5D III exposure compensation buttons

Does anybody else think the placement of these switches is backwards. See my video rant on You Tube. Go to: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=eHDr10K5R-w

Please leave a comment and let me know what your think.

Aboud

I thought the same thing about that button by shutter release button. But have found that once I depress the shutter button half way, exposure compensation adjustment works by turning the wheel dial, it's not necessary to press the Q button.

err... can't tell if this is serious or...

I did not click the link.

I have been shooting a MkIII for a month.

It adjusts EC the same way every Canon I have ever owned from the D30 up has adjusted the EC.
By turning the big wheel on the back.

D30 D60 10D 20D 30D 40D 50D 60D 1D 1D MkII 1D MkIII 1D MkIV All 1Ds models, etc etc etc

Ok, in case this IS a serious rant and you really want to know what I think...

You do know that you can already change your exposure compensation by turning the BIG DIAL on the back of the camera right? No need to press any buttons at all. You have immediate access to it. No need to go into any menus either.

aboudd wrote in post #15769547
Does anybody else think the placement of these switches is backwards. See my video rant on You Tube. Go to: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=eHDr10K5R-w

Please leave a comment and let me know what your think.

Aboud

Why couldn't write up something here instead of making us all go watch a video? Isn't that like crashing a party and inviting everyone over to another party?

I'm not sure you really have an issue.. I'm using this time same way I did with the 5D2, 5D, 7D, 40D... Nothing has changed!

He reprogrammed his rear dial to adjust ISO.

Nothing wrong with customizing the controls to how you want them, just unfortunately for him, the 5D3 doesn't allow enough customization to let him reprogram other buttons to instead change exposure compensation or a way to change both aperture and shutter while in M. It is a problem he created for himself but partially shows the lack of customization allowed on the camera.

aboudd wrote in post #15769547
Does anybody else think the placement of these switches is backwards. See my video rant on You Tube. Go to: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=eHDr10K5R-w

Please leave a comment and let me know what your think.

Aboud

The buttons are not backwards. They have the same setup as Canon cameras going back many, many years. The issue is not with the camera design, but rather with the way you've set yours up.

If you want to access regular exposure compensation, use the Quick Control dial on the back of the camera. If you need speedy access to ISO (as most of us do and want), you can access the ISO (1) via the Quick menu, or (2) via the Set button in combination with turning the Main Dial, provided you've set it up this way in the Custom Functions.

The FEC (Flash Exposure Comp) is on the top of the camera because many pros use this camera in a studio where flashes are adjusted constantly for portraits and studio shoots. Having a FEC button on the top makes perfect sense when you consider who this camera is marketed for.

tagnal wrote in post #15770682
He reprogrammed his rear dial to adjust ISO.

He should reprogram the Set button instead of the Quick Control Dial. If you prog the Set button to ISO it then acts like the ISO button on top of the camera. You press it and for 5 seconds the Main Dial can be used to adjust ISO - leaving the QCD to adjust Exp Comp as designed.

As for the OP - no I don't agree that his decision to reprogram the QCD = a design flaw on Canon's part. They designed the camera to adjust Exp Comp using the QCD. They provided a selection of methods to adjust ISO including the dedicated ISO switch on top of the camera, the QCD or the method I mentioned above where you use the Set button.

Sure, in an ideal world every camera should have completely redefinable buttons/dial that can be reprogrammed to any function. In reality that makes for a more complex/expensive design and manufacturing process (which of course we don't want to pay for).

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #15770156
I did not click the link.

I have been shooting a MkIII for a month.

It adjusts EC the same way every Canon I have ever owned from the D30 up has adjusted the EC.
By turning the big wheel on the back.

D30 D60 10D 20D 30D 40D 50D 60D 1D 1D MkII 1D MkIII 1D MkIV All 1Ds models, etc etc etc

This arrangement even predates digital, it was this way at least as far back as the A2E(EOS 5) film SLR.

You can very easily fix this yourself. leave EC as the big dial, and set the select button in the middle of the dial as ISO - you just hold down the set button and turn the dial under your index finger to change iso. Frankly, this is yet another case of looking really hard to find a problem with what is IMHO the best canon dslr ever made

I rarely bother with ISO adjustment on the 5D3 as auto-ISO works great. However, I would be happier if Canon had a dedicated EC button like Nikon does, so that we can have EC change ISO in manual mode.

frugivore wrote in post #15771896
I rarely bother with ISO adjustment on the 5D3 as auto-ISO works great. However, I would be happier if Canon had a dedicated EC button like Nikon does, so that we can have EC change ISO in manual mode.

Yeah this is the only flaw I've found with my 5DIII. Even though auto-ISO works so well I can't use it in manual if want to use EC with available light(flash you can). It's not hard to bump up/down the ISO for the EC I want(especially since I have it programmed to Set + Dial), or just shoot in Tv or Av instead. However if I'm shooting something that I want X shutter speed, X aperture and X EC but lighting is varied (ie subject moving in and out of shadows or fasting moving patch clouds) being able to use auto-ISO and EC in manual would be nice. It would also be nice for ETTR when your camera is left in manual/auto-ISO for the quick shot and there isn't time to adjust ISO. Maybe it will be added in a firmware update.

You won't get much sympathy here because this is a Canon forum. The rear wheel is for exposure compensation. There is no other button to press. Canon has been doing it like this since 1989 with the EOS-1. It has always been very intuitive, and a real pleasure to use. (unlike Nikon's two step process where you must press a button and then turn a wheel)

Canon gave you the freedom to be able to reprogram the rear wheel to do something else if you feel you must. But you have now messed up your camera's functionality and that's really your problem, not Canon's.

You mean there are ways to adjust EC other than using the rear control wheel?

See, I learned something new today.