Canon wireless e-TTL flash triggers / radio transmitters

A bridal portrait (taken during one of the photo sessions arranged by the Hudson Valley Click), where it is easy to see the advantage of using off-camera lighting.

The strong back-lighting is used as a way to highlight the background and have the rim-lighting etch our model against the background. Of course, having her turn her back to the sun also helps with not having our model squinting in the bright light. We immediately avoid unflattering hard light on her face. But we then do need to add off-camera lighting of some kind to cross-light her.

I used TTL flash here, since I often find this is the fastest and easiest way to get good flash exposure. The flash was diffused with a white shoot-through umbrella, and I used wireless TTL triggers to control my flash.

Let’s have a look at our current options that we have to trigger the off-camera TTL flash …

1. the simple option – no additional extra equipment

To get to an off-camera flash setup, we need not immediately buy wireless triggers. As a basic entry to the world of off-camera TTL flash, we can use just our Canon gear – another Canon speedlight as master flash to control our slave. Most of the images in my book on off-camera flash, was taken with a setup as simple as that: a master speedlight on my camera (with its own output disabled), controlling the slave speedlight. I’d say this is the most simple way to dip your toes into the water if you’re new to off-camera flash.

There are further options here, such in the case of the Canon 7D, where we can use built-in flash as the master controller. This will surely be included in future Canon DSLRs. We can also use the Canon ST-E2 as the wireless controller.

The main restriction with these simple setups, is that we need line-of-sight between the master and the slave. We have a distance limitation as well. For most photo sessions though, the distance isn’t usually a concern. It’s the line-of-sight thing which can often be a problem. The moment you move ‘forward’ of your flash setup, you risk the master and slave not seeing each other and your flash not triggering.

This is where I do like the Lastolite Ezybox softboxes – you can turn the Slave flash by adjusting the hotshoe of the softbox, and swivel it so that the Slave’s sensor is aimed towards where you are. Then you just need to rotate your Master flash’s head to point towards the Slave flash. But it can be troublesome to continually change the Slave flash’s position on the softbox, and change the orientation of your Master flash in your camera’s hotshoe.

2. the less simple, but more flexible option – more cool toys!

To overcome this, we need to look at the Wireless TTL triggers. There are a number of options. There are two main choices – PocketWizard and RadioPopper. There are also other triggers such as the Pixel triggers. And I’m sure there will be other players on the market in the future. There might even be some available now that I’m not aware of.  But right now, the two main choices are  PocketWizard and RadioPopper … and they happen to be the two TTL-capable radio triggers that I am knowledgeable with.

The challenge that PocketWizard and RadioPoppers had, was to convert the flash system’s control signals as radio-frequency signals. The main difference between PocketWizard and RadioPoppers then is how they decided to approach that challenge. RadioPoppers piggy-back onto the flash system, and just carries the control signals between the master and slave units. PocketWizards insert themselves into the communication between the camera and flash, and takes control of that.

A. RadioPopper Px wireless flash system

The RadioPopper PX transmitter unit attaches with velcro strips (or gaffer tape or rubber bands) onto the Master speedlite or Canon ST-E2 wireless transmitter. Via the menu setting, you set up the controls for it. The default is for Canon. Setting up is really simple. Actually, simpler than the RadioPopper instructions would make it appear.

The RadioPopper PX transmitter reads the control signals as emitted by the Master flash, and converts them into radio-frequency signals. The slave radiopopper then receives and converts the radio-freequency signals back into light pulses for the Slave speedlite … which works just as if it had directly received the light pulses from the Master speedlite.

The RadioPopper receiver unit is mounted via this bracket to the Slave speedlite. You can velcro it down if you want, but the bracket helps for the sensors to align properly. There are notches in the bracket to allow for other units than the Canon 580EX II flash.

Again, setting up is really simple.

The beauty of the RadioPopper units is that they only transmit the signal. They don’t interject themselves into the system. They just carry the signal between the Master and Slave speedlites.

This means that if you have a problem with the Slave not firing, your first recourse would be to make sure that the Canon wireless system itself is firing properly. Then you re-attach the RadioPoppers again.

In my experience so far, this second generation of the RadioPoppers is a robust technology. Meaning, they just work.

While the beauty of the RadioPopper PX units are that they only transmit the signal, their limitation is that of the Canon wireless system. It just isn’t as flexible as the Nikon CLS system. This is where the PocketWizards step up.

B. PocketWizard FlexTT5 / MiniTT1 wireless flash trigger

The PocketWizard MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 (which I’ve featured regularly on this site), is based on a different design philosophy than the RadioPoppers. The PocketWizards are inserted into the system, and they take control of the electronic signals. It’s quite a brave move, and through the various iterations of software updates, have come to work very well, with two strong caveats:

1. I’ve had so many hiccups in using the PocketWizard TT5 units in workshop format with multiple shooters, that I have now moved to the RadioPoppers for my flash photography workshops. More about this later on in this article.

2. The other main problem in using the PocketWizard TT1 and TT5 units, relate to the Canon speedlites themselves. The Canon 580EX and 580EX II and the Canon 430EX (1st version) all generate so much radio-frequency noise, that they interfere with the reception of the signal from the Master FlexTT5 / MiniTT1.

PocketWizard and LPA design have gone out of their way to try and overcome this, and offer a number of solutions to reduce the RF interference generated by these Canon speedlites.
- range-extending solutions, by PocketWizard
- extending the range of the PocketWizard FlexTT5 and Canon 580EX II, by Rob Galbraith

Since Canon did a silent fix of this problem with the release of the Canon 430EX II, we can hope that future Canon speedlites will be rid of this problem. In the meantime, there are various fixes, including having the Canon speedlites modified.
- modifying the Canon 580EX II to reduce RF noise emission, by PocketWizard

related article:
- Flickr discussion on Canon 580EX II failures due to misalignment of the flashtube.

Okay, so there are various solutions to this problem. (Check the linked articles by PocketWizard and Rob Galbraith for thorough explanations.)

The best solution, for the least expense and the minimum of fuss, is the PocketWizard AC-7 RF shield (B&H). According to PockeWizard, it completely solves the problem of RF interference, and it even includes a clamp for an umbrella.

I settled on another option which allows me to use a softbox more easily if I wanted to. This option apparently isn’t quite the 100% effective solution compared to what is offered, but does seem to substantially reduce the RF interference problem.

1. The Flex TT5 and Canon 580EX II need to be separated by a large enough distance. PocketWizard recommends 18″ at least. For this, I use the Canon OC-E3 off-camera TTL flash cord (B&H).

Here is how my off-camera flash setup looked for the image at the top. (As an aside, I used the Canon 5D mark II, and the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L lens for this photo session.)

To stop the radio-frequency noise being propagated via the OC-E3 cable, and the battery pack cable, an RF choke is attached around the cables near the 580EX II. (Details about where the RF choke can be ordered, is mentioned in the linked article by PocketWizard.)

Here is the detail shot showing the RF chokes and how the flashgun is attached to the umbrella bracket.

Here is how I mounted the FlexTT5 to the light-stand with a clamp.

Clearer shots of how I connected up the Canon PocketWizard TT5 to separate it from the Canon 580EX II speedlite. The clamp is the Manfrotto 386B Nano Clamp (B&H) and the stud is the Manfrotto 037 Reversible Stud (B&H).

With this setup, I have been able to effortlessly get images like the one at the top of the bridal portrait. With the OC-E3 cord and other attachments, it does take more effort to set up though than using the RadioPoppers.

So why would one choose the PocketWizards over the RadioPoppers then? For me, the main reason would be that with the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller (B&H), the Canon speedlites can be made to behave like the Nikon flash system.

With the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller (B&H), you can set the three groups of flashes, and from the camera, turn any of them to TTL mode, or manual mode, or turn them off. You can also set specific levels for the TTL output and manual output. The Canon wireless flash system works with A:B ratios. It does work, but for me it is easier to work with specific levels. With the AC3 unit, I can now change the B group to, (for example), 1 stop less than the A group. I can change one group to TTL, and another group to manual.

This review of the PocketWizard AC3 Zone Controller for Nikon, will explain in more detail exactly how this works. Anyone familiar with how the wireless flash system usually works for Canon, will easily see the differences. For multiple flash setups, this has a clear advantage over the simpler Canon wireless flash setup.

The downside in setting all this up for Canon speedlite to work properly, there is additional equipment expense – the Canon OC-E3 cord; the clamps and so on. Also, it takes a few minutes longer to set up. But it does work very well … for the individual shooter.

For my photography work, I rely on Nikon, and I’m quite happy with the PocketWizard FlexTT5 units for Nikon. For the multiple photographer environment of a workshop, the PocketWizard units (whether for Nikon or Canon) haven’t performed as expected. Apparently with the way that the PW units work, interjecting themselves within the communication train, means that the Slaved unit becomes confused with multiple Master units trying to access it.

For the workshops, I have now migrated to the RadioPoppers with great success. Since the Slaved speedlite just “listens”, waiting for the light pulses, it reacts immediately to any Master flash. The Slaved flash then reacts as well as if the Master flash had direct line-of-sight communication with the Slave flash … regardless of there being multiple photographers.

Final summary:
Both systems work really well, although for the PocketWizard units there is the caveat with the Canon speedlights and RF interference. As mentioned before, the PocketWizard team (and LPA Design) have gone out of their way to surmount this problem. With great success.

The RadioPoppers is the simpler system, and is easy to set up. I have to express admiration for Kevin King’s genius in figuring out how to intercept the pulses from the Master flash, and convert that into radio-frequency signals.

And finally, having spoken to the teams at RadioPoppers and PocketWizards, I have to say I am impressed with their dedication to their work and products.

RadioPoppers can be ordered directly from their site.

The PocketWizard FlexTT5 and AC3 for Canon can be ordered from this B&H affiliate link:

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Lea – moving portrait – Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II

Canon just released the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H), an update to an already highly-regarded lens, and I was able to get a review copy courtesy of B&H. I tried this lens out during a photo session with a model, Lea. Instead of just photographs, I decided to shoot video and create a “moving portrait” of her.

The video footage was shot in Times Square a few evenings ago, just using the flood of light from the billboards.

The initial portion of the clip is just a series of glimpses of Lea through the crowd in Times Square. It was a bit of a battle to get a decent sequence, since people would often stop in their tracks right in front of the camera. Which is okay; I’m just one more person there. An amusing moment was when someone came up to Lea while I was photographing her at a distance, to ask her where she bought her clothes. “Hey lady, we’re working here!” I did actually say that, but just under my breath.

This video clip was edited with iMovie ’11. I slowed the video footage down to 50% speed to make it more dream-like. The soundtrack is a royalty-free track from Triple-Scoop Music.

This first section of the video clip is just with the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
With the second section (where you can see the cars), I added the Canon 1.4x III extender (B&H) to turn this into an impressive 420mm f4 lens. This placed Lea so far from me that she couldn’t quite see my hand gestures as I was directing her … so she had to wear her glasses. (You can’t politely shout over that distance.)

Even though this short video clip has even less of a story than your average music video, it will show you the compression that this focal length creates for portraits, and how dreamily out-of-focus the background is at f2.8 All sections were shot with the lens wide open. And yes, it’s a “holy macaroni!” impressive kind of a lens. The video footage was shot with a tripod, but I also took some photos hand-held … and the aggressive Image Stabilisation is just as impressive. The images were sharp, even hand-held at 1/100 shutter speed.

Regarding my camera settings for shooting the video footage:

I stayed around 1600 ISO for the most part, but for some sections (not shown here), I dropped it by a 1/3rd and even 2/3rds of a stop. For the section at the end of this clip where Lea is standing at the cars, my ISO was at 2000. But there is more to this …

• With Canon DSLRs, multiples of 160 ISO give the best noise performance. However, I didn’t keep to that guide because:

• I needed to shoot at f2.8 and didn’t want to vary my aperture to get the appropriate multiple-of-160-ISO setting. I wanted to show the look the lens gives wide open. So I kept to f2.8 through-out.

• I wanted to keep the camera at 1/50th off a second shutter speed through-out.There are many articles online which will describe why 24fps gives a film-like appearance. And for specific reasons, it means we need to shoot at 1/50th shutter speed to maintain the 180 degree shutter rule, if we are shooting video at 24fps. So I kept my shutter to 1/50th shooting the video footage.

• Therefore, since I wanted to keep to a 1/50th shutter speed, and wanted to shoot at f2.8 it meant that I had to change my ISO to suit, even though my specific ISO setting might not match the ideal.

equipment used during this shoot:
Canon 5D mk II (B&H)
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
Canon 1.4x III extender (B&H)

Manfrotto 458B tripod with NeoTec Pro Photo tripod legs (B&H)
Manfrotto 701HDV fluid head (B&H)

More about this tripod:
It features a unique quick-release and lock system for the legs which makes it incredibly easy to set up and collapse again. You simply pull on the legs to extend them, and they automatically lock in position. It is heavier than a carbon-fiber tripod, but the ease of setup made it an easy choice for me as my video tripod.

other articles featuring Lea:
- using direct, bare (un-modified) off-camera flash
- off-camera flash – adding dimension with back-lighting
- NYC photo-shootout redux

If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by using
these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies.   Thank you!

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review: Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom (lens review)

Venturing out again after posting a few initial test images with the Canon EF 8-15mm f/fL fisheye zoom lens, I tried for a more diverse range of images to show what this lens is capable of … and also compare it with the Canon 15mm f2.8 fish-eye lens to see how the brand-new zoom lens stacks up against the older fixed focal length lens.

I was brave enough to try this lens at 15mm for some funky urban portraits of a model, Kate. Bendy! The trick here is to keep as even as possible and not tilt the lens up or down, or else you risk making your subject look cartoonish. So I crouched down a bit, and worked at belly-button level, keeping the camera as level as possible.

I think the image works, but I do believe a fish-eye is a limited lens in terms of portraits. Even full-length portraits. As mentioned in the previous article on this lens, the fish-eye look can quickly feel over-done when there is a great number of images with the same look. The distorted view that a fish-eye gives, tends to pulls too much attention to the lens’ effect itself.

camera settings: 1/250 @ f5.6 @ 320 ISO

Next up, I photographed dance performers working at a promotional event.

When zoomed to 8mm on a full-frame camera such as the Canon 5D mk II (B&H), the lens gives this surreal circular image. The field of view is an impressive 180 degrees. It’s near impossible not to get your own feet or shadow in the image.

With this, I do believe the Canon 8-15mm fisheye zoom will end up being used as a dual focal-length lens when used on a full-frame camera. Photographers will either use it at (or around) 15mm where there is no vignetting, or go for the full effect. Inbetween focal lengths show a very specific vignette, with the image cut off by an ever-increasing black circle.

As an example, here is an image shot at 12mm and the distinct black vignette is there. Without it appearing as that circular shape, it just looks intrusive to my eye.

But the beauty of using a camera with a high megapixel count, like the Canon 5D mk2, is that you can crop your image and still end up with a high-resolution photograph. (Here is the same image, cropped down to 13 megapixels, losing the black edges to the frame.)

Of course, on a crop-sensor camera the Canon 8-15mm f4 fisheye zoom comes into its own, offering a much wider view than the fixed 15mm f2.8 fish-eye lens would. Then you have the full range of the zoom available to you .. from fish-eye to just bendy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a crop-sensor Canon DSLR to try this lens out on. Just the 5D mk2.

camera settings: 1/250 @ f11 @ 320 ISO

For these shots, I had to get all the way down on the ground. Here I am showing a few images to the dancers so they would have an idea of what I was aiming for, shooting so close-up to them.

Urban landscapes become surreal, such as this art project, shot from below …

camera settings: 1/250 @ f8 @ 640 ISO

A more normal viewpoint of the same:

This is where I believe the strength of a fish-eye lens lies … in turning the more mundane view into something quite spectactular:

camera settings: 1/80 @ f5.6 @ 1250 ISO

I really like this lens, even though I mostly used it at 15mm. The images are crisp, and of course, have that phenomenal depth-of-field typical of this type of lens.

camera settings: 1/500 @ f8 @ 640 ISO

The f4 aperture isn’t a slow aperture for this type of lens. Besides, you can’t really work with shallow depth-of-field with a fish-eye lens.

The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens (B&H)

Optical performance of the Canon 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom

The Canon fisheye zoom lens has superb optical performance. Towards the edges of the frame, some chromatic aberration can be seen, as well as some image softness. I did a few comparative test shots with the Canon 15mm f2.8 fish-eye lens (B&H), and the fixed focal length lens is ever so slightly sharper. There is very little optical smearing to be seen at the edges.

Here’s the thing though about fish-eye lenses – they have such a distorted view, that scrutinizing high-resolution images for optical flaws is …. well, counter-productive. It is heartening to know the fisheye zoom lens is crisply sharp, and close to the fixed lens …. but the final choice in deciding between the zoom and the fixed lens, will most likely hinge on price, and whether one would need the zoom capability.

Instead of posting 100% crops of a few images, I have placed a few high-resolution images in a download folder. It’s a simple view of the Meat-Packing District from the Manhattan Highline there. I didn’t use a tripod, so there is some slight variation between the images, but there’s enough detail there to give a realistic idea of the zoom lens’ optical capability. (The images are named in an obvious way.)

In my estimation, I’d say this lens is super-sharp. Use it with confidence.

final summary

And that about sums up my verdict … this lens is of top quality. It is a fun lens with a unique focal range.  And I predict it is going to sell like hot-cakes.

(Also check out my initial review of the Canon 8-15mm f/4L lens, for more images.)

This lens can be ordered from B&H via this affiliate link: Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom

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initial images – Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens (review)

I got my hands on the brand-new Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom (B&H) today, and I just had to try it out. And what better place than Times Square in Manhattan. Enough tall buildings and billboards to fill the frame of a lens that gives a 180 degree view! Now, before I continue, I have to admit that even though I have a fish-eye lens in my bag, (the Nikon 16mm f2.8), I only occasionally use it. I feel that a fish-eye lens can be over-used very quickly when it draws too much attention to the distorted view that the lens gives, rather than the photograph’s content. That said, I haven’t had this much fun with a new lens in a long, long time!

[ updated: review of the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom ]

While the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom (B&H) can zoom between those two extreme wide angle views, I think it will essentially be used as a dual focal-length lens. At 8mm it gives a circular view of 180 degrees as seen in the top image. At 14-15mm it gives the classic fish-eye look. (For the images here, I used the Canon 5D mk II (B&H).

In-between those two focal lengths, you can see the frame intrudes into the image area, without giving that neat circular effect. In-between focal lengths will have large areas of black, as the lens zooms wider than the image area of a full-frame camera. So I do think that most photographers will use this lens at those two focal lengths for most of the time … 8mm and 15mm.

For comparison, here is the image at the top at 8mm, compared to the image at 15mm. (I have cropped out the black edges of the 3:2 ratio frame of the circular image, to give me a 1:1 image within which the circular image makes more sense.) Also note that we’re seeing 180 degrees there! If I had been able to steady myself properly while looking straight up with this lens on my camera, then we would’ve seen sidewalk right around the edges of the frame.

camera settings: 1/80 @ f5 @ 1250 ISO

Here is the full-frame of a circular image, compared to how I had cropped out the sides, just in case someone was wondering what the actual image would look like as it comes out of your camera. (It’s the same photo, just cropped in Photoshop.)

camera settings: 1/40 @ f4 @ 1250 ISO

Everything takes on a surreal aspect when viewed as a 180 degree circular image. Here is the well-known ceiling of the sidewalk area of the big McDonalds just off Times Square.

camera settings: 1/100 @ f5.6 @ 1250 ISO

shot at 15mm:

shot at 13mm … and you can see the black corners as the image is being zoomed wider than the image circle created by the lens.

shot at 8mm (as cropped in PS) … and that’s the building behind me that you’re seeing at the top of the photo:

camera settings: 1/25 @ f5.6 @ 1250 ISO

We’ll come back to this lens with a more in-depth review, but here are my overall first impressions:

• this is an exceptional lens. It is sharp! Even the extreme edges are sharp. It suffers none of that image softness that plagues the edges of photos taken with the Canon 16-35mm f2.8L II.
• the lens cap design is innovative. It clips on and off. (Nikon could take note here with the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 lens cap that just slips on and off.) As an aside: the lens hood has to be removed for the 8mm focal length.
• the lens is not that much larger than the Canon 15mm f2.8
• the lens focuses surprisingly close – a mere 6.2″
• finally, this is a fun lens.  Optically superb, and fun to use. What else more could you want from a lens.

This lens can be ordered from B&H via this affiliate linkCanon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom

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these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies. Thank you!

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review: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Courtesy of B&H, I had a copy of the brand-new Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II lens to play with for review purposes.  The lens is touted to have improved optical quality, faster auto-focusing, and much better stabilization than the much-loved previous version of this lens. Using the lens on different shoots and walkabouts and tests, I got a fair idea of how the lens performs.  In short, the lens is all that .. faster, sharper and with better image stabilization.  Noticeably so.

The bokeh of this lens is pleasant.  Easily seen in this portrait of my little model, where she is busy collecting feathers.  (And to go off-topic for a moment:  shallow depth-of-field is not the same as bokeh.)  Anyway, this lens has pleasant bokeh. Other lenses might render the background even smoother, but the bokeh in this image above isn’t harsh and intrusive.  The image above was shot at f3.2

My main disappointment with the lens is that it looks so much like the previous version.  The focusing grip is slightly different, and the lens is a touch longer by a few millimeters.  They are quite hard to tell apart. The disappointment would come in that no one would really know you had just spent a small truck-load of money on a new lens.  Unless they bothered to read the numerals on the front lens barrel.  At least Nikon had the courtesy to make their new lens look substantially different.  Easier to swagger with the new gear. ;)

But the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II (B&H)  is definitely a good-looking chunk of glass!

Let’s see how else this lens might impress us ..

The lens, even on a classic Canon 5D, follows focus fairly easily on a moving subject.
I had enough frames in focus to be happy with the results.
1/500 @ f2.8 @ 500 ISO .. with the lens zoomed to 200mm
As you can seee, the bokeh isn’t entirely smooth if you look at the way the branches were rendered.

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My personal opinion is that lenses in the range of the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II (B&H) are ideal for portrait photo sessions.  Flexible, and with a wide enough aperture to render the background without distracting detail.  Of course, that depends on your composition too.

Available light in the cafe;  1/50 @ f2.8 @ 400 ISO .. with the lens zoomed to 125mm
As you can see, the image is crisp even at such a slow shutter speed.

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Video light; 1/200 @ f2.8 @ 800 ISO .. with the lens zoomed to 110 mm

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I roamed around Birdseye, IN, one afternoon, photographing interesting details in some of the unoccupied buildings.  Again, the range of this type of zoom is perfect for picking out details, or zooming wider to encompass more of the scene.  This found collage appealed to me – random decaying items within multiple frames, and  bust of John Wayne.
1/100 @ f5.6 @ 400 ISO .. with the lens zoomed to 90 mm

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The minimum focusing distance of the mk II lens has been every so slightly improved.
It now focuses as close as  3.94′ (compared to the previous 4.6′)
Zoomed to 200mm, you can get surprisingly tight images.
1/160 @ f5.0 @ 400 ISO

This photo below shows but a small section of the astonishing decor and architecture of the West Baden Springs Hotel at French Lick, IN.  This is part of the vast central dome in the hotel. And the colors gradually change!  (Click on the photo for a larger version of the image.)
1/50th @ f4 @ 800 ISO … with the lens zoomed to 200mm.

The one big feature of this newer version of the lens, is the improved Image Stabilization.  Here I shot hand-held at 1/50 @ 200mm .. and the majority of my images were crisp.  Quite impressive. The Image Stabilization is definitely more aggressive than the mk 1 version of this lens.

I then decided to push it even more. Here’s a test shot of part of the hotel facade inside, but shot handheld at  1/5 @ f2.8 @ 1000 ISO

.. and here is a 100% crop of a central portion of the image:

Truly impressive for 1/5 of a second hand-held!  About half the images I shot were this sharp.  Keep in mind that we’re dealing with the lens wide-open, so the optical quality isn’t at the peak either.  On top of this, I shot at 1000 ISO which is starting to push it a little on the classic Canon 5D.  Even then, this might be a good illustration of the sharpness you could expect in low light at very slow shutter speeds, hand-held with this lens.  This improvement alone makes this lens a strong contender for an immediate upgrade.

Finally, let’s look at how the optical performance of this lens has been improved.

By the way, at f2.8 there is vignetting, as you can see from this cropped screengrab of 2 images next to each other as displayed in Adobe Bridge.  (The two images were direct-from-camera JPGs.)

This is typical for zoom lenses used wide open, and wouldn’t concern me.  In fact, I often add even more vignetting to portraits.

For the lens sharpness test, and to compare the mk 1 and mk 2 versions, I photographed the side of this building.  I could then look at how the detail in the shutters and windows were shown.

This is at 70mm, and you can see there is a fair amount of barrel distortion.

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At various focal lengths, the mk2 version was sharper than the mk1.  As it would hopefully be.
Here are two examples, all from in-camera JPGs with sharpening set to minimum.

A:  from this framing ..

A: 100% crop of the left hand side: Canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk 1

A: 100% crop of the left hand side: Canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk 2

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B:  from this framing ..

B: 100% crop towards the bottom left hand side: Canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk 1

B: 100% crop of the left hand side: Canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk 2

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In both those comparisons, you can see that the newer lens has a sharper image with better contrast at f2.8

Overall assessment of the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II

The lens clearly shows improvement over the previous version of the IS lens;
- improved sharpness when used at wide apertures,
- image stabilization is quite impressive now,
- autofocus is faster.

While these might seem like incremental improvements, for some photographers these changes will add up to make this lens an obvious upgrade.  For other photographers, the mk1 version will remain their workhorse lens.  For photographers that are working in low light, and would need the improved sharpness and contrast at wide apertures, and would need the more aggressive stabilization, the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II will be a compelling lens.

If you would like to purchase this lens, it is available from B&H at this link:
Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II

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Canon E-TTL flash settings – Average vs Evaluative flash metering

With TTL flash, (or E-TTL, as Canon call their specific flavor), the camera and speedlight working together according to various algorithms to control the flash exposure. The E-TTL flash exposure will therefore depend on various factors – the tonality of the subject and scene; the brightness of the scene; and how the camera interprets the sections of the metering pattern.  Other factors quite possibly also includes data from the lens.   How these factors inter-relate, we can only make educated guesses; and many photographers have taken time and effort to do test shoots to see how the cameras and speedlights work.

To make things even more interesting, Canon offers two modes of E-TTL flash metering: Average and Evaluative. This is set on the camera body via the custom functions.

The way I understand this to work, is that with Evaluative flash metering, the Canon camera takes the ambient light into account when calculating the flash exposure. With Average flash metering, the flash metering would appear to be de-coupled from the ambient metering, and the camera is less biased by the available light.  (I’m quite willing to be corrected on this.)

So which E-TTL flash exposure mode to use? Average or Evaluative?
In the end, I work in a fairly simplistic way …

With Canon I mostly keep it to Evaluative TTL flash metering. I then adjust my flash exposure compensation to taste. I do this by pre-judging the tonality of my subject and scene, and making an educated guess as to how much FEC would be needed. Then I fine-tune this by looking at the image on the camera’s preview.

This does strongly imply that you have to ride the FEC as you check your results while you shoot. Shoot, check and adjust.

Ultimately you HAVE to get used to how your camera and flash responds, by getting familiar with your equipment and shooting a lot. This to me is the key point here .. being able to roughly predict how my camera will react, and what the flash exposure would be like as a result, and dialing in a certain amount of FEC before even taking the shot.  It comes with experience and shooting a lot.

The general approach:
Keep to Average TTL flash metering mode if the flash is a dominant light source.
Change to Evaluative flash metering when the flash needs to act as fill-flash or when the flash is in relation to the ambient light .

This is the approach as generally advised on various websites and forums, and is how I used to do it with the Canon 5D / 1D mk II / 1D mk II N / 1D mk III

I would be change between the two modes, picking Average TTL Metering when the flash was a dominant source of light … and Evaluative TTL Metering when I wanted fill-flash, or needed the flash exposure in relation to the ambient exposure. With the Nikon D3, I would just use TTL BL mode and adjust from there. Since TTL flash metering is dependent on the tonality of your subject / scene (and all the other factors), you will have to ride your FEC anyway.

I mostly kept my Canon D-SLRs set to Evaluative flash metering, just riding my FEC higher to make up for the difference between how the camera.

My take on it is that I am better of using one of the modes the majority of the time, and get a feel for how my camera and flash would react. Rather that, than jumping between the modes, and hoping the camera and flash will sort it out, without much input from me as the photographer.

Once again, this means that there has to be some familiarity in how a specific camera and speedlight works together. This, for example, is how I noticed that I needed to adjust the FEC on my D3 bodies differently than I was used to on the D2x and D2H … which was close to what I was used to on the Canon D-SLRs I have used.

As an example – One instance where I know I would need to dial in a lot more flash exposure compensation, is with a back-lit subject.  The Canon flash system seems to be easily influenced by strong back-lighting, especially in Evaluative TTL metering mode.  So I would instantly dial in at least 1 EV more on my FEC in that case, as a start.

So whichever TTL flash exposure mode you use, for the same situation, you’d just set your FEC to different values … and still get correct exposure in an iterative way by:
- pre-judging the amount of FEC you might need,
- taking the image, and then looking at your camera’s preview,
- and making a visual judgment of how much more or less FEC you would need.

We need to accept a certain flexibility in our technique … as opposed to expecting that by meticulously analyzing how our camera and speedlight work in test situations, that we could get every image perfectly exposed from the very first frame. I believe this one of those areas where there is a danger of over-thinking it and expecting real world situations to fall withing specifically anticipated behavior … when it is much simpler and better, to simply adjust your FEC as you need, on an on-going basis while you shoot.

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The specialty of a macro lens is in allowing you much much closer to your subject than a normal optic would .. with the ease of continuous focusing from infinity to the closest distance.  No need to screw in additional rings or lenses or reverse your lens.  A macro lens works as a close-up lens, and as a more usual optic.  And that’s the versatility of it.

hands-on review: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS lens

The main feature of the new macro lens is that it offers stabilization.  Now this might not seem such a big deal to photographers who work with a tripod and photograph more static subjects – but the moment you want to shoot on the move, and play around fluently with your composition and angles – then using the lens hand-held becomes a huge advantage.

Instead of photographing the usual macro subjects – flowers and insects – I decided to test the Canon 100 mm f/2.8 IS macro lens (B&H), during a portrait session with a model, Annisa.  

In the photo above, my settings were 1/200th @ f3.2 @ 400 ISO.  In testing the lens with and without the IS enabled, there is a clear difference in the crispness of the (handheld) images.  There’s no doubt that the IS works, and is a major improvement on the previous generation of this lens ..

Of course, I had to machine-gun the series of images to get a few images which were critically sharp.  This is because the depth-of-field was minimal at f3.2 at such a relatively close focusing distance.  If I merely breathed, or the model moved ever so slightly, the photograph would be out of focus.   That I had to do this was no fault of this exemplary lens, but rather a by-product of the way that I chose to shoot – handheld.   The stabilization will definitely help with camera shake, but won’t affect how sharp my subject appears due to subject movement .. or my own movement towards or away from my subject, however small a distance it might appear to be.

One more photograph of our model, but this time at  1/100th @ f4 @ 400 ISO

[ click on the photo for a larger image ]

… and it is super-sharp on her one eye, while in an enlarged view,  her mouth goes gently out of focus at such a short focusing distance.   Once again, the lens’ stabilization is without a doubt a huge boost here in the results you can achieve.

I used the Canon 7D camera (B&H) for this photo session. (A review on this camera will follow soon.)

Specifications:

Minimum focusing distance: 12″ / 0.31 meters
Filter size: 67mm   (the older lens has a filter size of 58mm)
Weight:  1.38 lbs / 625g  (ever so slightly heavier than the previous lens)
Length:  4.8″ / 123mm   (a fraction longer than the previous lens)

Optical performance:

The optical performance of this lens is very impressive!  This lens is sharp.  Even at f2.8
The edge-to-edge sharpness is superb, as you’d expect from a macro lens.

auto-focus performance:

Theis updated lens focuses noticeably faster than its predecessor. Macro lenses have a tendency to be slow to focus because of the extreme range that it can focus – hence the focus / distance limiters – but this lens has a very firm response when you initiate auto-focus. Fast and assured.

Controls:

The lens offers the usual controls via the buttons on the left-hand side of the lens barrel:
 - focusing ranges,
 - auto focus / manual focus
 - stabilization on / off

Final thoughts:

If you want / need a stellar macro lens for your Canon camera, and would also like it to double up as an effective portrait lens, then this is it!  Optical performance is truly great, and the lens handles well and offers stabilization.  This is as good as it gets.

If you are interested, this lens is available as a rental from LensProToGo, 
or if you’d like to purchase this lens, it is available from B&H and Amazon:

Canon 100 mm f/2.8 IS macro lens (B&H)

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the Best Camera in the World ..

.. will be the one where the camera manufacturers allow me some input into the matter.  If only Nikon and Canon (and Pentax and Fuji and everyone else) would just gather around a table and listen to me.  If only …

When I get to handle a new camera, I often wonder why the manufacturers designed a camera the specific way they did.  It might be the strange placement of a button or control; or the omission of a feature, or even the deliberate hampering of features in the non-pro bodies.  Sometimes I just wish they would bring in a feature that I love on another camera.

Here are the gear-head musings on what I would insist the Best Camera in the World would be like, if I had any say in it.  (Sorry, but that means this posting will have a lot of words and no images this time around.)

Firstly, the Best Camera in the World would have to be a modern full-frame digital SLR camera (D-SLR)  for the combination of accessibility, versatility and image quality.

I recently moved from using Canon 1D mkIII bodies to using Nikon D3 bodies.  Personally, I think the Nikon D3 is the best camera that has ever been made to date.   But there are a number of pros and cons, and not everything falls in favor of the Nikon D3.  Therefore most of this post is a comparison between these two cameras, and which things from either camera I would want to see in the Best Camera in the World.

But before we even get there, I have to touch on something - Exposure Modes.  Both these cameras fall down sorely when it comes to how the exposure modes are accessed.  Pentax’s ingenuity here towers over them in this regard.

Exposure modes:  Hyper-Program and Hyper-Manual

When Pentax brought out the Pentax Z-1 / PZ-1 in the early 90′s, they had re-thought the way a camera’s exposure modes should to be implemented, in a most inspired way.  They had the usual range of exposures modes we all know, such as Shutter Priority (Tv) and Aperture Priority (Av).   But Program mode became Hyper-Program; and Manual mode became Hyper-Manual.  Sure this sounded gimmicky, until you handled the camera and realized what they achieved.

Hyper-Program worked like Program mode, except that if you dialed the shutter button, it would immediately change to Shutter Priority (Tv), as you change to specific shutter speeds.  Similarly, if you dialed the Aperture dial, then the camera instantly changed to Aperture Priority mode (Av), as you set the aperture.  No need to switch mode dials on the top of the camera.  You just turned either the aperture dial or shutter speed dial to change between the modes at will. And if you wanted to return to the usual Program mode, you just hit the * (star) button.   Intuitive and simple.   (And no, this is completely different than Program Shift.)

Hyper-Manual worked a similar elegant magic in how you controlled the camera’s manual exposure mode.  Let’s say you rely on your built-in meter in this scenario.  If you use any other camera in manual exposure mode, you have to dial the shutter button and aperture button to get to the correct combination for proper exposure.  With Hyper-Manual, you just hit the * button, and the camera entered a combination of settings for you, depending on where you pointed your camera.  This combination of settings could be according to a Program-mode line, or according to the shutter speed your camera happened to be at; or the aperture your camera happened to be at.  (This was set deeper in the menu according to your preference.)

Let’s say you knew you’d be working at f2.8 .. then you’d just hit the * button and the appropriate shutter speed was entered for you.  Perfect for working with the camera’s spot-meter.  If you’ve ever tried to spot-meter with a long lens on your camera while hand-holding it, AND looking at your metering display .. then you know how tough it is.  But with Hyper-Manual mode, you just hit the * button while looking precisely where your spot-meter is aiming.  Much faster.  You just hit one button with your thumb, and you’re set.

Now, should you decide you have the correct exposure, but want to change your shutter speed or aperture, then you hit the Exposure Lock button, and change either the aperture or shutter speed .. and the other setting will follow in relation to the metering value that was entered.

With any other camera, let’s say you have 1/500th @ f2.8 but you want 1/200th @ f4.5 .. then you’d have to turn both dials by the same amount of clicks.  But with Hyper-Manual mode, you lock the exposure combination, and just change the one dial. Either one.  Doesn’t matter.

The way these two modes work is such an incredible stroke of genius, that any camera that doesn’t have those two modes, is severely hampered already.  The Best Camera in the World needs to have Pentax’s Hyper-Program and Hyper-Manual modes.

Now for the rest of the handling, features, buttons and dials …

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The Best Camera in the World also needs …

As mentioned earlier, I’ve used the Canon 1D mk3 bodies extensively, and have now moved to using Nikon D3 bodies.  As wonderful as the Nikon D3 is (and I certainly have strong reasons for the move), the D3 could be improved upon further:

Things that the 1D mk3 has, but are (sadly) lacking on the D3:

• flash exposure compensation on the body.
• flash exposure compensation read-out in the viewfinder.  Another big plus for the Canon.
• being able to select which card I am writing to, and looking at.  You can’t do that with the D3. This is far better thought-out and implemented on the 1D mk3.
• the way you can speedily flick through images with the rear dial. I loved that.
• I preferred the more sensible layout of the AF sensors in the viewfinder of the 1D mk3. (Nikon fans are going to kill me for even saying this.)
• the mk3 has a mode where the shutter noise is quieter. Not quite silent, but definitely quieter.
• the 1D mk3 sensor is self-cleaning .. and it works!  The D3 has nothing. :-/

Things that are better on the D3 …

• AF speed and accuracy, especially in low light.  Seriously, the Nikon D3 is better here.
• high-ISO noise is better with the D3 than the 1D mk3. It’s not a huge jump, but higher ISOs look cleaner on the D3.
• I can select flash OFF with a simple touch of a button on the front of the D3.
• I can program the DoF button for other functions, such as changing to spot-metering momentarily.
• custom function d7 allows the LCDs to light up any time I touch any button.   This is a big deal for me. I hated how the LCD light button was implemented on the 1D mk3 and Canon 5D.
• the feel of the Nikon D3.   It just wants to be gripped in your hands.

Things I hate about the D3 ..

• the positioning of the lever on the front of the camera where you select between Single / Continuous / Manual focusing.  It can easily be knocked out of position.  The way Canon implements this is much better.
• the image type button (raw/jpg) is riiiiight next to the ISO button and WB button.  It’s just begging for you to switch to small JPG instead of RAW during some important point during a shoot.  This is a huge oversight in the controls of the D3.  There should be massive separation between controls which are often adjusted such as ISO and WB … and settings that are crucial, but not adjusted that often, such as selecting the image type and quality (raw/jpg).

Things I loooove about the D3 ..

• I can use Nikon zooms.  The Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 (B&H), is the best mid-range zoom I have used, and the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 (B&H), is a thing of unparalleled beauty.

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That about covers it as a comparison between these two cameras here.  Some pros and cons to both these top-of-the-line bodies.  From these lists of things I love and hate about either of those two cameras, you can immediately see what I would like to be included for the Best Camera in the World.  I want a hybrid between these two cameras … with Pentax’s Hyper-Program and Hyper-Manual modes.

Ideally, all the camera manufacturer would come together and ask my input on designing their next camera.  So if any of the designing engineers at Canon and Nikon are reading this .. give me a call.  I’m waiting.

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One of the frequent topics on the various forums is the Canon vs Nikon debate … and one of the usual replies is that Nikon is better in certain ways, and Canon is better in other ways.  And the common wisdom that Nikon’s flash system is superior to Canon.  And this seems to be accepted as one of those general truths.

Now, having shot primarily Nikon for a few years (D100 / D2H / D2x), and then Canon (mk2 / mk2N / 5D / mk3), and now Nikon again (D3) … I have this observation about Canon’s flash system vs Nikon’s flash system … they are different. 

Disregarding wireless TTL flash, where Nikon is ahead in simplicity of operation and how much control you have – if we just look at TTL flash in various situations – I honestly can’t say the one is better than the other.  Just that they are different.  So I have to go against the common wisdom there.

But they are different in ways that aren’t easy to quantify.  Where I’m used to Canon’s TTL flash responding in a certain way during different situations, the Nikon flash needs different flash exposure compensation.  So it responds differently, and I have to get used to it again.

This is going to be a long post and I’m afraid the point of what I am trying to say might get lost along the way.  So here it is right at the start already:  When it comes to any particular TTL flash system, just become familiar with it.  You can then make it work. 
As simple a point as this … get used to how your particular camera and flash respond, and adjust your technique accordingly.

So, down to business …

One thing I noticed during the workshops that I present, where everyone has a different camera, is that Canon and Nikon responds differently with fill-flash.  And I wanted to explain some of the differences that I observed, in a blog posting here, so I took a series of images of one of the models, using a Nikon D3 and a Canon 5D mk2.

But before we get there, here are a few disclaimers:
1. This is not a Nikon versus Canon argument.
2. I have no idea how any camera handles TTL flash while the camera is an auto mode of any kind.  I also have no desire to learn about this and figure out how the engineers wrote their algorithms for flash when using your camera in Aperture Priority etc.

I use TTL flash in a fairly simplistic way:
I figure out what my ambient light is doing, and figure out what I want my ambient exposure settings to be, and then set my camera accordingly in manual exposure mode …  adding some amount of TTL flash to this, whether:
a. fill-flash to a certain extent, or
b. flash liberally mixed with the ambient light, or
c. have the ambient exposure low and then over-riding it completely with flash.

These decisions usually translate to these broad methods of adding flash to ambient:
a. get a good base exposure for my ambient light, and then add fill-flash to some degree, or
b. get an ambient exposure that is decent, but still under-exposed to a small extent, and then add a fair amount of flash to it.
c. under-expose the ambient light because it isn’t ideal, and then have my flash as my main source of light, over-riding the ambient light completely.

This simplicity of using manual exposure mode, and then adding a certain amount of TTL flash to it, works for me.  I decide how much ambient light I want to record, and then add flash to it.

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With the workshops, there is a certain technical exercise that I have the attendees do, in order for them to get grips with metering techniques, including selective in-camera metering; the use of the histogram; and then finally adding TTL fill-flash to reduce the contrast.

Here is some images from what would be a typical sequence of images:

To start off with, a window-lit portrait of the model with the exposure determined with the histogram for each camera.

As you can see, exposures are good in that I am not losing detail on her shirt.

image on left:  Canon 5D mk2;  Canon 85mm f1.2 II;  580EX II
image on right: Nikon D3;  Nikon 28-70mm f2.8 AF-S;  SB-900;  TTL BL
(click on these images to see a slightly larger version)

There is going to be some contrast differences and color differences between the two cameras - mainly because  I haven’t properly set up ACR yet for my tastes for the Canon 5D mk2.  Therefore the 5D mk2 images might lack some punch here in comparison to the D3, but that is entirely my doing.  But the difference in color, etc, is not the discussion here.

Also, with these images, there is 1/3rd stop difference in the settings, but I went by the histogram to get correct exposure via the brightest part of her shirt.

The particular sequence that I do, is with the model looking straight at the camera, with the one side of her face lit by the window-light, and the shadow side of her face lit by varying degrees of flash.

Here is the sequence for the Canon 5D mk2 and 580EX II, changing no settings other than FEC:
The flash metering was set to Evaluative in the camera.  In my experience, Average flash metering makes the TTL flash too strong with the 5D / mk2 / mk2N / mk3 bodies that I have used, for times when I want fill-flash.

Canon: no flash
So here there is a lot of contrast because of the inside of the room not reflecting much ambient light back onto her.
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Canon: FEC -EV
The bounced flash lifts the shadow areas a little bit.  Just perceptible.
This, imho, is where -3EV FEC needs to reside .. adding just a touch of fill-flash without being obvious.
I like this.
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Canon: -2EV FEC
This looks the best to my eyes .. the contrast is lifted juuuust enough without anyone being wiser that flash was used.
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Canon: -1EV FEC
The shadow areas are now significantly brighter.
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Canon: 0EV
The flash is now adding nearly as much light as the ambient. (It will still be about a stop lower than ambient because of the brighter tones of her shirt and skin pulling down the automatic-metered TTL flash exposure.)
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OK .. so far so good.
There is a linear progression here that is predictable within the usual constraints of  TTL flash exposure.  Meaning, we have to keep in mind that the tonality of the subject and scene WILL affect our exposure. But .. we’re wise to this and can compensate and even pre-evaluate this with some experience.

Let’s see what the Nikon D3 does.
Here’s the D3 with the SB-900 in exactly the same situation, with -3EV dialed in on the flash in TTL BL mode:

It looks good, but imho, is too much flash for a setting of -3EV.

Where I think it should’ve been is around here with what I get at -5EV cumulative FEC + overall exposure comp.

See? Now we’re getting back to where the flash is barely perceptible .. which, again, IMHO, is where -3EV FEC should reside.
I want flash to be juuuust perceptible at this point.

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One of the advances that the Canon EOS-1 D Mark III  bodies made over the previous generation 1-series D-SLRS, is in an easier menu system – especially the ‘My Menu settings’.  So while the menu system of the mk3 makes it easier to adjust settings, My Menu settings allow you to change a few of them on-the-run without having to delve into different parts of the mk3 menu.

Here is how I had my cameras set up:

• E-TTL II flash metering

This allows you to change between Evaluative Flash metering and Average Flash metering.  In general, I get better fill-flash results with the camera set to Evaluative Flash metering.  Where my flash dominates as the light source, or if I am shooting in back-lit situations, I change to Average.  (Although you could also just crank up the flash exposure compensation wildly when using Evaluative Flash Metering in a back-lit situation.

• Highlight Alert

The highlight alert is an essential part in seeing whether you have correct exposure.  If your subject has white areas, (eg, a model wearing white clothing), then it is a very useful and immediate confirmation that you have trouble with your exposure .. or not.  So I always keep Highlight Alert enabled.  As a wedding photographer however, I often want to show my client what we’re achieving during a portrait session, and then the Highlight Alert would be distracting and confusing to them.  So keeping this setting quickly accessible, I can turn it off before showing the client the image on the back of my LCD.

• Selectable AF point

I frequently switch between the simpler layout of the ‘Inner 9 Points * ‘  (the 4th option on this setting), and the 3rd option – ’19 Points * ‘

• External Speedlight Control

Because the menu system of the 580EX II speedlight is so spartan (why Canon, why why why?), it is very useful to be able to actually understand what each custom function is that you’re changing on your speedlight.

• Record func+media / folder sel

I use an 8 Gb SD card in the second slot of the mk3 body, to record M1 size JPGs to this card as a back-up of the RAW files that are being recorded on the (main) CF card.  Being able to have a redundant recording of your files as you shoot is very reassuring.  I haven’t had a CF card go down on me yet, but if I ever have that snag, then I would have the 8 Mpixel JPG as a back-up.  With this menu setting, I can flip between recording modes, and also flip between the cards, and see which folders there are. 

• Format

It is useful to have this setting immediately available when formatting numerous cards.  (Although I have to say that due to my paranoia, I never format a card while on a shoot. Always before the time as part of the preparation for a shoot.)

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Other settings on the Canon 1D mk3:

I use the Standard Picture Style as a default, with Contrast at 1, and Saturation at 1.  However, since I only shoot in the RAW format, these settings can always be changed while editing the RAW file in Canon’s DPP software.  (If you edit in another RAW program, then these settings have no impact at all.)

Review Time is set to Hold.
I like having the image on the LCD for as long as I want, without having to hit play.  Simply tapping my shutter button puts the camera back into shooting mode.

No Beep!

Shoot w/o Card is set to OFF.  This is very important, since I don’t even want to think of the possibility of shooting without a card in the camera.  If you shoot tethered, then it’s a different story of course.

C.Fn I-9 : Manual, Av, Program
I only have these three exposure modes enabled, to simplify my options.  Although I very very rarely go out of manual exposure mode, I like having the other two modes available, but really don’t need shutter priority or Bulb for my photography.

C.Fn II-2 : High ISO noise reduction – On

C.Fn III-10 : Switch to registered AF point – On

C.Fn IV-1 : Shutter button - 1:Metering + AF start / AF stop
I prefer using the shutter button to focus, lock & hold when shooting in One Shot mode.

C.Fn IV-4 : Set Button – 1:White Balance
I love this feature, having the WB setting just a quick thumb push away on the rear Set button.  I can see how using this button to have instant access to ISO settings would also be useful.

C.Fn IV-8 : WB + media/image size - 1:LCD monitor
It is just so much simpler making these changes on the large LCD screen than the smaller LCD panel.

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