27 Steps to the Perfect Canon EOS Rebel T7i / 77D Setup

With a Canon EOS 77D (nearly the same as the Canon EOS Rebel T7i) in my hands, it is time to set up the camera for use. How do I set up a 77D for use? Following are the 27 steps I took to get started with a brand new 77D or T7i.

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 a good time to install the neck strap.
3. Download and install the 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. Insert the battery (after charging completes).
5. Power the camera on.
6. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and Set button to update this information.
7. Insert a memory card (don't forget to format the card via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
8. Set the camera's mode to Av, Tv or M (some modes provide only a small subset of available menu options).
9. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the camera as follows:
10. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: set RAW to "RAW"
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Off (highly recommended)
13. 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)
14. 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.)
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
16. 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)
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: White balance: AWB-W (Auto: White priority)
18. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
19. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
20. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Show, Flicker detection: Show
21. Tools Menu, Tab 3: Beep: Disable
22. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom Functions: C.Fn I:ISO expansion: On
23. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom Functions: C.Fn I:Exposure comp. auto cancel: Disable
24. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Copyright information: Enter author's name: [your name]
25. Display Level Menu: Mode guide: Disable
26. Display Level Menu: Feature guide: Disable
27. 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)

Using this camera configuration means that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot – including shooting in RAW-only format. While this setup works ideally for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup preferences.

Cameras continue to become more complex and if you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, it is a very good idea to keep an up-to-date list such as this one. If your camera goes off to a service visit, it 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 T7i
Canon EOS 77D

The Canon EOS 77D is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama.

The Canon EOS Rebel T7i / 800D is also available at B&H | Amazon | Adorama.