EOS R5 and R6 Viewfinder blackout

Dec 13, 2010
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I think Viggos comment was about the R. Not the R5? I haven't seen anybody dissatisfied with the performance of their EF lenses on the R5 yet.
I can’t understand how the EF lenses can use “high speed display” when it’s a limitation with the EF mount, only RF can do the high speed communication, no?

Chelsea complained :ROFLMAO:
 
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Does anyone know how to custom set the live view mode at the push of a button like a DSLR?
The only solution I found were:
1) use viewfinder only mode, but the problem with this is when I have to preview images, view the menu, or just interact with the R5, I must do it via the VF
2) disable the touchscreen and set the cam to ECO mode where it will turn off automatically after 10 seconds after pressing the shutter

I would like to conserve battery as I rarely use live mode unless shooting video, previewing images, or setting up the menu. I will look into the manual again, but any tip is highly appreciated.
I'm utterly perplexed also... I really want the R5's display to behave more like my 5D4 & not be on LiveView all the time... Maybe Canon will help us out with some INFO-Button Display Options (like in the 5D4) or some-such-thing in a future firmware update.Until then I guess it's EcoMode for me until I hear of a better solution...
 
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H. Jones

Photojournalist
Aug 1, 2014
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I'm utterly perplexed also... I really want the R5's display to behave more like my 5D4 & not be on LiveView all the time... Maybe Canon will help us out with some INFO-Button Display Options (like in the 5D4) or some-such-thing in a future firmware update.Until then I guess it's EcoMode for me until I hear of a better solution...

I will say I'm annoyed Canon doesn't give us the option to turn off the back screen using the "info" button like on all the DSLRs, but I've mainly just kept mine in the black settings display which is available using the info button, which definitely uses less battery than having the live feed on the back display or using EVF only mode.
 
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BeenThere

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Sep 4, 2012
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I can’t understand how the EF lenses can use “high speed display” when it’s a limitation with the EF mount, only RF can do the high speed communication, no?

Chelsea complained :ROFLMAO:
The display is being fed by the sensor. I think the high speed com is for AF And possibly some other lens data.
 
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BeenThere

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Sep 4, 2012
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I will say I'm annoyed Canon doesn't give us the option to turn off the back screen using the "info" button like on all the DSLRs, but I've mainly just kept mine in the black settings display which is available using the info button, which definitely uses less battery than having the live feed on the back display or using EVF only mode.
Putting your eye to the EVF will turn it off, as will flipping the screen around to face the camera back. But having a button to do it would be nice. Maybe it’s in one of the menus somewhere. Definitely a lot of menu choices.
 
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H. Jones

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Aug 1, 2014
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Putting your eye to the EVF will turn it off, as will flipping the screen around to face the camera back. But having a button to do it would be nice. Maybe it’s in one of the menus somewhere. Definitely a lot of menu choices.
If you flip the screen around, it switches on the EVF full time, which drains the battery even faster unfortunately.
 
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Putting your eye to the EVF will turn it off, as will flipping the screen around to face the camera back. But having a button to do it would be nice. Maybe it’s in one of the menus somewhere. Definitely a lot of menu choices.
"flipping the screen around" to turn it off reminds me of the time my 4-year-old declared "If you can't see me, I'm not being bad!"

If the answer is somewhere in the current menu-system, it's buried deep 'cause I searched for a long time last night... If anyone has a solution PLEASE chime on in! But I have a feeling that unless & until (via a firmware update) Canon gives us back that "happy place" in the INFO button display (where the display is off), we'll just have to come to terms with EcoMode. Maybe I'll start to feel like I'm saving the planet or something...
 
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Yes, the lag is the #1 thing holding me back from taking the plunge (apart from cost). There’s just no comparison between my RP and the 5D series in terms of responsiveness and tracking ability...I like the RP’s compact size, but this does prevent me from using it as a primary camera for anything more than casual outings...

I’m REALLY curious to try out an R5 once things ease up...I like what I’m hearing from you first adopters. Does the EVF still “flash” during AF in dim light?

I came from the RP. The difference between that and the R5 is night and day. The RP also feels like a toy in the hands. Kind of like comparing a Rebel to the RP.
 
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PUG

F1N 80D R5
Mar 9, 2020
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There should a 'power saving' menu entry where you can set 'display auto off' and 'camera auto off' separately, On my M6II and RP I have set them both to 1 minute. When I want to take a picture I half-press the shutter button while raising the camera to ensure it has woken up completely when it's at eye level.
If that doesn't work for you, the only remaining option is the physical on/off switch :/

Thank you, I finally got it though. I was able to customize and assign the M-Fn button to turn it on and off. The efficiency of this camera along with the control ring is something I only dreamed of coming from an 80D.
 
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Mar 25, 2011
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I'm utterly perplexed also... I really want the R5's display to behave more like my 5D4 & not be on LiveView all the time... Maybe Canon will help us out with some INFO-Button Display Options (like in the 5D4) or some-such-thing in a future firmware update.Until then I guess it's EcoMode for me until I hear of a better solution...
As I understand it, you can assign a button to the Eco mode. That might be the closest you can get.
 
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Thank you, I finally got it though. I was able to customize and assign the M-Fn button to turn it on and off. The efficiency of this camera along with the control ring is something I only dreamed of coming from an 80D.
@ Pug,

PLEASE tell me how you managed to set the M-Fn button to toggle the display screen on & off. I can't see a way to do customize the M-Fn button except the choose the selectable features that are visible...
 
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BeenThere

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Sep 4, 2012
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I will say I'm annoyed Canon doesn't give us the option to turn off the back screen using the "info" button like on all the DSLRs, but I've mainly just kept mine in the black settings display which is available using the info button, which definitely uses less battery than having the live feed on the back display or using EVF only mode.
Look in the manual at the last entry on page 820. It appears that one can program a button to toggle the screen off. If you try it, let me know if successful.
 
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SteveC

R5
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Sep 3, 2019
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Look in the manual at the last entry on page 820. It appears that one can program a button to toggle the screen off. If you try it, let me know if successful.

That would be an awesome use for the "Rate" button (otherwise useless to me, though your mileage may vary). Unfortunately that one cannot be reassigned.
 
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I was thinking maybe the LCD light button which I don’t use much.
I tried getting used to putting the display to sleep by pressing an assigned button (yes, the top light button seemed the best bet), but every time I had to press the button, I was reminded how much I missed the display going to sleep automatically -- like on the 5D4 (with the appropriate INFO display set). So for now it seems like EcoMode is the most automatic 5D4-like way to sleep the display...
 
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May 4, 2011
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I came from the RP. The difference between that and the R5 is night and day. The RP also feels like a toy in the hands. Kind of like comparing a Rebel to the RP.

The issue I had is that the R I tried out at my local store behaved very similarly to the RP. I went for the latter in part due to its smaller size, lower price and more conventional controls. Early R5 owners are saying that the lag issues are mostly resolved (still need to test out for myself eventually), which is encouraging to hear. Other EVF issues that I dislike are the aforementioned AF "flash" issue in low light as well as the pale, washed out colors at night. I assumed this was just a feature of EVFs in general, but if the R5 has fixed one or both of these "phenomena" then that would be very nice.
 
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SteveC

R5
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Sep 3, 2019
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I was thinking maybe the LCD light button which I don’t use much.

Yeah, that's so new to me (having a top LCD in general) I had forgotten about that one. (Thus far the only use I've had for that display is to remind me that I should have switched the camera back to stills mode after briefly playing with video, before shutting the camera off.)
 
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Nov 12, 2016
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I’m REALLY curious to try out an R5 once things ease up...I like what I’m hearing from you first adopters. Does the EVF still “flash” during AF in dim light?
Do you mean that time when the camera is hunting for an autofocus lock in low light and the brightness of the scene is momentarily boosted up while the camera hunts for focus? I just tried my R and my R5 against each other, and they both do that, but the R5 does not seem do it quite to the degree that the R does, I think.
 
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May 4, 2011
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Do you mean that time when the camera is hunting for an autofocus lock in low light and the brightness of the scene is momentarily boosted up while the camera hunts for focus? I just tried my R and my R5 against each other, and they both do that, but the R5 does not seem do it quite to the degree that the R does, I think.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm referring to. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.(y)
 
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