Canon EOS 1D Mark II N SLR Review

By: Steve's Digicams




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Canon EOS-1D Mark II N Pro SLR



Camera Menus


Record Menu

  • Custom WB: To use this feature you first capture an image of a neutral target (gray card) under the desired lighting. This image is now used as the reference color temperature for future images until it is reset or disabled by chosing a different white balance option.

  • JPEG Quality: Specify the quality (compression) level used for each size (L, M1, M2, S) JPEG image on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the lowest compression, default is 8.

  • Color Space: Select sRGB or Adobe RGB.

  • Picture Style: Selects image effects; see next menu description.

  • Review: Displays image on LCD / Video Out after capture

  • Review Time: Sets the length of display time for the review option. Two, four, eight seconds, or Hold.

  • Noise Reduction: Enable or disable Noise Reduction to reduce the image noise during long exposures.

  • ISO expansion: Enables ISO 50(L) and ISO 3200(H) settings




Picture Style Menu

  • Standard: For vivid, sharp and crisp images

  • Portrait: For nice skin tones, slightly sharp and crisp

  • Landscape: For vivid blues and greens, very sharp and crisp images

  • Neutral: For natural colors and subdued images; no sharpening applied

  • Faithful: For colormetric adjustment of colors of subjects shot under a color temperature of 5200K; no sharpening applied

  • Monochrome: For Black and White images

  • User Def. 1-3: For user-defined Picture Styles

  • Detail set.: For changing parameters of the pre-defined and user-defined Picture Styles - see next menu

The numeric parameters (or N) shown for each style are from left to right Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation and Color Tone.




Picture Style Menu - Detail set

Processing parameters for both the pre-defined and user-defined Color Styles are set from the Detail set menu.

  • Sharpness: Adjust from 0 (no sharpening) to 7 (maximum sharpening)

  • Contrast: Adjust from -4 (low contrast) to +4 (high contrast)

  • Saturation: Adjust from -4 (low saturation) to +4 (high saturation)

  • Color tone: Adjust from -4 (reddish skin tone) to +4 (Yellowish skin tone)

The Monochrome Color Style's Sharpness and Contrast can also be adjusted, plus a Filter effect of None, Yellow, Orange, Red or Green, and a Toning effect of None, Sepia, Blue, Purple or Green.




(See the next page for the Playback Menu options)




Setup Menu

  • Auto Power Off: Sets the amount of inactivity time before the camera automatically turns itself off. (1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30 mins or Off)

  • File Numbering: Sequentially numbers images until the folder is full. Resets the file numbers. The M-Reset option creates a new folder and starts numbering them at 0001.

  • File name setting: Specify the prefix of the image file names.

  • Backup mode: Off or CF card main or SD card main.

  • Auto rotate: Enable auto rotation of portrait mode images.

  • Save camera settings: Save settings to memory card.

  • Loading camera settings: Load settings from memory card.

  • Format: Formats the CF or SD card.

  • LCD Brightness: Adjust brightness of color LCD, 5 levels.

  • Date/Time: Set the time and date and select the desired display format

  • Language: Menu language (English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean or Japanese)

  • Video system: NTSC or PAL video format.

  • Firmware: Update the camera firmware. Requires that the necessary files be located on the memory card.

  • Sensor Cleaning: Sets up the camera for CCD sensor cleaning. Connect the camera to the AC power supply or insert a freshly charged battery and then use this function to open the shutter and lock up the mirror. "CCd CLn" will be displayed on the top LCD, do not turn camera off until cleaning is completed.




Custom Functions


The main menu screen for the Custom/Personal Functions lets you access the group desired and or quickly clear the settings for either or both of these groups.

    C.Fn-01:Finder display during exposure.
    Displays the exposure information and number of remaining shots during continuous shooting.

      0: No viewfinder display
      1: Finder display on

    C.Fn-02: Shutter release without CF card
    Prevents shutter operation when there is no CF card in the camera.

      0: Possible without CF card
      1: Not Possible

    C.Fn-04: Shutter Button/AE Lock Button
    Controls function of Shutter and AE Lock buttons

      0: AF/AE Lock
      1: AE Lock/AF
      2: AF/AE Lock, no AE lock
      3: AE/AF, no AE lock

    C.Fn-05: Manual Tv/Av set for Manual Exposure
    Select the controls to change shutter speed and aperture in manual exposure mode.

      0: Main dial controls shutter speed, Quick Control dial controls aperture
      1: Quick Control dial adjusts shutter speed, Main dial adjusts aperture
      2: Same as 0 but works without the lens attached
      3: Same as 1 but works without the lens attached

    C.Fn-06: Exposure level increments
    Selects the step increments for shutter speed and aperture

      0: 1/3-stop
      1: 1-stop
      2: 1/2-stop

    C.Fn-07: USM lens electronic MF
    Controls the manual focus ring on USM AF lenses.

      0: Turns on after One-Shot AF
      1: Turns off after One-Shot AF
      2: Disabled in AF mode

    C.Fn-08: Top LCD panel / Back LCD panel

      0: Top displays remaining shots, back displays file number
      1: Top displays ISO, back displays remaining shots
      2: Top displays ISO, back displays file number
      3: Top displays # of shots in folder, back displays remaining shots.

    C.Fn-09: Auto Bracketing Sequence/Cancel
    Determines the sequence and cancellation of Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) sequences.

      0: 0 / - / + with auto cancellation
      1: 0 / - / + no cancellation
      2: - / 0 / + with auto cancellation
      3: - / 0 / + no cancellation

    C.Fn-10: AF Point Illumination
    Adjusts the brightness of the active AF points in the viewfinder.

      0: On
      1: Off
      2: On without dimming
      3: Brighter

    C.Fn-11: AF Point Selection Method
    Assign which buttons control AF selection and Exposure compensation and which control dial affects vertical and horizontal point selection.

      0: Default button assignment
      1: Reverses the AF Point Selection and Exposure Compensation buttons
      2: While exposure metering is active, turn the Quick Control dial to set horizontal AF point, vertical points set by Assist button and Main dial
      3: Reverses functions of AF Point Selection and Flash Exposure Lock buttons

    C.Fn-12: Mirror Lockup
    Mirror lockup is used to reduce the possibility of vibration when using long exposures with long telephoto lenses.

      0: Disable
      1: Enable

    C.Fn-13: Number of AF points, Spot Metering
    Controls the number of selectable AF points and if spot metering tracks the active AF point or remains at the center of the frame.

      0: 45 point, Spot uses center AF point
      1: 11 points, Spot uses active AF point
      2: 11 points, Spot uses center AF point
      3: 9 points, Spot uses active AF point
      4: 9 points, Spot uses center AF point

    C.Fn-14: E-TTL II
    Select desired mode of flash metering. Works only with Canon EX speedlights

      0: Evaluative
      1: Average

    C.Fn-15: Shutter curtain (flash) synchronization
    Allows you to set the slow-sync flash for "front" or "rear" curtain operation. This creates a trailing or motion effect.

      0: 1st curtain
      1: 2nd curtain

    C.Fn-16: Safety shift in Av or Tv
    Allows the exposure system to auto-adjust if the subject's brightness changes suddenly. The shutter speed or aperture is shifted to obtain proper exposure.

      0: Disable
      1: Enable

    C.Fn-17: AF point activation area
    Expands the active AF area to accomodate unpredictable moving subjects.

      0: Single AF point
      1: Expands by one point around the selected AF point, a total of seven points become active
      2: Camera automatically sets the AF point activation area to 7 or 13 points to suit the lens' focal length.

    C.Fn-18: Switch to registered AF point
    Assign the button combinations used to switch between normal AF and a previously-registered AF point.

      0: Assist button and AF Point Selection button
      1: Assist button
      2: Assist button when held down

    C.Fn-19: Lens AF stop button function
    Only applicable for Canon super telephoto lenses with an AF stop button. This Custom Function controls the operation of the AF stop button.

      0: AF stop
      1: AF start
      2: AE lock while metering
      3: AF point, holding down button switches from manual to auto, or from auto to center
      4: AF mode, button switches from One-Shot to Al Servo AF modes
      5: IS Start (Image Stabilizer).

    C.Fn-20: AI Servo tracking sensitivity
    Prevents the AF from being thrown off by a passing obstruction between the camera and the subject. Chose the desired tracking speed.

      0: Standard
      1: Slow
      2: Moderately slow
      3: Moderately fast
      4: Fast

    C.Fn-21: AI Servo continuous shooting and shooting priority

      0: Disable
      1: Shooting is possible even while focus has not been achieved.

    C.Fn-00: Focusing screen

      0: For New Laser-matte screens
      1: For Laser-matte screens. (Standard focusing screen is Ec-CIII so C.Fn-00-1 is set as default.) 2: For Super precision matte screens Ec-S




Personal Functions

Personal Functions allow you to further customize the camera's setting or controls.


P. Fn No. Description
00 Custom Function group registration
01 Disables the shooting modes
02 Disables the metering modes
03 Specifies the metering mode for manual exposure
04 Sets the maximum and minimum shutter speeds
05 Sets the maximum and minimum aperture values
06 Registers and switches the shooting mode and metering mode
07 Repeats bracketing during continuous shooting
08 Sets the number of shots to be bracketed
09 Changes the bracketing sequence for C.Fn-09-2,3 to increased exposure, standard exposure and decreased exposure
10 Retains the shift amount for program shift
11 Unused
12 Unused
13 Unused
14 Disables focus detection (search driving) by the lens drive
15 Disables the AF-assist beam
16 Enables automatic shooting when focus is achieved at the fixed point of focus while the shutter button is pressed fully
17 Disables automatic AF point selection
18 Enables automatic AF point selection when C.Fn-11-2 has been set
19 Sets the continuous shooting speed
20 Limits the number of frames during continuous shooting
21 Enables quiet operation when the shutter button is OFF after picture taking
22 Unused
23 Changes the timers time length
24 Keep LCD panel illuminated during Bulb exposures
25 Sets the default settings when the CLEAR (Quality+WB) button is ON
26 Speeds up the shutter release time lag
27 Enables the electronic dial's function to be used in the reverse direction
28 Prevents exposure compensation with the Quick Control Dial
29 Unused
30 The Quick Control Dial switch also enables the Main Command Dial
31 Adds original image verification data





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