*Top tips thread*

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Post your Best tips for EOS Camera's here.
EDIT
Thread has been "cleaned" of non related posts (including my own)
Please post only your tips and do not reply to others unless you are contributing additional info to the subject
Thanks
CDS
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Not got a remote cable release and you do long exposures with a tripod ?

Use Custom Functions to lockup the mirror and set the drive from single shot/mutil shot to self timer. If mirror lockup is enabled the self timer is changed from 10 seconds to 2 seconds. This gives time for the tripod to stop shaking after you have pushed the shutter release down and you should get shake free long exposures. (Well, barring any wind shake etc.)

Cheers

Ian

I have the cable release but that's a great tip!! Would be nice to see this subject stickied to the top, but not sure if this version is capable.

Anyway, the tip of the day is in another thread re: C.Fn-02 which when set to 1 disables the shutter without a CF card in, which is covered in the manual on page 146.

The default is "0" which allows you to shoot without a CF card installed. The member in the thread lost a client when this very embarrassing faux pas happened.

I've already got some advice and tips here:

http://www.pixelpixel.​org/helpinfo/05_whatno​w.htm
http://www.pixelpixel.​org/helpinfo/11_goodha​bits.htm

But I'm not to proud to admit, I'll pinch any new (and good) ideas that are posted here.

Regards,

Okay, here are a couple that work for me. I'm sure many others do similar things.

I use an OpTech strap to carry the camera around, so what to do with the canon strap that came with the camera?

I use it as a quick carry strap for my tripod. It's very convenient to throw the strap over a shoulder and move to a new position rapidly without shortening the legs or worrying about "holding" it while you're carrying the rest of your gear. Plus, it keeps that little eyepiece cover handy if you want to use it.

I think it's a fantastic idea to have the tips thread. Post anything you guys find helpful.. amateur, pro, doesn't matter. Everybody has *something* to share. (plus wanted to bump this so it'll stay active)


Here's another one... read every single thread/post on this forum. I've picked up on many ideas by reading threads that at first glance (at the title) wouldn't have appeared to contain anything I'd need to read. The pros (and skilled amateurs) on here seem to have a tendency to make little side comments during discussions that can be invaluable tidbits of information for those of us trying to learn and improve. Read every single word. You can't glean these if you don't see them.

David

Let me add my heartiest endorsement to that sentiment. I'm definitely not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I've learned so very much from this group, it's hard to estimate where I'd be without all these folks willing to share their expertise in such an unselfish manner. As nearly as I can tell, their only compensation is the occasional 'attaboy.' I'd also be remiss if I didn't thank Pekka for providing the glue that holds all this together.

A tip I've been trying to live by (in addition to many of the above) is ALWAYS turn the self-timer off immediately after using it. I use it so seldom that I rarely remember to check the drive mode prior to shooting. That 10 second timer is painfully long to wait through and usually seems to bite during a spontainious or fleeting moment.

Tape a little reminder on the top or back of your camera,.

"Check ISO!"

Too often I pick up my camera and shoot outdoors in strong afternoon light while the ISO is still set to 800 or even 1600 form an evenings shooting in a dark theatre!

My suggestions:

Change the custom function CF2 so that it will not allow images to be made without a CF card in place. Why it defaults the other way is beyond my comprehension!

Enable back focus with the CF4. It's not so self evident but you want 1:AE lock/AF.
Then you focus the camera with the middle button by your right thumb. You can let the
button go and the focus will lock if you want to recompose. You also can keep your
finger (with some pressure) on the shutter button without fear of the autofocus hunting.

Enable the ISO expansion. You can argue about how bad it is but at least it's there if you
need it in a pinch.

I've changed my Auto power off to 15 minutes. I just got tired of the camera going to
sleep at inopportune moments.

Turn Auto rotate to On. This has saved HOURS of computer time.

The camera clock is a 24 hour kind. Be careful that you set your 7:00 PM as 19:00 and
not 7:00.

If you need to shoot static subjects like presentation shots on a dimly lit stage, make sure
that you have chosen One Shot and the full metering pattern. Then with a 550 flash (and
probably the 420 and the built in flash) the camera will AF in total darkness. It won't if
you have AI Servo or AI Focus selected.

Put soft self adhesive Velcro on the sides & tops of your flashes. Then you can make
fill/flag cards. I prefer white corrugated plastic for the fill cards since this material is so
light. An old election poster was my source of this material for years. You then attach
the rough self adhesive Velcro to the card and you'll have fill cards that easily Velcro on
and off.

I also have black cards that I can put on the sides of off-camera flashes that function a
flag to prevent flare. In a recent shoot I used flags on both sides of the 420 flash. The
closest one to the camera prevented flare and the one on the other side of the flash prevented the flash
from spilling onto the background.

Keep your sensor clean. It's the one flaw you won't see either on the ground glass or in the LCD preview. I took a bunch of shots in Seattle with a great big glob of gook on my sensor, and that has cost me hours in Photoshop trying to remove it.

For cleaning the sensor, I don't use the "sensor cleaning" command, because it only works on a full battery or on the AC cord. I just put the camera on Manual, with the shutter speed on B, and make damn sure that I don't take my finger off the button while cleaning. Or, you can also use the locking cable release.

Use an air syringe first to blow away dust. That solves most of the problems right away.

Next tip: Own two batteries, and keep them both charged and available at all times. I find the batteries reach their end at unexpected times.

Rick "whose other tips were covered by others" Denney

Hi all,
I’ve just joined this forum after searching for info on the 10D before buying one (last week). It’s my first AF SLR in almost 10 years - I’ve only shot on medium format since then. As such I thought I’d try some tips by looking at the 10D from ‘the other side’. I’m sure they won’t fit everyone, but hope someone finds it interesting

The 10D makes an excellent manual camera: It’s easy to forget that and get carried away with all the modes and functions - until the camera is controlling your photography. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of situations where the auto functions are more than helpful, and can get you a shot you’d otherwise miss (sport for example). But often the more you have to engage your brain before taking a shot, the better the shot will be... Think of the great photography of the 20th century and remember that most of it was taken with manual cameras.

Some suggestions:

1) Try the custom function 4-1, you now tell the camera when to focus, separate from your use of the shutter. Never again will the camera try to re-focus as you shoot - just because you eased off on the shutter release. Its a bit like an always on focus lock (If you’ve grown up on AF SLRs this system may take a lot of getting used to). NB You may want to re-allocate the FE function to the button to the left of this one.

2) Avoid the settings outside the ‘creative’ modes - they tend to change settings for AF/metering/Flash/etc leaving you not knowing what the camera is doing. Instead the ‘P’ setting is fine for full auto when needed.

3) Give full manual a go - you can dial in exposure adjustments as needed, and you'll get used to constantly thinking about the settings on your camera and what they are doing to your images.

4) I’m trying to develop the habit of pressing the shutter release instinctively, the moment I want to use the camera, i.e. I’m pressing it as I raise the camera to my eye. The wake up time is mercifully short, but annoying if you’re already looking in the viewfinder when you realise your camera is fast asleep!

5) Turn on the histogram in the image review - the more you get used to looking at them, the more they will tell you.

6) Keep the tips comong!

Thanks for all the great posts coming in to this thread!


Hand holding in lower light conditions.

This one will probably be more for the newer photographers than for the experienced. We all tend to develop our own little ways to get the most out of our shots. Here's something that works well for me when I'm trying to hand hold the camera for lower light shots.

First off, your stance should be well balanced, with your wrist and forearm directly under the lens and your elbow tucked into your body so that you have a very firm support directly under the lens.

I use my left eye so that I can flatten the camera firmly against my left cheek with my left hand. This force coming back into my face with the wrist/forearm directly under the lens makes a very stable platform. If you use an extended eyepiece, you'll put your eye out with this method. This picture shows how the camera is flattened into my cheek.

Current advice I'm constantly giving myself:

If you paid 250 bucks for a flash meter, use the darn thing.

Get in the habit of reading histograms... nothing is more annoying than having to adjust exposure during RAW conversion.

Watch the backgrounds, they can work for or against your subject, DOF button is a powerful tool.

Check the ISO setting whenever light conditions change and when you first start a shooting session.

Check the flash exposure settings before shooting (great article on understanding fill flash exposure, specifically for the 10D in September issue of Popular Photography & Imaging).

-dave-

Be careful using a flash meter with a Canon EX flash in E-TTL mode. It uses a pre-flash to measure the scene, and this pre-flash will trigger your flash meter.

I was not yet confident of the 550 flash when taking pictures of a conference booth and I tried to confirm it by checking it against my Sekonic L-718. Fortunately, it was early in the conference and the time required to track down Canon Professional Support so they could tell me to quite being so damn professional and just trust the flash didn't force me to miss the opportunity.

Rick "every thankful for the camera store dude who passed that secret phone number to him" Denney

Related to ISO (I also still do this)
Before putting Camera away for the day, check to make sure everything has been returned to default settings.

For my 10D:
- Put in cleared CF card
- Format to camera
- RAW mode
- ISO to 100
- Review mode to on, 2 secs with info.
- Av to f8
- Tv to 1/125
- Manual 1/125 f8
- Put camera in "P" mode
- Turn it off.
- Make sure either 28-70L or 28-135 IS is on 10D
- Put cameras in case.

D60 slightly different as I usually keep it with 50/1.4 at in manual mode with f1.4 shutter at 1/125, ISO400 when travelling with both together (otherwise it stays in the same mode as 10D)

This way I can grab a camera and take a picture with some chance of getting it right on the first try in a once-in-a-lifetime hurry. If daylight I grab 10D, if night I grab D60. [Why yes, the D60 has worse autofocus in low light, but since it will be dark out, even the 10D AF won't work and I have to manually focus anyway, if I have time for the flash, I can grab the 10D, correct lens, change the settings and do it right]

Note: I don't always recharge the batteries each time, but I keep an unused set ready and recharge at least once every two weeks whether I use or not (or at least that is the longest I have gone without shooting

Just my habit.

other potential tip: put your name and if possible contact information on everything, in a manner it can be removed if you resell, but not so it can fall off. Etching the name in won't help if taken by a thief, but having name and contact number, might get it back if lost or accidently taken. I also mark import or US so I can remember where I send the darn things for repair. So far only my 28-135 IS has needed it.

My last tip would be, encourage all models to have an escort for their protection - free labor to hold reflectors on location