Canon 5D quick control dial.

My new 5D came was delivered tonight. I have been going through the instruction manual and setting the camera up am a bit confused on one point. At the top of page 30 in the IB it seems that the power switch should have to be in the top position, the one with the line for the quick control dial to function. Is this correct? On my camera even when the switch is in the "ON" position the wheel controls the menu.

Yes, it has to be in / position.
Check out Instruction manual, page 20.

Yes, that's normal. I know when I first got my Canon, I thought it was rather odd to have an on and / - switch. The menu seems to work with the dial when it's only on the "on" switch....but to EC and M controls, you need to have the switch on the line switch. I don't know how much battery this feature is saving. It seems like the two most recent Canons don't have this...so my theory is that the 5D mkII won't have it

The wheel will control the menu features in either position. The switch has to be in the top position for change of your shooting settings.

davesrose wrote in post #3926569
Yes, that's normal. I know when I first got my Canon, I thought it was rather odd to have a on / - switch. The menu seems to work with the dial when it's only on the "on" switch....but to EC and M controls, you need to have the switch on the line switch. I don't know how much battery this feature is saving. It seems like the two most recent Canons don't have this...so my theory is that the 5D mkII won't have it

It's not for battery savings, it's so you don't accidently move the QC dial and adjust EC or aperture inadvertantly. I'll often move the WC dial back to ON when shooting (especially outdoors using gloves) for just that reason.

Mark

Mark_Cohran wrote in post #3926577
It's not for battery savings, it's so you don't accidently move the QC dial and adjust EC or aperture inadvertantly.

Never thought of that! I haven't ever accidentally hit the dial when I'm in the full on switch. But then I'm even more aware of the buttons I'm using since I've got both a 5D and a 400D

davesrose wrote in post #3926569
Yes, that's normal. I know when I first got my Canon, I thought it was rather odd to have an on and / - switch. The menu seems to work with the dial when it's only on the "on" switch....but to EC and M controls, you need to have the switch on the line switch. I don't know how much battery this feature is saving. It seems like the two most recent Canons don't have this...so my theory is that the 5D mkII won't have it

Which most recent Canons don’t have / position for Off-On switch?
40D and 1DMkIII, as well as newly announced 1DsMkIII have them.
Are there any other Canon dSLRs introduced recently?

Hermeto wrote in post #3926603
Which most recent Canons don’t have / position for Off-On switch?
40D and 1DMkIII, as well as newly announced 1DsMkIII have them.
Are there any other Canon dSLRs introduced recently?

I was wondering about that too.

Hermeto wrote in post #3926603
Which most recent Canons don’t have / position for Off-On switch?

Sorry.....my bad I thought I had seen the on switches being without / switch.....but I guess that was an old 1D! Yes, looks like the 40D and 1DsmkIII does have that / switch as well. Well I guess since I've never accidently hit the dial, I can keep my switch always on the /.

I gather M means manual; what does EC mean? So what would I be doing that I would need the switch in the topmost position?

jphendren wrote in post #3928862
I gather M means manual; what does EC mean? So what would I be doing that I would need the switch in the topmost position?

EC means exposure compensation. The meter in you camera isn't perfect. Sometimes you'll be photographing a scene that is especially light or dark, or has a strong light source within the scene that can fool the camera. In those cases, you need to apply some + or - EC to adjust the exposure of the image.

Mark

The quick control dial will adjust the exposure compensation with the power switch in "ON," it doesn't need to be in the topmost position.

jphendren wrote in post #3929198
The quick control dial will adjust the exposure compensation with the power switch in "ON," it doesn't need to be in the topmost position.

That's absolutely not true with the 5D. I just verified it.

Mark

jphendren wrote in post #3929198
The quick control dial will adjust the exposure compensation with the power switch in "ON," it doesn't need to be in the topmost position.

EC, or FEC (which you set by pushing the button on the top deck and then turning the QC dial)?

When I press the far right button (near shutter release button) and roll the quick control dial the little scale on the top lcd moves. I guess that this is the flash exposure compensation; it looks just the EC on my Nikon D2H.

Edit: I just noticed the flash symbol next to the +/- on the button. OOPS.

I am curious if the 1D series controls would be more like the Nikon D2H that I am use to. On the Nikon you have a button for nearly every function (ISO, WB, Quality, exposure compensation, AF-l, AE-l, M-up, self timer, focus modes) You press the button and turn the command dial to change it. You rarely have to use the menu system at all; most things are accesible from the outside.