I picked up my EOS 5D Mark IV yesterday lunch time, then spent part of the afternoon taking photos of it!
I already had it in my plan that when the EOS 5D Mark IV would be launched I was going to get one. I had it in my plan since the early part of this year, but things took a little longer for it to arrive.
First things first for me was to get some pictures while it was still clean and tidy, so I put on my oldest and favoured EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens and put the new camera in for it’s headshot. I use the 85mm as it has a small diameter and so doesn’t obscure the camera.
So after less than 24 hours I have been through the camera menus and tried to get my “regular” setup as I want. It takes some time, and I really wish there was a way to back up the camera settings – as I asked previously.
A few first thoughts about EOS 5D Mark IV…
If you’re upgrading from an EOS 5D Mark III there’s a lot of similarity, but I think there is much more similarity with the EOS 7D Mark II / EOS 5DS / 5DS R.
Maybe it’s me but the viewfinder seems bigger and brighter than the EOS 5D Mark III, which I traded in to offset the cost of the Mark IV.
Already the touch screen LCD is making movement thorough menus and options simpler and faster. Of course the old ways also work too.
The one new button, the AF area selection lever, just below the multi-controller, is the only thing that I’m not sure how to best setup. Normally using custom controls I setup the multi-controller to move the selected AF point, and on the EOS 7D Mark II I can change AF area with the lever, but I’m regularly tapping the small button on the EOS 5D Mark IV. I might have to make it less of a direct way to change the AF area selection.
I have already opted to use the SET button on the rear to provide quick access to the Speedlite flash settings – this is a cinch with custom controls.
I have configured custom shooting mode C3 as my “movie mode” and moved aperture control to the main dial on the front, with ISO on the quick control dial on the rear. Also I change the SET button to be an additional start / stop for Movie Servo AF, but only in C3.
GPS seems to find a satellite and lock on faster than the EOS 7D Mark II, probably the result of the more advanced chip borrowed from the EOS-1D X Mark II. The WiFi is no harder to setup than the EOS 80D for connection to a smartphone or for tethered shooting to EOS Utility. Even photographers will like the ftp mode transfers as it allows several cameras to send files to a single computer.
USB3 port for tethered shooting comes with a helpful plastic cable retention device, just a shame it’s not the same as the one on the EOS 7D Mark II.
Over the next few days I’ll get shooting with the new camera and see how the images look. Though for now I’m limited to processing RAW files in Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.5. Not a bad thing as I like the look of the results even though the workflow is not so friendly. I also want to see how much improved the low-light AF is, and whether it really is as good as the EOS-1D X Mark II at finding subjects in “no light”.
One little surprise was the many language instruction book in the box. If you want the whole book – all SIX HUNDRED & SEVENTY SIX PAGES you’ll need to download the PDF. Though to be honest I tend to prefer the PDF in practice over a printed book and use the search facility inside Preview on the Mac to find what I want.
Hi, Brian I am a recent convert to canon from Nikon and have two great cameras the 7D mark 11 and the 80D and a few l lenses. I am finding your articles in photoplus magazine very helpful and have just found your website which is packed with information and a great help. I am looking to make my hobby a part time job in the future and will be looking to your training courses to advance my knowledge.