Canon® EOS 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide

Canon® EOS 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide

Released August 2009
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9780470467145

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Book description

Easy-to-understand techniques for getting the most from your Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR

At nearly $3,000 for the body only, the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR is for amateurs and semi-professionals who are serious about taking great photos-and this go-anywhere guide shares insight for doing just that. Authors Charlotte Lowrie and Brian McLernon walk you step by step through each function on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, going into more depth and scope than the standard manual that accompanies the camera. Portable and easy to understand, the book shows you how to get the exact show you want, when you want them, and is packed with more than 200 beautiful color photos.

  • Includes step-by-step techniques and professional tips on taking exceptional photos with your Canon EOS 5D Mark II

  • Reviews how to better understand the various functions and potential of your Canon EOS 5D Mark II

  • Features samples of inspirational photos taken by the author

With so much helpful advice for getting the most out of your Canon EOS 5D Mark II, you'll be referencing this guide again and again.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. Credits
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
  6. 1. Anatomy of the Canon 5D Mark II
    1. 1.1. Exploring the 5D Mark II
    2. 1.2. Camera Controls
      1. 1.2.1. Top camera controls
      2. 1.2.2. Rear camera controls
      3. 1.2.3. Front camera controls
    3. 1.3. Camera Terminals
    4. 1.4. Side and Bottom Features
    5. 1.5. Lens Controls
    6. 1.6. Viewfinder Display
    7. 1.7. Live View Display
    8. 1.8. Canon CMOS Sensor
    9. 1.9. DiG!C 4 Image Processor
  7. 2. Using the 5D Mark II Menus
    1. 2.1. Camera Menus
      1. 2.1.1. Quick Control screen
      2. 2.1.2. Shooting 1 menu
      3. 2.1.3. Peripheral Illumination Correction
      4. 2.1.4. Shooting 2 menu
      5. 2.1.5. Dust Delete Data
      6. 2.1.6. Playback 1 menu
      7. 2.1.7. Erase images
      8. 2.1.8. Playback 2 menu
      9. 2.1.9. Set-up 1 menu
      10. 2.1.10. Auto rotate
      11. 2.1.11. Set-up 2 menu
      12. 2.1.12. LCD brightness
      13. 2.1.13. Live View/Movie function setting
      14. 2.1.14. Set-up 3 menu
      15. 2.1.15. Battery information
      16. 2.1.16. External Speedlite control
      17. 2.1.17. Custom Functions menu
      18. 2.1.18. My Menu settings
  8. 3. Choosing Settings on the 5D Mark II
    1. 3.1. Setting the Date and Time
    2. 3.2. Creating Folders on the CF Card
    3. 3.3. Setting File-Numbering
    4. 3.4. Choosing the File Format and Quality
      1. 3.4.1. JPEG capture
      2. 3.4.2. RAW capture
      3. 3.4.3. sRAW1 and sRAW 2 capture
    5. 3.5. Choosing an Exposure Mode
      1. 3.5.1. Full Auto
      2. 3.5.2. Program AE
      3. 3.5.3. Shutter Priority AE
      4. 3.5.4. Aperture Priority AE
      5. 3.5.5. Manual
      6. 3.5.6. Bulb
      7. 3.5.7. C1, C2, and C3 modes
      8. 3.5.8. Creative Auto mode
      9. 3.5.9. Autofocus and selecting Autofocus modes
      10. 3.5.10. Improving autofocus accuracy and performance
      11. 3.5.11. AF-ON button
    6. 3.6. Modifying Exposure
      1. 3.6.1. Autoexposure Lock
      2. 3.6.2. Autoexposure Bracketing
      3. 3.6.3. Exposure compensation
    7. 3.7. Selecting a Metering Mode
      1. 3.7.1. Evaluating the 5D Mark II's dynamic range
      2. 3.7.2. Evaluating exposure
        1. 3.7.2.1. Brightness histogram
        2. 3.7.2.2. RGB histogram
    8. 3.8. Setting the ISO
      1. 3.8.1. Auto ISO
      2. 3.8.2. ISO range, expansion, and Custom Function options
      3. 3.8.3. Setting the ISO and extended range ISO
    9. 3.9. Selecting a Drive Mode
      1. 3.9.1. Single Shot mode
      2. 3.9.2. Continuous mode
      3. 3.9.3. Self-timer modes
    10. 3.10. Viewing and Playing Back Images
      1. 3.10.1. Playback display options
      2. 3.10.2. Jumping quickly among images
      3. 3.10.3. Index display
      4. 3.10.4. Slide show
    11. 3.11. Erasing Images
    12. 3.12. Protecting Images
    13. 3.13. Restoring the Camera's Default Settings
  9. 4. Color and Picture Styles
    1. 4.1. Learning about Color Spaces
    2. 4.2. Choosing a Color Space
    3. 4.3. Understanding and Setting the White Balance
      1. 4.3.1. What does white balance do?
      2. 4.3.2. Choosing a white balance approach
      3. 4.3.3. Setting a custom white balance
      4. 4.3.4. Setting a white balance shift
      5. 4.3.5. Specifying a color temperature
      6. 4.3.6. Using white balance autobracketing
    4. 4.4. Choosing and Customizing a Picture Style
    5. 4.5. Registering a User-Defined Picture Style
  10. 5. Customizing the Canon 5D Mark II
    1. 5.1. Exploring Custom Functions
    2. 5.2. C.Fn I: Exposure
      1. 5.2.1. C.Fn I-01: Exposure level increments
      2. 5.2.2. C.Fn I-02: ISO speed setting increments
      3. 5.2.3. C.Fn I-03: ISO expansion
      4. 5.2.4. C.Fn I-04: Bracketing auto cancel
      5. 5.2.5. C.Fn I-05: Bracketing sequence
      6. 5.2.6. C.Fn I-06: Safety shift
      7. 5.2.7. C.Fn I-07: Flash sync speed in Av mode
    3. 5.3. C.Fn II: Image
      1. 5.3.1. C.Fn II-01: Long exposure noise reduction
      2. 5.3.2. C.Fn II-02: High ISO speed noise reduction
      3. 5.3.3. C.Fn II-03: Highlight tone priority
      4. 5.3.4. C.Fn II-04: Auto Lighting Optimizer
    4. 5.4. C.Fn III: Autofocus/Drive
      1. 5.4.1. C.Fn III-01: Lens drive when AF impossible
      2. 5.4.2. C.Fn III-02: Lens AF stop button function
      3. 5.4.3. C.Fn III-03: AF point selection method
      4. 5.4.4. C.Fn III-04: Superimposed display
      5. 5.4.5. C.Fn III-05: AF-assist beam firing
      6. 5.4.6. C.Fn III-06: Mirror lockup
      7. 5.4.7. C.Fn III-07: AF point area expansion
      8. 5.4.8. C.Fn III-08: AF Microadjustment
    5. 5.5. C.Fn IV: Operation/Others
      1. 5.5.1. C.Fn IV-01: Shutter/AF-ON button
      2. 5.5.2. C.Fn IV-02: AF-ON/AE lock button switch
      3. 5.5.3. C.Fn IV-03: Assign SET button
      4. 5.5.4. C.Fn IV-04: Dial direction during Tv/Av
      5. 5.5.5. C.Fn IV-05: Focusing Screen
      6. 5.5.6. C.Fn IV-06: Add original decision data
      7. 5.5.7. Clear all Custom Functions
    6. 5.6. Sample Customizations
    7. 5.7. Registering Camera Settings
  11. 6. Selecting and Using Canon Lenses
    1. 6.1. Understanding Canon Lenses
      1. 6.1.1. EF lens mount
      2. 6.1.2. Ultrasonic Motor
      3. 6.1.3. L-series lenses
      4. 6.1.4. Image Stabilization
      5. 6.1.5. Macro
      6. 6.1.6. Full-time manual focusing
      7. 6.1.7. Inner and rear focusing
      8. 6.1.8. Floating system
      9. 6.1.9. AF Stop button
      10. 6.1.10. Focus preset
      11. 6.1.11. Diffractive Optics
    2. 6.2. Prime versus Zoom Lenses
      1. 6.2.1. Single-focal-length lenses
      2. 6.2.2. Zoom lenses
        1. 6.2.2.1. Zoom lens advantages
        2. 6.2.2.2. Zoom lens disadvantages
    3. 6.3. Using Wide-Angle Lenses
    4. 6.4. Using Telephoto Lenses
    5. 6.5. Using Normal Lenses
    6. 6.6. Using Macro Lenses
    7. 6.7. Using Tilt/Shift Lenses
    8. 6.8. Using a Lensbaby
    9. 6.9. Using Image-Stabilized Lenses
    10. 6.10. Exploring Lens Accessories
      1. 6.10.1. Extending the range lenses with extenders
      2. 6.10.2. Increasing magnification with extension tubes and close-up lenses
  12. 7. Working with Canon EX-series Speedlites
    1. 7.1. Exploring E-TTL Technology
    2. 7.2. Choosing a Canon EX-series Speedlite
      1. 7.2.1. Evaluating 5D Mark II–compatible Speedlites
      2. 7.2.2. Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2
    3. 7.3. Using Speedlites
      1. 7.3.1. Front and Rear Curtain Sync
      2. 7.3.2. Flash Exposure Compensation
      3. 7.3.3. Flash Exposure Bracketing
      4. 7.3.4. Flash Exposure Lock
      5. 7.3.5. High-speed sync
    4. 7.4. Flash Techniques in the Field
      1. 7.4.1. Balancing ambient and flash lighting
      2. 7.4.2. Speedlite light modifiers and umbrellas
      3. 7.4.3. Using a Speedlite as a secondary light
      4. 7.4.4. Working with multiple wireless flash setups
      5. 7.4.5. Balancing lighting extremes
  13. 8. Shooting Video with the 5D Mark II
    1. 8.1. Preparing to Shoot Video
    2. 8.2. High-Definition Video
      1. 8.2.1. Resolution and frame rate
      2. 8.2.2. Maximum file size and runtime
    3. 8.3. Using Live View
      1. 8.3.1. LCD monitor light sensor
      2. 8.3.2. Live mode
      3. 8.3.3. Live Face Detection mode
      4. 8.3.4. Quick mode
      5. 8.3.5. Grid display
      6. 8.3.6. Silent Shooting modes 1 and 2
    4. 8.4. HDMI Output
    5. 8.5. MOV Format and MPEG-4 Video Compression
    6. 8.6. Steadicams
    7. 8.7. Sound Recording
      1. 8.7.1. Onboard mono microphone
      2. 8.7.2. External stereo input
      3. 8.7.3. Selecting audio devices
    8. 8.8. Mixing Video and Sound
    9. 8.9. Lighting for High-Definition Video
    10. 8.10. Shooting High-Definition Video in Lowlight
  14. 9. Sports, Concert, and Event Photography
    1. 9.1. Overview and Trends
    2. 9.2. Inspiration and Creative Resources
    3. 9.3. Packing Your Gear Bag
    4. 9.4. Shooting Sports
    5. 9.5. Shooting Concerts
    6. 9.6. Shooting Events
    7. 9.7. Practical Professional Advice
  15. 10. Landscape, Nature, and Travel Photography
    1. 10.1. Overview and Trends
    2. 10.2. Inspiration and Creative Resources
    3. 10.3. Packing Your Gear Bag
    4. 10.4. Shooting Nature, Landscape, and Travel Images
      1. 10.4.1. Using natural light
        1. 10.4.1.1. Predawn and sunrise
        2. 10.4.1.2. Early morning to midday
        3. 10.4.1.3. Sunset, twilight, and dusk
        4. 10.4.1.4. Diffused light
      2. 10.4.2. Exposure techniques for atypical scenes
      3. 10.4.3. Shooting in lowlight
    5. 10.5. Practical Professional Advice
  16. 11. Portrait Photography
    1. 11.1. Overview and Trends
    2. 11.2. Inspiration and Creative Resources
    3. 11.3. Packing Your Gear Bag
    4. 11.4. Shooting Portraits
      1. 11.4.1. Taking outdoor portraits
        1. 11.4.1.1. Getting the best color
        2. 11.4.1.2. Use C modes
      2. 11.4.2. Taking indoor portraits
        1. 11.4.2.1. Window light
        2. 11.4.2.2. Ambient interior and mixed light
        3. 11.4.2.3. Studio lighting
    5. 11.5. Practical Pro Advice
  17. 12. Stock and Editorial Photography
    1. 12.1. Overview and Trends
    2. 12.2. Inspiration and Creative Resources
    3. 12.3. Packing Your Gear Bag
    4. 12.4. Shooting Stock and Editorial Images
    5. 12.5. Practical Pro Advice
  18. 13. Wedding Photography
    1. 13.1. Overview and Trends
      1. 13.1.1. Marketing
      2. 13.1.2. Presentation
    2. 13.2. Inspiration and Creative Resources
      1. 13.2.1. Slideshows and DVDs
      2. 13.2.2. Printed and bound albums
    3. 13.3. Packing Your Gear Bag
    4. 13.4. Shooting Weddings
      1. 13.4.1. Getting ready
      2. 13.4.2. Capturing the ceremony
      3. 13.4.3. After the Ceremony
        1. 13.4.3.1. Details
        2. 13.4.3.2. Portraits
        3. 13.4.3.3. The reception
    5. 13.5. Professional Advice for Shooting Weddings
  19. A. Maintenance Tips for Your 5D Mark II
    1. A.1. Canon Digital Photo Professional
    2. A.2. EOS Utility
    3. A.3. Updating the 5D Mark II Firmware
    4. A.4. Cleaning the CMOS Sensor
      1. A.4.1. Automatic Sensor Cleaning mode
      2. A.4.2. Dust Delete Data
      3. A.4.3. Manual cleaning
        1. A.4.3.1. Testing for dust
        2. A.4.3.2. Using the dry method
        3. A.4.3.3. Using the wet method
        4. A.4.3.4. Having a clean workflow
  20. B. 5D Mark II Specifications
  21. Glossary

Product information

  • Title: Canon® EOS 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: August 2009
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780470467145