Chapter Two: Buttons, Dials, Knobs, and their Purposes

Camera Body Reference

Figure 2-1. Key parts of the camera’s back

1. Erase button

2. Playback button

3. Index/magnify/reduce button

4. RATE button

5. Creative photo/comparative playback/direct printing button

6. Left-hand strap mount

7. MENU button

8. Mode Dial

9. Power Switch

10. INFO. Button

11. Eyecup

12. Hot shoe

13. Viewfinder eyepiece

14. START/STOP button

15. Live View shooting/movie shooting switch

16. Multi-controller

17. AF-ON (autofocus start button)

18. AE Lock button

19. AF point selection button

20. Quick Control button

21. SET button

22. Access lamp

23. Quick Control Dial

24. LOCK (multi-function lock switch)

25. LCD monitor

26. Light sensor

27. Speaker

Figure 2-2. Key parts of the camera’s top

28. Left-hand strap mount

29. Lens release button

30. Mode Dial

31. Mode Dial lock release button

32. Hot shoe

33. Flash-sync contacts

34. M-Fn (AF area selection mode/multi-function) button

35. LCD panel illumination button

36. Shutter button

37. Main Dial

38. Right-hand strap mount

39. ISO (ISO speed setting/flash exposure compensation button)

40. AF-DRIVE (AF mode selection/drive mode selection button)

41. WB (metering mode selection/white balance selection button)

42. LCD panel

43. Dioptric adjustment knob

44. Focal plane mark

45. Eyecup

46. Power switch

Figure 2-3. Key parts of the camera’s front

47. Remote control sensor

48. Shutter button

49. Self-timer lamp

50. Lens mount index

51. Mirror

52. Lens release button

53. Microphone

54. Left-hand strap mount

55. Contacts

56. Lens Mount

57. Depth-of-field preview button

58. DC coupler cord hole

Figure 2-4. Key parts of the camera’s base

59. Date/time battery holder

60. Tripod friction mat

61. Tripod socket

62. Serial number

63. Battery compartment cover

64. Release lever

Figure 2-5. Key parts of the camera’s left side, closed

65. Eyecup

66. Mode Dial

67. Power switch

68. Left-hand strap mount

69. Microphone

70. Lens release button

71. Date/time battery holder

Figure 2-6. Key parts of the camera’s left side, open

72. Terminal covers

73. MIC terminal

74. Headphone terminal

75. A/V OUT/DIGITAL terminal

76. PC terminal

77. Remote control terminal

78. HDMI OUT terminal

79. Date/time battery holder screw

Figure 2-7. Key parts of the camera’s right side, closed

80. Quick Control Dial

81. Card slot cover

82. Right-hand strap mount

83. Eyecup

84. Dioptric adjustment knob

85. Hot shoe

86. Focal plane mark

87. Main Dial

Figure 2-8. Key parts of the camera’s right side, open

88. Card slot cover

89. CF card ejection button

90. CF card slot

91. SD card slot

From the Back

(See image on page 21)

1. Erase button. This is a button that I make little use of. I prefer to decide which images to delete after viewing my photos on a large LCD monitor. However, if you’re going to be showing images directly from the camera, such as in a slide show, or if your memory card is almost full and you need to make room for “just a few more shots,” then this is the button to use to eliminate obviously bad images. If you have the time, you can evaluate an image immediately after capture, press the Erase button, rotate the Quick Control Dial to select the Erase option, then press the SET button. During playback of images on the memory card, you can use the same procedure: Press the Erase button, rotate the Quick Control Dial to select the Erase option, then press the SET button. If there are a number of images to be erased, you may find that using the “Erase images” option on the PLAY1 menu is a bit faster and less tedious.

2. Playback button. Pressing the playback button displays the most recent image. The display will be structured depending on the last setting of the INFO. button.

From the most recent image, you can move backward (chronologically) by rotating the Quick Control Dial counterclockwise, or move forward by rotating the dial clockwise. If you’re viewing the most recent image and attempt to scroll forward, you will wrap around the list of images and the oldest image will be displayed.

3. Index/magnify/reduce button. The index function provided by this button can speed up the process of reviewing thumbnails of images on the memory card. The button allows you to see the selected image enlarged as much as 10x, down to 1x, then reduced to a four-image index, and finally, a nine-image index. To navigate through the various degrees of magnification or indexselection, you rotate the Main Dial clockwise to enlarge the central portion of the image, or counterclockwise to make it smaller. The Multi-controller can be used to move the targeted area for magnification, or while an index is shown, the Multi-controller can be used to select the image to be enlarged. You can press either the center button on the Multi-controller or the SET button to open that image for closer examination. Rotating the Quick Control Dial allows navigation through the images on the memory card to be displayed based on the current magnification and position selections.

My favorite use of this button is during the capture of an image, and that can be done only while in Live View. For macro photography, while in Live View, you can press the index button to magnify the displayed image 5x. Press it again and the magnification becomes 10x; press once more and it reverts to 1x. While the view is enlarged, you can use the Multi-controller to relocate the area being enlarged. If you want to ensure that you’ve focused on the pollen on the tips of a flower’s stamens, then Live View at 10x is a real boon.

4. RATE button. You now have the opportunity to rate your photographs and movies, either immediately after a capture (while the image is still displayed) or during playback. Simply press the RATE button once for each star—up to five—that you want to “award” to an image or video. If you press the RATE button a sixth time, all stars are deleted. If you have a bare image displayed, then when you press the RATE button, a line reading “Rating changed to,” with a pair of brackets showing the new star count will be briefly superimposed on the screen. If the INFO. button has left the default display in any format other than image-only, you will see in the upper-right corner of the display a set of brackets containing tiny stars that represent the rating. Programs such as Adobe’s Lightroom and Bridge can recognize these ratings and will allow you to better manage your library of images.

Personally, I prefer to use a nice 24-inch LCD screen for reviewing and rating my images, so I make little use of this button.

5. / Creative photo / comparative playback / direct printing button. This button seems to know what you’re currently doing, and dynamically selects one of its three functions to activate.

If the camera is in shooting mode, tabbed menus for the creative photo options will be shown on the LCD monitor. They include Picture Styles, multiple exposure settings, and HDR Mode. Use either the Main Dial or the Quick Control Dial to select the one you wish to work with, then press SET.

If the camera is in playback mode, then the comparative playback function is started. It lets you look at two different shots, side-by-side, for critical comparison.

If the camera is in Playback mode and has been attached to a PictBridgecapable printer, even a printer that is not attached to a computer, then the PictBridge print function is automatically started and the most recently captured image is displayed.

If the print setup parameters are to your liking, you can simply press the Direct Print button and the image will be sent to the printer.

If you need to change the print setup parameters, press SET and a new window will appear on the LCD monitor showing a variety of print setup parameters, including the image reduced to the upper-left corner of the screen. You can use either the Quick Control Dial or the Multi-controller to navigate to the desired parameter, then press SET or the center of the Multi-controller to access the options available for each parameter. Once the parameters have been determined, press Print and SET.

6. Left-hand strap mount. (See #54)

7. MENU button. Pressing the MENU button gives you access to all of the camera’s customization menus, whether for fine-tuning shooting, camera setup, image playback, autofocus details, or even personalization.

8. Mode Dial. The purpose of this dial is to instruct the camera regarding your style of shooting, and that style can change as quickly as you can rotate the dial to a different option. If you’re quite familiar with Canon cameras, be aware that this camera has a lock release button in the center of the Mode Dial (See #31) that must be depressed in order to rotate the Mode Dial.

9. Power switch. The power switch is a simple two-position switch operated by a lever under the Mode Dial. Obviously, you must turn this switch to the ON position to use the camera. But, just as important, the switch must be set to OFF when you insert or remove the battery or memory card. Likewise, you should turn off the camera’s power switch when inserting or removing any cable at the terminal ports. Read the owner’s manual for any device you plan to attach to the hot shoe; some devices must be powered off before being attached, and some require that the camera be powered off as well.

10. INFO. button. This is a rather versatile button! When you press the INFO. button while setting up for a shot, you are shown a quick summary of the more significant setup values. When you press it a second time, it displays a two-dimension electronic level. Pressing it a third time makes the camera display more setup data, and if you press one of the three function-control buttons just in front of the LCD panel, you can alter its setting from this display. In fact, you can change the values in the display if you press the Q button.

It’s likely that as you navigate menus, you’ll see what appears to be an INFO. button at the bottom of the display. This is to advise you that the camera is capable of providing explanatory text if you press and hold the INFO. button. Some of this text requires more space than the screen provides, and in those instances you’ll need to continue holding the INFO. button down while using the Quick Control Dial to scroll through the remaining text.

The screen for the electronic level will show an edge-to-edge red line when the camera is not level left-to-right; that line becomes green as you bring the camera into a level position. For vertical leveling, the screen will show a pair of cones, with both tapering toward the right-to-left level line. It’s quite easy for this level indicator to be “off the charts,” with the only indicator being that just one of the cones is displayed. If the cone is tapering to the top, then bring the lens down. If the cone is tapering to the bottom of the screen, bring the lens up. As you get within reasonable range, you’ll see a white horizontal line a bit less than ½ inch in length. The objective is to get that white line to align with the green line.

If you press the INFO. button during playback, or immediately after an exposure (while the image is still being displayed on the LCD monitor), you’ll see some exposure data overlaid on the image. Press the INFO. button again, and you get basic setup information along with a smaller image and a brightness histogram. Press it a third time, and the display removes some of the exposure data and adds RGB histograms. You can leave one of these three information-display options selected as the manner in which to view images either immediately after capture or during playback, and it will remain the default view right through power-off and power-on.

11. Eyecup. The purpose of an eyecup is to reduce the amount of light that can sneak into the viewfinder, possibly causing erroneous exposure meter readings. The standard Canon eyecup serves most users well. However, if you will be using the camera in bright sunshine or a brightly lit interior, you may decide you need to block most of the brightness that creeps in between the eyecup and your face. A number of manufacturers offer eyecups for that purpose. Personally, I like the Hoodman HoodEYE eyecup. For the EOS 5D Mk III, Hoodman provides an eyecup for use without glasses as well as a version for wearers of glasses. These replacement eyecups do extend a bit further away from the back of the camera, so consider how you stow your camera when not in use and how you carry your camera to ensure that this extra protrusion doesn’t become a critical factor. If you’re one of the few who will need to acquire a dioptric viewfinder eyepiece (See #13), then sorry; the dioptric lens has an eyecup firmly mounted on it, so you won’t be able to attach any other eyecup.

Of course, when the camera is mounted on a tripod and you’re triggering the shutter by remote control, or you’re using the self-timer so that you can get into the picture, your face is not up against the camera body and there’s a potential for significant light leakage through the viewfinder. To address that problem, Canon threads a soft, silicone rubber eyepiece cover onto the camera strap. This eyepiece cover does not need to be removed from the camera strap. To use it, you first remove the eyecup by squeezing its two sides and pulling it upward, then slide the eyepiece cover over the viewfinder mounting rails. The process is illustrated in the Instruction Manual on page 185. If it’s necessary to recompose for a subsequent photograph, simply raise the eyepiece cover. Remember: The purpose of the eyepiece cover is to prevent erroneous exposure meter readings. Therefore, ensure that the eyepiece cover is in place before you press the shutter button halfway, which is when that meter reading is determined.

During Live View and movie shooting, light leakage is not a problem; therefore, there is no need for the eyepiece cover.

12. Hot shoe. Every camera worth having (in my opinion) has a shoe on the top of the camera. Those shoes that simply hold an attachment in place provide no electrical connection between the camera and the attachment. However, a hot shoe does provide an electrical connection (See #33). In most instances, the hot shoe is used to attach an electronic flash unit or the controller for remote electronic flash units. More and more devices are being built to utilize the hot shoe, both for anchoring and for communication with the camera.

13. Viewfinder eyepiece. Except when you’re shooting in Live View or a movie mode, this is where you will observe your subject, compose your photograph, and confirm focus and exposure settings. Be sure to use the dioptric adjustment knob (See #43) to get the clearest, sharpest image.

14. START/STOP button. The START/STOP button supports only Live View shooting or movie shooting, depending on the position of the Live View shooting / movie shooting switch. For movie shooting, pressing this button will initiate capture; pressing it again terminates the capture. For Live View shooting, pressing the START/STOP button transfers the camera to Live View mode; pressing it again transfers the camera back to normal still-photography mode.

15. Live View shooting / movie shooting switch. In addition to what most of us consider “normal” DSLR photography, the EOS 5D Mk III provides Live View shooting and movie shooting. We’ll cover Live View later in the book.

It’s not intuitive, but for “normal” photography, this switch should be in the Live View position. The camera does not enter Live View functioning until the START/STOP button is pressed.

16. Multi-controller. This is more of a joystick than a button or dial. There are a number of features of the camera that can be selected or managed by this controller. One of its more common uses is to select the autofocus AF point, followed closely by using the controller to navigate the Quick Control screen. It also allows you to scroll around on a magnified image in playback, and to scroll a magnified Live View image during composition. By pressing the outside rim of the controller, you can navigate in one of eight directions. Not all applications will support the four diagonal positions, and some applications treat the controller in an unexpected manner. For example, when you navigate menus, pressing the controller sideways will navigate between menus, but pressing it up or down will navigate within a menu. The center button works much like the SET button and can be used instead of the SET button for several applications. However, there are specific applications that call for the Multi-controller’s center button to be used for navigation and require using the SET button for selection of an option.

17. AF-ON (autofocus start button). Typically, you press the shutter button halfway to start the autofocus system. However, there are situations in which you don’t want to press the shutter button, such as when you need to take a series of photos but keep the same focus for all, even though the composition may be significantly different in each photo. Pressing the AF-ON button will start the autofocus operation, without the need for pressing the shutter release button. This technique works because when the AF-ON button is depressed, the shutter button’s autofocus function is not operative. So you can achieve focus once, hold the AF-ON button down, take a shot, and while continuing to hold the AF-ON button, recompose and take a second photo. You can repeat this as many times as necessary, holding the AF-ON button down the whole time. It works particularly well when you’re shooting in Live View or a movie mode.

18. AE Lock button. The only identification you’ll find for this button is a white asterisk () above the button. To use it, first focus the camera on the most critical part of your photo and press the shutter button halfway down so that the camera determines the correct exposure. Then hold down the AE Lock button to lock that exposure calculation and recompose your photograph. The resulting image should show your final composition, with your subject properly exposed.

19. AF point selection button. Again, there’s only a white icon () above this button. But when it comes to how often you use it, the AF point selection button may be second only to the shutter button. The EOS 5D Mk III has 61 autofocus points available for selection, giving you a great deal of latitude in choosing the precise point for focusing. That can be a real boon for macro work. Pressing the M-Fn button after pressing this AF point selection button allows you to cycle through six different autofocus modes.

20. Quick Control button. Only the Q shows on the button cap, but this is the button you use to display the Quick Control screen on the LCD monitor. You can use the Multi-controller to navigate the options on the LCD monitor, and use either the Main Dial or the Quick Control Dial to alter the values associated with those options. All of the options can also be set with a variety of buttons and dials, but this button brings the most commonly adjusted settings together on one screen.

21. SET button. The SET button is in the center of the Quick Control Dial, and pressing this button is typically the means by which you select an image or option for further viewing or modification. The button in the center of the Multi-controller frequently provides the same function, allowing you to choose whichever is most convenient.

22. Access lamp. This little lamp shows a bright red glow whenever the camera is in the process of either writing to or reading from a memory card. Its primary purpose is to alert you not to attempt to remove a memory card while this lamp is lit. Ignoring it can result in loss of images, possibly all images on the memory card.

23. Quick Control Dial. This is the navigation controller for many functions in the camera. On the top of the camera, there are three buttons that support dual options. When you press one of these buttons, you can use the Main Dial to navigate the options for the first function of the button, and the Quick Control Dial to navigate the options for the second function.

If you don’t press any buttons, rotating the Quick Control Dial, by default, will adjust the aperture, and the Main Dial will adjust the shutter speed while in M mode (manual exposure mode).

In working with menus, the Main Dial is used for moving horizontally through the sets of menus, and the Quick Control Dial is used for navigating vertically through the options for a given menu.

In Playback mode, The Quick Control Dial is used to step through the images on the memory card, one at a time.

For movies, the inner ring of the Quick Control Dial becomes touch-sensitive, giving you silent control over several movie-shooting variables.

24. LOCK (multi-function lock switch). The EOS 5D Mk III is designed to allow the use of the Main Dial, the Quick Control Dial, and the Multi-controller to make quick changes to many of the options that affect the composition and exposure of an image. Unfortunately, accidental movement of these controls, caused by the camera rubbing against you while being transported, can result in something quite different from what you had anticipated. Addressing that problem is the specific purpose of this switch. Use the C.Fn2 menu to select which of the three—even all three if you wish—controls will be deactivated when the switch is set to its right-most position. Note: Operations that require pressing a button before the appropriate control is used are not affected by the position of this switch.

25. LCD monitor. This 3.2-inch (diagonal) LCD panel is about as large as you can get without increasing the size of the camera. Now, add over a million dots for resolution and you have a clear, sharp image with good contrast and color. In normal shooting, the LCD monitor is used to briefly view the result of an image capture and look at the histogram to confirm that there’s no loss of highlights. It is also used to confirm or change menu settings and to play back previously captured images. During movie and Live View shooting, the LCD monitor serves as a viewfinder, allowing you to see in real time what the image on the sensor looks like.

26. Light sensor. The LCD monitor brightness can be adjusted to better fit your needs. These adjustments are available on the SET UP2 menu. There, you can choose between [Auto] and [Manual]. In auto mode, ambient light is measured by this light sensor, and LCD monitor brightness is adjusted accordingly. In manual mode, this sensor is ignored, and LCD monitor brightness is set according to your brightness-level selection on the menu.

27. Speaker. This is a small and relatively low-powered monaural speaker, intended primarily to allow you to confirm that sound has been captured as a part of a movie. If you’re planning to do extensive or serious movie shooting, do invest in a pair of good headphones to plug into the headphone terminal (See #54). Of course, you will hear stereo in those headphones only if you also use an external stereo microphone.

From the Top

(See image on page 22)

28. Left-hand strap mount. (See #54)

29. Lens release button. (See #52)

30. Mode Dial. (See #8)

31. Mode Dial lock release button. Starting with the EOS 60D, Canon DSLRs have included this lock button (It’s been reported that Canon can convert EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D cameras). Earlier cameras were subject to unintended Mode Dial rotation caused by the camera rubbing across body parts while carried by the neck strap. On the newer cameras, you must press and hold this lock release button while rotating the Mode Dial. It’s one more nuisance, but it sure reduces embarrassment caused by the Mode Dial having been accidentally rotated to M (manual) when you were sure you had it set to Av (aperture priority).

32. Hot shoe. (See #12)

33. Flash-sync contacts. It used to be that a hot shoe needed only to send a shot of precisely timed electrical current to the flash, telling the flash to ignite the foil or filaments inside the flashbulb. However, the hot shoe is now used for more than just providing auxiliary light; it also accommodates other devices such as GPS receivers and flash controllers. And today’s flash units are so capable that they transmit information both from and to the camera prior to triggering the flash. These relatively new functions require reliable communication, and that all comes via these flash-sync contacts. Normally, they require little or no attention, but if you shoot in less than ideal weather (especially beach shots with a strong on-shore wind) or even in some chemical-laden environments (such as in manufacturing facilities), you’ll want to have a small, dry microfiber cloth to clean the contacts before mounting your flash or other device. If such shooting is a frequent occurrence, you may want to consider one of the many hot shoe protectors currently on the market; some even include a bubble level.

34. M-Fn (AF area selection mode / multi-function) button. Autofocus area selection is the term Canon uses to describe the process of determining just what portion of the autofocus area, and in what manner, you wish to work with. Autofocus area selection is a two-step process:

- Press the AF point selection button (See #19). It will stay active for six seconds.

- In those six seconds, press the M-Fn button. In the viewfinder, you will be able to see which of the 61 focus points will be used for focusing, possibly including all 61 points (indeed, all 61 points are used when the Mode Dial is set to Scene Intelligent Auto []).

Instead of using the viewfinder, I press the INFO. button, then the AF point selection button, to see the AF point selection screen displayed on the LCD monitor. It shows not only the current selection, but also the icon for each of the selectable autofocus areas. Pressing the M-Fn button will cause the icon to the right of the current icon to be selected, showing the area that will be active with that choice. To navigate across the range of focus points, you can use either the Multi-controller joystick (which, in this case, supports diagonal as well as vertical and horizontal positioning) or a combination of the Main Dial to navigate horizontally and the Quick Control Dial to navigate vertically.

35. LCD panel illumination button. This button is a simple toggle switch: press it once to turn on the LCD backlight; press it again to turn the backlight off. If not intentionally turned off, the light will automatically turn off after six seconds. When shooting in Bulb mode, if the light is on, the light will shut off when the shutter button is pressed all the way down.

36. Shutter button. (See #48)

37. Main Dial. The Main Dial is used in the selection of many parameters.

With the Mode Dial set to Av (aperture priority), rotating the Main Dial will scroll through the range of apertures supported by the lens. Similarly, with the Mode Dial set to Tv (shutter priority), rotating the Main Dial scrolls through the range of shutter speeds available in the camera (1/8000th second to 30 seconds).

During playback, rotating the Main Dial will display each image, or an image from the next 10 images, or even one image from the next 100 images, depending on which Image Jump option you’ve selected in the PLAY2 menu. When you look at that menu, you’ll see that there are some more esoteric options that may be more appropriate for your style of work.

38. Right-hand strap mount. (See #54)

39. (ISO speed setting/flash exposure compensation button). This is one of three dual-purpose buttons (See #39, #40, & #41). When you press one of them, you can then use the Main Dial to scroll through the available settings for the first-named function of the button (such as ISO speed setting). The Quick Control Dial can be used to scroll through the available settings for the second-named function (such as flash exposure compensation). When pressed, this button erases everything from the LCD panel except the ISO value array and the flash exposure compensation scale. However, pressing the INFO. button to display the shooting settings screen prior to pressing this button will allow you to see and work with both functions on a single LCD monitor.

40. AF•DRIVE (AF mode selection / drive mode selection button. As with #39, this button serves a dual purpose. Once you press it, you can use the Main Dial to scroll through the One Shot, AI Focus, and AI Servo options to select your desired AF mode. In the same manner, you can use the Quick Control Dial to scroll across the various drive mode options available. When you press the button, the LCD panel is cleared except for the AF Mode and Drive Mode fields in the upper-right corner. Unfortunately, the Drive Mode information is in the form of one of seven possible icons. Again, consider using the INFO. button so that you can make the adjustments on the LCD monitor, where you’ll get clear identification of each icon.

41. (metering mode selection / white balance selection button). This is the left-most of the three dual-function buttons found on the top of the camera, just in front of the LCD panel. When you press this button, all information on the LCD panel is erased, except for the current white balance setting in the upper-left corner and the metering mode in the lower-right corner. You can use the Main Dial to select the desired metering mode, and the Quick Control Dial to select the appropriate white balance. On the LCD panel, you see only icons for each possible setting. Until you get these icons memorized (if you choose to do so), you can press the INFO. button before pressing this button and use the full information on the larger LCD monitor.

42. LCD panel. The LCD panel is located on the top of the camera, behind the shutter button; the LCD monitor is the larger display on the back of the camera. The LCD panel is the camera’s status reporter, primarily presenting current settings for exposure, as well as battery and memory card status. Adjustment of many camera settings is also shown on the LCD panel.

43. Dioptric adjustment knob. This little knob, hiding just behind the upper-right corner of the eyecup, allows for a degree of optical compensation for each individual’s eyes, or at least the eye that is used when composing a picture. The trick is to look through the viewfinder and, at the same time, rotate this knob to slowly home in on the clearest view. How to determine which view is clearest is a discussion in itself. Some writers say you should set the camera up on a tripod and let it focus on a distant object, then use the knob to fine-tune the viewfinder. Others say you should simply press the shutter button down halfway, turning on the meters, and adjust the diopter by observing the AF points or by using the exposure information at the bottom of the viewfinder. Distance to the subject has no bearing on this setting. In fact, using the exposure data at the bottom of the viewfinder works well when the lens cap is on the lens. If you find that your fingers are too big to easily access this rather small knob, lift the eyecup up, make the adjustment, then replace the eyecup. If the knob does not provide sufficient range, you may need to acquire a dioptric adjustment lens; just be sure to have your optometrist help you in determining which one you need.

44. Focal plane mark. This white mark indicates the exact location of the image sensor in the camera body. For most photography, this mark can be ignored. But, if you are doing critical macro photography, or using the camera with some forms of scientific equipment, you may need to know the precise distance from the focal plane to the subject. This mark serves to identify the camera end of that measurement.

45. Eyecup. (See #11)

46. Power switch. (See #9)

From the Front

(See image on page 23)

47. Remote control sensor. Positioned in the grip just where your middle finger would typically be is a strong hint that you should be using a tripod when shooting with a remote control. Canon recommends its RC-6 for the EOS 5D Mk III, but states that the RC-1 and RC-5 remote controllers can also be used. Releasing the shutter is the only task these remote controllers accomplish. Note that the RC-1 is reported to be no longer manufactured. All three appear to depend on an infrared beam for communication with the camera, and so must have line-of-sight access to the camera. Their range is about 16 feet.

I use a Vello Wireless ShutterBoss. It does depend on having a receiver attached to the camera and can be ordered with a cable designed to accommodate the three-pin remote control terminal on the EOS 5D Mk III (See #77). It costs about $100, which is three or four times the cost of the Canon units, but it is capable of supporting a wide variety of cameras with the appropriate receiver cables. My Nikons have 10-pin terminals, and my EOS 60D uses a mini plug, but with three receiver cables, I can use the same remote controller for all of them. The Wireless ShutterBoss has a range of up to 250 feet. Because it uses radio transmission instead of infrared light, the user can be anywhere in range without concern for line-of-sight access to the camera.

48. Shutter button. The shutter button actually has two positions. If you’re not familiar with them, you need to spend a few minutes developing a “feel” for the small resistance encountered as the shutter button arrives at the halfway point. When the shutter button is pressed to the halfway point, all the camera’s meters and computers turn on. Typically, you’ll wait until those devices have come to a stable state. If you’re in One-Shot AF mode, a green dot will appear at the right end of the information line at the bottom of the viewfinder’s display when focus is achieved. With the green dot displayed, you’re now ready to press the shutter button down the full distance, triggering the mirror to flip up out of the light path, the lens to stop down to the correct aperture, and the shutter to operate. Image captured. Next!

49. Self-timer lamp. This little lamp is for confirmation, not illumination. Once you’ve set up the camera for self-timer operation and pressed the shutter button, this lamp will flash until the time remaining reaches two seconds, at which time the lamp will stay lit until the shutter releases.

50. Lens mount index. This red dot serves two purposes. One is to remind you that only Canon EF-series lenses with the same red dot should be mounted. The Canon EF-S lenses have a white square to distinguish them as an entirely different lens series. The rear element of many EF-S lenses projects so far into the body of the camera that it’s likely to damage the camera’s internals if you try to mount it on a model that uses a full-sized sensor, such as the EOS 5D Mk III. The second purpose is to provide a reference point for mounting a lens. Ensure that the red dot on the lens is aligned with this red dot, insert the lens and rotate clockwise until you hear a faint click or feel a sudden resistance. (In July, Canon announced the EOS M-series cameras that use a new EF-M series of lenses. These lenses use a white dot (not a square) as their lens mount index to distinguish them from the EF and EF-S lenses.)

51. Mirror. The mirror is the heart of a DSLR. During composition, the mirror is in its “down” position, intercepting all light from the lens and directing it up to several sensors and to the viewfinder. Once the shutter button is pressed all the way down, the mirror flips up and lets the light from the lens fall on the image sensor. Then it returns to its normal “down” position. This is a lightweight mirror, but it can make a bit of noise as it comes to a stop in both directions of its travel; look at the silent shooting options available through the drive mode selection button.

52. Lens release button. With a lens mounted on the camera, press this button to allow the lens to be rotated counterclockwise for removal. The button is automatically engaged when a lens is mounted on the camera.

53. Microphone. This microphone is built into the camera body, and is quite serviceable. However, if you wish to have a more sophisticated microphone, acquire one of your choice, ensuring that it’s compatible with the MIC terminal (See #77 for further information).

54. Left-hand strap mount. Both strap mounts, used as a pair, are designed to carry the weight of the camera plus a reasonable lens. They cannot be removed, but seldom seem in the way. When attaching the Canon strap that comes with the camera, be sure to study the diagram on page 27 of the Instruction Manual. Use of any other technique may result in the strap slowly slipping until the camera falls. That’s rarely advantageous.

55. Contacts. In today’s lenses, we expect to find auto-focusing, image stabilization, and other advanced features. For some purposes, the camera is dependent on the lens for information. Typically, there are now multiple computers built into a lens, which communicate with different computers in the camera body. All that communication passes through these little gold-plated contact points. As you consider acquiring unusual lenses, adapters, and teleconverters, ensure that they will never damage these contacts.

56. Lens mount. Canon uses an extremely flat ring of polished stainless steel for this lens-mounting surface. When mated with the similar surface on the rear of a lens, the coupling becomes highly water and dust resistant, and eliminates any “play” between the camera body and the lens.

57. Depth-of-field preview button. All DSLR cameras rely on light coming through the lens to determine exposure, focus, and other elements. In order to allow the maximum amount of light into the camera during that phase of capturing an image, the mounted lens is intentionally kept “wide open,” even when you have selected a much smaller aperture for the capture. As you press the shutter button all the way down, the lens stops down to your selected aperture. That’s all very nice, except you may not get the photo you expected, especially if you’re using a macro lens for close-up shots. Depth of field—the distance between the nearest and farthest points at which objects are in acceptable focus—becomes shallower as the aperture gets larger. The result is that with the aperture set to f/11 and the lens having a maximum aperture of f/2.4, any image on the LCD monitor or the viewfinder will show a shallow depth of field, but the actual capture will have a much greater depth of field because of the f/11 aperture that is used during the actual capture. To the extent that there is sufficient light, the depth-of-field preview button will allow you to momentarily stop the lens down to the aperture you have chosen, which allows you to see just how much detail is going to be in focus.

58. DC coupler cord hole. If you intend to use the ACK-E6 AC adapter for long-term shooting, you’ll need to remove the battery from the camera. With the battery compartment cover open and the battery removed, you will see a small rubber panel (next to the white nylon battery release lever) than can be pushed out and toward the depth-of-field preview button. The panel is tethered so it won’t get lost. You will notice that the adapter cable attached to the pseudo-battery makes a sharp bend and is held captive by a small retainer on the pseudo-battery, which places the adapter cable in the correct position for feeding through this cover panel.

From the Bottom

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59. Date/time battery holder. This is the little sliding drawer that holds the date/time battery. Be aware that before removing the holder, you must open the terminal covers (on the left-hand side of the camera body) to remove a small Phillips-head screw (See #79). Use either a Phillips #0 or a Phillips #00 screwdriver. The battery is a CR1616 lithium “coin” battery, which should last approximately five years. After replacing the battery, use the SET UP2 menu to reestablish the date, time, and time zone parameters. See page 343 in the Instruction Manual for details related to replacing the date/time battery.

60. Tripod friction mat. No, you will not find anything in the Instruction Manual regarding this grooved mat. It’s made of medium-hard rubber, and its role in life is to provide additional friction between the tripod plate and the base of the camera, reducing unplanned rotation, especially when the camera is in a vertical orientation.

61. Tripod socket. This is a standard ¼-20 thread, and is metal, allowing secure mounting even with a variety of accessories and a moderately long lens attached. Note that whenever a lens provides its own tripod mount, you should use it rather than the camera’s tripod socket to relieve undue stress on the camera’s lens mount.

62. Serial number. The camera body’s serial number is generally recorded on your purchase papers by the retailer, but you should also record it and stash it with your other important papers. Should someone else decide he or she has a greater need for your camera, the authorities may be willing to help recover it, but they will need all the help they can get.

63. Battery compartment cover. The battery compartment cover for the camera’s main battery.

64. Release lever. The release lever for the battery compartment cover.

From the Left Side, Closed

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65. Eyecup. (See #11)

66. Mode Dial. (See #8)

67. Power switch. (See #9)

68. Left-hand strap mount. (See #54)

69. Microphone. This monaural microphone is built into the camera body, and is quite serviceable. However, if you wish to have a more sophisticated microphone, even a stereophonic microphone, acquire one of your choice. Ensure that it is compatible with the MIC terminal (See #73 for more information).

70. Lens release button. With a lens mounted on the camera, press this button to allow the lens to be rotated counterclockwise for removal. The button is automatically engaged when a lens is mounted on the camera.

71. Date/time battery holder. The battery holder is held in place by a tiny Phillipshead screw (See #79). Once the screw is removed and safely set aside, insert a fingernail into the slot on the bottom of the camera (See #59) and slide the battery holder out of the camera.

From the Left Side, Open

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72. Terminal covers. In this figure, the terminal covers have been rotated to the open position. In reality, you don’t want the terminal covers open more than necessary; they keep dust and moisture out of the electrical ports. In fact, when you look at the back side of these terminal covers, you’ll see molded protrusions sized to fit snugly into each of the terminals, further ensuring against dust and moisture intrusion.

73. MIC terminal. The IN terminal for an external microphone. This terminal is capable of accepting stereo sound from a user-provided microphone equipped with a miniature stereo plug (3.5mm pin diameter). Whenever an external microphone is attached to this terminal, the built-in microphone (See #53) is disconnected.

74. Headphone terminal. This terminal accepts a miniature stereo plug (3.5mm pin diameter) and will send sound to a set of headphones rather than to the built-in speaker (See #27). Sound is available during both movie recording and movie playback.

75. A/V OUT/DIGITAL terminal. There is only one port, but Canon provides two different cables that can be plugged into this port. The Stereo AV cable allows you to connect the red, white, and yellow RCA connectors to a non-HD TV and view movies directly from the camera. Note that movies downloaded to your computer and edited cannot be subsequently copied back to the memory card for playback directly from the camera.

The second cable is what Canon calls the Interface cable. To most, this looks like a USB cable with a Mini-B connector on one end, but Canon insists that you use only this cable, not an off-the-shelf retail USB cable. Used with the free EOS Utility software from the EOS DIGITAL Solution Disk, this interface cable allows for direct transfer of images and movies to a computer. The cable is also used for direct printing to a PictBridge-compliant printer, and for downloading and applying firmware updates. Don’t misplace it.

76. PC terminal. No, you do not use this terminal to send images to your personal computer. Long, long before there were PCs—that is, personal computers—the photographic industry introduced a standard means of triggering external flash units. In this instance, PC is the initialism for Prontor-Compur, reportedly developed by Zeiss in 1953. This PC terminal is the means for sending a triggering signal from the camera to an external flash unit, typically a bank of several large, powerful flash units in a studio.

77. Remote control terminal. If you want to use a Canon Remote Switch or a Canon Timer Remote Controller (or any EOS accessory designed to connect to an N3-type terminal) then this terminal becomes the means by which that device is attached to the camera. Note that the Canon RC-1, RC-5, and RC-6 all communicate with the camera by using an infrared beam, received by the camera’s remote control sensor in the front of the grip (See #47).

78. HDMI OUT terminal. In general, when you ask about an HDMI terminal on a camera, the response is along the lines of, “It’s the means by which you can play back images from the memory card to an HD (high definition) television set.” However, in addition to that, when an HDMI cable is connected to this terminal, all displays that would normally appear on the LCD monitor are now redirected to the HDMI terminal. With a large-screen HD monitor, this becomes an effective means of demonstrating photographic concepts to a good-sized class. Be aware that the HDMI terminal is disabled whenever the A/V OUT/DIGITAL terminal is in use.

79. Screw. The screw that keeps the date/time battery holder in place. You will need either a Phillips #0 or a Phillips #00 screwdriver. The battery is a CR1616 lithium “coin” battery, which should last approximately five years. After replacing the battery, use the SET UP2 menu to reestablish the date, time, and zone parameters. See page 343 in the Instruction Manual for details related to replacing the date/time battery.

From the Right Side, Closed

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80. Quick Control Dial. (See #23)

81. Card slot cover. This panel serves to protect whatever combination of memory cards you install into the camera. It does hinge open, but not by forcing the rear edge to the right. Rather, use the thumb or a finger placed at the curved portion of the cover and slide the cover towards the back of the camera. As you release the cover, it will hinge open for ready access to the memory card(s) in the camera.

82. Right-hand strap mount. (See #54)

83. Eyecup. (See #11)

84. Dioptric adjustment knob. (See #43)

85. Hot shoe. (See #12)

86. Focal plane mark. (See #44)

87. Main Dial. (See #37)

From the Right Side, Open

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88. Card slot cover. (See #81)

89. CF card ejection button. CF memory cards have two rows of tiny female contacts, with 25 contacts in each row. Though these cards can be inserted into the CF card slot without much effort, there is simply too much friction between the 50 pins to extract the card by hand. Therefore, the CF card slot has a small, gray ejection button at the lower edge of the slot. When a CF memory card is inserted in the CF card slot, this button is forced outward, making it accessible. When you’re ready to remove the CF memory card, you simply press this ejection button into the body of the camera, and the CF memory card is ejected far enough for you to extract it.

90. CF card slot. The CF memory card is a much more durable package than the small, thin SD memory card. As with the SD memory card, ensure the face of the CF memory card is facing the back of the camera and that the edge containing the 50-pin female socket enters the card slot first. When the card is fully seated, its outside edge will project about a 1/16 inch from the slot, and the gray CF card ejection button should have moved away from the camera body by almost ¼ inch. While the CF memory card itself is quite sturdy, those contact pins in a double row at the other end of the slot are small in diameter and can easily be damaged. If you feel any unusual resistance while inserting a CF memory card, verify that you have the CF memory card in the correct orientation. If that’s not the problem, then check for foreign material or bent contact pins at the contact end of the slot.

91. SD card slot. The EOS 5D Mk III is designed to accept either an SD memory card or a CF memory card, or both. When inserting an SD memory card, the face of the card should be facing the rear of the camera and the edge with the contacts should enter the SD card slot first. This slot applies spring-loaded pressure to the SD memory card as you insert it, requiring a bit more effort as it nears its fully inserted position. When correctly installed, the SD memory card will remain seated in the slot, with approximately 1/16 inch of the memory card projecting from the slot. Pressing the card further into the camera releases a retention device, and the memory card will now move out of the slot a little more than ¼ inch. From there, you can easily remove the SD memory card from the camera. It is possible to start the insertion of an SD memory card backwards, but you should feel resistance after about ¼ inch of travel. Do not force the memory card. Remove it, review the orientation of the card, ensure that the face of the card is readable from the back of the camera, then re-insert the memory card.