Camera Setup Instructions (Page 3)

Ready for your out of the box experience? Like so many of you, I highly anticipated the arrival of the 5D Mark IV and as has long been my practice, I created a list of setup steps and once again share them with you here. Here are the 41 steps to my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV setup.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged LP-E6/LP-E6N battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait. Or, the supplied battery may have enough charge to take you through these steps if you can't wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. For me, this is primarily the camera, the eye cup, the neck strap and the Canon Solution Disk.
3. Download and install the latest Canon EOS Solution Disk software on your computer to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert a sufficiently charged battery.
6. Power the camera on.
7. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
8. Insert one (or two) memory card(s) (format them via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
9. Set the camera's mode to Av, Tv or M (some modes provide only a small subset of available menu options).
10. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "-"
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Dual Pixel RAW: Enabled? (this feature awaits testing)
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Beep: Disable
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Disable/off (I highly recommend this setting)
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses - all can be applied to a RAW file in DPP)
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed Settings: ISO Speed range: L(50)-H1(102400), Auto ISO Speed range: 100-32000
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Disabled
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: White balance: AWB-W (Auto: White priority)
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness Strength set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
22. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to image details - I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
23. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus priority (I want the images in focus more than I want the time-priority capture)
24. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 2nd image priority: Focus priority +2 (same reason)
25. AF Menu, Tab 3: One-Shot AF release priority: Focus priority (same reason)
26. AF Menu, Tab 4: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Area + pt
27. AF Menu, Tab 4: Auto AF point selection: EOS iTR AF: EOS iTR AF (face priority)
28. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (flash portions of images that are overexposed)
29. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
30. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Magnification (apx): Actual size (from selected AF point)
31. Setup Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
32. Setup Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Show
33. Setup Menu, Tab 3: Info button display options: Electronic level only
34. Setup Menu, Tab 3: Info button LV display options: Options 3 and 4 checked; Histogram disp: RGB
35. Setup Menu, Tab 5: Custom shooting mode (C1-C3): Auto update set: Enable (see also: Configuring Custom Shooting Modes)
36. Setup Menu, Tab 5: Copyright information: Type name as desired
37. Custom Functions, Tab 1: Bracketing auto cancel: [Off] selected
38. Custom Functions, Tab 3: Custom Controls: AF-ON: One shot AI Servo; Set: Playback; Multicontroller: Direct AF point selection; AF area selection button: ISO
39. Custom Functions, Tab 4: Default erase option: [Erase] selected
40. My Menu: Add the first tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Mirror lockup, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Sensor cleaning, Expo.comp./AEB
41. Mount a lens, focus on a subject and adjust the viewfinder diopter (if necessary)

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot – including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state (unless you request otherwise). Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting when putting the camera back into service.

More Information

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

As has become my routine, I recorded my initial Canon EOS-1D X Mark II configuration process upon receiving the camera. Following are the 42 steps I took to make the out-of-the-box Canon EOS-1D X Mark II ready for my use. I know, 42 is a big number. But, this camera is extremely configurable.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged Canon LP-E19 (or LP-E4N) battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. For me, this is primarily the camera, the eye cup, the neck strap and the Canon Solution Disk (still included in this box). I always take a moment to grip the camera, taking in the new-camera grippyness that is right up there with new car smell.
3. Find the Canon EOS Solution Disk software (included on a DVD) and install it on your computer. Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap (unless I am planning to use very large lenses)
5. Record the camera's serial number and ensure that proper insurance coverage is in place.
6. Important: Turn the vertical grip on (switch near top of vertical grip – why is this off by default?).
7. Insert the battery (ideally, after charging completes).
8. Power the camera on.
9. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
10. Insert one (or two) memory card(s) (format them via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
11. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness Strength set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows – I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: White balance: AWB-W (Auto: White priority)
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses - all can be applied in DPP)
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Img type/size: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "-"
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed Settings: ISO Speed range: L(50)-H3(409600), Auto ISO Speed range: 100-512000
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to images details – I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Image review: 4 sec.
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Beep: Disable
22. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Release without card: Disable/off (I highly recommend this setting change – it should be Canon's default)
23. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: Grid display: 3x3
24. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus (I want the images in focus more than I want the time-priority capture)
25. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 2nd image priority: Focus +2 (same reason)
26. AF Menu, Tab 4: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Area + pt
27. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (enable the "blinkies", flash portions of image that are overexposed during image review)
28. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback grid: 3x3
29. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked details)
30. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Magnification (apx): 1X
31. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the always-largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
32. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Enable, Show/hide in viewfinder: Flicker! only
33. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Info button display options: Electronic level only
34. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom shooting mode (C1-C3): Auto update set: Enable (see also: Configuring Custom Shooting Modes)
35. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Copyright information: Enter author's name: [enter name]
36. Custom Functions, Tab 3: Restrict shooting modes: Enable all (adds C2 and C3)
37. Custom Functions, Tab 4: Restrict drive modes: Disable: low speed continuous, Silent HS continuous, Silent LS continuous (I seldom use theses modes)
38. Custom Functions, Tab 5: Rec card, img size setting: Off (I don't use this button. being able to turn it off prevents inadvertent changes)
39. Custom Functions, Tab 6: Av setting without lens: On (allows me to prepare the camera for a specific, not-yet-mounted lens)
40. Custom Functions, Tab 6: Custom Controls: AF-ON: One shot AI Servo; Set: Mag/Reduce; Multicontroller: Direct AF point selection; M-Fn2: One Shot/AI Servo
41. Custom Functions, Tab 7: Default erase option: [Erase] selected
42. My Menu: Add the first tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Mirror lockup, Anti-flicker shoot, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Sensor cleaning

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot - including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state (unless you request otherwise). Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting when putting the camera back into service.

More Information and To Order Your 1D X Mark II

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

As has become my habit when setting up a new DSLR, I recorded my setup steps for the recently-received Canon EOS Rebel T6. Following are the 24 steps I took to make an out-of-the-box Rebel T6 ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. The battery likely comes partially charged, but it is nice to start out with a fully charged battery.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box.
3. Download the Canon Solution Disk software from Canon's website and install on your computer to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert the battery (after charging completes – if you can wait that long).
6. Power the camera on.
7. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
8. Insert a memory card (don't forget to format the card via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
9. Set the camera's mode to Av, Tv or M (some modes provide only a small subset of available menu options).
10. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: "RAW"
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Beep: Disable
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Disable/off (I highly recommend this setting)
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Peripheral illumination correction: disabled
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness Strength set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: ISO Auto: 6400
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Grid display: Grid 1 (3x3)
19. Playback Menu, Tab 2: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
20. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
21. Tools Menu, Tab 3: C.Fn I: Exposure: ISO Expansion: On
22. Tools Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
23. Tools Menu, Tab 3: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to images details - I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
24. My Menu: Register the following options: Long exposure noise reduction, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Sensor cleaning (Clean manually), Expo.comp./AEB (back up near the top of the list)

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot - including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state (unless you request otherwise). Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting when putting the camera back into service.

More Information

Canon EOS Rebel T6

With a Canon EOS 80D in my hands, the first task is to setup the camera for my use. Following are the 32 steps I took to make an out-of-the-box 80D ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged LP-E6/LP-E6N battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. This is also a good time to grip the camera, taking in the new-camera grippyness that is right up there with new car smell.
3. Download and install the latest Canon EOS Solution Disk software on your computer to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert the battery (after charging completes).
6. Power the camera on.
7. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
8. Insert a memory card (don't forget to format the card via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
9. Set the camera's mode to one other than fully auto (the GreenSquare A+ mode only provides a small subset of available menu options), C1, C2 or C3 (Custom modes do not retain settings for use in other modes).
10. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "–"
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Beep: Disable
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Disable/off
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses – all can be applied in DPP)
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed Settings: ISO Speed range: 100-H(25600), Auto ISO Speed range: 100-6400
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: White balance: AWB-W (Auto: White priority)
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness Strength set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to images details – I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
22. Shooting Menu, Tab 5: Grid display: 3x3
23. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (flash portions of images that are overexposed)
24. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback grid: 3x3
25. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
26. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
27. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Show, Flicker detection: Show
28. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom shooting mode (C1-C3): Auto update set: Enable (see also: Configuring Custom Shooting Modes)
29. Custom Functions: C.Fn II:Autofocus: AI servo 1st image priority: Focus
30. Custom Functions: C.Fn II:Autofocus: AI servo 2nd image priority: Focus
31. Custom Functions: C.Fn II:Autofocus: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Pt only
32. My Menu: Add the first tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Mirror lockup, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Sensor cleaning, Expo.comp./AEB (back up near the top of the list)

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot – including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state (unless you request otherwise). Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting when putting the camera back into service.

More Information

Canon EOS 80D

The definition of "perfect" in regards to T6i/T6s (750D/760D) setup is of course referring to my own preferences. That there are so many setup options shows that not everyone is the same as me.

1. Open the box, find the battery and battery charger, connect the two and plug the charger in. A charged battery is needed for almost everything going forward.
2. While the battery is charging, the one step that can be accomplished is software installation. Canon Digital Photo Pro and EOS Utility are the two apps I load.
3. Another step that can be taken parallel to battery charging is installation of the neck strap.
4. Install the charged battery and power on the camera. Update the date, time and time zone as prompted.
5. To enable the full set of menu options, turn mode dial to P, Tv, Av or M. Then begin changes by pressing the Menu button.
6. Change "Image quality" to "RAW"
7. "Beep" to "Disable"
8. "Release shutter without card" to "Disable" (Important)
9. "Image review" to "4 sec."
10. Set all "Lens aberration correction" options to "Disable"
11. "Picture Style" to "Neutral" with "Sharpness" set to "1". Note that I select the Neutral Picture Style for a lower contrast histogram to better show the camera's available dynamic range in-camera. I usually change image to use the "Standard" style in DPP during post processing.
12. "Long exposure noise reduction" to "Auto". I frequently change this option when shooting, most often to "On".
13. "High ISO speed NR" to "Off". Noise reduction reduces image sharpness and very potentially destructive to image details. I apply NR to my taste (usually very lightly) during post processing.
14. Live View "Grid display" to "Grid 1" to get the thirds lines
15. Histogram disp from "Brightnes" to "RGB"
16. "Auto rotate" to "On/Computer". This allows images to fill the camera LCD regardless of the orientation they were captured in.
17. Viewfinder display: Set Electronic level, Grid display and Flicker detection to "Show"
18. "Feature Guide" to "Disable"
19. Custom functions: ISO expansion: On,
20. Setup My Menu to include: Long exp. noise reduction, Anti-flicker shoot, Format card, Date/Time/Zone, Mirror Lockup, Sensor cleaning

My Canon EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R cameras are here and as you expected, they are practically glued to my hands. These cameras are delivering simply amazing image quality.

I will have lots of additional info to share about this camera in the very near future, but once again, I kept notes as I unpacked and configured three copies of the world's highest resolution DSLR. Following are the 36 steps I take to make an out-of-the-box 5Ds / 5Ds R ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged LP-E6/LP-E6N battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. For me, this is primarily the camera, the eye cup, the neck strap and the Canon Solution Disk. This is also a good time to grip the camera, taking in the new-camera grippyness that is right up there with new car smell.
3. Install Canon Solution Disk software on your computer to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert the battery (after charging completes).
6. Power the camera on.
7. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
8. Insert one (or two) memory card(s) (format them via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
9. Set the camera's mode to one other than fully auto (the GreenSquare A+ mode only provides a small subset of available menu options), C1, C2 or C3 (Custom modes do not retain settings for use in other modes).
10. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "–"
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Beep: Disable
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Disable/off
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses – all can be applied in DPP)
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed Settings: ISO Speed range: L(50)-H1(12800), Auto ISO Speed range: 100-6400
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: White balance: AWB-W (Auto: White priority)
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness Strength set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to images details – I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
22. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: Anti-flicker shoot: Enable
23. Shooting Menu, Tab 5: Grid display: 3x3
24. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus (I want the images in focus more than I want the time-priority capture)
25. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 2nd image priority: Focus (same reason)
26. AF Menu, Tab 4: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Area + pt
27. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (flash portions of images that are overexposed)
28. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback grid: 3x3
29. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
30. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Magnification (apx): 1X
31. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
32. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Enable
33. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom shooting mode (C1-C3): Auto update set: Enable (see also: Configuring Custom Shooting Modes)
34. Custom Functions, Tab 3: Custom Controls: AF-ON: One shot AI Servo; Set: Playback; Multicontroller: Direct AF point selection; Default erase option: [Erase] selected
35. My Menu: Add the first tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Mirror lockup, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Sensor cleaning, Expo.comp./AEB

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot – including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state. Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting when putting the camera back into service.

More Information

Canon EOS 5Ds
Canon EOS 5Ds R

My Canon EOS 7D Mark II arrived this week – WOO HOO! I will have lots of information to share about this camera in the very near future, but I kept notes as I unpacked and configured the "Baby 1D X" to the perfect (for me) setup. Following are the 30 (OK, there were initially 30, but I've tweaked the list slightly) steps I take to make an out-of-the-box 7D II ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. For me, this is primarily the camera, the neck strap and the Canon Solution Disk.
3. Install Canon Solution Disk software to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert the battery (after charging completes).
6. Power the camera on.
7. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information. The GPS feature, if enabled, should take care of precise date/time maintenance going forward.
8. Insert one (or two) memory card(s) (format them via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
9. Set the camera's mode to one other than fully auto (the GreenSquare+ mode only provides a small subset of available menu options), C1, C2 or C3 (Custom modes do not retain settings for use in other modes).
10. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "–"
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Beep: Disable
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Disable/off
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses – all can be applied in DPP)
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed range: 100-H2(51200)
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Picture Style: Neutral with sharpness set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to images details – I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: Anti-flicker shoot: Enable
22. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus (I want the images in focus more than I want the time-priority capture)
23. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 2nd image priority: Focus (same reason)
24. AF Menu, Tab 4: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Area + pt
25. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (flash portions of images that are overexposed)
26. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback grid: 3x3
27. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
28. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Magnification (apx): 1X
29. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
30. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Enable
31. Custom Functions, Tab 3: Custom Controls: Set: Playback; Multicontroller: Direct AF point selection; AF area select lever: Direct AF area selection
32. Custom Functions, Tab 4: Default erase option: [Erase] selected
33. My Menu: Add tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Mirror lockup, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for determining what time it is), Sensor cleaning

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot – including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me (and Sean's setup is nearly identical), your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an update-to-date list such as this is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state. Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting while putting the camera back into service.

B&H has the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens in stock and I expect the body-only version to be available soon (preorder for earliest delivery).