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Exploring the Canon EOS 7D Mark II

In This Chapter

Getting familiar with camera controls

Understanding the LCD panel

Decoding and adjusting the viewfinder

Attaching and removing lenses

Using zoom and image stabilization lenses

Changing basic camera settings

Using memory cards

Charging your battery

Cleaning your sensor

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II, which evolved from the Canon EOS 7D that was introduced in late 2009, has all the latest bells and whistles Canon has to offer. It's a technological marvel that enables you to take great pictures and capture high-definition (HD) video. The camera has a new processor and an advanced, highly customizable 65-point autofocus system that gives you the ability to capture great images in low light and at a blindingly fast speed of up to 10 frames per second, which is ideal for action photography. You can also create HDR (high dynamic range) images and use the new interval timer to create time-lapse movies. And this camera features a viewfinder that shows you 100 percent of what the lens captures: What you see is what you get. A dual-axis level (the equivalent of a spirit level in a tripod) lets you capture pictures with horizon lines that are level. In addition, the camera has built-in GPS, which, when enabled, pinpoints the location where each image was captured and includes GPS data with the image metadata. The camera also has a built-in flash system that can be used wirelessly to control external Canon Speedlites.

Getting familiar with all this new technology can seem daunting even to a seasoned photographer. I was impressed, albeit a tad flummoxed, when I saw the first reviews for the all-singing, all-dancing EOS 7D Mark II. Even though I'm a seasoned Canon digital single-lens reflex (SLR) user - my first digital SLR was the EOS 10D - I still had a bit of a learning curve when I first had the camera in hand, chomping at the bit to create some pictures. But it's my job to get down to brass tacks with new technology and show you how to master it. The fact that you're reading this probably means that you want to know how to use all the bells and whistles Canon has built into the EOS 7D Mark II. In this chapter, I familiarize you with the controls, the camera lens, the camera settings, the battery, and the memory cards you use to capture images with the camera.

Getting to Know the Controls

If you're a longtime Canon user, you know that you can do an awful lot with the camera by using external controls, which saves you from poking around inside pesky menus. The camera controls are easy to reach and give you access to many powerful features. Although you may think it seems like a daunting task to know which button does what, after you use the camera for a while, you'll automatically know which control gives you your desired result and then reach for it instinctively, without taking your eye from the viewfinder. But first, you need to know what each control does. I explain the controls you find on the outside of the camera in the upcoming sections.

Exploring the top of your camera

The top of the camera, shown in Figure 1-1, is where you find the controls you use most when taking pictures. The top of the camera is where you change settings like ISO (International Organization for Standards) and shutter speed, choose a shooting mode, and press the shutter button to take a picture. You can do lots of other things from the top of the camera, which in my humble opinion, is the most important real estate on the camera, with the possible exception of the lens. I suggest you get to know the controls on the top of your camera intimately, like the back of your hand. Many photographers, including me, make it a point to memorize where the controls are and access them without taking an eye off the viewfinder. Here's what you find on the top of the camera:

• Shutter button: This button prefocuses the camera and takes a picture. (I discuss this button in greater detail in Chapter 2.)
• Multi-Function button: This button changes the function of a multi-purpose button, and is used extensively when specifying which autofocus point or zone is used to achieve focus. I show you how and when to use this button when related to a specific task.
• Main dial: This dial changes a setting when you rotate it after pressing a button. For example, after you press the ISO speed button, you rotate this dial to change the ISO speed setting. I show you how to use this dial as it relates to a specific task.
• LCD Panel Illumination button: Press this button when you're in dim or dark conditions and you need to shed a little light on the LCD panel.
• ISO Speed Setting/Flash Exposure Compensation button: This button sets the ISO speed setting or the flash exposure compensation. (See Chapter 7 for more on the ISO speed setting and flash exposure compensation.)
• Drive/AF button: This button sets the autofocus mode. You can choose from three autofocus modes. You also use this button to change the drive mode from single shot to continuous shooting to auto-timer. (I give you the skinny on autofocus modes in Chapter 6.)
• White Balance/Metering Mode button: This button changes the white balance or metering mode. (See Chapter 6 for more on the metering mode and white balance.)
• LCD panel: This panel shows you all the current settings. I show you how to read the information in this panel in the section, "Deciphering the LCD Panel," later in this chapter.
• Hot shoe: Slide a compatible flash unit (a Canon flash unit is dubbed a Speedlite) that's compatible with the EOS 7D Mark II into this slot. The contacts in the hot shoe communicate between the camera and the flash unit. (I discuss flash photography in Chapter 7.)
• GPS antenna: The body of this camera is made of magnesium, which is wonderfully durable, but GPS signals have a hard time passing through it, which is why the wily engineers at Canon put the GPS antenna in a little bubble on top of the camera body. Looks kinda like a hood scope on a racing car. Way cool.
• Mode Dial Lock Release button: This welcome feature is a button that when pushed enables you to change from one shooting mode to another. When in the upright and locked position, it's not possible to accidentally change shooting modes in the heat of battle.
• Mode dial: You use this button to specify which shooting mode the camera uses to take the picture. (I show you how to use this dial to choose specific shooting modes in Chapter 6, and in Chapter 8, I show you how to choose optimal settings for specific picture-taking situations.)

Figure 1-1: Get to know these controls like the back of your hand.

Exploring the back of your camera

The back of the camera, shown in Figure 1-2, is also an important place. Here you find controls to power up your camera, access the camera menu, and much more. The following is what you find on the back of your EOS 7D Mark II:

• AF Point Selection button: This button enables you to change from multiple autofocus points to a single autofocus point (see Chapter 6).
• AE Lock button: This button enables you to lock exposure to a specific part of the frame (see Chapter 6).
• AF-On button: This button, in certain shooting modes, establishes focus (see Chapter 6).
• Live View/Movie Shooting switch: This switch enables you to shoot in Live View mode or to shoot movies, which I explain in detail in Chapter 5.
• Start/Stop button: Push this button to shoot in Live View mode. When you switch to movie shooting mode, this button starts and stops recording (see Chapter 5).
• Multi-Controller button: Use this button for a myriad of tasks, such as changing the autofocus point, selecting an option when using the Quick Control menu instead of the camera menu, or switching from one camera menu to the next. (I explain this button in detail when it's associated with a specific task throughout this book.)
• AF Area Selection switch: This switch is used in conjunction with the AF Point Selection button to select the desired autofocus point or autofocus zone.
• Quick Control button: Press this button to display the Quick Control menu on the LCD monitor. (I show you how to use the Quick Control menu in Chapter 4.) It is also used in conjunction with the Menu button to quickly switch from one menu tab to another. (I show you how to use this button throughout this book as the need arises when selecting menu commands.)
• Quick Control dial: This dial selects a setting or highlights a menu item. This dial is used when performing various tasks, and I discuss it throughout this book as needed.
• Handy Pad: This convenient touch pad is used to change multiple settings when shooting movies in silent mode (see Chapter 5).
• Set button: Press this button to confirm a task, such as erasing an image from your card or setting a menu option. I show you how to use this button to perform a specific task throughout this book.
• Ambient Light sensor: Used to determine the brightness of the LCD monitor, unless you manually change...