Canon EOS Cameras: 100 things you never knew they could do

Want to get more from your Canon EOS cameras? Whether you have three bodies or one – or even if you’re looking to purchase your first – these need-to-know tips are your ultimate Canon guide.

Our friends at the Canon magazine PhotoPlus put together this amazing, in-depth list of tips designed to help you unlock the potential of your Canon EOS camera.

You can capture great images with Canon DSLRs straight out of the box, but your results will be even better once you start to leave behind the auto options and presets, and take control of shutter speed, lens aperture, white balance, ISO and other shooting settings yourself.

And things get even more interesting when you start exploring the menu options and customisable settings, because it’s here that you can tinker with the innermost workings of your camera, and configure it in a way that suits your own personal style. Our aim in this feature is to show you just what Canon EOS cameras are capable of – and we’re willing to bet it’s a lot more than you think!

There are differences between Canon EOS cameras, of course, and newer or more advanced models will have features that older or more basic models lack. We’ll indicate broadly which cameras have which features as we go along, but you may need to check your own camera’s manual to find out for sure, and to get more detailed instructions if required.

100 Secrets of Canon EOS Cameras: 1-10

01 Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)
Working out the correct exposure for a shot can be tricky, especially in high-contrast scenes. The Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) function, available on all the latest Canon EOS camera models, enables you to capture three shots at three different exposures, so that you can choose the best exposure later, or combine images.

02 Q Menu
For fast access to all the key shooting settings, press the Q button on the back panel of your Canon EOS camera to display them on the rear LCD. It’s a great time-saver if you need to alter settings fast!

03 Auto ISO
Auto ISO isn’t just for novices: it’s ideal for travel photography, when you’re shooting in a range of different conditions. And on a bright day it’ll automatically choose a low ISO setting, so there’s no need to worry about losing image quality.

04 Don’t keep switching on and off
You’re wasting your time, and your camera’s power-management features, if you do. Your Canon EOS camera will power down automatically if it hasn’t been used for a while.

05 Eyepiece Dioptre
Does the viewfinder information look blurred? Adjust the tiny dioptre dial next to the viewfinder eyepiece to fine-tune the focus to suit your eyesight.

06 Half pressing the shutter
Your Canon EOS camera goes to work when you half-press the shutter release, fixing the exposure and the focus, but only takes the picture when you press it the whole way: this enables you to re-frame your shot without changing the settings, or eliminate shutter lag due to autofocus delay.

07 EF and EF-S lenses
Canon’s EF-S lenses will only fit Canon EOS cameras with a crop-factor APS-C sensor. EF lenses will fit both Canon APS-C and full-frame Canon EOS camera bodies.

08 AI Servo
AI Servo is the best AF setting to use when shooting moving subjects such as sports and wildlife: the autofocus system will track subjects you focus on.

09 5D Mk III AF points
The 5D Mk III has 61 AF points. If you frequently use one of the outer ones, set ‘Manual AF pt. selec. pattern’ to ‘Stops at AF area edges’ in the AF menu.

10 Lens IS options
Some high-end lenses have hybrid stabilisation systems that will correct for lens angle shifts as well as camera shake when you’re shooting macro images.