# EOS R Tips and Tricks



## unfocused (Aug 15, 2019)

Starting a thread in the hopes of learning and sharing advice on using the EOS R. Not interested in people's opinion on the R generally. Instead I'm looking for practical advice from other R users.

Specifically, to start the thread off:

Advice on using the bar thingy – How are people using this? I've tried using it change the autofocus selection method and number of points selected. While it's quick and can be convenient, I find that the bar is so close to the rear screen that I am constantly changing the number of autofocus points in the middle of shooting. I've tried the "tap" settings but they seem to be completely random. Working sometimes and doing absolutely nothing other times. 

If you are not using the bar to change the autofocus points/zones, how are you selecting the number of points? (Not talking about picking a particular point to focus on, but rather the selection of how many points are active)

How are people using the control ring on the lens? I've used it exclusively for changing ISO. I've found that very handy, but wondering what others are using it for.

Anyone else find the location of the control ring on the 24-105 annoying? I think the position on the control ring adapter is far more intuitive and wish Canon had placed the ring at the back of the lens on the native mount RF lenses (I only own the 24-105 RF, so I don't know where the ring is located on other lenses.)

Anyone using the FV mode? I can't figure out why sometimes to allows you to change exposure compensation and sometimes it doesn't. What's the deal with that? 

I'm sure I will have more questions, but I hope these will get a discussion started.


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## Viggo (Aug 15, 2019)

I thank you for starting this thread, much better to have it all in one place than scattered all over.

I use the Touch Bar with level at left tap and histogram at right tap and slide chooses Kelvin.

I change focus modes with the button just under the *-button, I guess that is what it’s default set up to? I’ve removed anything other than the full auto with initial selection of point (face tracking etc) and single point. I’ve never used the Zones etc. sometimes I temporary include a four or eight pint expansion.

Control ring could only be one thing for me, exposure compensation. Which I have to use very frequently since the metering is so heavily weighted to AF point.

The lightbulb button I have set up to switch One Shot/Servo. The record button I’ve set to magnify (during MF).

M-fn is set to cycle through functions, but since I use Touch Bar for wb and have my camera on auto iso permanently I don’t use it a whole lot.

I removed “buttons on screen” because I accidentally touched the ISO-button in the bottom right corner all the time changing my iso. Instead I set the SET-button to display the Q-menu, actually easier to navigate than have it on screen.

Since I use quite heavy lenses I’ve set the *-button to bring up the menu: I start always from My Menu.

I have quite a few edits on the info displayed on screen and have removed all but 2-3 options etc.

Trashcan is set to center AF-point.

I wish the Mode-dial could have more customize options as it sits now, I have two EC-dials..

And just in case someone didn’t realize it yet, the INFO-button flips through menu-folders so you don’t have to go through every sub-menu or use touch.


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## Ozarker (Aug 15, 2019)

1. I have the control bar disabled as I haven't found a good reason to use it yet. Maybe I will, but from what I have been reading most people don't like it at all.

2. I manually go to the touch screen and change how many points I want to use depending on what I am shooting. I guess I am used to doing it manually because that's the only way I ever did it on the 5D Mark III, minus the touch screen. I use single point and eye-AF 99% of the time as I mostly shoot individuals.

3. I have the front control ring set for shutter speed right now. I am at ISO 100 99% of the time as I do almost all my shooting outdoors in natural light or with flash. Rarely I will bump ISO up from 100 to a max of 800. I mostly shoot in manual mode or AV mode. I shoot all my flash in manual too. I sometimes use my Sekonic light meter to get close on the exposure/flash power I want and then make adjustments to flash power to get the look I want. I don't use ETTL.

4. I need to read up on FV mode and figure out what that is.

5. Sometimes the mode dial is annoying for selection, so I just use the touch screen.

6. A little off topic: I sold my RF 24-105 (A good lens BTW) for a small profit to help finance my RF 28-70. I never programmed the ring on that lens. I will be ordering the RF 85mm f/1.2L today from Adorama. Thanks Viggo!. I won't be getting the RF 50mm f/1.2L (Why did they use 10 aperture blades instead of 11 like the 85 or 9 like the 28-70?) since the 28-70 covers that for me and f/2 is plenty fast compared to my now gone 24-70 f/2.8L II. In fact, I sold every bit of my EF lenses and my 5D Mark III to buy into the R system. I chose the R over the 5D Mark IV for several reasons: Same sensor (with tweaks) for a lot less money. Focus peaking because I use a lot of vintage manual focus M42 screw on lenses. Eye-AF. And the quality and speed of the primes Canon is putting out. The weight doesn't bother me in the least. I am hoping for a fast RF 135mm to replace the EF 135mm f/2L I sold. If Canon puts out a RF 70-135mm f/2 I will get that instead of a prime 135.

7. If a body comes out with IBIS, I will do my best to get it as my hands aren't very steady. Until then, I try to keep shutter speeds high.

8. So I am a very basic shooter, I guess. Or maybe not, because I do most things manually. I don't do video and a lot of the bells and whistles don't get used.


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## Ozarker (Aug 15, 2019)

Viggo said:


> I thank you for starting this thread, much better to have it all in one place than scattered all over.
> 
> I use the Touch Bar with level at left tap and histogram at right tap and slide chooses Kelvin.
> 
> ...


I'll be changing some things after reading your very helpful post. That record button change to magnify for manual focus will be the very first thing.  My wife now has an iPhone, so maybe I can get her to let me sell that blasted Olympus.  I'm starting to experiment with gels, so have started using Kelvin.


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## Viggo (Aug 15, 2019)

CanonFanBoy said:


> I'll be changing some things after reading your very helpful post. That record button change to magnify for manual focus will be the very first thing.  My wife now has an iPhone, so maybe I can get her to let me sell that blasted Olympus.  I'm starting to experiment with gels, so have started using Kelvin.


Glad to be of help! Not sure you’re wife will be as happy I recommended the 85 so badly though


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## unfocused (Aug 15, 2019)

Viggo said:


> I thank you for starting this thread, much better to have it all in one place than scattered all over.
> 
> I use the Touch Bar with level at left tap and histogram at right tap and slide chooses Kelvin.
> 
> ...


Wow! Super customization. Thanks.


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## unfocused (Aug 15, 2019)

CanonFanBoy said:


> 1. I have the control bar disabled as I haven't found a good reason to use it yet. Maybe I will, but from what I have been reading most people don't like it at all....



Yeah. I want to like it, but it's not easy.


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## Ozarker (Aug 15, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Glad to be of help! Not sure you’re wife will be as happy I recommended the 85 so badly though


She told me I should get it. I was going to put it off until Christmas. I thought I would order this morning... but have to wait until Tuesday as it turns out.


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## Boudreaux&Thibodeaux (Aug 18, 2019)

unfocused said:


> Advice on using the bar thingy –
> 
> If you are not using the bar to change the autofocus points/zones, how are you selecting the number of points? (Not talking about picking a particular point to focus on, but rather the selection of how many points are active)
> 
> Anyone using the FV mode?



The control bar - I've got mine doing ISO, which I have set to full stops, not third stops. I've set the "lock" button to not effect any of the top buttons, so it only effects the bar. I can unlock the bar, tap up (not slide) or tap down to change the ISO, and relock. I can do that without taking my eye off the viewfinder. I think Canon had rear screen viewing in mind with the control bar's implementation.

FV mode... not my cup of tea yet. Mostly I shoot AV or TV, as I've got specific goals, and even in a chaotic shoot, have a steady lighting situation - or one that changes very slowly throughout the day.

My "trick" is to reassign buttons to what I need to control for my own style of working. I've got the "movie" button assigned to DOF for instance. I'm used to picking control points with a button and dial, so that's how its set. Rear button focus activation of course. 

I like being able to pick the picture style, and tapping INFO to tweak it. And, of course I like the MyMenu to access everything I find "occasionally" important without delving thru each of the menus to select it.


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## Joepatbob (Sep 6, 2019)

unfocused said:


> Yeah. I want to like it, but it's not easy.


Im with you, I'd rather have the joystick back. I know some like the touchscreen focus point stuff but just don't think it's as precise or fast as a joystick can be.


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## Viggo (Sep 12, 2019)

Didn’t want to start a new thread just for this, so I’ll try here:

When Movie IS is enabled, the image is cropped depending on how strong the IS settings is set, does it still always keep 1080 res and “move” the image around in a larger res crop, or does the res drop?


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## koenkooi (Sep 12, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Didn’t want to start a new thread just for this, so I’ll try here:
> 
> When Movie IS is enabled, the image is cropped depending on how strong the IS settings is set, does it still always keep 1080 res and “move” the image around in a larger res crop, or does the res drop?



RP owner here, but I think the R is the same: footage shot with Movie IS enabled is noticeably softer than footage shot without. If you don't have rolling shutter artifacts, stabilizing+sharpen in post will do a pretty good job. 
That's for short clips of my kids doing things, I don't do anything resembling proper video work.


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## JoTomOz (Sep 16, 2019)

On the Touch Bar- I do a fair bit of culling and rating in camera, and have assigned it to rate photos (3 taps for 3 stars, etc). In playback seems to be the only time I don’t accidentally touch it. 

+1 for FV mode. Use it all the time. Only drawback is you can’t tweak the focal length to shutter speed link like you can for AV. 

And +1 for exposure Comp on the control ring- I use it all the time.


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## YuengLinger (Oct 13, 2019)

To take full advantage of being able to nail exposure using the EVF and its histogram, I've started using *AE Lock with Hold* (instead of the usual AE Lock). It's as if this feature was made for a mirrorless EVF, though it has been around since the 5D III. The symbol for this in the Assign Buttons menu is *H, and now, for my * button, I have *H instead.

It allows me to *toggle AE Lock on and off while composing*. Just using the regular AE Lock, once engaged, I'm stuck with it until the metering timer runs out which is way too long to catch a moment, or until I hit AE Lock again, which is usually way off from what I want (because there was no transition while recomposing, just the jump to the new exposure).

So, with AE Lock with Hold, I can lock exposure, change my mind about it, hit the * button again, move the frame around a little until I've found the "just right" exposure, then push the * button again to lock.

To stop AE Lock with Hold altogether, I just press the Select button twice.

(I tried AE Lock with hold years ago with the 5DIII, but then went on a Manual only craze for way too long. By the time I realized Av certainly has its place in "good" photography, I'd forgotten about *H.)

To me, this really helps maximize the benefits of the EVF, of seeing what the shot looks like before taking it. I can use the histogram in the EVF with AE Lock with Hold toggled off, then lock it in, but if lighting or composition changes, just toggle off and get exposure correct again.

Oddly, the only mention I can find of this excellent feature in the EOS R manual is cryptically on the "Functions Available for Buttons" table on page 556. There is a pretty good explanation of it at the following link:



Canon Knowledge Base - AE Lock with Hold



(Note that at least some of this does not apply to the EOS R, namely, "AE Lock always occurs when Evaluative metering is combined with One-Shot AF.")

*The main point of this Tip is that we can toggle AE Lock on and off easily by using AE Lock with Hold.*

Thanks, unfocused, for starting this thread. I think we should be adding to it more often! Plenty of experience accumulating now!


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## YuengLinger (Oct 14, 2019)

Speaking of Exposure, I'm finding that with the EVF, I'm using Exposure Compensation quite a bit less than with dSLR's. I'm staying mostly with Spot Metering, then, when it makes sense, moving the frame around a bit between subject and background (or, for example, clothing), which allows me to clearly see and choose the exact right exposure for me. At that point, I simply press AE Lock with Hold to lock it in and compose.

Sometimes the EC dial is quicker, getting my exposure where I want it without having to move the Spot Metering circle around, but sometimes this other technique, which would have been experienced guess work with an OVF, just nails it.


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## Ozarker (Oct 14, 2019)

YuengLinger said:


> Speaking of Exposure, I'm finding that with the EVF, I'm using Exposure Compensation quite a bit less than with dSLR's. I'm staying mostly with Spot Metering, then, when it makes sense, moving the frame around a bit between subject and background (or, for example, clothing), which allows me to clearly see and choose the exact right exposure for me. At that point, I simply press AE Lock with Hold to lock it in and compose.
> 
> Sometimes the EC dial is quicker, getting my exposure where I want it without having to move the Spot Metering circle around, but sometimes this other technique, which would have been experienced guess work with an OVF, just nails it.


Sounds like you are getting happier and happier with the horrible camera known as the EOS R.  I can't remember, have you got any RF glass yet? The reviews of the little RF 35mm f/1.8 are so good that I am considering it.


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