Printable View
i got used to having the rear display showing all the settings on my previous cameras. i can bring up the same display on the 1DsIII but if i review an image it defaults back to a blank screen. is there a way to have the settings screen as default or is that just the way it is?
this is the screen i want to have as default
Attachment 2529
The turning off of the display was a way to conserve battery power. It is possible to have it stay on once you press the info button to turn it on. I did that with mine but I can not remember which menu option it was. Unless someone comes up with a better answer I can only suggest digging through the custom functions section of the manual to find it.
The logic of the pro cameras is that it's at your eye and you're managing settings through the viewfinder. Not a lot of ways around that in menu options, unfortunately. I've used the info page a lot as well, but simply got comfortable hitting INFO when I wanted it. I think I really only used the info page when the camera was up on a tripod and I didn't want to disturb it just to be able to see the top screen or VF to make a settings change. I have a 1DIII which is effectively the same as yours for this discussion, and I truly don't think there's a way to make that screen appear by default, only by hitting INFO after a shot.
The higher end models have an LCD on top, which together with the viewfinder information provides much the same functionality.
However, the cameras I have with the ability to also show the info display on the rear (top) LCD (from 40D to 1DX Mark II), they do allow you to lock in the information display. Simply press INFO button the required number of times, but don't turn the rear display off by pressing INFO yet again. Just take pictures, and the INFO display will come back to haunt you again.
It will of course disappear when you review images, as it can't show two things at the same time, but will come back again as soon as you cancel image viewing. It will also be on all the time, when you take pictures.
The only sensible advice is: Get used to using the top and rear (small) LCD, together with the viewfinder information. The INFO display is for special purposes only.