timer delay 2sec, AF method 1-point AF, AF operation one shot, image quality CRaw, metering mode evaluative. Remember to switch off IS on the lens. I have this written on a label on the back of the camera. The RF 50mm f1.8 lacks an IS slider switch so I have to make sure IS is Off in the menus (I have IS in My Menu) when using this lens.
* C2 is for multiple hand held shots to be stitched in Photoshop to make a panorama.
Main settings are: Manual shooting mode, ISO 400, 1/160sec at f8 (these are just starting settings), Manual focus, Stabiliser on (switch off if camera is on tripod).
* C3 is for fast sport/action/birds in flight. This is the most difficult use case for both camera and user and generates the most uncertainty regarding optimal settings.
I use Tv shooting mode, shutter speed 1/4000sec, Auto ISO, High speed continuous drive, Servo AF. For birds I set AF method to Face/eye detect/tracking/animals. For other sports I will try 1-point AF method initially. Stabiliser mode on lenses with a stabiliser mode slider switch is either mode 2, panning or mode 3, unpredictable movement. Some users recommend stabiliser off for fast action. Several BIF shooters recommend Electronic shutter but I just use EFCS all the time and experience no problems with this. I find 12 fps is plenty. I generate between 500 and 1000 frames in a session which is more than enough to trawl through later in Photoshop.
As mentioned above I am experimenting with the Servo AF use case which is currently on case 2 with Tracking sensitivity at minus 2 and Accel./decel tracking at plus 2. This is a work in progress.
I have initial servo point for face/eye detect/tracking at Auto.
My menu
I probably need to clean up my menu as it has been accumulating stuff.
At the moment items on my menu are Expo.comp/AEB, ISO speed settings, Focus bracketing, Shutter mode, IS mode, Subject to detect, Format card, Sensor cleaning, Image quality, Focus mode, Record func+card/folder sel, Initial servo point for tracking AF, Eye detection, Tracking sensitivity, Accel./decel. Tracking, Servo AF, Airplane mode.
That’s too many items. I need to de-clutter. So let’s run through the list to see what can be dropped from my menu.
* I initially thought I would use auto exposure bracketing for landscapes but six months in have never done so as the camera’s dynamic range makes bracketing un-necessary in all but a very small minority of cases.
* ISO speed settings. This item refers to the way in which auto ISO will be managed in relationship to lens focal length. I do not need to change this while using the camera and in fact have not altered these settings in six months.
* Focus bracketing. I have used this and it works but the final result is spoiled if camera or subject movement occurs during the bracketing sequence. So the feature is not as useful as I had hoped. I can always find it in the main menu if required.
* Shutter mode. I have settled on EFCS for everything so I don’t need this one on my menu..
* Image stabiliser mode. If every lens had a stabiliser switch this item would not be required. But some lenses such as the RF 50mm f1.8 lack that switch so I need to retain this in my menu.
* Subject to detect. I really want this on a rapid access location such as a direct button but that is not possible to it stays on my menu.
* Format card. I use this all the time. It stays on my menu.
* Sensor cleaning. Automatic sensor shake on shutdown is working so well I don’t need this on my menu.
* Image quality. After a period of experimentation I now just use CRaw for everything so this is not required on my menu.
* Focus mode (AF/MF) I need this here because of the lens(es) without an AF/MF switch on the barrel.
* Record func+card/folder sel. I have settled on my preference so this can come off my menu.
* Initial Servo AF pt for face detect/tracking. I am still experimenting with this so it stays.
* Eye detection. I have the camera set up so I access this function by other portals so it can come off my menu.
* Servo AF and Tracking sensitivity and Accel./decel. Tracking are all a work in progress so they remain.
* Airplane mode. This stays. When the camera is on a tripod I often trigger the shutter via Bluetooth with the smartphone using the Canon connect app. Airplane mode is a quick way to effectively toggle Bluetooth on and off. I want it off most of the time to prevent battery drain.
So that leaves us with:
* My Menu 1: Format card, Subject to detect, Airplane mode, IS mode, Focus mode, Initial servo point for face detect/tracking.
* My menu 2: Servo AF, Tracking sensitivity, Accel./decel.tracking.
And that’s yer lot for this post.