Crazy me got a 5D

[Colin500]

Hi Everyone,


got to share this with you, after all, if it weren't for this site I'd probably be stuck with a 500D (which would be ok) and the 18-55 and 55-250 (the latter of which I never actually owned).


But after reading all the reviews and discussions here, it seemed that my (distant) future would be full frame. So I got the 24-70, then a 70-200, and proclaimed that 24 was wide enough for me.


But then something happened.


Until recently, although I knew that focal length was about angle-of-view, my instincts had only internalised it as zoom, read: magnification to offset differences in distance.


But now I've (at least partly) "got" it, I'm developing a feeling for it really means to change the angle-of-view, how it affects composition etc. And suddenly 24 x 1.6 seemed rather narrow.


That wasn't the only reason to upgrade, I could have bought a 10-22 or a 16-35 or whatever to get more angle, there's more:

• The lack of C1/C2/C3 was really annoying on the 500D; even my G7 had two of them.
• The low-light capabilities of the 500D weren't quite enough for spontaneous indoor-shots of my daughter without setting up extra lights.
• There's a nagging feeling that a lens or two might need some micro-adjustments.
• Eventually I'd have gone full-frame anyhow (although I thought I'd wait for the mkIII)

So yesterday my 5DmkII arrived, but I've got nothing to show because it was raining all day. Unkh. At least that gave me some time to read the manual, there were a few more settings than on the 500D that I didn't understand. Some first impressions:

• The viewfinder is cool.
• The wide-angle is cool.
• The 24-70 looks more at home than on the rebel, but boy what a weight!
• The shutter noise is much louder than on the 500D.
• Slightly irked that there doesn't seem to be a 720p video option?
• Took me two hours to go through all the configuration, but it's really cool too.
• Most importantly, the first test shots at home look just great!

There's one area that I don't get at all, and that's all the AF-ON/-Start/-Stop/-Lock etc. and all the custom-functions that change the meaning and interplay of the Shutter, the AF-ON and the * button. I'm totally lost as to what all these settings mean, and in which use-cases which configuration would be applied how. If anybody has some examples...


Anyhow, can't wait for better weather to get out-and-about, I'm still not a really good photographer, but now I can't blame the equipment any more, I've read enough books, now it's only the practice that counts!


Ciao ciao, Colin


PS: I've loaded the camera's manual in PDF on my iPod touch, and got a DOF-calculator, quite convenient out in the fields.

[Dave Johnston]

Hey Colin,


Congrats on the 5d mkII. I have total envy of that camera. It will be my first purchase once I get a job.... I'm in school, so there.





But moving back to one of your questions.


The rebel that I used to have didn't have an AF-On button on the back, but I upgraded to a 50D after a while and taking the advice of some of the others on the forum, I changed the settings of the camera so that the AF-ON button was the only thing that made AF start rather than halfway depressing the shutter button. This allows you to take a shot by depressing the shutter, even of the lens has not attained focus.


The specific setting on my camera says this under the functions "Shutter button/ AF-on button = AE lock/ Mettering + AF Start." Some might use a different setting, but I find this one useful as I can lock exposure on a certain part of a subject with halfway depressing the shutter button and then recompose and focus with the auto focus button (This gets use when I'm using aperature or shutter priority modes). That way I get the exposure I know I want and I also get the focus I know I want without having to fiddle around too much and I can do this on the fly.


Although that seems a little weird, and it will seem weird at first. It gives you a great deal more control over the auto-focus system and once you start using it, most people wonder why they never set it up that way in the beginning. I would invite you to try it, you might end up liking it.





But for realzies,


Congrats on a great camera [Y].


Dave.

[neuroanatomist]

Congrats on your 5DII, Colin!


Yes, 24mm on a crop body is 'narrow' or at least near-'normal' since it translates to 38mm on your FF camera. I followed a similar path to you, to a point. I actually started with a T1i/500D as well, but skipped the kit lens in favor of the 17-55mm f/2.8. I did also get the 10-22mm. I wanted to stay with the crop sensor for the effect at the long end (wildlife shooting).


So, I went to the 7D and found similar benefits:

• I really like the C1/C2/C3 (I have one set up for tripod shooting, one for general wildlife, one for birds in flight).
• I did microadjust all my lenses (testing on my T1i showed that my 100mm L Macro front-focused, but there was nothing I could do short of sending lens/camera to Canon)
• I really like the brighter (prism vs. mirrors) VF with 100% coverage (the 5DII is close at 98%, better than the T1i's 95%)
• UWA is covered with the 10-22mm
• The buttons are amazingly customizable

<div>I also really like the better AF system and faster frame rate (8 fps) of the 7D. The only real issue that the 7D doesn't solve, IMO, is the low-light performance. For low light, f/2.8 helps, and for now my plan is to solve that with a f/1.2L lens (50mm or 85mm). I'll still add an FF camera down the line, I'm sure.</div>



<div>I'll echo Dave's comment about 'back-button AF'. I have mine set a little differently than he does, though. I have the shutter button set to metering start (instead of AE lock like Dave), and the AF-ON set to metering and AF start. I leave the AE lock assigned to the AE Lock button (the * button). I like that combo because it allows me to control when I focus (AF-ON), when I want AE lock (*), and when I want to just meter and shoot (shutter release). You easily get in the habit of pressing AF-ON with your thumb to AF. Many times, you may want to set focus then capture several shots without refocusing, or you may want to manually tweak the focus (esp. with macro), then shoot without the AF system undoing your MF. Back-button AF makes that possible. Normally, especially with matrix metering, you want to meter then shoot so the scene is properly exposed as a whole. You'd use AE Lock (*) exactly as Dave suggests - when you want to set exposure based on a certain feature of the scene, then recompose. I usually use AE Lock in conjunction with spot or partial metering (the idea being to control what is being metered, e.g. the face of a person in the shadows), then recompose and shoot. So, with a shot of a backlit person where I wanted to compose off center, for example, I'd have an off-center AF point selected with the joystick, and spot or partial metering selected - aim the spot metering circle at the subject, half-press shutter to meter and press * to lock exposure, then recompose so the subject is off-center (and under the selected AF point), press AF-ON to focus, then fully press the shutter to shoot. It sounds more complicated than it is, with a little practice.</div>



<div>One caveat to setting up back-button focus and removing that function from the shutter button - if someone else briefly uses your camera (family member, someone you ask to take a picture of you, etc.), their shots won't be focused since they will expect the shutter button to do that. The solution is to turn the mode dial to the green square mode (which I know you'd never use yourself! - in that mode, custom functions including back-button AF are cancelled out.</div>



<div>Enjoy your new camera!!! []</div>

[Colin500]

Thanks guys! And: That gives me an idea of where to start, and what to look out for, with this AE/AF-Lock stuff, I'll have some fun fiddling around ;-)


Cheers, Colin

[neuroanatomist]

PS. Like you, I loaded my 7D manual PDF on my iPhone and also have a DoF calculator. One other suggestion - you might want to pick up Magic Lantern guide (or equivalent) for your 5DII. I found the 7D guide very helpful for explaining things like what the various C.Fn options actually do, which is sometimes hard to grasp in 'owner's manual language'.

[Alan]

Colin, here's a good explanation on how the AF back button custom functions work.


http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&amp;articleID=2286&am p;productID=249&amp;articleTypeID=5

[Colin500]

Colin, here's a good explanation on how the AF back button custom functions work.


http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&amp;articleID=2286&am p;productID=249&amp;articleTypeID=5

Thanks, this looks really helpful!


(But ... why do this guide, and so many others, speak about "focus-and-recompose" without warning that the focus can be put off by recomposing, at least with large apertures?)


Ciao, Colin

[Colin500]

PS. Like you, I loaded my 7D manual PDF on my iPhone and also have a DoF calculator. One other suggestion - you might want to pick up Magic Lantern guide (or equivalent) for your 5DII. I found the 7D guide very helpful for explaining things like what the various C.Fn options actually do, which is sometimes hard to grasp in 'owner's manual language'.

Whoa, I googled for "magic lantern canon eos", and the first thing I found was something else:


A "hacked" firmware for the 5DmkII, with a 7D version in the works, that adds many more features for shooting videos (e.g. real-time audio monitoring and level display). See theMagic Lantern Firmware Wikiwhich has all the details and a nice introductory video...


Thanks, Colin

[neuroanatomist]

Sorry, it wasn't my idea to point you in the direction of the firmware hack with the same name. But, if it interests you... [:P]


I meant the book.