Camera parts - 2

Looking at the front of the camera body. to the left of the lens (facing camera) is a depth of field (DOF) preview button. The button is well placed and can be easily operated with your third finger. This provides a visual feedback as to what is going to be in focus and what won't be. The two lenses that were supplied for review haven't got any aperture and focus marks on them to work out the depth of field for a given focal length. I use the DOF preview feature often on my own Nikon, fortunately the Canon screen is very bright, making it much easier to see the result.

The Depth of Field preview button	Lens release button
Canon EF lens mount	Small tripod socket
Excellent weatherproofing	Two sets of contacts

To the right of the lens is the lens release button. Press the button and twist the lens approx 45' anti-clockwise and remove. With the lens removed you can change the focusing screen, you can see the tab there are 10 screens available to suit most photographers needs. Four of the screens will not allow full metering functionality (spot and evaluative) due to the prism at the centre, off centre spot readings are possible with these. You must also set the Custom Function 00 to match the screen type in use otherwise metering may not be accurate. The mirror is a quick return half mirror with a reflection ratio of 37:63, which means you won't get cut off with a 1200mm 5.6 lens (I'm sure this will please many paparazzi photographers). On the base of the camera, right under the centre of the lens, is a 1/4 inch tripod socket , given the weight of this camera I think a 3/8 inch bush would have been a better choice. There is a tripod reinforcing plate in the battery chamber, so I wouldn't expect the camera body to start distorting with a heavy lens in place.

On the right hand side is the cameras communications ports. These are well sealed and should provide sufficient protection in a downpour. At the top is a PC socket for connecting a studio or other portable flash. This socket has no polarity so any flash can be connected, you can even have a speedlight connected at the same time. Below this is the Remote terminal which can be used with several remote cables and wireless controllers. There is no provision for a cable release on this camera, I guess its time to move on. Having worked my way through the manual and absorbed most of the content so far, I see there is a custom function that will allow the mirror to be locked up for vibration free pictures. I would have liked a quick access to this feature from at least one of the remote controllers, rather than having to work through the menus on the back of the camera - just a detail.

The next socket is a video out port, connect this up to a tv screen and preview all your shots. Menu screens will also display on the tv, so you don't have to squint at the various screens. Below this is a Digital out Firewire port. Use this to transfer your files to a computer, although I would recommend using a card reader for this. At the bottom is a USB port for connecting the camera to a printer or computer. The EOS 1Ds is PictBridge compatible as well as Canon Bubble Jet Direct, CP Direct and other printers that have DPOF support.

I will test the firewire and USB transfer speed times later in the review.

Battery lock	Battery pack
Contacts and charger point	Covers
Battery charger	Mains adaptor

Moving down to the battery. There is a substantial lock on the battery, this is very stiff in operation especially when fitting the battery in again. Once the key has been turned you have to push the release button in and the battery pack is free to be removed. The Ni-MH NP-E3 battery pack takes approx 120 minutes to charge from a completely exhausted state. The NC-E2 charger will allow two batteries to be charged at the same time. A light will blink twice a second when the battery is fully charged. To get the best life from any new battery you should fully charge and then discharge the battery twice before using. Batteries charged in this way last up to 20% longer. You should also avoid topping up the charge, let the battery run down completely first - I know this is not always practical.

There is also a DC coupler DCK - E1 kit included, this allows you to run the camera directly from the mains. A DC coupler is fitted into the battery compartment and the DCK plugs into it - great for studio work. Lastly, each battery has a yellow protective cover and there is also one for the cameras battery compartment - just to keep the spiders out.

More on Saturday