Basic Operations

Holding the Camera

  • Viewing the screen as you shoot

    As you shoot, you can tilt the screen to adjust it. For details, see Using the Screen.

    • (1) Normal angle
    • (2) Low angle
    • (3) High angle

  • Shooting through the viewfinder

    To obtain sharp images, hold the camera still to minimize camera shake.

    • (1) Horizontal shooting
    • (2) Vertical shooting
    1. With your right hand, hold the camera firmly by the camera grip.
    2. With your left hand, support the lens from below.
    3. Rest your right index finger lightly on the shutter button.
    4. Rest your arms and elbows lightly against the front of your body.
    5. To maintain a stable stance, place one foot slightly ahead of the other.
    6. Hold the camera near your face and look through the viewfinder.

Shutter Button

The shutter button has two steps. You can press the shutter button halfway. Then you can further press the shutter button completely.

Pressing halfway

This activates autofocusing and the automatic exposure system that sets the shutter speed and aperture value.

The exposure value (shutter speed and aperture value) is displayed on the screen, in the viewfinder, or on the LCD panel for 8 sec. (metering timer/Timer 8 sec.).

Pressing completely

This releases the shutter and takes the picture.

Troubleshooting Preventing camera shake

Hand-held camera movement during the moment of exposure is called camera shake. It can cause blurred pictures. To prevent camera shake, note the following:

  • Hold the camera still, as shown in Holding the Camera.
  • Press the shutter button halfway to autofocus, then slowly press the shutter button completely.

Note

  • The camera will still pause before taking a picture if you press the shutter button completely without pressing it halfway first, or if you press the shutter button halfway and immediately press it completely.
  • Even during menu display or image playback, you can return to shooting standby by pressing the shutter button halfway.

Main Dial

  • (1) After pressing a button, turn the Main dial dial.

    Press a button such as MODE, Drive mode/AF operation selection, Flash exposure compensation/metering mode selection, or Multi-function, then turn the Main dial dial.

    If you press the shutter button halfway, the camera will go back to shooting standby.

    • Used for operations such as setting the ISO speed, drive mode, AF operation, white balance, and flash exposure compensation.

  • (2) Turn only the Main dial dial.

    Turn the Main dial dial while looking at the screen, viewfinder, or LCD panel.

    • Use this dial to set the shutter speed, aperture value, etc.

Note

  • The operations in (1) can be performed even when controls are locked with the Multi-function lock ().

Quick Control Dial 1

  • (1) After pressing a button, turn the Quick control dial 1 dial.

    Press a button such as MODE, Drive mode/AF operation selection, Flash exposure compensation/metering mode selection, or Multi-function, then turn the Quick control dial 1 dial.

    If you press the shutter button halfway, the camera will go back to shooting standby.

    • Used for operations such as selecting the ISO speed, drive mode, AF operation, white balance, and flash exposure compensation.

  • (2) Turn only the Quick control dial 1 dial.

    Turn the Quick control dial 1 dial while looking at the screen, viewfinder, or LCD panel.

    • Used for operations such as setting the exposure compensation amount and the aperture value setting for manual exposures.

Note

  • The operations in (1) can be performed even when controls are locked with the Multi-function lock ().

Quick Control Dial 2

  • (1) After pressing a button, turn the Quick control dial 2 dial.

    Press a button such as MENU, then turn the Quick control dial 2 dial.

    If you press the shutter button halfway, the camera will go back to shooting standby.

    • Used for operations such as switching between main tabs on the menu screen.

  • (2) Turn only the Quick control dial 2 dial.

    Turn the Quick control dial 2 dial while looking at the screen, viewfinder, or LCD panel.

    • Used for operations such as setting the ISO speed.

Note

  • The operations in (1) can be performed even when controls are locked with the Multi-function lock ().

Multi-Controller

Multi-controller is an eight-direction key with center button. To use it, press lightly with the tip of your thumb.

  • Examples of using the Multi-controller
    • AF point/magnified frame movement in still photo shooting or movie recording
    • White balance correction
    • Magnified area position movement during playback
    • Quick Control
    • Selecting or setting menu items

Mode Button

You can set the shooting mode.

  • Press the MODE button, then use Main dial, Quick control dial 1, Quick control dial 2, or Multi-controller to select a shooting mode.

/ Multi-Function/FTP Server Image Transfer Button

Shooting screen

By default, the Multi-function button works in conjunction with dials to enable you to adjust settings used in shooting or recording.

Settings you can configure in conjunction with dials

  • White balance ()
  • Drive mode*1 ()
  • Flash exposure compensation amount*1 ()
  • Picture Style ()
  • Metering mode*1 ()
  • AF operation*1 ()
  • ISO speed ()
  • AF area ()
  • Movie digital IS*2 ()

1: Available only in still photo shooting.

2: Available only in movie recording.

How to use with dials

  • Press the Multi-function button to display the settings you can configure with dials (Timer 6 sec.). Press the Multi-function button again repeatedly (or turn the Quick control dial 2 dial) to select a setting to configure.
  • To adjust the upper row of setting items, turn the Main dial dial.
  • To adjust the lower row of setting items, turn the Quick control dial 1 dial.

Caution

  • Advanced white balance settings such as color temperature cannot be configured this way.

Note

  • To set the AF area, you can also press the AF point selection button and then the Multi-function button.

Playback screen

Pressing the button on the playback screen transfers images to the FTP server.

AF Start Button/Smart Controller

On this control, you can press the center or drag with your finger. As with the shutter button, the center can be pressed in two steps, halfway and completely ().

Pressing the center ( button)

  • You can press the AF start button halfway to activate autofocusing. This is equivalent to pressing the shutter button halfway.
  • By default, pressing the button completely is set to [No function (disabled)]. To assign a function to pressing the button completely, configure [AF-ON button] in [Control customization: Customize buttons for shooting].

Dragging (smart controller)

  • You can move the AF point by dragging on the smart controller after pressing the AF point selection button. You can also adjust the sensitivity—the amount the AF point moves in response to dragging ().
  • [Direct AF pt sel (during meter)] can be assigned to this control by selecting [Smart controller] in [Control customization: Customize buttons for shooting]. Assigning this function enables direct selection of AF points as long as the metering timer is running.

Caution

  • Precautions when using the smart controller

  • In case of poor responsiveness if you are wearing gloves, use this control without wearing the gloves.
  • The camera may not respond to touch operations with wet fingers.

Multi-Function Lock Switch

Configuring [Control customization: Multi function lock] () and setting the power/multi-function lock switch to Multi-function lock prevents settings from being changed by accidentally touching the Main dial, Quick control dials, Multi-controller, control ring, or touch-screen panel.

/ LCD Panel Info Switching/Illumination/Cropping Button

  • Each press of the LCD panel info switching/illumination button changes the information on the LCD panel.
  • Illuminate the LCD panel by holding down the LCD panel info switching/illumination button (Timer 6 sec.).
  • Pressing the Cropping button on the playback screen switches to [Playback: Cropping] settings.

Vertical Shooting

Buttons, dial, and a Multi-controller for vertical shooting are arranged near the bottom of the camera ().

  • When using the controls for vertical shooting, set the vertical-grip On/Off switch to Power on.
  • When you are not using these controls, set to Power off to prevent unintended operations.

Note

  • Vertical-grip Multi-function button 2 and the vertical-grip depth-of-field preview button () can also be used with the vertical-grip On/Off switch set to Power off.

Time Display

Press the Exposure compensation button to display the time when you are looking through the viewfinder (Timer 6 sec.).

Control Ring

By default, exposure compensation can be set by turning the control ring of RF lenses or mount adapters while pressing the shutter button halfway in [Fv], [P], [Tv], [Av], or [M] mode. Otherwise, you can assign a different function to the control ring by configuring [Control ring] in [Control customization: Customize dials/control ring] ().

Button Backlighting

MENU, Multi-function 3/Voice memo playback (hold to record), Playback, Magnify/Reduce, Erase, Rating/Voice memo, INFO and Q (Quick Control) button backlighting is activated when the LCD panel is illuminated, or during menu or Quick Control screen display or image playback. This makes it easier to see the button layout in low-light locations. Button backlighting is deactivated when the metering timer starts, which is triggered by pressing the shutter button halfway, for example.

Info Button

Each press of the INFO button changes the information shown.