Full Color Throughout! Canon

Full Color Throughout! Canon

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital Field Guide

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital Field Guide John Kraus

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital Field Guide Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 www.wiley.com Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 978-0-470-40949-7 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUD- ING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WAR- RANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEB SITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGA- NIZATION OF WEB SITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEB SITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2009927346 Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Canon is a registered trademark of Canon, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

About the Author John Kraus is a freelance photographer working out of San Francisco, California, where he moved in 2000 after growing up and enjoying a diverse career in New York City. His career includes many years as both a Photographer and a Director of Photography shooting for national and global clients such as MCI, Coca-Cola, General Foods, and McDonald s. Many of these dense global, cultural and cinematic influences form the foundation for the work he creates today. John works in several photographic fields advertising, editorial, corporate and event work. It s his belief that in all these fields he pursues a common vision to show people and places in their best light through capturing moments that are beautiful, authentic and often quirkily unique. John s work can be viewed on several sites, including www.johnkrausphotography.com and johnkrausweddingphotography.com. He invites one and all to visit them.

Credits Associate Acquisitions Editor Aaron Black Technical Editor George Maginnis Copy Editor Mary Louise Wiack Editorial Director Robyn Siesky Editorial Manager Cricket Krengel Business Manager Amy Knies Senior Marketing Manager Sandy Smith Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Barry Pruett Project Coordinator Patrick Redmond Graphics and Production Specialists Jennifer Mayberry Christin Swinford Quality Control Technician Dwight Ramsey Proofreading and Indexing Cindy Lee Ballew / Precisely Write BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services

To all the photographers both living and gone who have ignited within me my passion for photography, I thank you all.

Acknowledgments I d like to thank photographers Jon Roemer, James Russell, Steve Niedorf, Cameron Davidson and Tim Griffith who were all gracious enough to share their insights and/or allow work of theirs to be shown in this book. And, as always, special thanks to the lady in red.

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Exploring the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 1 Chapter 1: The Basics of Your Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 3 ix xix What s New at a Glance 3 Navigating the Camera: Buttons and Dials 5 Top of the camera 6 Mode button 6 AF-Drive button 6 Using the AF-Drive and Mode button together 8 Metering Mode/Flash Exposure Compensation button 8 Exposure Compensation/ Aperture button 8 ISO button 8 Main Control dial 8 FE Lock/Multi-spot metering button 8 Back of the camera 8 Menu button 9 Info button 10 AF start button 10 AE Lock/Reduce button 10 AF Point Selection/ Magnify button 10 Multi-controller 11 Quick Control dial 11 Quick Control dial Set button 11 Off/On switch 11 Playback button 11 Erase button 11 Function button 11 Protect/Sound Recording button 12 Bottom-right buttons 12 Side connections 12 Setting up Memory Cards 14 Types of files 14 RAW and sraw files 14 JPEG files 15 Viewfinder Readout 16 Live View 18 Advantages of Live View 18 Challenges of using Live View 18 Activating Live View 19

Chapter 2: The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Menu Systems 21 Chapter 3: Choosing Settings When Preparing for a Shoot 43 How Menu Items are Selected and Organized 21 Selecting your menu item 22 How menus are organized 22 Shooting Menu 1 23 Shooting Menu 2 27 Playback Menu 1 28 Playback Menu 2 30 Set-up Menu 1 31 Set-up Menu 2 33 Set-up Menu 3 34 Custom Functions Menu 35 Clear All Custom Functions 40 C.Fn setting register/apply 40 My Menu Settings 41 Prepping Your Equipment for a Shoot 43 Focusing Modes 45 One Point Auto Focus 45 Al Servo Auto Focus 46 Automatic Focus 47 Improving autofocus 48 Manual focus 48 Exposure Metering Modes 48 Modifying exposure 52 Exposure bracketing 52 Flash Modes 55 Drive Modes 56 ISO Choices 57 Types of digital noise 58 Noise reduction techniques 58 White Balance Modes 60 Image Quality Modes 62 Picture Style Modes 62 Registering Settings 63

Part II: System Components 65 Chapter 5: Making Smart Lens Choices 81 Chapter 4: Tethered Shooting 67 Tethered Shooting Pros and Cons 67 Pros 67 Cons 68 Software 69 Capture One Pro 4.6 70 Canon software 71 Improving USB Capture Rate with Macintosh Systems 75 Computer hardware and capture speed 75 Sending only small JPEGs to the computer 75 Using Lightroom 2.0 for quick RAW tethering 76 Troubleshooting in Tethering Environments 77 General troubleshooting 78 Specific troubleshooting for tethering issues 78 One final note 79 Canon Lens System and Terminology 81 Lens choices 81 Lens terminology 83 Prime versus Zoom Lenses 84 Prime Lenses 85 Tilt-shift lenses 90 Zoom lenses 92 L Lenses versus Standard Lenses 94 My Ideal Lens List 95 Specialty Lenses and Accessories 100 EF extenders 100 Extension tubes 101 Macro lenses 101

Chapter 6: Working with Canon Speedlites 103 Part III: In the Field with Your Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 119 Chapter 7: Lighting Decisions 121 Canon Speedlites 103 580EX II 106 430EX II and 430EX 107 Exposing with Speedlites 108 Exposure considerations with a Speedlite 108 E-TTL II 110 FEL 110 Manual exposure 111 Add-On Modifiers for Speedlites 111 Gary Fong Lightsphere 111 Big Bounce 111 Sto-Fen modifier 112 Portable ring lights 112 Off-camera setups 113 Using Speedlites in Various Lighting Situations 113 Daylight 113 Low light 115 Dim interiors and exteriors 115 Remote Triggering with Speedlites 115 Planning a Lighting Setup 121 Available Light 123 Strobe Systems 127 Types of strobe systems 127 Power packs 127 Monolights 128 Strobe modifiers 128 Softboxes 128 Sotftbox control 128 Umbrellas 129 Umbrella control 129 Reflectors 129 Reflector control 130 Lighting comparisons 131 Special units 132 Fluorescent and HMI Systems 134 Fluorescent lighting systems 134 HMI systems 136 Tungsten Lights 138 Portable Power 140 Battery units 140 Gasoline generators 141

Chapter 8: Advertising and Editorial Photography 141 Chapter 9: Photo graphing People 151 Advantages and Limitations 143 Advantages of the EOS-1Ds Mark III 144 Limitations of the EOS-1Ds Mark III 146 Avoiding Downtime 147 Tethering for Advertising 148 Lens Choices for Advertising and Editorial Photography 149 Processing and Post-Production Work 151 The 1Ds Mark III for Portraiture 153 Portraits 153 Formal portraits 154 Informal portraits 155 Working with the subject 155 Lighting different subjects 156 Lens Choices 158 Photographing People on Location 161 Photographing People in the Studio 166 Beauty and Fashion 168

Chapter 10: Wedding and Event Photography 169 Initial Requirements of Architectural Photography 189 Using the EOS-1Ds Mark III in Architectural Photography 191 Canon 1Ds Mark III realities 193 Jon Roemer and the 1Ds Mark III 195 Architectural Shooting Techniques 198 Architectural Post-Processing Techniques 100 Chapter 12: Landscape and Nature Photography 203 Considerations 173 Know Your Client 178 Event Challenges and Limitations 179 Be ready 179 Have backups close by 179 Wedding Specifics 180 Other Event Tips 186 Educational events 186 Corporate event challenges 186 Chapter 11: Architectural Photography 189 The EOS-1Ds Mark III System for Landscapes 203 RAW versus JPEG 204 Maximizing Dynamic Range 206 Multi-point spot metering 206 HDR merge 207 Highlight/Shadow adjustment 207 Stitching Images 208 Vibrationless Shooting 209

Lenses 209 Filters 210 Post-Processing Work 212 Appendix B: RAW Processor Choices 227 Part IV: Appendixes 215 Appendix A: Maintaining the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 217 Overview 227 Canon Digital Photo Professional 228 Capture One Pro 229 Iridient Digital RAW Developer 230 Adobe Lightroom 2.2 231 Adobe Camera Raw 232 Aperture 2 233 Appendix C: Specifications 235 Cleaning the Sensor 218 The EOS Integrated Cleaning system 218 Manual cleaning of the sensor 219 Updating the Firmware 221 Calibrating Lenses 222 Sending Your Camera in for Repair 225 Type 235 Image Sensor 235

Recording System 236 White Balance 236 Viewfinder 236 Autofocus 236 Exposure Control 237 Shutter 237 Drive System 237 External Speedlite 237 Live View Function 238 LCD Monitor 238 Image Playback 238 Image Protection and Erase 238 Sound Recording 238 Direct Printing 238 Customization 238 Interface 239 Power Source 239 Dimensions and Weight 239 Operating Environment 239 Camera Case 242 Lighting Case 243 Stand Case 244 Power Cable and Sandbag Case 245 Extras You May Need 245 Glossary 247 Index 253 Appendix D: Traveling System Example 241

Introduction Whether you re a professional photographer or advanced amateur who already owns the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III or rents one for assignments, this book is designed to get you up and running as quickly as possible, as well as provide a thorough reference whether on location or in the studio. At this point in time there are many digital camera systems to choose from. In the professional market it s a major decision of which system to purchase in terms of your image needs, your budget, shooting style, and personal preferences. And with choices that range from $2500 to $50,000 and more, it s truly a major financial decision and investment as well. Because the EOS-1Ds Mark III possesses both medium format as well as what are traditionally considered 35mm abilities, it functions extremely well, for the most part, in whatever aspect of photography you re involved with. The medium format qualities include the ability to produce large files of tight detail and rich color. The 35mm abilities refer principally to the quick handling of the camera as well as its ability to photograph in very low light. The large file size of 21.1 effective megapixels covers most advertising and editorial assignments, and is more than enough for wedding and event assignments. Allowing print sizes up to 16 20 inches at 300dpi before any type of upsampling is needed, the image files offer a great deal of information to work with. Image richness particularly at ISOs between 100 and 400 is very close if not equal to medium format back results, especially when printed. The camera offers smooth highlight transitions as well as cleaner shadows, noise-wise, than earlier 1Ds models an impressive achievement. However, beyond the rich image quality in the ISO 100 to 400 ranges, the camera produces excellent and useable large-file imagery through ISO 1600 professional results over a wide ISO range. And a few photographers are creating strong work at ISO 3200 as well, although this certainly includes the need for noise reduction either in RAW image conversion or in post work. For technical photography, such as architectural work, the improved image quality combined with some of Canon s lenses, such as the 14mm 2.8L II, as well as Canon s tilt-shift lenses, offers a viable alternative to view camera solutions for many assignments. Although view cameras still hold a strong edge in terms of detail, lens adjustments such as swings and tilts, and lens choices, the 1Ds Mark III can produce beautiful architectural work. Why do I photograph most of my assignments with the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III and why might you? It s been my personal experience that many factors come into play in discovering which camera and system work best for you and the particular work you do operating speed, quality of lenses, quality of the view on the LCD screen for checking the lighting and feel of a shot, battery life, aspects of tethered shooting, etc. Do you shoot handheld mostly

xx Introduction or on a tripod? Do you use available light or mostly strobe? Do you shoot action, portraiture, landscapes, events, products, fashion, or architecture? All these elements come into consideration and affect how well you can work in your chosen area with a particular system. As many of you know, image quality is just part of the equation. Reliability and operational speed are equally important for many of us, and here the EOS-1Ds Mark III shines. With speeds up to 6 frames per second, it s fast, has an improved viewing system (both looking through the eyepiece as well as viewing image playback on the rear LCD screen), and a shutter-release system that offers minimal mirror-bounce vibration. It s not perfect, but it s very, very good. If you shoot solely in the studio, a Medium Format digital back and system might make more sense, and if you shoot solely available-light, then other options abound, such as the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D3. The beauty of the 1DsIII is its flexibility not King of any one shooting situation, perhaps, but Prince to all. As a people photographer who has worked with medium format digital systems, I find it a pleasure to shoot with the 1Ds Mark III it s fast, it s not temperamental, it s quiet, shoots in low light, can shoot hand-held with slow shutter speeds, and more. It works well for me, and I hope it works equally well for you. The start of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital Field Guide demonstrates how to navigate controls of the camera where they are, what they do, and the choices that are there for you. A strength of the camera is that while you can, in fact, just about pick one up and start shooting away, there are many choices and gems you might not be aware of that could be most useful in helping to improve your work, workflow, and shooting style. My own experience has taught me that it s worth the time to know your camera s capabilities as thoroughly as you know your own. The book then focuses on how to take advantage of the EOS-1Ds Mark III s various modes and settings to significantly aid you in obtaining the imagery you re looking for. The guide goes on to explore tethering, lighting decisions, plus the strengths and weaknesses of the camera in various shooting situations, including photographing people, advertising, events, architecture, and landscapes. At the end you ll find information on maintenance, RAW processors, specifications, and a glossary with terms used throughout the book. I hope you ll read the book in the order that works best for you. Whether from start to finish, during focused sessions (like getting the menus down) or as an in-the-field aid when you need to troubleshoot a problem or look for options to help you make the best use of the camera during a particular shoot. Happy Shooting!

Exploring the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III P A R T I In This Part Chapter 1 The Basics of Your Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Chapter 2 The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Menu Systems Chapter 3 Choosing Settings When Preparing for a Shoot

Navigating the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III The object of this chapter is to answer the initial questions you would have regarding how to operate the main controls of the camera, learn about new changes to the 1Ds Mark III system, and quickly gain the ability to begin operating the camera confidently and professionally. The 1Ds Mark III (along with the 1D Mark III) has a number of features that are new to the 1Ds/1D series. I ll describe some of these, as well as offer a road map identifying and explaining all the buttons and dials on the camera beyond the obvious ones, such as the Menu Light button and the Shutter button. 1 C H A P T E R In This Chapter What s new at a glance Navigating the camera: buttons and dials Setting up memory cards Viewfinder readout Live View The 1Ds Mark III continues to use a control system that usually combines pressing a button with turning one of the two control dials on the camera. Once you learn and understand this system, it becomes an interface that s easy and fast to work with. What s New at a Glance Although a revolutionary new camera design is often more exciting initially, there s something to be said for the evolutionary approach Canon has taken in designing new generations of the 1Ds-series cameras. Canon s designers and engineers have methodically been updating the EOS-1Ds series (along with the EOS-1D series) through three generations,

4 Part I Exploring the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III each time making the cameras better and easier to navigate, with larger file sizes, less digital noise, and more options. Aside from the many subtle improvements and the larger 21.1 effective megapixels sensor compared to the 1Ds Mark II, here are some of the major changes you ll discover as you explore the 1Ds Mark III: New mode Highlight Priority. This new menu setting that nicely improves highlight details and tonal transitions. Extended battery life. The new lithium-ion battery seems to shoot forever, and is rated to 1,700 exposures. Live View. This new feature allows you to view the scene live on the rear LCD and take the photo. This also allows a live view on a computer screen when tethered by a USB cable to your computer. Improved Playback. Playback quality is better on the rear LCD in my opinion, which has been enlarged from 2 inches to 3 inches, with seven brightness levels to choose from. Improved image richness. Image capture has gone from 12 bit to 14 bit; this brings the richness of the imagery much closer to the 16-bit digital backs, particularly at ISO 100 to 400. Increased continuous shooting (burst buffer). The number of images the camera can capture before slowing down has increased from 32 Large/Fine JPEGs to 56, or 10 RAW frames. In my work, it s rare when I ve had to wait on the 1Ds Mark III to shoot the next image. Additional autofocus points. Autofocus points have increased from 7 to 19 cross-type sensors for enhanced focusing sensitivity, retaining a total of 45 focus points. New Multi-controller. Located on the rear of the body, this serves various functions from choosing focus points to navigating various settings. Dual Digic III Image Processor. The move from the Digic II processor has increased processing speed, as well improved image tonality with better detail and color reproduction. Later generations of Canon cameras, including the 21.1-megapixel 5D Mark II, are now utilizing the Digic IV processor with visibly better high-iso low-noise characteristics. Self-cleaning sensor. I find this a huge step up from the 1Ds Mark II. The sensor automatically cleans itself whenever the camera is turned on or off, utilizing ultrasonic vibration to shake dust off the infrared absorption glass the outermost layer in front of the sensor. You can activate this cleaning manually, and in the rare times that dust remains despite the cleaning cycle, you can append Dust Delete data to an image in order to automatically remove dust in Canon s DPP software. See Appendix A for more information about maintaining the 1Ds Mark III. While I often had to clean the sensor as well as remove dust on images captured in earlier 1Ds models, I ve yet to do either with the 1Ds Mark III.

Chapter 1 Navigating the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 5 Better menu access organization. The Menu system now utilizes better organization for easier navigation and thus faster selection of menu choices. Improved tethered shooting. This has gone from a FireWire to USB 2.0 connection, which is one area that I consider a drawback, at least if you tether using a Mac. In Chapter 4, you ll find more detailed information as well as workarounds to tethering problems. Navigating the Camera: Buttons and Dials To get you up to speed navigating the 1Ds Mark III buttons and dials, one thing you want to learn right away is the difference between the Main Control dial and the Quick Control dial it s easy to get them confused. The Main Control dial is the small dial just behind the Shutter button on the top of the camera. The Quick Control dial is the large 1.1 A front view of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III with the 50mm 1.2 L lens attached

6 Part I Exploring the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 1.2 Main Control dial symbol 1.3 Quick Control dial symbol dial located on the back of the camera. Canon uses the symbols shown in figures 1.2 and 1.3 for each dial in the manual, so get to know them. The settings described in the following sections are the combinations of buttons and a particular control dial typically used; however, you can choose which dials to use for particular functions within the Custom Functions menu page. This overview is your principle introduction to the controls of the 1Ds Mark III. These control operations are designed very well it s harder to describe them than to actually use them. Once you learn how the control system works and where the controls are located, for the most part, settings can be made quickly and easily and without a lot of thinking, meaning the system gets out of the way of shooting. Top of the camera The controls on top of the 1Ds Mark III are arranged in familiar order for those who have experience with either the 1D or 1Ds series. What follow are details on how the controls work in conjunction with either the Main Control dial or Quick Control dial. Mode button Located at the top-left corner of the camera, the Mode button allows you to choose which exposure value (either aperture or shutter) you want to set and which exposure value the camera will automatically set. Press the Mode button and turn either control dial to choose your preferred setting: A (Aperture Priority). You set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter. M (Manual). You set both shutter and aperture values. Tv, or time value (Shutter Priority). You set the shutter while the camera sets the aperture. Bulb. You set the aperture, and the shutter remains opened with sensor exposed as long as the Shutter button is pressed or locked in place with a cable release. You should use a cable release with the Bulb mode setting. Seconds and minutes can be read from the top LCD. Be sure to shut the rear eyepiece in these scenarios, as well as raise the mirror before beginning. See Chapter 2 for details on how access and to control mirror lockup. Program. (P) The camera automatically sets aperture and shutter speed, and also adjusts when an EOS Speedlite is attached to the camera, all according to internal programming. AF-Drive button The AF-Drive button, located just below the Mode button, allows you to control various ways that autofocus can be set to work, as well as how the motor drive works. You press the AF-Drive button while turning either the Main Control or Quick Control dial.

Chapter 1 Navigating the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 7 Mode button FE Lock/Multi-Spot metering button Exposure Compensation/Aperture button Main Control dial ISO button Metering Mode/ Flash Exposure Compensation button AF-Drive button 1.4 Top view of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III With the Main Control dial. This controls focus, allowing you to choose between One-shot and AI focus mode. One-shot focus mode chooses and locks the focus once the Shutter button is pressed halfway. AI focus mode continuously checks the focus of the chosen focus point (or the automatically chosen focus point) and adjusts continuously as the camera-tosubject distance changes. With the Quick Control dial. This controls the motor drive, allowing you to choose between Silent mode, single exposure, slow continuous motor drive, and fast continuous motor drive. Silent mode is a particularly useful mode in quiet or sensitive locations, and one that many photographers forget about. It is useful inside places of worship, with sensitive subjects, at high-pressure focused board meetings, and so on.

8 Part I Exploring the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Using the AF-Drive and Mode button together By pressing the AF-Drive button and the Mode button and holding (or pressing and then releasing these two buttons but beginning within six seconds), you can turn either the Main Control dial or Quick Control dial to set auto-exposure bracketing, which is initially set for three images. You can bracket from plus or minus 1/3 stop to plus or minus 3 stops. The exposures are initially taken in this sequence: prime exposure, under-exposed, over-exposed. You can control the number of exposures and the exposure sequence with Menu Page 6, Custom Function 1, Items 5 and 6. Metering Mode/Flash Exposure Compensation button Depending on which control dial you turn while pressing this button, you can make your choice for the metering type you want, as well as for the Flash Exposure Compensation you want that is, how much under or over the initial setting you want flash exposure to be. With the Main Control dial. Press the Metering Mode/Flash Exposure Compensation button and turn the Main Control dial to choose between Evaluative Metering, Partial Metering, Spot Metering, and Center Weighted Average metering. With the Quick Control dial. Adjust exposure compensation for EOS flash, from 3 to +3 EV. Exposure Compensation/Aperture button With either control dial, this button, which is located on the top right of the camera, sets exposure compensation, if desired, from 3 to +3 stops. However, I much prefer to set the Quick Control dial to perform the same function (Custom Function IV, Item 3, Choice 0). ISO button Located on the top-right corner of the camera above the Shutter button, the ISO button allows you to set the ISO by turning either the Main Control or Quick Control dial. You can set ISO between 100 and 3200. Main Control dial Located on the top right corner between the Shutter button and the ISO button, when used by itself, the Main Control dial controls whatever mode you ve set with the Mode button. For example, if you set the camera to A (Aperture Priority), the dial controls the aperture. If you set it to Tv (Shutter Priority), the dial controls the shutter speed. As noted, the Main Control dial is used in conjunction with buttons that you press to obtain the settings you want. FE Lock/Multi-Spot metering button The Flash Exposure Lock, or FEL, button works in conjunction with EX Series Speedlites. It s used to lock the flash exposure at the desired point of the subject. Pressing the FEL button activates a preflash, after which you take the picture along with a second flash burst. This method provides a more accurate flash exposure, although at the risk of being less spontaneous. Back of the camera The back of the camera contains both buttons, 2 LCD screens, and the memory card storage area. Once you learn the location of