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C
J
C
GETTING THE MOST
FROM YOUR EOS-1
CLASS DIGITAL SLR
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES:
CAMERA HANDLING
& MAXIMUM IMAGE
QUALITY
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OVERVIEW Canon’s EOS-1 class digital SLRs (EOS-1D, EOS-1Ds, EOS-1D Mark II and EOS-1Ds Mark II) are clearly the company’s highest quality and most powerful digital SLRs to date. Thanks to their key attributes of EF Lens compatibility, Canon CMOS sensor technology and DIGIC/DIGIC II Image Processors, EOS-1 class digital SLRs produce images with exceptionally low noise, excellent detail and superb color. As with any professional camera system, there are numerous variables in camera operation,
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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Camera Operation Tips Select focusing points manually: Selecting the focusing point manually speeds up the autofocus system because the camera does not have to decide which focus point or points to use. Manual focusing point selection also allows you to control exactly where the camera is focusing. If you would like to select two focusing points at once, you can shift the focusing point up or down one row. Use Custom Functions to improve AF control and speed
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Avoid unintentional motion blur: Assuming an accurately focused subject, you can maximize image quality by eliminating unwanted motion blur. To reduce the effects of camera shake, use a tripod when possible. Use an Image Stabilizer lens for handheld photography. To eliminate unwanted blur caused by subject movement, use faster shutter speeds or electronic flash. Avoid inadvertent camera or subject movement after focus lock: If you are using One-Shot AF, do not move the camera towar
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CONTENTS I CAMERA FEATURES AND OPERATION 6 The 45-point AREA AF Sensor 6 The Evolution of AF Speed & Predictive AF Control 7 AF Modes 8 AF Point Selection Methods 8 AF Performance According to Subject Contrast & Detail 9 AF Performance According to Light Levels 9 Shutter Release Techniques: Half-Press vs. Mash 10 Autofocusing Techniques: Off-Center Focusing Points vs. 11 “Focus Lock and Recompose” Fine-Tuning Your Camera With Custom and Personal Functions 11 Combining Custom Funct
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I. CAMERA FEATURES AND OPERATION 45-point Area AF Sensor EOS-1 class digital SLRs use an improved version of the 45-point Area AF CMOS sensor unit that was originally introduced in 1998 with the EOS-3. The pixel density and layout of sensor elements together with the patented design of the camera’s sub-mirror and separator lenses gave rise to the name “Area AF” and resulted in a coverage area of 8 x 15mm with 45 selectable focusing points. (Previous EOS AF designs had 5 points or fewer, all
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The Evolution of AF Speed The EOS-1D and EOS-1Ds had the fastest AF systems available among EOS SLRs when & Predictive AF Control they were introduced, but the EOS-1D Mark II now has the most powerful AF system of any EOS camera released to date (2004). The EOS-1D Mark II was the first Canon camera to feature two dedicated CPUs for AF: one for detection and calculation, and another to control lens drive. EOS-1 class cameras prior to the 1D Mark II used a single dedicated CPU for all AF operat
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AF Modes One-Shot AF: This mode is intended for use with stationary subjects. It locks focus upon completion of lens drive, allowing the photographer to recompose if desired. One-Shot AF is also recommended for maximum performance in extreme low-light situations. AI Servo AF: This mode is intended for use with moving subjects. It operates continuously up to the instant of exposure, and it also operates between exposures in burst mode shooting. In AI Servo AF, you can tell whether
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When the camera is set for MFPS, the manually selected focusing point illuminates in the viewfinder display when the shutter button is pressed halfway. This occurs in both One-Shot AF and AI Servo AF. The illumination can be turned off or made brighter with Custom Function 10. The AF system tends to work slightly faster when the focusing point is manually selected than during AFPS, but there is a trade-off between the wider coverage area of AFPS and the comparatively narrow coverage ar
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focus manually until you are “in the ballpark,” then try using AF for fine-tuning. Additionally, this is an instance where the distance range selector switch on “white” lenses like the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM can reduce the length of time the AF system spends hunting for focus, if your subject distance happens to be beyond the range stated on the lens switchboard. In One-Shot AF, it can take as long as a full second or more for the camera to achieve focus completion in extremely low light
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Some might think that it’s a good idea to keep the shutter button half-pressed all the time, but battery life will be shortened significantly by that technique. The best balance between power consumption and AF performance is to anticipate picture-taking opportunities and do not press the shutter button halfway until just a second or two before pressing all the way for the shot. Autofocusing Techniques: The 45-point Area AF sensor covers a significant portion of the picture area, especial
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shutter release simply by pressing or lifting the thumb off the AE Lock button. • C.Fn 4-2 keeps AF start on the shutter button, but allows the photographer to stop AF temporarily by pressing the AE Lock button. AE Lock is unavailable in this mode, but it doesn’t make any difference when the camera is set for manual exposure as it often is for professional sports photography. • C.Fn 4-3 is almost the same as C.Fn 4-1, except that there is no AE Lock. This mode is useful when shooting sport
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focusing points results in faster manual selection, and linking spot metering to the manually selected focusing point comes in handy under certain circumstances, particularly with off-center subjects. • C.Fn 13-2 also reduces the number of manually selectable focusing points to 11, just like C.Fn 13-1, except that spot metering is fixed at the center of the frame. Locking spot metering at the center can be desirable, especially in Manual exposure mode, because it allows the separation o
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• C.Fn 18-0 is the default setting. The camera can “register” (memorize) a user-specified focusing point or even automatic focusing point selection, then switch immediately to the registered focusing point by pressing the focusing point selector button and the Assist Button. • C.Fn 18-1 lets users switch to the registered focusing point simply by pressing the Assist Button. • C.Fn 18-2 switches to the registered focusing point only while the Assist Button is pressed. Releasing the button c
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photography when another subject or obstacle temporarily blocks the original subject. The default setting is 0.5 seconds, but with this Custom Function it can be tweaked faster or slower according to the photographer’s personal preference. • C.Fn 20-0 is the camera’s standard setting. It programs the AF to remain at the most recently focused distance for up to 0.5 seconds while an obstacle is blocking the original subject. • C.Fn 20-1 (“Slow”) programs the AF to remain at the most recentl
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Personal Function 15 disables the AF-Assist beam of compatible EX-series Speedlites. This can be helpful when working with other photographers, to prevent your AF-Assist beam from appearing in their photos. The downside is that you lose the benefits of the AF-Assist beam for your own photos. Personal Function 16 allows the camera to fire automatically when autofocus is achieved and the shutter button is fully depressed. This can be effective for handheld macro photography or when th
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Use the normal method for choosing either a specific focusing point or AFPS. When you’ve made your selection, hold in the Assist Button and simultaneously press the FEL button near the Shutter Release. The LCD panel on the top of the camera should now confirm the registration of that focusing point by displaying the letters HP until you’ve taken your finger off the FEL button. Using the Assist Button C.Fn 18-1 and 18-2 make it easier to recall the registered focusing point(s) via t
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Background Traditionally photographers have used the FLR (focus, lock, recompose) method when interfacing with their camera and their subject. This is how it had to be done with manual focus cameras and the early auto-focus models with a single focusing point. Almost everyone knows how to use FLR, but it can cause problems. First, it’s not nearly as fast as some of the methods we’ll discuss here. Metering is less precise, particularly flash metering. Additionally, it can lead to backfocus
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the main subject is the closest and most prominent object in the frame and, in One-Shot, this is where AFPS works best. The Bonus Feature is that the QCD is now part of your focusing system rather than your exposure control. The exposure controls are relocated to the AF Point Selection Button. Hold the selection button in and turn the Main Dial on top of the camera to adjust exposure compensation in AE modes, or f/stops in Manual mode. The disadvantage of having these exposure feature
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Background Both AFPS and Single Point AF are useful in shooting sports. A single point is generally best in team sports like football, basketball, soccer, and hockey. AFPS is good for sports like baseball, some track and field, and many individual sports like skiing, skating, etc. AFPS is also useful in team sports like football or soccer where the player has broken free of a large pack and the main scene is composed of only one or two players. Like sports, wildlife photography has situati
