Canon EOS 70D User manual

final spine = 0.4784"
Young
Canon EOS 70D From Snapshots to Great Shots
US $24.99 CAN $25.99
Now that you’ve bought the amazing Canon EOS 70D, you need a
book that goes beyond a tour of the camera’s features to show you
exactly how to use the camera to take great pictures. With Canon
EOS 70D: From Snapshots to Great Shots, you get the perfect blend
of photography instruction and camera reference that will take your
images to the next level! Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant
photos, this book teaches you how to take control of your photog-
raphy to get the image you want every time you pick up the camera.
Follow along with your friendly and knowledgeable guide,
photographer and author Nicole S. Young, and you will:
• Learn the top ten things you need to know about shooting
with the EOS 70D
• Use the EOS 70D’s advanced camera settings to gain full
control over the look and feel of your images
• Master the photographic basics of composition, focus,
depth of field, and much more
• Learn all the best tricks and techniques for getting great
action shots, landscapes, and portraits
• Find out how to get great shots in low light
• Learn the basics behind shooting video with your EOS 70D
and start making movies of your own
• Fully grasp all the concepts and techniques as you go,
with challenges at the end of every chapter
And once you’ve got the shot, show it off! Join the book’s Flickr
group, share your photos, and discuss how you use your 70D to get
great shots at flickr.com/groups/70dfromsnapshotstogreatshots.
Canon EOS 70D
From Snapshots to Great Shots
Peachpit Press
www.peachpit.com
Level: Beginning / Intermediate
Category: Digital Photography
Cover Design: Aren Straiger
Cover Image: Nicole S. Young
Author Photo: dav.d daniels
facebook.com/PeachpitCreativeLearning
@peachpit
Nicole S. Young is a
full-time photographer
specializing in food and
landscape photography,
and she also licenses
her images through
iStockphoto and Getty Images. Nicole
is an accredited Adobe Certified Expert
(ACE) in Photoshop, owns and operates
the Nicolesy Store, and is a regular
contributor to the National Association
of Photoshop Professionals and Photo-
focus websites. The author of several
books, including Plug In with onOne
Software and Food Photography: From
Snapshots to Great Shots, Nicole blogs
at nicolesy.com.
Nicole S. Young
Canon EOS 70D
From Snapshots to Great Shots
Get great detail
in your subjects!
Learn the best
ways to compose
your pictures!
9780133571257_CanonEOS70DSNP_Cvr.indd 1 11/18/13 4:41 PM

Canon EOS 70D:
From
Snapshots to
Great Shots
Nicole S. Young

Canon EOS 70D: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Nicole S. Young
Peachpit Press
www.peachpit.com
To report errors, please send a note to [email protected]
Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education.
Copyright © 2014 by Peachpit Press
Project Editor: Valerie Witte
Production Editor: Katerina Malone
Copyeditor: Emily K. Wolman
Proofreader: Patricia J. Pane
Composition: WolfsonDesign
Indexer: Valerie Haynes Perry
Cover Image: Nicole S. Young
Cover Design: Aren Straiger
Interior Design: Mimi Heft
Back Cover Author Photo: dav.d daniels
Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact [email protected].
Notice of Liability
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution
has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any
person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the
instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.
Trademarks
“From Snapshots to Great Shots” is a trademark, in the U.S. and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc.
or its affiliates.
All Canon products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Canon Inc.
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ISBN-13 978-0-133-57125-7
ISBN-10 978-0-133-57125-4
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America

Dedication
To Brian, my husband, best friend, and biggest fan. I love you!

Acknowledgments
There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes when creating a publication, such
as this book. This being my fifth print book with Peachpit, I’ve come to really appreciate
the efforts and contributions that everyone puts into making things come together beau-
tifully. With that said, I’d like to thank each and every one of the team who helped put
together this book: Valerie Witte, Katerina Malone, Emily K. Wolman, Patricia J. Pane,
WolfsonDesign, Valerie Haynes Perry, Aren Straiger, and Mimi Heft. Thank you all so
much for your hard work!
I would also like to thank all of my readers for sticking with me through all of these years.
I teach and write about photography because I truly want all of you to become skilled
photographers and enthusiastic memory collectors, and also so that you may further
enjoy the act of creating a photograph that you are proud of. Without you I would not
be writing this book, so thank you!
And, last but not least, I’d like to thank my husband, Brian. It’s an amazing thing to have
a partner who is as passionate about photography and education as I am. Brian, you’ve
given me so much creative freedom, and also made some amazing sacrifices, and I know
we have our best years yet to come. I love you!

Contents
INTRODUCTION ix
CHAPTER 1: THE 70D TOP TEN LIST 1
Ten tips to make your shooting more productive
right out of the box
Poring Over the Camera 2
Poring Over the Camera 4
1. Charge the Battery 5
2. Turn Off the Release Shutter Without Card Setting 6
3. Set Your RAW/JPEG Image Quality 7
4. Set Your ISO 10
5. Set the Correct White Balance 11
6. Set Your Color Space 15
7. Set Your Autofocus 18
8. Set Up Wi-Fi 21
9. Enable Highlight Alert 25
10. Review Your Photos 26
Chapter 1 Assignments 31
CHAPTER 2: FIRST THINGS FIRST 33
A few things to know and do before you
start taking pictures
Poring Over the Picture 34
Poring Over the Picture 36
Choosing the Right Memory Card 38
Formatting Your Memory Card 38
Using the Right Format: RAW vs. JPEG 40
Lenses and Focal Lengths 43
Understanding Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO 48
Motion and Depth of Field 51
Chapter 2 Assignments 55
CONTENTS v

vi CANON EOS 70D: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS
CHAPTER 3: CAMERA SHOOTING MODES 57
Using the camera’s mode settings
Poring Over the Picture 58
Poring Over the Picture 60
The Basic Zone 62
The Creative Zone 68
The Custom Setting Mode 88
How I Shoot: A Closer Look at the Camera Settings I Use 90
Chapter 3 Assignments 91
CHAPTER 4: SAY CHEESE! 93
Settings and features to make great portraits
Poring Over the Picture 94
Poring Over the Picture 96
Using Aperture Priority Mode 98
Lighting Is Everything 100
Focusing: The Eyes Have It 106
Composing People and Portraits 111
Quick Tips for Shooting Better Portraits 115
Chapter 4 Assignments 123
CHAPTER 5: LANDSCAPE & NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY 125
Tips, tools, and techniques to get the most out of
your landscape photography
Poring Over the Picture 126
Poring Over the Picture 128
Sharp and In Focus: Using Tripods 130
Camera Modes and Exposure 132
Selecting the Proper ISO and White Balance 134
Balancing Your Image with the Electronic Level 136
The Golden Hour 138
Focusing Tips for Landscape Photography 140
Making Water Look Silky 140
Composing Landscape Images 143
Advanced Techniques to Explore 146
Chapter 5 Assignments 152

CONTENTS vii
CHAPTER 6: MOVING TARGET 155
Techniques and tricks with action photography
Poring Over the Picture 156
Stop Right There! 158
Using Shutter Priority (Tv) Mode to Stop Motion 160
Using Aperture Priority (Av) Mode to Isolate Your Subject 164
Setting Up Your Camera for Continuous Shooting and Autofocus 165
Manual Focus for Anticipated Action 170
A Sense of Motion 172
Tips for Shooting Action 174
Chapter 6 Assignments 179
CHAPTER 7: MOOD LIGHTING 181
Shooting when the lights get low
Poring Over the Picture 182
Poring Over the Picture 184
Raising the ISO: The Simple Solution 186
Controlling the Minimum and Maximum ISO 187
Using a Very High ISO 188
Stabilizing the Situation 190
Focusing in Low Light 191
Shooting Long Exposures 194
Using the Built-in Flash 196
Compensating for the Flash Exposure 198
Reducing Red-Eye 199
Using Second Curtain Sync 202
A Few Words about External Flashes 204
Chapter 7 Assignments 206
CHAPTER 8: CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS 209
Improve your pictures with sound compositional elements
Poring Over the Picture 210
Depth of Field 212
Backgrounds 214
Angles 214
Point of View 218

viii CANON EOS 70D: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS
Patterns, Textures, and Shapes 219
Color 221
Leading Lines 223
Rule of Thirds 224
Frames within Frames 225
Chapter 8 Assignments 227
CHAPTER 9: LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! 229
Making movies with the Canon 70D
Poring Over the Video Camera 230
Getting Started 232
Exposure Settings for Video 238
Composition 240
Focusing 243
Audio 245
Tips for Shooting Video 246
Chapter 9 Assignments 249
CHAPTER 10: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES 251
Customizing your camera and your creativity
Poring Over the Picture 252
Using a Custom White Balance 254
The My Menu Settings 255
In-Camera Image Editing 258
Picture Styles 263
Let’s Get Creative 266
Conclusion 270
Chapter 10 Assignments 271
INDEX 272

ixINTRODUCTION
Introduction
If you are reading this book, there’s a pretty good chance that you have read other “how-
to” photography books. Many of those books will be either camera-specific (how to use
the settings on your camera) or about the methods and techniques used to create specific
types of images (landscape, portrait, HDR, etc.). In this book you get the best of both
worlds—you learn how to use your 70D and its specific features as well as the different
methods and photography techniques to capture those images.
Here’s a quick Q&A about the book to help you understand what you’ll see in the follow-
ing pages:
Q: What can I expect to learn from this book?
A: My goal in writing this book is to help owners of the Canon 70D learn more about the
camera’s specific settings and features, and put that knowledge to use to make great
images. You’ll also find a ton of general and advanced photography tips and tricks in
each of the chapters to push your photography to the next level.
Q: Is every camera feature going to be covered?
A: No. I wrote about what I feel are some of the 70D’s most important features, but don’t
worry! There’s a lot of information in here. This is more than just a book on simple steps
to get you started ... . I really dig into some of the advanced features to make sure that
you get as much as possible out of your 70D.
Q: So if I already own the manual, why do I need this book?
A: Your manual does a great job of explaining how to use the camera’s features, but it
doesn’t necessarily tell you why or when to use them. I tried my best to do both so that
not only do you know about the 70D’s knobs, buttons, and settings, but also what the
best situations are to make use of the camera’s features and settings.
Q: What are the challenges all about?
A: At the end of each chapter, I list a few exercises you can do to practice and solidify
some of the techniques and settings you learned about in that chapter. Feel free to try
them out if you like, and if you do, be sure to check out the Flickr group and share what
you’ve learned!
Q: Should I read the book straight through or can I skip around from chapter to chapter?
A: Well, both! The first few chapters are going to give you a lot of basics about your 70D
and digital photography in general, so if you don’t quite have a grasp on either of those
yet, it’s a good idea to read through them before heading on to the rest of the book.

ISO 160 • 1/125 sec. •
f/2.8 • 40mm lens

93
4
Say Cheese!
Settings and features to make great portraits
Photographing people is challenging, rewarding, and fun all at the same
time. When you photograph a person, you are capturing a memory, a
moment in time. Images of friends and family often become our most
cherished possessions. The people you photograph are depending on
you to make them look good—and while you can’t always change how
a person looks, you can control the way you photograph that individual.
In this chapter, we will explore some camera features and techniques that
can help you create great portraits.

I used a wide aperture to
blur the background.
Poring Over the Picture
Whenever I visit my family back in Nebraska, my nieces and nephews end up being the
main subjects of my photographs. Oftentimes I bring them outside and have them smile
for me, or just play around, in order to get photos for the family. For this photo, the
front yard was shaded, which gave me a good opportunity to get some nice images of
my nephew playing in the grass. Overall, the kids are always good sports and give me just
enough time not only to get nice, smiling images of them, but to let their personalities
shine through as well.
ISO 100 • 1/750 sec. •
f/2.8 • 40mm lens

I positioned his face in
the upper-right third of
the image for a pleasing
composition.
Because my nephew
was on the ground, I got
down low to photograph
him at eye level.

It was a cloudy day, so I was able
to achieve a balanced exposure
with nice, soft light throughout
the entire scene.
Her brightly colored pink shirt
was very complementary to the
green fields in the background.
Poring Over the Picture
ISO 400 • 1/3200 sec. •
f/5.6 • 70–200mm lens

While on a trip to Vietnam, I decided to be adventurous and hire a man with a
motorbike to drive me around the countryside. I was hoping to find authentic
images of local people doing everyday things, and so when I spotted this woman
clearing out chunks of dirt from a rice paddy, I immediately asked the driver to
stop so I could go out and photograph her. After asking her permission, I used
a long lens and a fast shutter speed to freeze the action of her movements and
made several beautiful photographs.
I used a very fast shutter speed
to “freeze” the dirt in midair.
A wide aperture combined
with a long lens allowed
me to blur the background,
giving separation between
the woman and the fields
behind her.

98 CANON EOS 70D: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS
Using Aperture Priority Mode
In the previous chapter, you learned about the different shooting modes, and that when
photographing people you’re likely to be most successful using Aperture Priority (Av) mode.
With portraits, we usually like to see a nice, soft, out-of-focus background, and you can
only guarantee that you’ll achieve those results if you have control of the aperture setting
(Figure 4.1). You’ll also be letting more light into your camera, which means that your ISO
can be set lower, giving your image less noise and more detail.
Now, don’t think that you have to use a crazy-fast lens (such as f/1.2 or f/2.8) to achieve
great results and get a blurry background. Often an f-stop of 4.0 or 5.6 will be sufficient,
and you might even find that having an extremely wide-open aperture gives you too little
depth of field for a portrait, since you want most of the face to be in focus. In fact, I shoot
many of my portrait photographs with a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/4, and I
always achieve the results I’m looking for.
Figure 4.1
For this image, I used
a large aperture com-
bined with a long
lens to decrease the
depth of field and
make the back-
ground blurry.
ISO 100 • 1/50 sec. •
f/4 • 70–200mm lens

4: SAY CHEESE! 99
Go Wide for Environmental Portraits
Sometimes you’ll find that a person’s environment is important to the story you want to
tell. When photographing people this way, you will want to use a smaller aperture for
greater depth of field (which will put more of your background in focus) so that you can
include details of the scene surrounding the subject.
Also keep in mind that in order to capture the person and their surroundings, you’ll need
to adjust your view and use a wider than normal lens. Wide-angle lenses require less stop-
ping down of the aperture to achieve greater depth of field. This is because wide-angle
lenses cover a greater area, so the depth of field appears to cover a greater percentage
of the scene.
A wider lens might also be necessary to relay more information about the scenery
(Figure 4.2). Select a lens length that is wide enough to tell the story but not so wide that
you distort the subject. There’s nothing quite as unflattering as giving someone a big,
distorted nose (unless you are going for that sort of look). When shooting a portrait with
a wide-angle lens, keep the subject away from the edge of the frame. This will reduce the
distortion, especially in very wide focal lengths.
Figure 4.2
A wide-angle
lens and a small
aperture allowed
me to show as much
detail as possible
in the room.
ISO 400 • 1/10 sec. •
f/7.1 • 18–50mm lens

100 CANON EOS 70D: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS
Lighting Is Everything
Photography is all about capturing light, so the most important thing in all of your images
is the quality of the light on your subject. When you photograph people, you typically have
a lot of control over when and where the image is taken, so you can manipulate your
environment and find the best-possible light for your subject.
Before I get into what you should do, let me first talk about what not to do. It’s a common
misconception that bright sunlight is great for portrait photographs. Of course, this is not
entirely untrue, since there are some creative and amazing ways to use harsh natural sun-
light and make great portraits. The problem is that when the sun is at its highest point,
in the middle of the day, it’s going to cast some very harsh shadows on your subject and
probably make them squinty-eyed as well.
There are several easy ways to achieve beautifully lit portraits in an outdoor setting, and
here are my two favorites. The first is to find shade. It might not seem like it at first, but
on a sunny day an extraordinary amount of light fills shaded areas, for example, on the
side of a building or underneath a covered patio. This is diffused sunlight and will give a
very soft, even light on your subject’s face (Figure 4.3).
Figure 4.3
The light was dif-
fused evenly across
the little boy’s face
in this image, taken
in a shady area in
the grass.
ISO 160 • 1/180 sec. •
f/6.7 • 40mm lens

4: SAY CHEESE! 101
The second way to light your images outdoors is to use the light that occurs during the
“golden hour” of the day. This is the time period that occurs one hour after sunrise and
one hour before sunset (many photographers are more likely to use the evening light
since it’s more convenient). The quality of this light is soft, warm-toned, and very pleasing
for portraits (Figure 4.4).
When to Use a Flash
I’m not usually a big fan of using the pop-up flash or any type of on-axis flash, which is a
light source that comes from the same direction as the camera. It usually results in light-
ing that is very flat, and often adds harsh shadows behind the subject. But you won’t
always have the perfect lighting situation for each photograph, so keeping an on-camera,
ready-to-go flash on hand can be very practical. It’s also good for those moments when
you just have to get the shot and there’s not a lot of light available, for example, if your
baby takes his or her first steps in a darkened room. You wouldn’t want to miss that, and
the pop-up flash is a handy tool to help capture those moments.
Figure 4.4
This image was photo-
graphed in the evening,
just before the sun had
set, adding a nice warm
rim light on the little
girl’s hair.
ISO 160 • 1/60 sec. •
f/2.8 • 50mm lens