Canon EOS 7D Review: 11. Menus: Digital Photography Review

Camera Menus

The structure of the 7D's menus will be immediately familiar to anyone who has shot an EOS DSLR before, with camera settings separated across a series of sensibly ordered, color-coded tabs. As usual, the really fine-level camera customization is defined in the Custom Functions tab, with the 7D including a 1D-series-esque 27 custom functions, defining almost every aspect of the camera's behavior in minute detail.

The menus are also context sensitive, with different menu options provided depending on which shooting mode you're in. As with previous EOSs there is a simplified menu structure if you shoot in the more automated modes - in this instance that means the Creative Auto and Auto modes. However, as a sign of the increasingly integrated nature of video on 7D, the fourth Record tab also changes depending on whether the camera's mode switch is set to movie or live view.

Full menu (P, Tv, Av, M, A-DEP, C1-3)	Limited menu (Auto and CA)


Movie tab	Live view tab

Shooting section (red)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Quality	• RAW - RAW MRAW SRAW • JPEG - Large Fine Large Normal Medium Fine Medium Normal Small Fine Small Normal	- JPEG Large = 5184 x 3456 - JPEG Medium = 3456 x 2304 - JPEG Small = 2592 x 1728 - RAW = 5184 x 3456 - MRAW = 3888 x 2592 - SRAW = 2592 x 1728 Turn front dial to change RAW image, turn rear dial for JPEG.
Red-eye on/off	• Off • On	Enables the use of the AF / red-eye lamp just before a flash shot.
Beep	• On • Off	Enables auto focus confirmation beep. Also used for self timer.
Release shutter without card	• Enable • Disable	Allow shot to be taken without CF card inserted.
Review time	• Off • 2 sec • 4 sec • 8 sec • Hold
Peripheral illum. correct.	• Enable • Disable	Corrects vignetting depending on the attached lens.
Flash control	• Flash firing Enable Disable • Built-in 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 E-TTL II Evaluative Average Wireless func. Disable Ext:Int Ext only Ext + Int • External flash function setting Only with flash connected • External flash C.Fn setting Only with flash connected • Clear external flash C.Fn setting Only with flash connected	Pressing the info. button clears the speedlight settings.

Expo. comp./AEB	• +/–3 EV • 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps (C.Fn I-1)	Configures auto exposure bracketing.
Auto Lighting Optimizer	• Off • Low • Medium • High
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
Picture Style	• Standard • Portrait • Landscape • Neutral • Faithful • Monochrome • User Def. 1 • User Def. 2 • USer Def. 3

Dust Delete Data	• Cancel • Ok
One-touch RAW+JPEG	• Simultaneous RAW RAW MRAW SRAW • Simultaneous JPEG Large Fine Large Normal Medium Fine Medium Normal Small Fine Small Normal
Live view tab
Live View shoot.	• Enable • Disable
AF mode	• Live mode • Live mode • Quick mode
Grid display	• Off • Grid 1 • Grid 2
Expo. simulation	• On • Off
Silent shooting	• Mode 1 • Mode 2 • Disable
Metering timer	• 4 sec • 16 sec • 30 sec • 1 min • 10 min • 30 min
Movie tab
AF mode	• Live mode • Live mode • Quick mode
Grid display	• Off • Grid 1 • Grid 2
Movie rec. size	• 1920 x 1080 (30/25fps) • 1920 x 1080 (24fps) • 1280 x 720 (60/50fps) • 640 x 480 (60/50fps)	Selects movie recording size and frame rate. Frame rates of 30/60fps are recorded in NTSC mode, 25/50fps in PAL.
Sound recording	• On • Off
Silent shooting	• Mode 1 • Mode 2 • Disable
Metering timer	• 4 sec • 16 sec • 30 sec • 1 min • 10 min • 30 min

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 strong you can just adjust it downwards. Sharpness has 8 levels, contrast, saturation and color tone all have have 9 levels.

Playback Section (Blue)


Option	Notes
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.
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

Highlight alert	• Disable • Enable
AF point disp.	• Disable • Enable
Histogram	• Brightness • RGB
Slide show	• Select files All images Folder Date Movies Stills • Set up Play time 1 sec 2 sec 3 sec 5 sec Repeat On Off
Image jump w/ control dial	• Select number of images 1 image 10 images 100 images • Select files Date Folder Movies Stills

Setup Section (Yellow)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Auto power off	• 1 min • 2 min • 4 min • 8 min • 15 min • 30 min • Off	Sets camera power off time, this is the amount of "idle time" before the camera powers itself off. In the power off state the camera can be woken by half or fully depressing the shutter release (or turning the power switch to Off and back to On).
Auto rotate	• On (play mode and EXIF) • On (EXIF) • Off	Chooses whether orientation information is recorded and if the camera should rotate in play mode.
Format	• OK • Cancel	Format the CF card
File numbering	• Continuous • Auto reset • Manual reset	Controls the numbering method used for filenames.
Select folder	• Select folder • Create folder

LCD Brightness	• Auto Adjust brightness • Manual 1 to 7
Date/Time	• Set Date & Time • Set Date format
Language	• English • German • French • Dutch • Danish • Portuguese • Finnish • Italian • Ukrainian • Norwegian • Swedish • Spanish • Greek • Russian • Polish • Czech • Hungarian • Romanian • Turkish • Arabic • Thai • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Japanese	Select menu language.
Video system	• NTSC • PAL	Select video system for video out connector.
Sensor cleaning	• Auto cleaning Enable Disable • Clean now Cancel OK • Clean manually Cancel OK	Defines the settings for the built-in cleaning system, by default the system is enabled and cleans at startup and shutdown (although can be interrupted). The 'clean manually' option locks the mirror and shutter up.
VF grid display	• Disable • Enable

Battery info	Displays remaining battery capacity and recharge performance
INFO. button display options	• Displays camera setting • Electronic level • Displays shooting functions
Camera user setting	• Register Mode dial: C1 Mode dial: C2 Mode dial: C3 • Clear settings Mode dial: C1 Mode dial: C2 Mode dial: C3	- Records current camera settings to a mode dial 'C' user setting for easy recall.
Copyright information	• Display copyright info • Enter author's name • Enter copyright details • Delete copyright information
Clear all camera settings	• OK • Cancel
Firmware	Select to load new firmware from CF card	Also shows current version, on our camera; 3.7.5 48.34.3B

< Previous | Next >