# 1DX Owners: Read This Warning!



## Richard Lane (Sep 6, 2012)

Monday, I was out shooting with the 1DX and MKIV and 500mmII. I was comparing the MKIV to the 1DX with the 1.4XIII attached. Everything was on a tripod and Wimberley. I set "both cameras to RAW only." 

I shot about 500 shots with the 1DX for about 3 hours and when I got home the 1DX had "50 RAW files at 20MB each" and "450 Jpeg S files at 1MB each." I was in shock!

I figured I must have accidentally changed the setting from RAW to JPEG. However, If you look under the 2nd red menu buttons under (SHOOT2) this seems somewhat impossible, as you have to press a few buttons for this to change, so I thought.

So, I discovered that if you press the "Card Image Size Selection Button" (below the Image Playback Button, Pg. 117) and then turn the Main Dial only one notch to the left, you will change your image choice from the highest quality RAW to the lowest quality Jpeg!  

I must have accidentally changed to Jpeg when I was taking the 1DX off of the 500mm lens/extender combo in order to mount the MKIV. Personally, I don't think that Canon should have the original setting as the default, or at least require you to press the SET button. 

Everyone should try it now, so that you'll know what I'm talking about! Since I was comparing the MKIV and the 1DX, I was so focused (no pun intended) on framing the shot and setting the same exposures via the histograms that I didn't notice the change. After-all, I set both cameras to RAW and confirmed the word RAW on the Histogram screen! I can only imagine a wedding photographer accidentally changing this setting in the dark and not realizing it until the next day.

The good news is that you can change the "default" image size selection method to a different custom selection method.

Go into the orange menu; C.Fn4: Disp/Operation; it's the last choice, "Rec card, img size setting. You could change this default setting from "Rear LCD Panel" to "LCD monitor." Now, if you accidentally press the "Card Image Size Selection Button" you will see the setting change on the large LCD screen as it lights up, as opposed to the small dark LCD screen. For those that haven't noticed yet, the white menu choices are the defaults and once you choose a custom selection, then your menu choice turns blue.

I never accidentally changed this setting on the MKIV and it's "function button" appears recessed and on the 1DX, it's not. But for those interested, to change from RAW to Jpeg on the MKIV it's the function button next to the trash can and then one notch turn of the main dial. To prevent this from happening on the MKIV, you can change the default in C.FnIV:8-1 from rear LCD to LCD Monitor.

I hope that this info will save somebody one day! Luckily my test shots were not important, and they still looked pretty good considering they were only 1MB. 

Rich


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## neuroanatomist (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks for the heads-up, Rich!!

I haven't had the issue, but maybe that's because one of the settings I changed on the first day was this:



Richard Lane said:


> Go into the orange menu; C.Fn4: Disp/Operation; it's the last choice, "Rec card, img size setting. You could change this default setting from "Rear LCD Panel" to "LCD monitor." Now, if you accidentally press the "Card Image Size Selection Button" you will see the setting change on the large LCD screen as it lights up, as opposed to the small dark LCD screen.


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## Richard Lane (Sep 6, 2012)

I'm glad you changed it! I saw that setting and I even tried it, but I always shoot in Raw, so I figured I didn't need it, But I would never have imagined that I would be able to change from 20MB RAW to 1MB Jpeg, by accident without looking. 

I must of reached up to the wimberley with 2 hands to remove the 1DX from the 500mm, and I hit the card image selection button with my left thumb and then as I rotated the 1DX off of the 500mm, I must have turned the main dial one notch with my right thumb.

I could also see this accidentally happening while reviewing images, by hitting the card selection button with your left thumb by mistake and then turning the main dial to view the next or previous image!


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## dmills (Sep 6, 2012)

Yeah, I could see this being a big issue. A very easy fix in a firmware update would be to just make it so that it doesn't "wrap around" when messing with file sizes. Much like ISO does on most DSLRs, scrolling to the left will take you down to Auto, but not up to 100k etc. This would make it so that if you DID bump it, you'd only knock it down to Raw M or something at least. It should be several spins of the wheel to get from Raw to SJPG...


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## lefkousa (Sep 6, 2012)

Warning much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to share it.


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## M.ST (Sep 6, 2012)

Thank you for your warning.


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## JEAraman (Sep 6, 2012)

A little too late for me. Luckily it wasn't any formal shoot other than a few "family shots"...


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## charlesa (Sep 6, 2012)

Happened to me yesterday shooting sports...hmm, how come do I have jpgs accompanying each RAW file when I always shoot exclusively in RAW.... your explanation explains it!


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## AmbientLight (Sep 6, 2012)

Many thanks for the warning. Currently I am shooting RAW+JPEG. I don't know, if this protects me a bit. I never considered such a quick format change would be possible.


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## Timothy_Bruce (Sep 6, 2012)

it is the same with the Func.- Button on the 1Ds3 but it is more hidden between the other Buttons.


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## Richard Lane (Sep 6, 2012)

Ahh.., I see that I'm not the only that this happened to!

Thanks for the nice feedback everyone. I'm glad that I was able to bring this issue to other peoples attention.


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## Richard Lane (Sep 6, 2012)

AmbientLight said:


> Many thanks for the warning. Currently I am shooting RAW+JPEG. I don't know, if this protects me a bit. I never considered such a quick format change would be possible.


No, that won't protect you either, because as dmills has pointed out, as you keep turning the main dial, the camera will cycle through the image choices and sizes.

But if you change to the main LCD display option, then you should be protected from the accidental change.


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## Richard Lane (Sep 6, 2012)

Timothy_Bruce said:


> it is the same with the Func.- Button on the 1Ds3 but it is more hidden between the other Buttons.


Thanks for that additonal info, and the button on the MKIV is also further in and recessed as well.


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## Timothy_Bruce (Sep 6, 2012)

on the 1ds3 the Func.-Button is used for Card/Quality and WB. 
So when you press it once it enables ( probably unwant) changes a second press brings you to the other option.
When you press it so it changes WB an unwanted press and main-dial turn will just change WB, what is not important when you shoot RAW and will be noticed the next time you review a picture.


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## Click (Sep 7, 2012)

Thanks for the warning. I did the change to the main LCD.


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## Arthur Morris (Sep 9, 2012)

Great tip. Thanks! artie


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