Table Of Contenti
The Canon 5D Mark III
ii The Canon 5D Mark III
When James (Jim) Johnson retired from a 25-year
career as a software developer for IBM, he had
already been working as a contract technical
editor for Microsoft. After his retirement, tech-
nical editing and technical writing became his
primary source of income to cover the cost of his
‘toys’, most of which were computer equipment
and photographic equipment.
Jim’s involvement with cameras began in the
mid '50s when he needed to record the interior
of caves in Kentucky. At the time, the greatest challenge was to provide adequate
illumination in a manner that did not defile the caves; thus, he purchased a Leica
3F camera (which was then the norm) and experimented with numerous lighting
sources. He was later able to add a nice piece of brass-and-glass manufactured
by Canon during the post-war occupation. That 100mm telephoto lens was every
bit as sharp and capable as the Leica lenses. And so began an appreciation for
Japanese camera equipment. There have been numerous Nikon cameras and
lenses over the years, but Jim’s peers are ardent Canon enthusiasts, so he now
entertains himself by exploring the latest Canon products.
Jim and his wife Heather live on the California coast, with their home overlook-
ing the Morro Bay estuary. The coast, the bays, and the mountains all combine to
host a vast array of botanical subjects which are the focus of Jim’s current photo-
graphic interest.
iii
The Canon 5D Mark III
The Guide to Understanding and Using Your Camera
Jim Johnson
iv The Canon 5D Mark III
James Johnson
Publisher: Gerhard Rossbach
Project Editor: Beth Bernstein
Copyeditor: Jeanne Hansen
Layout and type: Jan Martí, Command Z
Cover design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de
Back cover image: James Johnson
Printer: Sheridan Books, Inc.
Printed in USA
ISBN 978-1-937538-15-6
1st Edition 2012
© 2012 by James Johnson
Rocky Nook, Inc.
802 East Cota Street., 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
www.rockynook.com
Distributed by O‘Reilly Media
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Johnson, James, 1935-
Canon EOS 5D Mark III : the guide to understanding and using your camera / by James Johnson.
-- 1st edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-937538-15-6 (pbk.)
1. Canon digital cameras. 2. Photography--Digital techniques. 3. Single-lens reflex cameras. I.
Title. II. Title: Canon EOS 5D Mark 3.
TR263.C3J64 2012
771.3--dc23
2012034361
Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their prod-
ucts are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in
this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in
caps or initial caps. They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies,
they are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any
form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information stor-
age and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. While reasonable
care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments v
Acknowledgments
A number of people have contributed to the preparation of this book. Very early in
the writing, I asked two published photographers to review chapters for adequacy
of coverage as much as for accuracy. Marlin Harms and Bob Canepa, both from the
California Central Coast area, provided direction and correction, with Marlin also
contributing several of the chapter-opening photos. Juergen Gulbins, from Keltern,
Germany, provided the book’s Foreword as well as several of the chapter-opening
photos. As always, the staff of Rocky Nook are competent, helpful, and available, as
are the contractors Rocky Nook hires for their special areas of technical expertise.
Of course, my most valuable colleague and collaborator is my best friend, who
is also my wife, editor, advisor, and motivator. To Heather this book is dedicated.
vi Preface
Preface
Though we will mention subjects such as shooting movies or shooting stills with
the Scene Intelligent Auto mode, the audience for this book is expected to be still-
photo shooters with a skill set ranging from amateurs with prior DSLR experience
to full-time professionals. This book is for photographers who are comfortable
with basic photography, but who need an understanding of the myriad features,
functions, options, and settings available with the EOS 5D Mk III camera.
The Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) was introduced in 1987 with the
Canon EOS 650, the first auto-focus camera from Canon. Though it appears that
today’s Canon SLR cameras are all digital, the EOS technology is still in production
as Canon’s current DSLR system. The acronym EOS was chosen to honor Eos, the
Titan Goddess of dawn in Greek mythology, and is often pronounced as a word,
although some spell out the letters, reading it as an initialism.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is a sophisticated DSLR, more capable (and complex)
than the Rebel series of Canon cameras, the two-digit D-series of Canon cameras,
and even the 6D and 7D Canon cameras, but certainly not in the same league as
the professional 1D cameras. I’ve written this book for photographers who are
upgrading to the 5D Mk III with the intent to have them understand the features of
the 5D Mk III and how to implement and manage those features. The professional
photographers who acquire a 5D Mk III as a backup camera for their 1D-series
camera will already have mastered most of these techniques and processes, so I
don’t anticipate having too many of them in this audience.
The references to Canon models use the model-designations applied by Canon
to the models as sold in the United States. If you have a model intended for a non-
US market, it will likely have a different model designation.
Some of the features introduced or enhanced in the EOS 5D Mk III are so complex
in function and beyond what we have come to expect from good cameras that
they are difficult to adequately describe in words. If I create an interest or curiosity
regarding some elegant new feature, you may want to take advantage of some
media resources from Canon, which can be found at
http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/galleries/tutorials
/eos_5d_markiii_tutorials.shtml
This is a collection of short videos and excellent articles with graphics to help
demonstrate difficult concepts as well as the amazing photographic results you
can expect using these features.
Technology is evolving so fast that it’s difficult to keep up with all of the relevant
photography components that can be affected, even for those whose profession
Preface
Preface vii
is to write about new advances for the rest of us. The world of flash continues to
evolve, with a sudden burst of on-camera controllers for remote units, and new
radio-controlled remote units not recognizing the optical-wireless controllers
of earlier this year, or requiring reconfiguration away from radio-wireless to be
downward compatible.
The sheer number of features available in the EOS 5D Mk III, along with the
extensive menus and other controls, tends to overwhelm the mind’s ability to
comprehend, recall, and correctly apply the appropriate set of variables for
achieving the best possible photos. I encourage you to rely on this book, the
Instruction Manual, and the camera’s built-in Help facilities for assistance on those
what-and-how concerns, allowing your mind to remain alert for photographic
opportunities, compositions, and exposures.
Table of Contents
viii Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 2
Part One
4 Chapter One: The Equipment 20 Chapter Two: Buttons, Dials,
Knobs, and their Purposes
What’s in the New Package?
What Else Do I Need? Camera Body Reference
From the Back
From the Top
From the Front
From the Bottom
From the Left Side, Closed
From the Left Side, Open
From the Right Side, Closed
From the Right Side, Open
Table of Contents Table of Contents ix
3 4
46 Chapter Three: Managing 66 Chapter Four: Finding and
Dials, Buttons, Switches, Interpreting Image-Related
and a Joystick Information
The Dials Before an Exposure
The Buttons After an Exposure
The Joystick
The Power Switch
The Live View Shooting
/Movie Shooting Switch
The Multi-function Lock
