Ergonomics and customisation in the EOS R System

Canon EOS R System cameras deliver next-generation technologies, but they also build on the heritage of Canon camera design, with intuitive menus and classic EOS camera ergonomics that have been refined over the past 35 years. They are modern cameras to suit modern ways of working and incorporate many innovations, such as the EOS R3's breakthrough Eye Control AF, which takes camera control to a new level, but are also reassuringly comfortable in the hand. They work the way you expect while making new features easily accessible and also giving you unprecedented scope to customise their controls and menus to suit your preferences, so you can get going in no time and shoot without breaking your creative flow.

"When designing new EOS cameras we had to consider that users have very much got used to how the system operates," explains John Maurice, European Product Marketing Manager at Canon Europe. "So the way you introduce change is through evolution. Some of the changes we've made have been subtle, but we're building on things that work."

Here we look at some of the ways that EOS R System cameras combine familiarity and innovation, with the overriding emphasis on ergonomics and usability, and how you can customise controls and menus to suit the way you want to work.

Canon pioneered many of the camera controls and features that are now standard across the industry, including command dials and multi-controller joysticks. The development of the EOS R System was an opportunity to take the camera control interface to the next level.

One of the goals of the design teams was to create a more immersive shooting experience, enabling you to work without taking your eye from the viewfinder. Accordingly, the positioning of all the controls is carefully designed to put everything you need in reach and identifiable by touch. The shapes of the camera bodies in general and the grips in particular are engineered for the optimal balance of secure hold and ease of finger movement. Canon built a database of hand shapes and sizes from people around the world to ensure that the EOS R System ergonomics would translate internationally, and every design was prototyped and rigorously tested for usability.

Central to this new way of working is the electronic viewfinder. Bright and sharp, with high refresh rates up to 120fps and minimal lag, the EVF in an EOS R System camera is capable of displaying an image that's closer than ever to the final look of a photo or video. Taking the Live View feed from the sensor means that the image in the viewfinder can show you not only the effect of changes in exposure and other settings, but also of image processing parameters such as white balance and Picture Style. Unlike ever before, you can see what you're going to get.

When you take the shot, there's no blackout when the shutter fires, as there is in a DSLR, so you remain connected with the scene. Being able to review images in the viewfinder is another advantage for mirrorless cameras – especially in bright conditions where detail and colour can be hard to discern on a rear screen.

Mirrorless camera technology enables EOS R System cameras to be made more compact and lightweight than their DSLR counterparts, but that wasn't the goal. Nor was eliminating the reflex mirror mechanism an end in itself.

"We did not set out to create a small, lightweight camera," says Canon engineer Manabu Kato, Deputy Senior General Manager of the ICB Optical Products Development Centre at Canon Inc. "The ideal lens was what Canon was striving for. This new [RF] mount and the 35mm full-frame mirrorless structure were the best solution for achieving our ideals."

Thanks to the revolutionary design of the RF mount and new technologies in cameras and lenses, the EOS R System delivers innovative lens designs that have not been possible before, such as the breakthrough RF 5.2mm F2.8L DUAL FISHEYE lens, which radically simplifies the capture of immersive 180° VR footage. But in the cameras as much as the lenses, usability has been a design priority.

"With mirrorless, some users do expect a slightly more compact body, which means you have to be more efficient with the buttons you've got and the space you have available on the camera," John explains. Rather than simply shrink or strip out many of the direct controls, however, Canon's designers have introduced new ones across the EOS R System camera range.

The majority of models now have a Multi-Function Lock button on the top panel, for example. Enabling this will prevent settings from being changed if you accidentally touch the camera dials, multi-controller or lens Control Ring.

The EOS R7 introduces added convenience in the shape of a power switch that has a movie recording setting as well as on/off. This allows the camera to be switched instantly from stills to video and vice versa.

All EOS R System cameras also have a movie shooting button near the shutter release button (or on the EOS R3, by the viewfinder, near the AF-ON button), enabling you to record video without having to switch the camera to movie recording mode. "It's a recognition that more and more photographers also shoot video, and need to do so almost spontaneously," says John.

This movie shooting button is a different shape to both the shutter button and the Lock button – in fact, all of the buttons are designed to feel different so that you can tell just what you're pressing when your eye is at the viewfinder. "We don't make one part and then duplicate it around the body," John affirms.

With the EOS R5, it's even possible to assign your preferred video recording setup to the C3 custom shooting mode when the camera is in movie mode, and then trigger this with the movie shooting button when the camera is in photo mode.

The customisable Control Ring that's an integral feature on Canon RF lenses is another innovation that enables users to respond quickly to changing events. Being able to assign a commonly used function to the Control Ring allows adjustments to be made on the fly, without taking your eye from the viewfinder. Canon's Control Ring Mount Adapter brings this ergonomic function to EF lenses when you use this adapter to attach them to EOS R System bodies too.

By default, the Control Ring on an RF lens adjusts exposure compensation while the shutter button is pressed halfway in Fv, P, Tv, Av or M modes. But other commonly-used functions can also be assigned via the camera's Custom Functions menu. You can use the Control Ring to change ISO, aperture or shutter speed, for example, or even the AF method.

"The rings have different textures, so even when you're not looking at the lens you can tell whether you're touching the focus ring, the Control Ring or the zoom ring," says John. "It's a subtle piece of design, but it helps users to navigate their tools in an intuitive way. The last thing you want to do is change the focus when you want to change the aperture – especially if you're filming."

The EOS R5 and EOS R6 Mark II include a second Quick Control dial, bringing the total number of dials to three (or four, counting the lens Control Ring). This can provide direct control over the aperture, shutter speed and ISO when shooting in Manual mode.

All of the dials can be further customised, as can the functions of most of the buttons on the camera. "The range of button assignments is more extensive than it is on an EOS DSLR," confirms John. "This has been driven by an understanding of the way that people want to use their cameras now. Users want to change things according to the way they work, both for stills and video." If you want to use the EOS R6 for vlogging, for example, then you can assign movie recording to the depth of field button, which allows you to start shooting video while you're looking down the lens.

In addition to the familiar EOS feature set, Canon has debuted innovative new control methods in the EOS R System. The original EOS R introduced the Multi-function touch bar, for example, which offers a silent way to change settings and can be customised for a number of commonly used functions, such as ISO or white balance. It's also possible to fine-tune the function so that swiping the bar or tapping each end of it will perform a different operation.

"Since then," John adds, "we have also introduced the touch-sensitive smart controller on the EOS R3 as well as the EOS-1D X Mark III, which combines AF-ON and AF point selection. And on the EOS R3 we've also got the cutting-edge Eye Control AF. So we have introduced these new aspects of ergonomics across the EOS R System, all of which are designed to make the cameras and lenses even easier to interact with."

Whatever subject you're shooting, and whatever way you like to work, the handling and adaptability of Canon EOS R System cameras, developed and refined through decades of EOS design experience and understanding of users, help make them the ideal tools for visual storytelling.

Whether you want to switch from stills to video, move between different environments or try an alternative creative style, you can customise an EOS R System camera to fit the way you like to work.

Custom Functions

The Custom Functions menu provides a wealth of options for customising the buttons, dials and other parameters of the camera. "Don't change everything at once," suggests John. "See how the camera behaves differently given one setting change." Although you can clear Custom Functions individually, you can also reset them all using Clear all Custom Func (C.Fn). This won't clear the customised buttons and dials, though – to do that, select Clear customised settings.

Canon My Menu shortcuts

The My Menu tab enables you to create a shortcut to the menu items and Custom Functions that you frequently adjust. It's possible to curate up to five My Menu tabs via Add My Menu tab. Usefully, you can rename the tab under Configure and by selecting Menu display you can set the menu screen that appears first when the MENU button is pressed. "I've created my own 'Ilvy menu'," says Ilvy Njiokiktjien, who explains that for her as a documentary photographer, being able to work quickly is vital to capture the moment. "All the things that I use often are in that menu."

Custom Shooting modes

Selected EOS R System cameras have three Custom Shooting modes that allow you to save a snapshot of your current camera setup, which can then be recalled via C1, C2 or C3. In recent models, you can create separate Custom Shooting modes for when the camera is set to stills or video, giving you six different options in total. "You can set your camera to follow your way of thinking, which makes the process run smoothly," says portrait specialist Guia Besana. "It's like a best friend to me!"

Save settings to SD cards

If you work with two EOS R5 or EOS R3 cameras, then you can transfer your customised camera presets from one body to the other using an SD card. "If you have to send your camera in to be serviced, say, or you need to rent an extra camera for a job, then it's really convenient to be able to save all your settings on a card and load them into another camera," says action sports photographer Martin Bissig.