The feature I would like Canon to add to my cameras

I have found that with the increasing configuration options and functionality of the cameras below the EOS-1D series I’m really missing one feature that is found on the EOS-1D models…

“I want to be able to backup and restore my complete camera configuration”

It takes a long time set up two cameras exactly the same as a result of the current levels of configuration options.

I teach camera workshops, and help individual photographers learn to make full use of EOS cameras for their kind of photography. Invariably this necessitates an in-depth tour through an ever increasing set of menus with several sub levels and sometimes easy-to-miss specific options.

What this means for me is that it is getting much harder to reset my own cameras back to “my configuration” each time I do a training session. It also means that if I were to loan or rent a camera for a specific project it is also hard to have the rental camera completely and quickly match my own optimised setup. I could miss pictures as a result.

The feature I want already exists in EOS-1D series cameras

Save / Load camera settings in EOS-1D X

This is really helpful for working pros who might need to pick up a camera and just shoot with it at an event or while their cameras are in service. They can keep a small memory card with their existing camera configuration on and simply restore it on the loan camera. They might even have different configuration files for cameras used as remotes.

As this feature exists for the very configurable EOS-1D series cameras I know it can be done. Whether it can be done with a firmware update to the EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 5DS/5DS R; I don’t know, but I still want it.

A solution I could live with…

How backup / restore of camera settings might look in EOS Utility

You may think I’m just complaining, but…

I love the features and functionality of the latest cameras, they really do help to optimise a camera for a specific task or photographers way or operating.

However, when I pickup a camera here’s 20 of the typical things I do to each one

1. Switch off the beeping tones
2. Switch off the ability to take pictures without a card in the camera
3. Set the camera to shoot RAW
4. Switch off ALO
5. Optimise the Picture Style
6. Choose or customise the AF case
7. Select the AF point / area selection modes to limit to just those I use
8. Activate orientation linked AF points
9. Change the AF selection to allow it to wrap around
10. Turn on the highlight alert
11. Optimise the auto rotate in playback
12. Setup the filenames used in camera
13. Set the LCD to manual brightness level
14. Configure the copyright info
15. Change the rate button to only allow 1-star and 5-star selections
16. Change the default erase option
17. Optimise the custom controls, including back button AF
18. Configure the My Menu
19. Connect EOS Utility to set the camera owners name
20. Configure C3 on the mode dial to be optimised for video shooting

That last point about C3 is way bigger than the others since I do a lot of camera optimisation to make it more comfortable to shoot movies.