Canon EOS 70D Digital Field Guide

By Charlotte K. Lowrie

Get professional results with your new Canon EOS 70D, thanks to this portable guide

If you want more instruction on your Canon 70D than the manual can offer you, this book is what you need. Packed with photography how-tos and no-fail formulas for getting great results, this handy guide goes above and beyond competitive digital SLR books with step-by-step techniques, professional shooting tips, and more. Learn how to take advantage of the advanced features of your new camera with pages of helpful examples and dazzling, full-color photographs. Take this portable reference in your kit when shooting in the field.

• Provides no-fail techniques for getting the most out of your Canon EOS 70D 
• Covers the Canon 70D's new features
• Teaches you photography essentials such as composition, exposure, perspective, and more
• Includes a grey and color card checker and full instructions as well as a very helpful color checker card to help you capture perfect color in any environment

Take your photography skills to another level with photography tips and tricks and the individualized instruction you need to make the most of your new Canon EOS 70D.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Nov 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781118239643

Book preview

Chapter 1: Exploring the Canon EOS 70D

If you’ve used the Canon 70D for any length of time, you already know that it delivers beautiful high-resolution images and snappy performance. Equally important are the creative controls, including a full range of exposure modes, shooting controls, and an extensive camera menu system. Externally, the controls on the back of the camera are streamlined, clearly labeled, and within easy reach during shooting. The touch LCD screen is a bonus, particularly when shooting in Live View (  liveviewshoot.eps  ) and Movie (  movieshooting.eps  ) modes.

However, the streamlined exterior belies the power under the hood with Canon’s latest autofocus technology, which promises to change the industry as a whole. Couple that with a sophisticated metering system and the very fast DIGIC 5+ image processor, and you have everything you need to create stunning images. In this chapter, I cover the various controls and menus on the 70D.

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The Canon EOS 70D offers a wealth of features to help you get the best images, even in bright lighting like this. Exposure: ISO 100, f/5.0, 1/3200 second.

The Camera Controls

There are several primary controls that, when used together or separately, control many functions on the 70D. Once you learn these controls, you can make camera adjustments more efficiently. Here is a summary of the controls:

• The Main ( maindial.eps ) and Quick Control ( quickdial.eps ) dials. Use these controls to make changes to the four buttons located on top of the camera above the LCD panel, such as the AF button (Autofocus mode). You can press the button, and then turn the Main dial (  maindial.eps  ) or the Quick Control dial (  quickdial.eps  ) to change the Autofocus mode. This holds true for the Drive, ISO, and Metering mode buttons above the LCD panel as well. Some camera menu screens, such as Image Quality, use both the Main (  maindial.eps  ) and Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) dials for selecting different settings.

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1.1 The Main dial.

• Setting button ( set.eps ). You use this button to confirm changes you make to many menu items and open submenus. On the Quick Control screen, accessed by pressing the Quick Control button (  quickcontrol.eps  ), you can select a setting using the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ), and then press the Setting button (  set.eps  ) to display all the options for the setting.

• Multi-controller ( multicontroller.eps ). This eight-way control functions as a joystick when it is pressed in any of the eight directions marked on the dial. The Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) is the primary control on the Quick Control screen to choose different functions. You can also use the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) to manually select the AF point or zone, move through an image in magnified view during playback, and move the autofocus point in Live View mode (  liveviewshoot.eps  ). It also works to navigate through the camera menus and options.

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1.2 The Quick Control dial, the Multi-controller, and the Setting button.

NOTE To prevent unintentional setting changes, you can lock the Main (  maindial.eps  ) and Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) dials, and the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) by using the Custom Function, C.Fn III-2: Multi-function Lock, and then by setting the Lock switch to the up position.

The front of the camera

The front of the camera has very few (but still important) controls, including the self-timer lamp, the Depth-of-Field Preview button (  dof.eps  ), the lens mount, and the lens release button. The front of the camera is also where you find the comfort grip, which provides good control and balance while using the camera.

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1.3 The front of the Canon EOS 70D.

Here is a summary of the controls on the front of the camera:

• Remote control sensor. This sensor works with the accessory Remote Controller RC-6 for remote release of the shutter up to 16.4 feet (5 meters) from the camera. Alternately, you can use RC-1 and RC-5. With the Remote Controller, you can either shoot immediately or after a 2-second delay. To use the remote controller, set up the camera for the exposure and focus on the subject, and then point the remote control at the sensor and press the transmit button. You can also set the Drive mode to Self-timer 10-second (  selftimer10secremote.eps  ) or 2-second (  selftimer2secremote.eps  ) delay.

• Red-eye reduction/Self-timer lamp. When using the built-in flash, this light helps reduce the appearance of red in the pupils of the subject’s eyes if you’ve enabled Red-eye reduction on Shooting menu 2 (  shootingmenu.eps  ) menu. In the two Self-timer modes (  selftimer.eps  ), this lamp flashes to count down the seconds (either 10 or 2) to shutter release. Self-timer drive modes (  selftimer.eps  ) enable you to avoid blur from your finger pressing the shutter button at the beginning of long exposures, and the 10-second mode gives you time to get into the picture yourself.

• EF and EF-S lens mount index markers, lens mount, and contacts. The lens mount is compatible with Canon EF lenses and EF-S lenses. The lens mount has a red index and a white index mark. Use the red mark to line up EF-mount lenses. Use the white index mark to mount EF-S lenses. Always keep the rear lens cap handy to protect the lens contacts when the lens is off the camera. If there isn’t a lens on the camera, use the camera body cap to protect the contacts and internal components of the camera.

• Flash and Flash button. Press this button to pop up and use the built-in flash in all exposure modes, except Flash Off (  flashoff.eps  ), Landscape (  landscapec.eps  ), Sports (  movingobjects.eps  ), and HDR Backlight Control (  hdrbacklight.eps  ). In the automatic, or Basic Zone exposure modes except the ones mentioned previously, the flash pops up and fires automatically when the camera detects either low light or backlight (bright light behind the subject). To turn off the flash, press the flash head down.

CROSS REF How to use the built-in flash and Speedlites is covered in Chapter 9.

• Lens release button and Lens lock pin. Pressing this button releases the lens from the lens mount. To disengage the lens, hold down the lens release button as you turn the lens so that the red or white index mark moves toward the top of the camera. The lens lock pin does what its name says: it engages and locks the lens in position.

• Reflex mirror. When you use the viewfinder for shooting, the reflex mirror is in a down position so that it reflects light from the lens to the pentaprism enabling you to see the scene in the viewfinder. Through the viewfinder, you see 98 percent of what will be captured by the imaging sensor. In the Movie (  movieshooting.eps  ) and Live View (  liveviewshoot.eps  ) shooting modes, the mirror is flipped up to allow a current view of the scene on the LCD screen. If you are using Quick mode focusing in Live View, the mirror must flip down to focus, thereby suspending Live View momentarily. For some exposures (especially with a telephoto lens), you may want to lock up the mirror to prevent any vibration from it flipping up to make the exposure. Just enable Mirror lockup on Shooting menu 2 (  shootingmenu.eps  ).

• Depth-of-Field Preview button ( dof.eps ). Press this button to stop down the lens diaphragm to the current aperture so that you can preview the depth of field. As you look through the viewfinder, the larger the area of darkness, the more extensive the depth of field will be. The button can also be used during Live View shooting (  liveviewshoot.eps  ) when the depth-of-field preview is displayed on the LCD screen. If the lens is set to the maximum aperture, the depth-of-field view does not change because the diaphragm is already fully open. You can also reassign the function of this and other camera controls using Custom Function, C.Fn III-4, Custom Controls, on the Custom Functions menu (  customfn.eps  ).

• DC coupler cord hole. With the accessory AC Adapter Kit ACK-E6, you can power the camera with household electricity. Your movement range is limited, of course, by the length of the 7.5-foot cord.

• Grip/Battery compartment. The molded handgrip doubles as the housing for the Canon LP-E6 rechargeable lithium ion 7.2V DC battery. This battery is a workhorse with excellent performance. Be sure to use the battery until it is exhausted before recharging for the best and longest battery performance. If you are not using the camera for an extended period, take the battery out of the camera and put the cover on the battery. Then store it in a clean, dark area with moderate temperatures. Heat, humidity, cold temperatures, and exposure to direct sunlight can damage the battery.

The top of the camera

Dials and controls on the top of the camera provide access to frequently used shooting functions. The top of the camera is also home to the hot shoe and diopter control.

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1.4 The top of the camera.

Here is a look at the controls on top of the camera:

• Mode dial and Lock/Release button. Select an exposure mode by pressing the Mode dial lock release button, and then turning the Mode dial to the mode that you want to use. Exposure modes are grouped as follows:

• Basic Zone modes. These modes include Scene Intelligent Auto (  sceneintelligentauto.eps  ), Flash off (  flashoff.eps  ), Creative Auto (  creativeauto.eps  ), and Special Scene mode (  specialscene.eps  ). The Special Scene mode (  specialscene.eps  ) gives you access to these scene modes: Portrait (  portraitc.eps  ), Landscape (  landscapec.eps  ), Close-up (  closeups.eps  ), Sports (  movingobjects.eps  ), Night Portrait (  night.eps  ), Handheld Night Scene (  handheldnight.eps  ), and HDR Backlight Control (  hdrbacklight.eps  ).

CROSS REF Exposure modes are detailed in Chapter 3.

• Creative Zone exposure modes. Program AE (  program.eps  ), Shutter-priority AE (  shutterpriorityae.eps  ), Aperture-priority AE (  aperturepriorityae.eps  ), Manual (  manualc.eps  ), and Bulb (  bulb.eps  ).

• Custom exposure mode ( camerasetting.eps ). One custom exposure mode (  camerasetting.eps  ) enables you to program it with your favorite camera settings. This great mode enables you to preset virtually all the camera settings for a specific scene or subject.

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1.5 The mode dial.

CROSS REF Chapter 6 explains how to set up the Custom mode (  camerasetting.eps  ).

• Power switch. The power switch turns the camera off and on. The camera automatically goes to sleep after 1 minute if it’s not being used. You can set the power off interval on Setup menu 2 (  setupmenu.eps  ). The choices are 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, or 30 minutes, and Disable.

• Hot shoe and flash sync contacts. The hot shoe is where you mount an accessory flash unit or a transmitter such as the ST-E2 or ST-E3-RT. The mounting plate has flash sync contacts to communicate with the camera. The 70D is a Type A camera that is compatible with E-TTL II auto flash with accessory Canon EX-series Speedlites. When using a compatible EX-series Speedlite, the 70D offers flash configuration and control options on Shooting menu 2 (  shootingmenu.eps  ).

• AF mode button ( afmode.eps ). Pressing this button enables you to change the Autofocus mode using the Main (  maindial.eps  ) or Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) dials. The options you can choose are One-shot AF (  oneshotaf.eps  ), AI Focus AF (  aifocusae.eps  ), and AI Servo AF (  aiservoae.eps  ) for still shooting. In Live View (liveviewshoot) and Movie (  movieshooting.eps  ) modes, the AF options appear on the LCD.

• Drive mode button ( drivemode.eps ). Pressing this button enables you to change the drive mode using the Main (  maindial.eps  ) or Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) dials. The drive modes from which you can choose are Single (  singleshooting.eps  ), High-speed continuous (  highspeedcontshoot.eps  ) 7 frames per second (fps), Low-speed continuous (  lowspeedcont.eps  ) 3 fps, Silent single (  silentsingleshoot.eps  ), Silent continuous (  silentcontinuous.eps  ) 3 fps, 10-second Self-timer/Remote control (  selftimer10secremote.eps  ) and 2-second Self-timer/Remote control (  selftimer2secremote.eps  ).

• ISO speed button ( iso.eps ). Press this button to change the ISO sensitivity setting using the Main (  maindial.eps  ) or Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) dials. In Basic Zone modes, the ISO is set automatically. In Creative Zone modes, you can set the ISO to Auto (A) to have the camera determine the sensitivity setting to use, or you can set the ISO yourself.

CROSS REF ISO settings, ranges, and minimum and maximum settings are detailed in Chapter 3.

• Metering mode button ( meteringstart.eps ). Press this button and then turn the Main (  maindial.eps  ) or Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) dial to change the Metering mode. The options are Evaluative (  evaluatemetering.eps  ) 63-zone TTL metering, Partial (  partialmetering.eps  ) 7.7 percent at center frame, Spot (  spotmetering.eps  ) 3 percent at center frame, and Center-weighted Average (  centerweightedmetering.eps  ).

• LCD panel. This panel gives you a quick snapshot of the important camera settings. It displays the autofocus and drive modes, ISO speed setting, Highlight Tone Priority (if set), remaining shots on card, Self-timer countdown, Bulb exposure time, Error numbers and codes, metering mode, Wi-Fi status, battery status, Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) if set, exposure compensation amount, aperture, AF point selection method, shutter speed, use of Multiple-exposure or HDR shooting, and Multi-shot Noise Reduction.

• Focal plane mark ( focalplane.eps ). The Focal plane mark (  focalplane.eps  ) indicates the location of the image sensor. Knowing the exact distance from the focal plane to the subject enables you to set focus manually and precisely, which is useful for movie or macro shooting when you need to know the exact distance from the front of the image sensor plane to the subject.

• AF area selection mode button ( afareaselectionmode.eps ). Press the AF area selection mode button ( afareaselectionmode.eps ) one or more times to switch among the AF area modes: Single-point AF Manual selection (  spotaf.eps  ), Zone AF (  autozoomsensor.eps , Manual zone selection), or 19-point automatic selection AF ( 19pointafautoselection.eps  ).

CROSS REF AF area selection modes are covered in Chapter 4.

• Shutter button. When you press the shutter button halfway, the 70D automatically meters the light in the scene and focuses on the subject. Completely pressing the shutter button opens the shutter and makes the picture. In Continuous shooting drive mode (  continuousshooting.eps  ), you can press and hold the shutter button to shoot at 7 frames per second (fps) in High-speed continuous mode (  highspeedcontshoot.eps  ), and at 3 fps in the Low-speed continuous (  lowspeedcont.eps  ) and Silent continuous drive (  silentcontinuous.eps  ) modes. In the Self-timer modes, pressing the shutter button completely initiates the 10- or 2-second timer, and after the timer delay, the shutter fires to make the picture.

• Main dial ( maindial.eps ). The Main dial (  maindial.eps  ) selects a variety of options. You can use the Main dial (  maindial.eps  ) to change settings for the buttons above the LCD panel, to cycle through camera menus, to move horizontally through the autofocus points when selecting an AF point manually, to set the aperture in Aperture-priority AE mode (  aperturepriorityae.eps  ), set the shutter speed in Shutter-priority AE (  shutterpriorityae.eps  ) or Manual (  manualc.eps  ) modes, and shift the exposure in Program AE mode (  program.eps  ).

• LCD panel illumination button ( lcdpanel.eps ). Pressing this button turns on an amber light to illuminate the LCD panel for approximately 6 seconds. This is a handy option when it is too dark to see the LCD panel so that you can make adjustments to the buttons above the LCD panel or see the camera settings. If you’re using the LCD panel light to set up the camera for a bulb exposure, you don’t have to wait the 6 seconds for the light to go out. The light goes out when you press the shutter button.

The back of the camera

Many of the adjustments you’ll make during shooting use the controls on the back of the camera. The controls are kept to a minimum for ease of use, and are within easy reach of the left and right thumbs during shooting and image playback.

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1.6 The back of the Canon EOS 70D.

Here is a look at the back of the 70D:

• Menu button ( menuc.eps ). Pressing the Menu button (  menuc.eps  ) displays the most recently accessed camera menu. To move among the menus, turn the Main dial (  maindial.eps  ), or press the direction keys on the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ).

• Info button ( infoc.eps ). During shooting, you can press the Info. button (  infoc.eps  ) to cycle through different displays: the Shooting information screen that details the current camera settings, the Electronic Level, and the Quick Control screen, or no information. When playing back images, pressing the Info button (  infoc.eps  ) one or more times cycles through four playback display modes.

• Viewfinder/Eyepiece. The 70D viewfinder is an eye-level pentaprism with approximately 98 percent vertical and horizontal coverage. The focusing screen cannot be changed.

• Dioptric adjustment knob. Turn this control forward or backward to adjust the sharpness in the viewfinder for your vision. The adjustment ranges from -3 to +1 diopters. If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for shooting, be sure to wear them as you turn the dioptric adjustment control. To make the adjustment, point the lens to a light-colored surface such as a piece of white paper or a white wall, and then turn the control until the AF points are perfectly sharp.

• Live View ( liveviewshoot.eps )/Movie shooting switch ( movieshooting.eps ) and Start/Stop button ( startstop.eps ). Setting this switch to the Live View shooting (  liveviewshoot.eps  ) position and pressing the Start/Stop button (  startstop.eps  ) initiates Live View shooting. The reflex mirror flips up to display a current view of the scene on the LCD monitor so that you can compose the image using the view on the LCD. Alternatively, set the switch to Movie shooting (  movieshooting.eps  ), and then press the Start/Stop button (  startstop.eps  ) to begin shooting movies. Press the Start/Stop button (  startstop.eps  ) again to stop shooting in Live View (  liveviewshoot.eps  ) or Movie (  movieshooting.eps  ) mode.

• Quick Control button ( quickcontrol.eps ). Pressing this button displays the Quick Control screen on the LCD, where you can make changes to the most commonly used camera settings. To make changes on the Quick Control screen, touch the option on the screen or press the direction keys on the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) to select an option. Then turn the Quick Control (  quickdial.eps  ) or Main (  maindial.eps  ) dial to change the setting.

• AF-On button ( afstart.eps ). Pressing this button initiates autofocus in the Program AE (  program.eps  ), Shutter-priority AE (  shutterpriorityae.eps  ), Aperture-priority AE (  aperturepriorityae.eps  ), Manual (  manualc.eps  ), Bulb (  bulb.eps  ), Custom (  camerasetting.eps  ), Live View (  liveviewshoot.eps  ) and Movie (  movieshooting.eps  ) modes.

• AE and FE lock ( aelock.eps )/Index/Reduce ( indexreduce.eps ) button. During shooting, pressing this button enables you to set and lock the exposure at a different point from where you set the focus. When using the flash, pressing this button locks the flash exposure at a specific place in the scene. When playing back images, pressing this button one or more times switches to index views of the images on the media card. If an image is magnified during playback, you can press this button one or more times to reduce the magnification.

• AF-point selection/Magnify button ( afpointselect2.eps ). During shooting, press this button, and then press the direction keys on the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) to manually choose an AF point. When you’re playing back images, press this button to magnify the image to check the focus or other details.

• Access lamp. This lamp lights or blinks red when any action related to taking, recording, reading, erasing, or transferring images is in progress. Whenever the light is lit or blinking, do not open the memory card slot door, turn off the camera, remove the battery, or jostle the camera.

• Playback button ( playbackc.eps ). Press this button to display the last captured or viewed image. To cycle through images on the card, turn the Quick Control dial (  quickdial.eps  ) counterclockwise to view images from last taken to first, or turn the dial clockwise to view images from first taken to last. To change the information displayed with the image during playback, press the Info. button (  infoc.eps  ) one or more times.

• LCD screen. The 3-inch LCD screen dominates the back of the 70D. The 1.04-million-dot TFT liquid-crystal display (LCD) monitor offers a bright, detailed preview of images and movies. The LCD screen is touch sensitive so you can change settings and focus with the touch of your finger. The screen is also articulated so that you can move it around. When you’re not using the camera, close the LCD with the screen turned in toward the camera to protect it.

• Erase button ( delete.eps ). Pressing this button during image playback displays options to erase the currently displayed image as long as it does not have protection applied to it. Batches of images can be erased together by selecting and check marking images.

• Multi-controller ( multicontroller.eps ). The eight-way Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) offers direction keys for selecting options on the camera menus, and you can press the keys in any of the eight directions to choose an AF point and other options. During shooting, use it to select an AF point after pressing the AF point selection button (  afpointselect2.eps  ), to move the AF point in Live View shooting mode (  liveviewshoot.eps  ), or to select camera menu options. On the Quick Control screen, press the direction keys on the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) to move among and select options you want to change. The Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) is also used for setting white balance shift.

• Quick Control dial ( quickdial.eps ). Turn the Quick Control dial (  quickdial.eps  ) to change settings for the buttons above the LCD panel, to choose options on the camera menus, or to move vertically through the AF points after pressing the AF Point Selection button (  afpointselect2.eps  ). On the Quick Control screen, select a setting, and then turn the Quick Control dial (  quickdial.eps  ) to change to, or scroll through, different settings.

• Setting button ( set.eps ). Pressing this button confirms menu selections, opens submenu screens and, on the Quick Control screen, opens screens from which you can change settings, such as the ISO, exposure compensation, and exposure bracketing.

• Multi-function lock switch ( mflock.eps ). You can program this switch to prevent accidental changes to camera settings with the Main dial (  maindial.eps  ), the Quick Control dial (  quickdial.eps  ), and/or the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ). To set up the use of the switch, go to the Custom Function menu (  customfn.eps  ) and choose C.Fn III-2 Multi-function lock. You can then choose which of (or all of) the three controls to lock when the switch is in the up position. When the Multi-function lock switch (  mflock.eps  ) is in the up position, it limits use of the selected controls, thereby preventing accidental changes to camera settings. When the switch is in the down position, you have full use of the Quick Control dial (  quickdial.eps  ), the Main dial (  maindial.eps  ), and the Multi-controller (  multicontroller.eps  ) for selecting camera options and settings.

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1.7 The Canon EOS 70D terminals.

The side of the camera

On one side of the 70D is the door for the Secure Digital (SD) memory card. The opposite side of the camera houses two sets of camera terminals under individual rubber covers. The rubber covers are embossed with descriptive icons and text to identify the terminals.

Here is an overview of each camera terminal by row:

• External microphone IN terminal ( externalmic.eps ). This is a 3.5mm external microphone terminal for an accessory stereo microphone equipped with a miniature stereo plug. When you use an accessory microphone for recording audio during movie shooting, the camera automatically switches audio recording to the external microphone. Audio is recorded at 48 k/Hz with a16-bit sampling rate.

• Remote control terminal ( usingremoteswitch.eps ). This terminal connects with the accessory Remote Switch RS-60E3.

• HDMI mini OUT terminal ( hdmiout.eps ). This terminal, coupled with the accessory HDMI Cable HTC-100, enables you to connect the camera to an HDTV. You cannot use the HDMI mini OUT terminal (  hdmiout.eps  ) simultaneously with the Audio/video OUT/Digital terminal (  avout.eps  ).

• Audio/Video OUT/Digital terminal ( avout.eps ). Use this terminal when you want to connect the camera to a non-HDTV to view images and movies stored on the media card. You need an accessory Stereo AV cable AVC-DC400ST to make the connection.

• Microphone (not shown). The built-in stereo microphone, located above the terminal covers, can be used for recording stereo audio when you’re shooting a movie. On Movie menu 2 (  movieshooting6d.eps  ), you can adjust the recording level and use a built-in wind-cut filter to reduce noise from the wind when necessary. Alternatively, you can disable sound recording or use an accessory stereo microphone.

An Overview of Lens Controls

Using the controls on lenses, you can control whether to use automatic or manual focusing, Image Stabilization, as well as other functions depending on the lens you’re using. If you want to switch from autofocusing to manual focusing, you can position the switch on the side of the lens to Manual Focus (  manualfocusing.eps  ) on lenses that offer it.

Manual focusing includes focus assist. As you adjust the focusing ring on the lens, the focus confirmation light in the lower-right side of the viewfinder lights steadily, and the camera sounds a focus confirmation beep (if you’ve enabled it) when sharp focus is achieved. While lenses are covered in Chapter 10, navigating the camera includes being familiar with lens controls, so I include them here.

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1.8 The lens controls on the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM.

Depending on the lens, additional lens controls may include the following:

• Lens mounting index. For Canon EF lenses, the index mark on the lens is red. For EF-S lenses, the index mark is white. Just match it up with the mark on the 70D’s lens mount to attach the lens to the camera. All lenses have a lens mounting index mark.

• Zoom ring. Turning this ring zooms the lens to the focal length marked on the ring. On some older lenses, such as the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens, zooming is accomplished by first releasing a zoom ring, and then pushing or pulling the lens to zoom out or in.

• Focusing distance range selection switch. This switch is offered on some lenses, and it limits the range that the lens uses when seeking focus. For example, if you choose the 2.5m-to-infinity focusing distance option on the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, then the lens does not seek focus at 2.5m and closer, and this speeds up autofocus. The focusing distance range options vary by lens.

• Distance scale. The distance scale shows the lens’s minimum focusing distance through infinity. The scale includes an infinity compensation mark that can be used to compensate for shifting the infinity focus point that results from temperature changes.

• Focusing ring. Turning the focusing ring enables you to bring the subject into sharp focus when the lens is set to Manual focus (  manualfocusing.eps  ). Or in Autofocus mode (  afmode.eps  ), you can turn the focusing ring to tweak the focus. Not all lenses offer manual focusing.

• Focus mode switch. Choose Manual focus (  manualfocusing.eps  ) or Autofocus (  afmode.eps  ).

• Image stabilizer switch. This switch turns on or off optical Image Stabilization. Optical Image Stabilization (IS) corrects vibrations from handholding the camera. Corrections are made at any angle or at only right angles.

• Image stabilizer mode selection switch. On some telephoto lenses, this switch enables Image Stabilization for standard shooting and stabilization when you are panning with the subject movement at right angles to the camera.

Camera Menus and Displays

Many of the settings you use often are on the camera body, but the camera menus and displays also offer a wealth of additional controls and adjustments. The 70D offers 17 menus when the Mode dial is set to one of the Creative Zone exposure modes, such as the Program (  program.eps  ), Shutter-priority AE (  shutterpriorityae.eps  ), or Aperture-priority AE (  aperturepriorityae.eps  ) modes.

In Basic Zone modes, such as Scene Intelligent Auto (  sceneintelligentauto.eps  ) and Creative Auto (  creativeauto.eps  ), fewer menus are available. Also, the two Movie menus are available only when you switch to Movie mode (  movieshooting.eps  ). In addition, you can quickly verify camera settings using several displays, whether you’re shooting with the viewfinder or with the LCD in Live View mode (  liveviewshoot.eps  ).

The viewfinder display

Along with a 98 percent view of the scene, the eye-level pentaprism viewfinder also displays the 19 AF points for viewfinder shooting and the Quick focus (  afquick.eps  ) method in Live View mode (  liveviewshoot.eps  ), as well as the current exposure and camera settings.