Canon R7 R7 Camera Settings for Shooting in JPEG Format?

[Clement]

I currently have an R7/RF100-400/RF 2X teleconverter which I mainly use for amateur bird photography as a means of documentation. I take thousands of photos each time and don't have much time for post-processing, so I shoot in jpeg format only and use FastStone to adjust brightness and crop. I shoot handheld mostly in TV mode with electronic shutter and switch between high and low speeds. ISO is set at 6400 or below. I don't have too much trouble with focusing.

If I don't consider distance, weather, or backlight issues, what camera settings should I use to get sharper, more detailed, natural, and vibrant jpeg photos?

 

[Focus101]

If just for Jpeg and no additional post adjustments, I would set the picture style to Landscape. I like the warmer colors but not to warm. I also set the sharpness to +1.

 

[Clement]

If just for Jpeg and no additional post adjustments, I would set the picture style to Landscape. I like the warmer colors but not to warm. I also set the sharpness to +1.

Thanks for the reply.

May I ask other questions:

Do I need to set the "Clarity" to +1 or +2 ?

Do I need to set High ISO speed NR to standard or high?

 

[Focus101]

You're welcome.
I always leave clarity at 0. Even when I do post editing, I rarely use the clarity slider. Usually It is a bad picture or just really bad lighting.
I don't like NR on the camera, so I leave it set at default. If you set it on high, it is going to take more time in between pictures to apply the NR by the camera and will use more battery. Hope that answer your question.
I shoot raw on one card and jpeg on the other on my R7. I usually use the jpeg first before I use the RAW if necessary. For high iso, I'll use the raw files.
You should try one setting at a time to see which one suits your taste. Don't try too many combinations at one time and then you won't know what settings affects it most. Just to clarify, NR set to High on camera slows down the camera for the next shot. I don't like the results that the camera renders the NR (high) on the pics, but that is just me.

 

[GaryM]

I have two thoughts for you. Neither are probably worth a darn...I also support the above responses you have received.

The first is have you considered and tested your combination, not using the 2x. I would think (I don't have it and so do not know) that a 2x extender on that combination may lead to lower image quality than the lens used solo or perhaps with a 1.4x. I have the R7 and use the EF100-400ii with and without the 1.4xiii. I have found that the image quality with that extender at times is useful, but most of the time the lens solo gives much better cropped results than use of any extender. Diffraction has to cause a big hit on that combination. But since you are using it for identification and documentation purposes it may not matter. With the R7 I do not have to crop as much and the images just seem much better when I do.

The other point is I have found that the latest version of Canon's DPP software provides very good out of camera jpgs with the lens corrections on and a standard amount of noise reduction on. Sometimes they are so good I do zero processing other than cropping or slight adjustments on Photos. I use a 27" IMac.

Good Luck!

 

[Clement]

You're welcome.
I always leave clarity at 0. Even when I do post editing, I rarely use the clarity slider. Usually It is a bad picture or just really bad lighting.
I don't like NR on the camera, so I leave it set at default. If you set it on high, it is going to take more time in between pictures to apply the NR by the camera and will use more battery. Hope that answer your question.
I shoot raw on one card and jpeg on the other on my R7. I usually use the jpeg first before I use the RAW if necessary. For high iso, I'll use the raw files.
You should try one setting at a time to see which one suits your taste. Don't try too many combinations at one time and then you won't know what settings affects it most. Just to clarify, NR set to High on camera slows down the camera for the next shot. I don't like the results that the camera renders the NR (high) on the pics, but that is just me.

Thanks for your advice.

Yes, in the past, I was eager to find the best settings, which did make me feel rushed and confused.

Later on, I restored the original settings and adjusted one setting at a time to find the answer. It was just very time-consuming.

Since I only shoot in JPEG format, I didn't feel that some of the settings adjustments affected the continuous shooting speed.

However, I am more concerned about the noise caused by high ISO. I am hoping that the R7 can help me eliminate noise without reducing the image quality or losing some details after noise reduction.

I have carefully studied the advanced manual and know that some settings may affect the continuous shooting speed or increase noise, which is a bit of a dilemma. Therefore, I am looking for the best setting that can accept both speed and image quality.

 

[Focus101]

Thanks for your advice.

Yes, in the past, I was eager to find the best settings, which did make me feel rushed and confused.

Later on, I restored the original settings and adjusted one setting at a time to find the answer. It was just very time-consuming.

Since I only shoot in JPEG format, I didn't feel that some of the settings adjustments affected the continuous shooting speed.

However, I am more concerned about the noise caused by high ISO. I am hoping that the R7 can help me eliminate noise without reducing the image quality or losing some details after noise reduction.

I have carefully studied the advanced manual and know that some settings may affect the continuous shooting speed or increase noise, which is a bit of a dilemma. Therefore, I am looking for the best setting that can accept both speed and image quality.

Unfortunately when using a 2X, you're going to take a hit on the exposure. If you are shooting stationary birds, you can try lower shutter speed at 1/640 or 1/800. I have shot perched birds at 1/400, but they were not fidgeting like most of the slower birds. Good luck.

 

[Clement]

I have two thoughts for you. Neither are probably worth a darn...I also support the above responses you have received.

The first is have you considered and tested your combination, not using the 2x. I would think (I don't have it and so do not know) that a 2x extender on that combination may lead to lower image quality than the lens used solo or perhaps with a 1.4x. I have the R7 and use the EF100-400ii with and without the 1.4xiii. I have found that the image quality with that extender at times is useful, but most of the time the lens solo gives much better cropped results than use of any extender. Diffraction has to cause a big hit on that combination. But since you are using it for identification and documentation purposes it may not matter. With the R7 I do not have to crop as much and the images just seem much better when I do.

The other point is I have found that the latest version of Canon's DPP software provides very good out of camera jpgs with the lens corrections on and a standard amount of noise reduction on. Sometimes they are so good I do zero processing other than cropping or slight adjustments on Photos. I use a 27" IMac.

Good Luck!

Thank you for your advice.

Yes, based on my experience, using a extender will indeed affect the focusing speed and image quality of the photos. If the bird is small and at a relatively far distance, I have to use a extender to avoid excessive cropping afterward, which is unacceptable.

Since I currently only shoot in JPEG format, Canon DPP cannot help me. I hope to achieve an acceptable image quality and noise reduction through the settings of the R7 itself.

 

[Clement]

Unfortunately when using a 2X, you're going to take a hit on the exposure. If you are shooting stationary birds, you can try lower shutter speed at 1/640 or 1/800. I have shot perched birds at 1/400, but they were not fidgeting like most of the slower birds. Good luck.

Thank you for your advice.

I set C1 speed at 1/2500,C2 at 1/800 and C3 at 1/200 for different situation.

I would shoot birds without 2X extender if possible.

 

[drsnoopy]

I think you should perhaps reconsider your workflow. It is far easier to get good results at higher ISOs if you shoot RAW and use a modern RAW developer - I highly recommend DXO PureRaw or Photolab. ISO 6400 is no problem on the R7 and feather detail is retained. As you already have the 2x converter, do make sure you are only using it when you really need it, with the lens at extensions that take the full focal length well over 400mm. Shooting RAW, you don’t need to be concerned about the details of picture style, as this is under your control. You can do your post processing quickly by finding your own best settings and making these into a preset, then applying them as a batch. You will also be better able to recover highlights and shadows, and have greater exposure latitude.
If you need better noise reduction for jpegs, consider buying Topaz Denoise, which works very well in reducing noise while retaining detail, especially if you reduce the amount using the sliders.