Top of camera controls (left) - Exposure Mode Dial
Situated on the top of the camera on the left hand side is the exposure mode dial. This controls exposure operation, be it fully automatic, a preprogrammed scene composition, flexible program, a range of manual and semi-automatic options or one of the three 'camera user' positions. In the user manual Canon breaks these exposure modes into two groups; Basic Zone and Creative Zone. The 50D sees the loss of one of the 40D's custom settings banks (C3), but instead gains Creative Auto (CA) mode. The new mode offers a simplified interface that allows the user to set the exposure in terms of the image results they want, rather than in terms of exposure parameters.
Basic zone exposure modes
Full Auto and the six scene exposure modes are collectively referred to as the 'Basic Zone', in this 'Zone' certain settings are either fixed, limited or unavailable, as shown in this table. Variable settings are detailed in the second table. For the first time, the user can select to shoot RAW files in Basic zone modes.
Fixed settings | Fixed or limited settings |
Unavailable settings |
---|---|---|
Metering mode (Evaluative) | AF mode | Custom functions |
Color space (sRGB) | Drive mode | AE lock |
Flash compensation (0 EV) | Flash mode | Bracketing |
Exposure compensation (0 EV) | Picture Style | |
ISO sensitivity (Auto) | ||
White balance (Auto) | ||
Focus point selection (Auto) |
In the basic zone the camera will indicate that blur may occur because of slow shutter speeds, it does so by blinking the shutter speed on the LCD panel and viewfinder status bar.
Limited variable settings in Basic zone
Icon | Basic zone mode | AF mode |
Drive mode |
Flash mode |
Picture Style |
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Fully Automatic Exposure![]() Camera has complete control over exposure, point-and-shoot operation. |
AI Focus | Single Self-Timer |
Auto Red-eye |
Standard |
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Portrait![]() Apertures are kept as large as possible (small F number) to produce a shallow Depth of Field (blurred background). |
One Shot | Continuous Self-Timer |
Auto Red-eye |
Portrait |
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Landscape![]() Apertures as small as possible (large F numbers) for the largest depth of field. |
One Shot | Single Self-Timer |
Off | Landscape |
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Close-up (Macro)![]() Aperture is kept to a medium setting to ensure the subject DOF is deep enough but the background is blurred. |
One Shot | Single Self-Timer |
Auto Red-eye |
Standard |
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Sports![]() Shutter speed is kept as high as possible to ensure capture of fast moving objects. |
AI Servo | Continuous Self-Timer |
Off | Standard |
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Night Scene![]() Allows for slow shutter speeds combined with flash to illuminate foreground and background. |
One Shot | Single Self-Timer |
Auto Red-eye |
Standard |
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Flash off![]() Disables internal and external flash for taking automatic slow exposures. |
AI Focus | Single Self-Timer |
Off | Standard |
Creative zone exposure modes
The six exposure modes that include the ones most familiar to the camera's prosumer / professional audience. All menu functions and camera settings are available in these modes and can be used in any combination. In manual exposure modes (Tv, Av, M) you control the shutter speed with the main dial (top) and aperture with the quick control dial (rear), you can reverse the operational direction of these dials with C.Fn IV-4.
Icon | Description |
---|---|
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Creative Auto |
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Program Auto Exposure (Flexible) |
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Shutter Priority Auto Exposure |
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Aperture Priority Auto Exposure |
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Full Manual Exposure![]() In this mode you select the aperture and the shutter speed from any combination of the above (plus BULB for shutter speed, apertures limited by the lens used). Top dial selects shutter speed, rear dial selects aperture. Half-press the shutter release and the meter on the viewfinder status bar and top LCD will reflect the exposure level compared to the calculated ideal exposure, if it's outside of +/- 2EV the indicator bar will blink either + or -. |
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Automatic Depth-Of-Field AE |
Top of camera controls (right)
Top of the camera on the right side is the status panel LCD, directly above this are four buttons; LCD backlight and three control buttons (see below). In front of these is the main dial and shutter release button. Along the rear 'under your thumb' you can see the AF-ON, AE-Lock and focus point selection buttons. Press once and turn a dial to change settings, then half-press the shutter release to return to shooting mode (or press another button).
The function of the three buttons immediately above the status LCD is unchanged from the 40D.
Top panel buttons
The table below shows the relationship between each of the top panel settings buttons and the parameters changed by either turning the main dial (top) or quick control dial (rear).
Button | Main dial![]() |
Quick control dial![]() |
---|---|---|
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Metering mode |
White balance![]() Auto Daylight Shade Cloudy Tungsten Fluorescent Flash Custom Kelvin temperature (2800 - 10000 K) |
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Auto focus mode |
Drive mode |
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ISO sensitivity * ![]() Auto 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 H1 (6400) H2 (12800) (enabled via C.Fn I-3) |
Flash compensation![]() +/-2 EV 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps (C.Fn I-1) |
* Shown in 1-stop steps, 1/3-stop ISO steps can be selected via C.Fn I-2.
Under your thumb buttons (Shooting mode)
Button | Operation |
---|---|
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Auto focus start ![]() The AF-ON button allows you to trigger auto focus independently of the shutter release 'half-press'. The EOS 40D is the first EOS x0D series to get the AF-ON button and indeed it's a fairly recent new feature to even Canon's professional EOS-1D series. Note that you can re-program the exact function of the AF-ON button via C.Fn IV-1 or you can switch the AF-ON button and AE/AF lock button via C.Fn IV-2 (all custom functions detailed in the menus section of this review). |
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AE / FE Lock![]() Press to trigger automatic exposure and lock the exposure for the next shot. Hold the button to lock the exposure for more than one shot. |
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AF point selection button![]() Press to choose a single AF point, turn the main dial or the quick control dial to scroll around the available AF points. Alternatively you can also use the new multi-controller to select a point directly (press the selector for the center point). The exact function of this button can be programmed via C.Fn III-3. |
Under your thumb buttons (Play mode)
Button | Operation |
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Thumbnail index / reduce![]() If in single view play mode, pressing this button will switch to a 2x2 thumbnail index, press again for a 3x3 index. If already magnified pressing this button reduces magnification level. |
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Enlarge![]() Press to magnify the current image, there are fifteen steps up to a maximum magnification of 10x. Once magnified you can use the multi-controller to move around the image. |
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