R3 Observations - Handling

LensHood wrote:

RLight wrote:

LensHood wrote:

Great summary. Surprised to read you like Fv mode so much. Can you explain why you like it so much? And why is it better than M? I must be soing something wrong because I find changing a value a multistep process.

I choose M and leave iso on auto most of the time. Only in some circumstances I change iso to a specific value (but then you have the quirck that you cannot dial it back to auto with a wheel, you have to select it via Q menu.).

Fv is a means to get P, Av, Tv, quickly and override. If you’re already going for M, it’s a multi step process, yes. Usually I’m after Av, and then Tv, and occasionally P, in that order. But I’m shooting a 28-70 where it’s shallow enough that f/2 can be too shallow for your subject; sometimes f/2 is the order of the day, sometimes it’s f/4. Likewise I got kids running around, jumping around, so sometimes the order of the day is 1/1000 or better, quickly. Every now and again I want to take a boring ol P shot. It’s rare M is needed. You’ll find me setting a minimum shutter speed though when I need fast and bright in the dark though. I have exposure default overrides mapped to my favorites. Typically 1/125 or 1/250 minimum gets set if that’s needed. I let ISO float otherwise at all times.

Having ISO static, is a very R5 thing to do where drifting above 400 costs you precious color resolution. R3 shooting is quite different as the R3 delivers color fidelity across the ISO range. If I were shooting an R5, I would be M way more often, yes. I’d be dragging that shutter to keep ISO down. Shooting an R3 is the other way around; pop that subject at a high shutter, bump that ISO. Get the shot. R5 is all about the resolution of that shot, but you may miss the shot or have poor image characteristics due to ISO creep.

This is why I recommend the R5 for landscape bunch, R3 for action bunch. That eye control AF helps a ton with the latter (getting the shot). Hybrid shooters need to decide priorities or shoot two bodies for peak results.

Thanks. That's why I shoot in M with auto iso on the R3. I set the diaphragm to match the desired scene DOF, the shutter to match the action and don't care too much about ISO.

agree, M with your method

And even though I shoot a lot of landscape as well, I just love the handling of the R3 so much, that the UX is the main reason I preferred it over th R5. Ability to turn on eye or face AF for any AF method is superb. And like you, I have created my own (large) square and set it as Flexible Zone 1 and use it by default. With the smart controller it is sooo easy to select a subject, press AF and boom, eye AF on that subject within the square.