Before I even start this article, I'll freely admit that I am not a fan of Facebook. Never have been and likely never will be. Despite that, I know it has it's appeal due to the large user base that it has accumulated of the last several years. However Google+ is catching up quickly, as last estimates indicated Google+ showing a number that is roughly half the active accounts of Facebook. It has grown at a much faster pace than Facebook ever has. All of this with Google+ just having passed its 2-year anniversary and only 1.5 years of being open to the public.
But I digress...
Facebook is more suited to catching up with old friends that don't have a Google+ account, or seeing the latest drama. It gets old quick...real quick. I find that on Google+ many of my discussions are with people that have similar interests, and our discussions often center around those topics. Sure there can still be some drama, but at least the ratio of drama to actual discussion favors the actual discussion.
I also keep a set of gallery albums that are my favorite shots that relate to a certain topic. On Google+, I have these set to stay at the top using a workaround through the Picasa web interface. I have set the album date to be several years in the future which keeps these galleries up on top. With Facebook, my album order is a jumbled heap of unorganized crap. If I upload more photos to an album later, the position will change yet again. Trying to find an album when there's more than a handful of them requires a bottle of Tylenol and the wisdom of a Himalayan Sherpa.
However, the biggest factor why I think Facebook does a disservice to anyone seriously interested in photography is the compression algorithms that Facebook uses to absolutely mutilate many of the images you want to showcase. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen, and when it does happen it's very ugly. Usually it is images with a smooth gradient in them, such as an image I posted for Independence Day. Notice the prominent bands of color in the blue sky, about a third of the way down, in the comparison below (click the image to enlarge). Facebook is on the left, Google+ is on the right:
If you want to examine the actual images, as doing so will really show you the differences, links to both are below. Due tot he small image size I use in this blog, the compression is much more subdued that it actually is.
Facebook http://goo.gl/9UQCr
Google+ http://goo.gl/ZX2HC
With that being said, coming from an IT background, I completely understand the need for image compression. However, Facebook takes it to the extreme. The purpose in compression is to make the file size smaller, and adversely affect the image as little as possible. You want a small size with the viewer never really noticing the image was compressed. Facebook doesn't even attempt to accomplish that at times.
As a photographer wanting to showcase some images, overkill with image compression doesn't help show off your best work at all. While I still throw some of my images on Facebook, I find the bulk of my photography ends up on Google+ first because of this.
The Facebook approach of heavy compression may work well for phone camera snapshots, but as someone who takes photography a little more serious than the average camera phone addict, I find that I'm caring less and less about posting some of my images on Facebook.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Battery Grips: Storing the Battery Door
I thought I’d shy away from something solely focused on
the 5D Mark III this time around, and discuss something that may prove
beneficial to more than just owners of that camera. So this will be beneficial to those who use a
battery grip on their camera.
In the course of talking to someone the other day, a
question came up regarding the camera’s battery door and did I carry it with me
in my bag in the event I want to revert to a gripless camera temporarily. I
said I store the camera’s battery door with the grip, and they asked how I did
that. They never knew that most grips will hold the door for you. Later, I
asked a couple others if they knew about this, and come to find out they hadn’t noticed this
feature either.
In the case of the Canon 5D Mark III, the door clips onto
the portion of the grip that slides into the camera. Simply clip it there in
the same manner you would attach it back to the camera.
All my camera grips have a similar feature built into
them, and this would include my older and aftermarket grips. The way to store
the battery door may vary somewhat, such as the example below from my old Canon
Rebel XT. My Canon 40D is more similar to this. The door slides down into a slot on the grip, which is similar in
concept to the 5D Mark III grip above.
So, if you aren’t aware of this, you might want to pull
your grip off and give it a quick check. You may be in for a surprise, giving
you one less small item to keep up with in your camera bag. Those little
battery doors can become lost pretty easily!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Canon 5D Mark III: Superior Auto Focus
Introduction
This is one of those articles I’ve been looking forward to, and dreading, at the same time. I knew going into this one, that it would be a somewhat technical article at times. There’s also a lot of ground to cover on top of that. I’m going to try to keep the technical details from getting too overwhelming, and stick to the basics. At the same time I hope to bring to light enough of the power of this aspect of the 5D Mark III, that you can see what it’s capable of.
This is one of those articles I’ve been looking forward to, and dreading, at the same time. I knew going into this one, that it would be a somewhat technical article at times. There’s also a lot of ground to cover on top of that. I’m going to try to keep the technical details from getting too overwhelming, and stick to the basics. At the same time I hope to bring to light enough of the power of this aspect of the 5D Mark III, that you can see what it’s capable of.
The Auto Focus system in the 5D Mark III is a huge step
forward from the previous iterations of the 5D series of cameras. Gone are the
hit or miss focusing in low light, and the poor performance for fast action.
Aside from a few minor differences, this is the same system found in Canon’s
flagship camera, the 1Dx. What this does is to provide the owner with high end
camera features, at roughly half the cost of a 1Dx. This makes it one heck of a
bargain when you start comparing. Sure the 5D Mark III isn’t cheap either, but
when you start to notice you have nearly everything the 1Dx offers, and a
slightly high pixel count on top of it, the value really starts to become
apparent when you stack it against the price tag of the 1Dx.
Focus Points
The heart of the Canon 5D Mark III’s AF (Auto-Focus) is the
61 available focus points. Tightly packed around the center of the imaging
frame, these points are selectable in several configurations. 41 of these
points are high precision cross type points, and these points provide even more
accuracy with lenses up to f/4. These cross type points improve accuracy for
still photography, as well as predictive focusing when shooting fast action.
The latter is territory that was previously considered the domain of the
1D-series of full frame cameras. It should be noted that with some lenses, with
a minimum aperture higher than f/4, the number of available focus points may be
less. For more information about how lens selection affects available focus
points, see page 79 of your owner’s manual.
Focus Modes/AF Area
You have several options at your disposal for choosing
how many focus points you wish to use. The first of these options is the tried
and true Single-Point mode, allowing you to choose a single focus point out of
the points available to you. There is also a similar option called Single-Point
Spot mode, which is the same as Single-Point except is covers an even smaller
area than Single-Point.
Single-Point Spot will work best in situations that the
focus point is extremely small, such as when you are shooting through a fence
or similar obstruction, or focusing on a small point a detail a good distance
away. In those cases, the larger single point might not be quite small enough.
Both of those options are very useful when using a very narrow depth of field,
as multiple focus points may have problems deciding exactly what you actually
want in focus. The focus system is very accurate, but it doesn’t read minds.
Other options include AF Point Expansion, AF Point
Expansion with Surrounding Points, and Zone. The two AF Point Expansion options
are similar with the former starting with a single point and then using the
focus points above, below, left, and right of the center point. Think of a “+”
sign made out of focus points. AF Point Expansion with Surrounding Points again
uses a single point to start with, but also picks all of the other points that
immediately surround it. This ends up as a 3x3 grid of focus points. Zone AF
builds even further upon this, giving you a block of focus points that is 4
points wide and 3 points tall.
The last option is Automatic Selection mode, which
surveys all the available focus points, and uses the ones it deems necessary
for what it thinks you are phtographing. In all modes except for Automatic
Selection, you can move your set of focus points to any of the available points.
This is obviously useful, as what you want to focus on isn’t always going to be
in the same place in the viewfinder. Think of the differences when shooting
between landscape and portrait modes as an example.
Canon is pretty smart when it comes to setting the focus
points and zones. They knew when they set this system up that you may want to
use differing points depending upon whether the camera is in portrait or
landscape mode. So by using Orientation Linked AF Point (AF Tab Section 4), you
can control how the 5D Mark III handles being oriented in different ways. If
you frequently flip back and forth, this can be a very useful setting. I change
this setting depending upon what I’m shooting.
The default method of changing the AF Area is to look
through the viewfinder and continue to tap the M-Fn button until you arrive at the
mode you wish to use. I have enabled Area Selection Method on the fourth panel
of the menu’s AF tab, so that I can use the Main Dial. This allows me to tap
the M-Fn button once, and the scroll the Main Dial to switch to the AF mode I
wish to use. This is much more intuitive to me, as opposed to continually tapping
the M-Fn button repeatedly. In addition,
I also employ Select AF Area Selection Mode and disable the AF Area modes I
don’t normally use. This way I don’t have to scroll past them. Typically I only
disable the selection of Auto-Selection, as I have yet to use it as an option.
You’ll find the ability to set this option in the fourth group of the AF tab.
To manually select the AF point, or zone, you press the
upper-right hand button on the back of the 5D Mark III to place the camera in
the manual selection mode. Then you use the Main Dial to move the point, or
zone, left or right, and the Main Dial to move it up or down. You can also use
the Multi-Controller, which I find is much easier than the former method. Note
than on the fifth group of the AF tab, you are provided an option for the
selection pattern. This controls whether the point selection stops at the edge
of the AF area or wraps back around to the other side.
AF Subject Tracking Cases
Now that I’ve covered the basics of focus points, let’s
step through the 5 sections of the AF menu, and hit on what we haven’t touched.
The first of these menus is a list of predefined settings that you can choose
from when shooting various forms of action. I‘m using predefined loosely here,
because you can actually tailor each of these to suit your needs better if you find
the need to fine tune. These options are numbered from Case 1 to Case 6, and
they are set up for the following purposes:
- Case 1: Versatile multipurpose
- Case 2: Continue to track subjects, ignoring possible obstacles
- Case 3: Instantly focus on subjects suddenly entering AF points
- Case 4: For subjects that accelerate or decelerate quickly
- Case 5: For erratic subjects, that move in any direction
- Case 6: For subjects that change speed and move erratically
What you’ll want to do is to match what you’re shooting
with the case example that best matches your subject matter. Case 1, 4, 5, and
6, are fairly self-explanatory. However, you may be a little confused with what
Case 2 and 3 are. It has to do with objects that come between you and the
subject you are tracking. Just remember that Case 2 will try and ignore the object
that came between you, while Case 3 will begin to instantly focus on the object
that came in between you and the original subject. So it’s a matter of
following the original subject, or setting focus on the new one.
As an example let’s use the example of receiver running a
football down the field for a touchdown. As they pass a defensive player that
is closer to the camera. The receiver is obscured briefly when the defensive
player comes between you and the receiver briefly. If you are using Case 2, the
focus should not lock onto the player in between you and the receiver, unless
you start actively tracking that defensive player.
Now let’s say you are shooting a track event, and you are
focusing on the lead runner, when the second place runner passes them coming
between you and the runner you had been focusing on. If you were using Case 3
Tracking, your camera would immediately start to focus on the new runner doing
the passing.
All of this translates into a very versatile way to allow
you to tailor the camera’s autofocus system to suit your needs. It extends to
much more than sports, by the way. I’ve used this extensively for shooting
photos of birds in flight. Case 2 Tracking works extremely well for this,
allowing you to track the birds as they fly behind power poles or other similar
obstacles. If you find that the setting doesn’t suit you exactly right, you can
change the tracking parameters for each of the Cases.
If you decide to alter these settings, you have the
ability to adjust three parameters:
- Tracking sensitivity
- Accel./decel. Tracking
- AF Point Auto Switching
The first option, Tracking Sensitivity, controls how
responsive the camera is to objects that come between you and the subject you
are currently tracking. Accel./Decel. Tracking controls the sensitivity of the
camera to notice subjects that start or stop suddenly. The last option, AF
Point Auto Switching, determines the camera’s sensitivity to using different AF
points, out of the ones you have selected. This is helpful should you be
tracking an object that may suddenly step outside of a currently locked on
focus point, but can still be picked up by another of your selected focus
points. It helps to remember that just because you have enabled a focus point,
it’s doesn’t mean it is always being used. One of the other points may have
been locked on. All of these options make the first section of the AF tab, a
very important place to start when setting your focus operation.
AI Servo Priority
For the second group of settings on the AF tab, you’ll
find two lone options. These are the AI Servo image priority parameters. I told
you this camera is perfect for shooting action, and this is another example of
why. When in AI Servo mode, as you should be when shooting action, you can set
what is most important for the camera to consider before taking the shot. The
first image priority options are Release, Focus, or Equal Priority. So you get
to choose which is more important, taking the shot or nailing the focus. After
the first shot, you have a second set of parameters that come into play. These
are the AI Servo second image priority options. The choices for this is Speed,
Focus, or Equal Priority, which allows you to tailor the subsequent shots to
keeping the burst rate high, or getting a good focus for each shot. As with the
first option, you can also set an equal priority between the two.
One-Shot Priority
Just so you know that One-Shot AF isn’t left out, I’ll
mention that on the third section of the AF tab, you’ll find an option that
tailors the One-Shot AF mode between Release and Focus. Other items on the
third group for the AF tab, allow you to turn the AF-Assist flash on and off,
for low light shooting, and whether to use the electronic focusing ring on
lenses that have one.
Next we’ll move on to section 4 of the AF tab, and the
first item controls what happens when the camera doesn’t gain focus. It’s
called Lens Drive When AF Impossible. You can have the camera quit trying to
focus, or continue to hunt for focus. I leave this set to On, which will allow
it to continue to try and focus. This way as I’m moving the camera around when
in AI Servo mode, it may lock focus as I’m tracking an object. If you have a
very long telephoto lens, you may prefer to set this to off, as longer
telephotos can become extremely out of focus if they are hunting too long. That
would make gaining focus take even longer the next time around. I’ve had that
happen a few times with my 400mm and 1.4x Extender, but not enough to make me switch
this to off yet.
The next option allows you to alter the number of
available AF points. You can choose between all 61 points, only the cross-type
points, 15 points, or 9 points. This affects all AF Modes except Automatic AF
Mode, which still uses all of the AF points. I leave all of the AF points
available to the camera, but of the available options I could see restricting
the camera to use only cross-type points due to their greater accuracy.
The last three options I’ve already mentioned earlier.
The first is Select AF Area Selection Mode. It allows you to disable certain AF
Area Modes. Then there’s AF Area Selection Method, which changes between
multiple presses of the M-Fn button and a combination of the M-Fn button and
the Main Dial to change the AF Area Mode. The last option sets whether you want
separate points to be used for portrait and landscape modes.
AF5 Menu Items
On the last section of the AF tab, you find four options.
The first one I’ve already mentioned as well. It is called Manual AF Point
Selection Pattern, and controls whether the manual selection of points, or
zones, stops at the edge of the AF points or scrolls through to the other side.
The next option is named AF Point Display During Focus. This
setting controls when the focus point is shown in the viewfinder. You have
options as follows:
- Constantly display focus points
- When selecting the AF point(s)
- When the camera is ready to shoot (before AF)
- During AF operation
- When focus is achieved
In addition, you can also control when the focus points
will illuminate in red, as opposed to the standard black. You can choose
between:
- Auto: AF Points and grid automatically illuminate in red under low light
- On: AF Points and grid always illuminate in red
- Off: AF Points and grid never illuminate in red
The last option allows you to micro adjust your lenses
focusing operation. This allows you to fine tune your lenses individually, providing
extremely precise focusing capabilities. For most people this is not necessary,
although it is available for those that what to go the extra distance to get
exacting results. Make sure you have a firm understanding of micro adjustment
before you attempt this. If you don’t know what you are doing, you could end up
having your lens focusing worse, not better.
Other AF Items To Consider
We’ve covered the menu, but there are a few more things
to cover regarding the AF system in general. First is the AF Mode. You have
three options:
- One Shot: For still subjects
- AI Servo: For moving subjects
- AI Focus: Switches from One Shot to AI Servo if the subject starts moving
I do all of my shooting in either One-Shot or AI Servo
modes. While the 5D Mark III may be better in AI Focus mode than its
predecessors, I have been trained to think in those two modes only. AI Focus
just hasn’t worked well for me in the past, so I avoid it. It’s not like AI
Servo won’t focus on a still object anyway, and the only reason it would lose
focus would be if you move the camera off of the target yourself.
A Couple of AF Tips and Customization Options
One thing I typically do, to help switch modes quickly if
needed, is to enlist the help of my DOF (Depth Of Field) preview button. Most
of the time it is set so that it switches between One-Shot and AI Servo when
pressed. This way I have instant access to the other mode if it is quickly
needed. You’ll find this option under the Custom Functions mention in my Canon
5D Mark III: Menu Basics and Highlights,
Part 3 article.
One last helpful item I want to cover briefly is registered
AF points and zones. Should you want quick access to a certain AF point or
zone, you can register that to a camera button as well. The couple of times
I’ve used this, I’ve assigned a registered point to the DOF preview button that
I just mentioned. You’ll do this through the Custom Functions as well, and it
will take the place of the One-Shot/AI Servo toggle I just mentioned if you
decide to use it. Once you set it in Custom Functions, select the AF points, or
zone, you wish to select. Then press the ISO and AF point button (upper
righthand button on the back of the camera) together until you hear a beep. Now
whenever you hit your DOF preview button, you’ll be set back instantly to your
registered AF point setting.
My Experiences
There’s been a lot of information that has been discussed
here, and I know I’ve only given you a brief walkthrough. However the best way
to learn is to get out there and start shooting with your camera. I practice
that mantra, and rest assured after shooting plenty of action in the form of
soccer games and wildlife, I am seriously impressed with how well this camera
performs when it comes catching the action. My rate of keeper images has jumped
dramatically, leaving me to choose between the shots I like the most, not shots
of varying degrees of focus.
The 5D Mark III has impressed me, especially with how
well it can ignore those obstacles that briefly come between you and your
subject. This was very important for wildlife, but it was especially so for when
I photographed a local soccer game. Even with players constantly running
between me and my subject, the 5D Mark III did an excellent job of maintaining
the task of following the subject.
In addition, tough lighting and contrast conditions
haven’t seemed to phase the 5D Mark III either. While at Carolina Beach a few weeks
ago, I took some photos of jellyfish. The dark water and low contrast of the
jellyfish didn’t trip up the AF system one bit. Also one should note, that the
sample photo provided is at 25,600 ISO!
Outside in the sun and sand, I knew the lighting was more
than adequate, but I found tracking the coastal pelicans an easy task. This was
even true when using my 400mm f/5.6 and 1.4x III Extender combo. This forced me
to shoot at an aperture of f/8, which gives me only the center AF point to use
instead of multiple focus points. It’s nice to know that a single AF point can
still track extremely well.
The AF capabilities found in the 5D Mark III are so much
better than the 5D Mark II’s I’ve played with. While the image quality from the
5D Mark II was incredible, if it had a fault, is was the AF system in general. This
was especially true under low light. Canon has cured this perfectly, by using
this incredibly capable AF system. The ability to catch action is simply one of
the strongest points of this camera, so experiment with it and don’t be afraid
to exploit its capabilities. That’s what it is there for.
I know I plan to give the 5D Mark III one heck of a
workout in just a few weeks at Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach. While they’ll be
car shows that any camera could easily catch, I’ll also be there at some of the
more action packed events trying my hand at panning and stopping the action.
Practice makes perfect, and I plan to get as much practice as I can!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Canon 5D Mark III: Menu Basics and Highlights, Part 3
Intro
After having covered the other menu options in the last two articles, this time around I’m going to cover
Exposure Section
Display/Operation Section
My Menu
After having covered the other menu options in the last two articles, this time around I’m going to cover
the Custom Function settings on the Canon 5D Mark III.
Unlike with the other two articles, this one will cover practically every
option within the custom functions. Given that most of these are very useful to
me at some point, I thought that all of the options were worthy of mention. I
will also briefly cover the last tab on the 5D Mark III’s menu as well.
The Custom Functions further tailor the camera to how you
want the camera to operate, so in many cases these settings may be more of a
personal preference. However, these functions are quite different from the
previously mentioned menu items, as the settings here will sometimes affect
more than one aspect of the camera. There are four sections to the Custom
Function tab. These are: Exposure, Display/Operation, Others, and finally a
section that allows you to reset all the Custom Function settings.
First of all, Canon makes it easy to determine if you
have changed a Custom Function. All you need to do is to simply note the color
of the setting option. If the setting is in white, it is set to the default. If
the setting is in blue, you have altered the setting from its default. This
gives you the ability to quickly determine what you have changed, and what you
haven’t. However, don’t be confused once you are actually in the menu for a
particular setting, as the meanings change. Blue is the currently set option,
while white are the alternative choices.
Exposure Section
In the Exposure section, you’ll find the function to
allow you to specify whether you want to increment the exposure level adjustments
in 1/3-stop or 1/2-stop increments. I prefer to keep the default setting here,
as I like to have as granular control of the exposure as possible. However,
some people prefer to have to scroll less to adjust the exposure, so a 1/2-stop
setting would be more preferential for them. This setting will affect nearly
every aspect of camera, since setting the exposure is vital to things such as Auto
Exposure Bracketing (AEB), Flash Exposure, and Exposure Compensation. Note that
this will also affect shutter speed and aperture selections.
Closely related to the Exposure Level increment function,
is the ISO speed increment setting. However, the increment options are
different, allowing you to choose between the 1/3-stop and 1-stop options.
Considering the wide range of ISO speeds available to the 5D Mark III, which
range from 50 to 102,400 with ISO expansion on, I could see some photographers
really wanting to change this to the 1-stop option to help speed up changing
between the lower and higher ISO range. However, I leave this set at the
default of 1/3-stop.
The next option is Bracketing Auto Cancel. This setting
determines whether the bracketed series persists when the camera is switched
off. I use this setting in its default setting of On. This means that when the
camera is turned off or switched to movie mode, and bracketed series you are
shooting will be cancelled. This way I can cancel a bracketed series of shots
by turning the camera off, should I not wish to continue. If you prefer to
change this behavior, so the bracketed series will persist through camera power
cycles, simply change this setting to Off.
Bracketed sequence is next on the list of Custom
Functions. Bracketing sequence controls the order in which the bracketed shots
are taken. As you should know by now, for AEB, you’ll take a series of
underexposed, overexposed, and normal shots. This order can be set to:
- Standard, Underexposed, Overexposed
- Overexposed, Standard, Underexposed
- Underexposed, Standard, Overexposed
I have my camera set to the underexposed, standard,
overexposed (- 0 +) option.
I do not use white balance bracketing, but this option
will also control the exposures for it as well. As with AEB, this allows you to
control the order in which the shots are taken, from the standard white balance
to the two bias shots. This holds true for both Blue/Amber and Magenta /Green
white balance options.
The next item you’ll run across controls the number of
bracketed shots for both AEB and White Balance bracketed series. You can choose
between 2, 3, 5, and 7 shots. This is helpful, as many photographers know that
you sometimes need more shots to capture the results you desire, especially
when shooting an AEB series where you need a really wide dynamic range. This
allows you to tailor the number of shots, expanding the captures when needed,
but reducing them when you don’t need as many shots to process later. I use a
value of 5 here. If I run into a scenario where I need more shots, I’ll change
it then.
The last option in the Exposure section is Safety Shift.
Safety shift provides you a level of cushion. Should your shot be overexposed,
the camera will adjust the shot settings in an attempt to bring the shot back
to the proper exposure. There are two modes you can chose from: Tv/Av or ISO.
Tv/Av will work in both Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes, while ISO will
work in both of those modes, but also P (Program Mode). The way these two
options work is slightly different. Tv/Av will adjust the aperture or shutter
speed in an attempt to correct the exposure, while ISO will change you ISO
setting.
For ISO mode, the minimum and maximum values you have set
for Auto ISO will be in effect, although a higher manually value will override
the ISO setting. You should be aware of this, as higher ISO settings can lead
to more noise in the image. One last gotcha for Safety Shift is you should be
aware that the shift will take place even if you are using a flash.
I normally do not use Safety Shift, as I check my image
using Highlight Alert and the histogram after I shoot anyway. So if the image
is overexposed, I can readjust the settings myself. I prefer to know that my
settings stay fixed where I set them. If something isn’t exposed correctly,
I’ll take care of adjusting the settings myself.
Display/Operation Section
The next section on the Custom Functions tab is the
Display/Operation section. The first of these operations controls if warnings
appear in the viewfinder. You can set each of the following warnings
individually, allowing you to fully tailor what you wish to be warned about. The
list of warning options is as follows:
- When Monochrome is Set
- When White Balance is Corrected
- When One-Touch Image Quality is Enabled
- When ISO Expansion is Enabled
- When Spot Metering is Enabled
All of these items have the potential to really ruin a
photograph. However, so does other settings being set as well… right? In this
case these items are different, as looking through the viewfinder you may not
know that these items are set. Take monochrome being enabled for example. You
can be happily taking shot after shot, never knowing from looking through the
viewfinder that you are in monochrome mode. The only time you may notice it,
would be if you happened to review the image in the viewfinder.
The same could be said for when you are using a corrected/custom
white balance. While if you were shooting RAW you could correct the image in
post-processing, it would be much easier to get the shot right in the camera. One-Touch
being set merits a warning due to the fact you could easily change the image
quality setting, affecting an entire day of shooting. One-Touch makes it easier
to swap image quality settings, but can have disastrous results should you
inadvertently change it.
ISO Expansion being on would sometimes be really tough to
spot on the rear LCD. I’ve yet to need to enable the two higher ISO settings,
as even 25,600 has worked extremely well on the occasions I’ve needed it. The
5D Mark III produces exceptionally low-noise images at ISO settings up to the
normal range. However, if you did enable ISO Expansion the images could end up
with excessive noise and you wouldn’t necessarily see that until you downloaded
and viewed the images later.
Spot Metering is another useful option the 5D Mark III
provides, but it isn’t the ideal metering option most of the time. Usually one
of the other options is a better fit, and the use of Spot Metering could easily
cause most of the image to be overexposed. Thus the ability of the camera to also
warn you that Spot Metering is enabled.
I have all of these warnings enabled, and if one of these
conditions causes an error you’ll see an exclamation mark surrounded by an
octagon (stop sign). This indicates you have a setting selected that could
adversely affect your image. You’ll have to train yourself to notice the warning
symbol, as it is not extremely obtrusive. However, since you may intend to
shoot this way, having it light up in red wouldn’t be ideal either. I’d suggest
expanding this custom function to include the ability for the warning to be
black or red.
Live View Shooting area involves how the view is
displayed on the rear LCD screen of the 5D Mark III depending upon how the
aspect ratio is set. You have the choice of an outline or black bars. I don’t
use the Live view option, nor is video is not a concern of mine with the 5D
Mark III, as I bought it for still photography. It takes excellent video from
what I understand, and at some point I may explore that option. However, until
I have a reason, I have left this option on its default setting.
The next item you’ll run across is Dial Direction During
TV/AV. When in Aperture or Shutter Priority modes the Main Dial next to the
Shutter Button controls either the aperture or shutter speed depending upon the
mode you are in. The dial direction option allows you to reverse the operation
of that dial, if you prefer that it operates in the reverse fashion. I employ
this option, as it just makes more sense to me for the camera to stop the
aperture down as I move the dial to toward the lens (counter-clockwise). My old
film cameras used to be controlled by the aperture ring on the lens rotating
counter-clockwise, so this just makes more sense to me. It’s a matter of
personal preference though.
With the Multi-Function Lock setting, you can lockout one,
or all, of three things on your camera. These are the Main Dial, Quick Control
Dial, or the Multi-Controller. The lockout button is found below the Quick
Control Dial, and its behavior will be completely determined by this setting.
Note that this only affects you while you are outside the menu system. Even
with the dials locked out, you can still use them to navigate the menus.
This solves a problem that users of other Canon models
complained about for quite some time, the Quick Control Dial getting bumped
allowing the settings to change. I never had a huge issue with the Quick
Control Dial, but did have problems with my auto focus point getting changed if
I bumped the Multi-Controller while I was shooting. With this option, Canon
allows you to lock them down. I prefer to lock down both the Quick Control Dial
and the Multi-Controller.
Custom Controls is a rather large item with a couple of sub-menus.
What it does is allow you to tailor many of the items on the camera to suit
your needs, assigning your most used camera functions to something that
wouldn’t normally control it. This option is the single biggest personalization
available to you on the 5D Mark III. The manual provides a full chart of what
you can set the controls to on page 322, and all of the settings are really a
matter of personal preference. My current settings are as follows:
·
Shutter Button: Metering Start
·
AF-On Button: Metering and AF Start
·
AE Lock Button: AE Lock
·
DOF Preview Button: One Shot/AI Servo
·
Lens AF Stop: AF Off
·
Multi-Function Button: Viewfinder Level
·
Set Button: Review Image
·
Main Dial: Av in Manual Mode
·
Quick Control Dial: Tv in Manual Mode
In the third section of the Custom Function tab, you have
the option to add cropping information. This option does two things. First, if
you use Live View, you’ll see vertical lines on the screen indicating the
aspect ratio for what you are shooting. This helps you to better compose the
shot. Secondly, the cropping information is also stored with the shot, allowing
capable software to use that information to crop the shot to the aspect ratio
you selected.
The last option with in the Custom Functions is the default
Erase Option. This setting lets you change which option is preselected when you
hit the delete button when reviewing images. You can choose between cancel or
erase. I have changed mine to default to erase, as choosing this allows me to
delete a photo without having to change from cancel to delete in the box that
pops up after hitting the delete button.
The only downside to this is the fact it is easier to accidently delete
an image if you aren’t paying attention.
After three articles on the Canon 5D Mark III menu
system, we’ve arrived at the end of the menu. Well, we didn’t cover the Auto Focus
menu yet, but that is coming soon (I promise)! What you’re probably thinking
now is that the menu offers an array of possibilities, but yet it is sometimes
going to be hard to quickly find those options that are most important to you. Well
you’re in luck, because Canon has that covered as well!
My Menu
Enter the My Menu tab. This tab allows you to set up to
six menu options to display on this tab, providing you quick access to them.
This would be the options that you deem the ones that you use the most. While I’d
love to have the option for more than six, six is certainly better than none.
What I currently have set for quick access here is as follows:
·
Mirror Lockup
·
Exposure Compensation/AEB
·
Zoom Magnification
·
Battery Info
·
Sensor Cleaning
If you go into the My Menu Settings option, you’ll find
that you can add/delete options, as well as sort them in any manner you wish.
So it’s finally time to close this lengthy article down.
Next time around we’ll cover the Auto Focus system of the Canon 5D Mark III.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Canon 5D Mark III: Menu Basics and Highlights, Part 2
General Options
Moving on to the General Options menu, the first option you’ll see determines how the 5D Mark III will handle multiple memory cards. It can fill one up and then roll over to the other, mirror the images on both cards, or write RAW to one and jpg to the other. These are valuable options to have available, depending upon your exact needs. I’ve got some more thoughts as to the ins and outs, as well as the gotchas, of utilizing this feature, but I’ll reserve those for an upcoming article since we’re just covering the menu basics right now.
Custom Shooting Modes
Moving on to the General Options menu, the first option you’ll see determines how the 5D Mark III will handle multiple memory cards. It can fill one up and then roll over to the other, mirror the images on both cards, or write RAW to one and jpg to the other. These are valuable options to have available, depending upon your exact needs. I’ve got some more thoughts as to the ins and outs, as well as the gotchas, of utilizing this feature, but I’ll reserve those for an upcoming article since we’re just covering the menu basics right now.
Below that you’ll find a menu setting that allows you to
change the prefix for the images you capture. However, this is another area
that Canon left a useful option on the drawing board in my opinion. If you’ve
ever shot both single and bracketed images in a single outing, it can be a
little time consuming to go through them when post processing and pick the two
types apart. Sure I can snap a photo of
my fingers or the ground before and after the bracketed series, but Lightroom
can’t automatically find the shots between those and place them into a
collection of their own. It would be nice to have an easier way to automate the
process of pulling out the bracketed images.
When I first started using the camera and noticed the
prefix could be changed, I was excited thinking I could utilize this to
delineate between the two types of images using a Custom Mode and having the
prefix set differently. Thus giving me a method to do exactly what I just
described. Unfortunately, the image prefix is set for the entire camera, and
you can’t assign an image prefix to a single Custom Mode, leaving the rest of
the camera untouched. How nice would it have been to have Custom Mode C1 throw
a prefix of AEB on all the bracketed images on a card, while images shot in Av,
Tv, Or Manual use a different prefix?
So, with my tail between my legs, and excitement
deflated, I set my prefix to be 5D3_, to help distinguish the 5D Mark III shots
from those taken by my Canon 40D. At least that provides some benefit to being
able to change the prefix. I’d previously being using Lightroom to change the
40D prefix to 40D_ upon importing those images.
You’ll also find “Format Card” in this section. I would always
recommend formatting a card after downloading the images and before reusing it.
It’ll set the card structure up, and prepare it for capturing more images.
Swapping memory cards in and out of the camera, into card readers, and deleting
images using the computer can sometimes mess up the card’s file structure. Formatting
the card is a quick operation, and I’ve seen more than a few cards with
corrupted photos from owners that don’t follow through with this simple step
before reusing the card again.
In the second section of the General Options tab, you’ll
find an option entitled “VF Grid Display”. This setting toggles the viewfinder
grid on and off. I set it to on, as it is off by default, as I find it helps me
keep my horizons straight. It also helps me with my composition of elements
within the scene. I should point out that the 5D Mark III does have a built in
viewfinder level that utilizes the auto focus points, but I find that the
viewfinder grid eliminates the need to use the leveling function most of the
time.
Skipping on to the third section you’ll find two other
noteworthy items, “Battery Info” and “Sensor Cleaning”. Battery info is just
what it sounds like, but provides you a great deal of more information than the
viewfinder or top LCD battery indicator provide.
You’ll first register the battery’s serial number with
the camera, so that it can track the historical performance of the battery.
Then, as you are using the camera, you can reference the battery info to see
remaining charge, shots taken with this battery, and recharge performance.
Recharge performance is pretty slick, helping you to identify a battery nearing
the end of its lifespan before you go out shooting a long session with it. For
cameras equipped with a battery grip, such as mine, you’ll see this information
provided for both of the installed batteries.
Sensor cleaning options have been around for quite some
time now, as sensor dust is a common issue with a DSLR camera. In the film
days, the film would slide across the backplate, exposing a new ‘sensor’ with
every shot. Not with a DSLR. That sensor sits there from the day the camera is
manufactured until the day the camera is no longer used. That will likely be
tens of thousands of photos taken. It used to be that getting rid of the dust
required a trip to a camera repair shop, or a camera owner with the nerve to
perform the cleaning on their own.
So a few years ago manufacturers tried to address this
problem. They created a way for the sensor’s backplate to shake itself, which
would hopefully knock the dust off. This technique does work, although stubborn
dust may require a more complete cleaning by a repair shop. The 5D Mark III
offers you the ability to have the camera automatically perform a sensor clean
when the camera is turned on or off, as well as the ability to perform an
on-demand cleaning cycle. The on-demand cycle is labeled “Clean Now” in the
menu.
I have the on/off cleaning enabled, it’s already on by
default, and I use the on-demand cleaning right after I change lenses as a
precaution. There is also a manual cleaning mode, which would be used if you
wanted to use something like a bulb blower or swab the sensor. Note that sensor
is a loose term here, as you’re not actually touching or blowing off the
sensor. There is a low pass filter placed in front of the sensor. The result of
messing up the filter would be the same as messing up the sensor however, as it
would result in a very costly repair. I should also mention that I’m not
encouraging or condoning either activity. You’re on your own if you use a
blower or swab the sensor. I will stress that you should never use compressed
air to clean the sensor. You’d think it would be common sense, but I’ve heard
of it being done more than one with disastrous results.
Custom Shooting Modes
Moving on to section 4 of the General Options tab you’ll
find yet another of one of my favorite tools, Custom Shooting Modes. These have
been around for a while now, but are another item that many people tend to
overlook. Using this section of the menu, you can set the camera for a certain
style of photography by making your own mode, clear all the modes, and have the
ability to choose whether the setting reset, or not, each time you leave the
mode. I’ll be discussing the Custom Shooting Modes further in an upcoming
article, when I discuss some of the HDR benefits of the 5D Mark III. I have a
Custom Shooting Mode on my 5D Mark III set up specifically for shooting
bracketed images to be merged into HDR photos.
The last noteworthy item on this tab is “Firmware”. At
first glance, it would appear that the camera is just telling you the firmware
version of the camera. Well it is, but if you select it you’ll find a menu that
allows you to update the firmware on the camera as well. This is how you would
update the camera to use the newest firmware that allows focusing with f/8 lens
combinations, if you didn’t have that firmware previously installed on the
camera. As of the time of this writing, the most current firmware for the Canon
5D Mark III is version 1.2.1.
That wraps up the General Options tab. Next time we’ll
dive into the Custom Functions on the 5D Mark III…
Monday, June 3, 2013
Canon 5D Mark III: Menu Basics and Highlights, Part 1
Intro
Looking through the menus on the Canon 5D Mark III, I can see that much has changed since my 40D was originally introduced. Many of the items that used to be Custom Functions with the 40D are now regular menu items. I’m assuming much of this came about due to the fact that a camera such as the 5D Mark III has so many different options and capabilities, a new method of organizing it became necessary. The menu itself is divided into 6 tabs, and each tab has multiple sections.
Looking through the menus on the Canon 5D Mark III, I can see that much has changed since my 40D was originally introduced. Many of the items that used to be Custom Functions with the 40D are now regular menu items. I’m assuming much of this came about due to the fact that a camera such as the 5D Mark III has so many different options and capabilities, a new method of organizing it became necessary. The menu itself is divided into 6 tabs, and each tab has multiple sections.
The easiest way to navigate the menu is using a
combination of the Quick Control button and the Multi-Controller. Use the Quick
Control button to quickly change tabs, while using the Multi-Controller to
change the sections on a tab and move up or down. Press down on the
Multi-Controller to change an option. You can also use the Quick Control Dial
and Set button to navigate up and down a set of menu items. Squares at the top
of the settings indicate which group of settings for a tab you are currently
in.
I won’t cover each and every item in the menu, as the
manual already does that and there is no need for me to reinvent the wheel.
However, I’ll run through some of the options that I deem significant to me or
that may prove most useful to you. It should be noted, that I’m going to skip
completely over the Auto Focus menu tab for now. I’ll have a whole post devoted
to the AF system found in the 5D Mark III, as it is really deserving of
detailed coverage.
Camera Operation
So starting with the first tab, Camera Operation, you’ll
come across “Beep” and “Release Shutter Without a Card”. Beep seems like an
insignificant option, until you’re using your camera in a quiet environment. I
can’t tell you the number of times I see photographers in what should be a
quiet environment leave this setting on. A wedding is a perfect example. Not
only does it scream you have no clue what you’re doing with this expensive
camera and you probably have the camera in Full-Auto mode, it is plain annoying
to those around you. I always set this option to off in every camera I have.
The next option regarding shooting without a card is much
more important. There is no valid reason for someone to have their camera set
to allow this. Its purpose is to allow the camera to be fired in the store, should
you want to test it, and leaving it that way will only provide you a headache
later. Imagine spending a little time out in the field shooting some of the
most majestic Bald Eagles, or those once in a lifetime shots of your child. Now
imagine opening up the memory card door only to find out that you forgot to put
the memory card in. With this option set to off, the camera will not take photos in
that type of circumstance and will warn you that the card is missing.
The “External Speedlight Control” menu comes in really
handy for adjusting an external flash from the camera, as opposed to the flash’s
buttons. I’ve used a similar menu with my 430EX and 40D. The 430EX isn’t the
easiest flash to set, as it lacks the thumbwheel of its bigger brother the
580EX. This menu makes things much easier for some flashes.
One of the most under-utilized menu options, for some
photographers, I’ve come across is “Mirror Lockup”. This option, and a camera
remote, is essential for long exposure and nighttime photography. Just the
slightest shake will blur the details in those types of shots, even on a good
sturdy tripod. Any camera movement will do this, even the click of the mirror being
raised, which is what you a using this option to avoid. So I always use mirror
lockup in long exposure situations, to raise the mirror, and then allow a few
seconds to pass before pressing the button on the remote again to take the
actual photograph. This has been available on camera for years, but as I’ve
said it is quite often under-utilized.
On the next section of the Camera Operation tab, you’ll
find “AEB” and “Exposure Compensation” in the menu. I’ll cover AEB more in
depth in an upcoming article involving the 5D Mark III and how I shoot HDR,
although I did want to mention it though. In regards to exposure compensation,
I usually set it by using the Quick Control Dial but it can also be set via the
menu as well.
I should mention that I tend to do as much as I can with
the various buttons on the camera, including exposure compensation, while looking
through the viewfinder. You have to get used to it, but once you do I find it’s
much quicker to make adjustments on the fly. Regardless of how you set exposure
compensation, it is a vital tool for the photographer.
Likewise, I don’t usually set my ISO speed by the menu, even
though you can. However, the “ISO Speed Settings” option in the menu does offer
access to the Auto ISO parameters. I’m not a big Auto ISO user, as I prefer to
change the ISO speed myself as needed. I don’t like having unknown variables
introduced by the camera. Some people may find it useful in low light, so that
they keep the shutter speed high enough to avoid camera shake.
There is one situation I could see myself using Auto ISO,
but unfortunately Canon seems to have left that possibility on the drawing
board. There are times I’m forced to handhold a long zoom lens, and being able
to force the camera to have a minimum shutter speed of 1/500 or 1/1000 would be
very helpful in those situations. Unfortunately Auto ISO is limited to a
minimum shutter speed of 1/250 of a second. I could see this even being useful
when the camera is used in conjunction with a monopod. I could be wrong, but I
would think this change could be easily addressed via firmware if Canon would
explore it as an option.
Moving to the next section, since I normally shoot raw
images, I set my picture style to Neutral. This helps keep the histogram output
as close to the raw image as possible. The histogram is based off of the jpg
preview embedded in the raw file, and the jpg preview is created using the
picture style you have chosen. From what I can tell, Neutral and Faithful are
the two styles that process this jpg preview as closely to what was captured as
possible.
On the last section of the Camera settings menu, I find
the Meter Timer option very helpful. Since the camera always meters at the
center focus point when any mode other than evaluative metering is used, I sometimes
find myself pointing the center focus point somewhere, setting the Exposure
Lock, and then recomposing my shot. Setting the Metering Time allows me more
time to recompose, I don’t feel as rushed. This is especially handy when I’m
trying to re-position the 5D Mark III when it’s attached to a tripod that is low
to the ground as it is sometimes a little awkward to get it re-positioned.
Moving on to the Playback Menu, you’ll find the bottom
option on the first section is Raw Image Processing. I haven’t used this
option, but I do find the possibilities interesting, especially if you shoot using
either RAW or RAW+jpg. This option allows you to create jpgs, in camera, after
the shot has been taken. This could prove useful had you forgotten to enable RAW+jpg
mode, or simply needed a quick jpg after the shot had been taken. Similar to
that ability, is the ability to resize images in the camera. This option only
works on certain jpg sizes, but could prove useful if you were caught with a
nearly full memory card. You could resize several images, freeing up some room
on the installed memory card.
The next section has one of the most important settings I
could ever recommend changing, outside of not allowing the camera to shoot
without a card. This option is Highlight Alert, or the ‘blinkies’ as it is
sometimes called.
When enabled, this will blink areas of the image that are
overexposed, alternating them between white and black. The image must be in
either histogram or fullscreen views for the Highlight Alert to notify you.
This option on my cameras has saved me more times than I can count, allowing me
to retake an overexposed shot after checking it on my rear LCD! To compliment
Highlight Alert, I also enable the Histogram Display to show me brightness
instead of color.
One last noteworthy item in this menu is Magnification.
If you routinely find yourself checking the focus of an image on the camera’s
LCD screen, setting the magnification to a higher value here will instantly
zoom you into the image further without the need to use the Main Dial. All you
do is press the magnifying glass button to be whisked into a much deeper zoom
level!
Next time, we’ll dive into more of the menu options…
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