James Johnson - Canon EOS 5D Mark III: The Guide to Understanding and Using Your Camera

The Canon 5D Mark III

When James (Jim) Johnson retired from a 25-year career as a software developer for IBM, he had already been working as a contract technical editor for Microsoft. After his retirement, technical editing and technical writing became his primary source of income to cover the cost of his toys, most of which were computer equipment and photographic equipment.

Jims involvement with cameras began in the mid 50s when he needed to record the interior of caves in Kentucky. At the time, the greatest challenge was to provide adequate illumination in a manner that did not defile the caves; thus, he purchased a Leica 3F camera (which was then the norm) and experimented with numerous lighting sources. He was later able to add a nice piece of brass-and-glass manufactured by Canon during the post-war occupation. That 100mm telephoto lens was every bit as sharp and capable as the Leica lenses. And so began an appreciation for Japanese camera equipment. There have been numerous Nikon cameras and lenses over the years, but Jims peers are ardent Canon enthusiasts, so he now entertains himself by exploring the latest Canon products.

Jim and his wife Heather live on the California coast, with their home overlooking the Morro Bay estuary. The coast, the bays, and the mountains all combine to host a vast array of botanical subjects which are the focus of Jims current photographic interest.

Jim Johnson

James Johnson

Publisher: Gerhard Rossbach
Project Editor: Beth Bernstein
Copyeditor: Jeanne Hansen
Layout and type: Jan Mart, Command Z
Cover design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de
Back cover image: James Johnson
Printer: Sheridan Books, Inc.
Printed in USA

ISBN 978-1-937538-15-6

1st Edition 2012
2012 by James Johnson

Rocky Nook, Inc.
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Santa Barbara, CA 93103

www.rockynook.com

Distributed by OReilly Media
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johnson, James, 1935
Canon EOS 5D Mark III : the guide to understanding and using your camera / by James Johnson.
-- 1st edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-937538-15-6 (pbk.)
1. Canon digital cameras. 2. Photography--Digital techniques. 3. Single-lens reflex cameras. I.
Title. II. Title: Canon EOS 5D Mark 3.
TR263.C3J64 2012
771.3--dc23

2012034361

Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies, they are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

A number of people have contributed to the preparation of this book. Very early in the writing, I asked two published photographers to review chapters for adequacy of coverage as much as for accuracy. Marlin Harms and Bob Canepa, both from the California Central Coast area, provided direction and correction, with Marlin also contributing several of the chapter-opening photos. Juergen Gulbins, from Keltern, Germany, provided the books Foreword as well as several of the chapter-opening photos. As always, the staff of Rocky Nook are competent, helpful, and available, as are the contractors Rocky Nook hires for their special areas of technical expertise.

Of course, my most valuable colleague and collaborator is my best friend, who is also my wife, editor, advisor, and motivator. To Heather this book is dedicated.

Though we will mention subjects such as shooting movies or shooting stills with the Scene Intelligent Auto mode, the audience for this book is expected to be still-photo shooters with a skill set ranging from amateurs with prior DSLR experience to full-time professionals. This book is for photographers who are comfortable with basic photography, but who need an understanding of the myriad features, functions, options, and settings available with the EOS 5D Mk III camera.

The Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) was introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, the first auto-focus camera from Canon. Though it appears that todays Canon SLR cameras are all digital, the EOS technology is still in production as Canons current DSLR system. The acronym EOS was chosen to honor Eos, the Titan Goddess of dawn in Greek mythology, and is often pronounced as a word, although some spell out the letters, reading it as an initialism.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is a sophisticated DSLR, more capable (and complex) than the Rebel series of Canon cameras, the two-digit D-series of Canon cameras, and even the 6D and 7D Canon cameras, but certainly not in the same league as the professional 1D cameras. Ive written this book for photographers who are upgrading to the 5D Mk III with the intent to have them understand the features of the 5D Mk III and how to implement and manage those features. The professional photographers who acquire a 5D Mk III as a backup camera for their 1D-series camera will already have mastered most of these techniques and processes, so I dont anticipate having too many of them in this audience.

The references to Canon models use the model-designations applied by Canon to the models as sold in the United States. If you have a model intended for a non-US market, it will likely have a different model designation.

Some of the features introduced or enhanced in the EOS 5D Mk III are so complex in function and beyond what we have come to expect from good cameras that they are difficult to adequately describe in words. If I create an interest or curiosity regarding some elegant new feature, you may want to take advantage of some media resources from Canon, which can be found at

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/galleries/tutorials/eos_5d_markiii_tutorials.shtml

This is a collection of short videos and excellent articles with graphics to help demonstrate difficult concepts as well as the amazing photographic results you can expect using these features.

Technology is evolving so fast that its difficult to keep up with all of the relevant photography components that can be affected, even for those whose profession is to write about new advances for the rest of us. The world of flash continues to evolve, with a sudden burst of on-camera controllers for remote units, and new radio-controlled remote units not recognizing the optical-wireless controllers of earlier this year, or requiring reconfiguration away from radio-wireless to be downward compatible.

The sheer number of features available in the EOS 5D Mk III, along with the extensive menus and other controls, tends to overwhelm the minds ability to comprehend, recall, and correctly apply the appropriate set of variables for achieving the best possible photos. I encourage you to rely on this book, the