Your Canon EOS 5D Mark III user tips

[Bosman]

Oh, like many have done here you can make your depth of field button by your lens mount activate the camera to servo mode while holding the button down. I prefer this because most of my images at a wedding are single shot shooting style and when they walk down the aisle i can get them in servo mode until that is done. i highly recommend it.
I have tried doing focus with the af button on the back of the cam then activating the shutter separately but i never liked pushing that button on my 1dm3 because it gets uncomfortable to do after a few thousand shots. I tried it again with the 5dm3 but again didnt like it so i do what works for me but there are advantages because if your subject doesnt move you hit the focus one time and after that just activate the shutter and the focussed area won't miss track or change. Its like turning the switch on a lens to af-off without having the trouble of forgetting you turned it off and fire off a bunch of images that are miss focussed.

 

[AlexB]

Long time reader, first time poster here. Might aswell try to make it something constructive and hopefully helpful.

My tip: AE lock & Hold

I normally shoot in manual mode, but sometimes it happends that I wander into the lands of Av.

My problem with Av (and any other auto-exposure functions) is that whenever there is a big variation in the amount of light on your subject and on the surrounding scene and background, it tends to either get overexposed or underexposed. Now I can always go in and use exposure compensation, and I will in most cases do that before I even take the first shot judging by the scene. Sometimes I'll go bingo and other times I'll take another shot.

With the 5D Mark III came a rather interesting feature - AE lock and Hold.

Like the normal AE lock function it will lock your exposure, Very handy to use with spot metering in the situation I described above. But unlike it, there is no auto cancel after a set period of time or after the shot is taken. It will simply lock your exposure untill you press the button again and unlock it. Fancy, eh?

The function can be set in the custom controls panel.

Video explaining it:
http://youtu.be/DY5LPX52d70

 

[te4o]

AE lock and hold is exactly what I mentioned above - customised to the MF-n button next to the shutter button. Thanx Alex! Good point

 

[Bosman]

Long time reader, first time poster here. Might aswell try to make it something constructive and hopefully helpful.

My tip: AE lock & Hold

I normally shoot in manual mode, but sometimes it happends that I wander into the lands of Av.

My problem with Av (and any other auto-exposure functions) is that whenever there is a big variation in the amount of light on your subject and on the surrounding scene and background, it tends to either get overexposed or underexposed. Now I can always go in and use exposure compensation, and I will in most cases do that before I even take the first shot judging by the scene. Sometimes I'll go bingo and other times I'll take another shot.

With the 5D Mark III came a rather interesting feature - AE lock and Hold.

Like the normal AE lock function it will lock your exposure, Very handy to use with spot metering in the situation I described above. But unlike it, there is no auto cancel after a set period of time or after the shot is taken. It will simply lock your exposure untill you press the button again and unlock it. Fancy, eh?

The function can be set in the custom controls panel.

Video explaining it:
http://youtu.be/DY5LPX52d70

Nice vid, i shoot manual, so this probably doesnt help me. However, on a sunny and cloudy filled day exposure can drop 2 stops so i do use av. I can't seem to visualize how this plays out or think of scenarios in my mind and understand what this does...If someone uses it tell me how you use it and in what situations please.

 

[mdm041]

I usually shoot manual but I still use still because I'm so use to adjusting to proper exposure. This gives me the chance outdoors to expose to the grass and then as I look around the sky doesn't afect me as much. I know I could just not change but I'm just used to movign things around to get the exposure I can forget.

 

[kaihp]

Canon has released a series of downloadable tutorials for the 5D Mk III that can also be viewed on the LCD

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/products/eos_5d_markiii/5d_mark_iii_on_camera_tutorials_resource_list.shtml
Around 3.8GB in total