Canon EOS 6D In-Depth Review: Digital Photography Review

Camera Menus

The Canon EOS 6D's menus inherit the icons found on the EOS 650D, using Canon's familiar layout with camera settings separated across a series of sensibly ordered, color-coded tabs. The range of options is fairly extensive, though with noticeably fewer options than are available on the higher spec'd Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

	The EOS 6D's menus are context sensitive, with different menu options provided depending on which shooting mode you're in. There is a simplified menu structure if you shoot in the Creative Auto, Intelligent Auto or Scene modes. The fifth and six pages within the shooting menu also change depending on whether the camera's mode switch is set to movie mode or live view.

Shooting section (red)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Shooting tab 1
Quality	• RAW - RAW MRAW SRAW • JPEG - Large Fine Large Normal Medium Fine Medium Normal Small1 Fine Small1 Normal Small2 Small3	- RAW = 5472 x 3648 - MRAW = 4104 x 2736 - SRAW = 2736 x 1824 - JPEG Large = 5472 x 3648 - JPEG Medium = 3648 x 2432 - JPEG Small1 = 2736 x 1824 - JPEG Small2 = 1920 x 1280 - JPEG Small3 = 720 x 480 Turn front dial to change Raw image, turn rear dial for JPEG.
Beep	• Enable • Disable	Enables auto focus confirmation beep. Also used for self timer.
Release shutter without card	• Enable • Disable	Allow shot to be taken without memory card inserted.
Image review	• Off • 2 sec • 4 sec • 8 sec • Hold
Shooting tab 2
Lens aberration correction	• Peripheral illum. Enable Disable • Chromatic aberration Enable Disable	Corrects vignetting and chromatic aberration depending on the attached lens.
External speedlite control	• Flash firing Enable Disable • E-TTL II meter Evaluative Average • Flash sync speed in Av mode Auto 1/180-1/60 sec auto 1/180 sec (fixed) • Flash function setting Flash mode E-TTL II Manual flash MULTI flash Shutter sync 1st curtain 2nd curtain Hi-speed Flash exposure compensation +/– 3.0 EV Flash exposure bracketing +/– 3.0 EV • Flash C.Fn setting Only with compatible flash • Clear all Speedlite C.Fn's Only with compatible flash
Mirror lockup	• Enable • Disable
Shooting tab 3
Expo. comp./AEB	• +/–3 EV	Rear dial changes exposure compensation, front dial changes AEB settings.
ISO speed settings	• ISO speed Auto L(50) 100 - 25600 H1 (51200) H2 (102400) • ISO speed range Minimum (50-51200) Maximum (100-102400) • Auto ISO range Minimum (100-6400) Maximum (200-25600) • Min. shutter speed Auto 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4 0"5 1"
Auto Lighting Optimizer	• Off • Low • Standard • High	Press Info button to disable during manual exposure
White balance	• Auto • Daylight (5200K) • Shade (7000K) • Cloudy (6000K) • Tungsten light (3200K) • White fluorescent light (4000K) • Flash • Custom • Color temp. (Kelvin)
Custom WB	• Set custom WB	Select image for custom WB.
WB Shift / BKT	• Shift: B9–A9, M9–G9 • Bracket: BA+/–3, MG+/–3	Configures WB shift and WB bracketing.
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Shooting tab 4
Picture Style	• Picture Style Auto Standard Portrait Landscape Neutral Faithful Monochrome User Def. 1 User Def. 2 User Def. 3 • Detail set Sharpness (0-7) Contrast (-4-+4) Saturation (-4-+4) Color tone (-4-+4)	Press Info button to access Detail Set mode
Long exposure noise reduction	• Disable • Auto • Enable
High ISO speed NR	• Standard • Low • High • Disable
Highlight tone priority	• Disable • Enable
Dust Delete Data	• Cancel • OK
Multiple exposure	• Multiple exposure Disable Enable • Multi-expos ctrl Additive Average • No. of exposures (2-9) • Continue Multi-exp 1 shot only Continuously
HDR mode	• Adjust dyn range Disable HDR Auto +/- 1 EV +/- 2 EV +/- 3 EV • Continuous HDR 1 shot only Every shot • Auto Image Align Enable Disable
Live view tab 1
Live View shoot.	• Enable • Disable
AF mode	• FlexiZone AF • Live mode • Quick mode
Grid display	• Off • 3x3 • 6x4 • 3x3+diag
Aspect ratio	• 3:2 • 4:3 • 16:9 • 1:1
Expo. simulation	• Enable • During DoF button • Disable
Live view tab 2
Silent shooting	• Mode 1 • Mode 2 • Disable
Metering timer	• 4 sec • 16 sec • 30 sec • 1 min • 10 min • 30 min
Movie tab 1
AF mode	• FlexiZone AF • Live mode • Quick mode
Silent LV shooting	• Mode 1 • Mode 2 • Disable
Metering timer	• 4 sec • 16 sec • 30 sec • 1 min • 10 min • 30 min
Movie tab 2
Grid display	• Off • 3x3 • 6x4 • 3x3+diag
Movie rec. size	• 1920 x 1080 (30/25fps)ALL-I • 1920 x 1080 (30/25fps) IPB • 1920 x 1080 (24fps) ALL-I • 1920 x 1080 (24fps) IPB • 1280 x 720 (60/50fps) All-I • 1280 x 720 (60/50fps) IPB • 640 x 480 (30/25fps) IPB	Selects movie recording size and frame rate. Frame rates of 30/60fps are recorded in NTSC mode, 25/50fps in PAL.
Sound recording	• Sound recording Auto Manual Disable • Rec. level (1-5) • Wind filter Disable Enable • Attenuator Disable Enable	Sound recording levels are displayed underneath the settings.
Time code	• Count up Rec run Free run • Start time setting Manual input setting Reset Set to camera time • Movie rec count Rec time Time code • Movie play count Rec time Time code • Drop frame Disable Enable
Video snapshot	• Enable • Disable • Snapshot length 2 sec. movie 4 sec. movie 8 sec. movie • Album settings Create a new album Cancel OK Add to existing album Make selection	Short videos of pre-determined length can be saved and grouped into albums.

Picture Style

The Picture Styles are a range of pre-programmed image parameter sets intended to deliver the best results in different situations. Each Picture Style has its own preset mapping for tone and color response as well as providing the ability to tune sharpness, contrast, saturation and color tone for each. For instance the default sharpening for the Standard Picture Style is level 3. If you prefer less agressive results you can just adjust it downwards. Sharpness has 8 levels, contrast, saturation and color tone all have have 9 levels.

Playback section (blue)

The playback menus are where you'll find controls for raw file editing, image rating, slideshow operation and image navigation options.


Option	Notes
Playback tab 1
Protect images	Protect mode, allows you to browse images either in a single image or thumbnail view and mark each image as protected (or un-protect). This simply sets the read-only flag on the CF card file system. • Select images • All images in folder • Unprotect all images in folder • All images on card • Unprotect all images on card
Rotate	Rotate mode, again, this can be performed in either single image or thumbnail index view. This option allows you to rotate an image on-screen by 90 or 270 degrees. Doesn't actually rotate the JPEG file, but marks its orientation.
Erase images	• Select and erase images • All images in folder Select folder • All images on card Ok Cancel
Print order	Allows you to create a DPOF print order file, for use with compatible printers or photo finishers. • Select images • By folder Mark all in folder Clear all in folder • All images • Set up Print type Standard Index Both Date On Off File no. On Off
Photobook Set-up	Protect mode, allows you to browse images either in a single image or thumbnail view and mark each image as protected (or un-protect). This simply sets the read-only flag on the CF card file system. • Select images • All images in folder • Clear all in folder • All images on card • Clear all on card
RAW image processing	Allows you to process Raw-images in-camera and adjust the following parameters: • Brightness • White Balance • Picture Style • Auto Lighting Optimizer • Noise Reduction • Image quality • Color space • Peripheral illumination correction • Distortion correction • Chromatic aberration correction
Playback tab 2
Resize	• Select image M (8.9M) S1 (5.0M) S2 (2.5M) S3 (0.3M)
Rating	• Select image Off 1 star 2 stars 3 stars 4 stars 5 stars
Slide show	• Select files All images Date Folder Movies Stills Rating • Set up Dispay time 1 sec 2 sec 3 sec 5 sec 10 sec 20 sec Repeat On Off Transition effect Off Slide in 1 Slide in 2 Fade 1 Fade 2 Fade 3 Background music On Off
Image jump w/ control dial	• Select number of images 1 image 10 images 100 images • Select files Date Folder Movies Stills Image rating
Playback tab 3
Highlight alert	• Disable • Enable
AF point disp.	• Disable • Enable
Playback grid	• Off • 3x3 • 6x4 • 3x3+diag
Histogram	• Brightness • RGB
Movie play count	• Rec time • Time code
Magnification (apx)	• 1x (no magnification) • 2x (magnify from center) • 4x (magnify from center) • 8x (magnify from center) • 10x (magnify from center) • Actual size (from selected pt) • Same as last magnification (from center)
Ctrl over HDMI	• Disable • Enable