Canon EOS R1 Supplement

1. Introduction
2. AF Focusing
3. AF Selection
4. Canon Autofocus Button Functions Videos
5. Functions available for customization Canon EOS R1
6. Multi-controller
7. AF-ON Button on Canon EOS R1
8. Canon R1 Menus
9. Canon EOS R1 Useful Links

1. Introduction

This is a documentation supplement for the Canon EOS R1. The objective is to add what others have learned about the exact functioning of the camera. It is part of the Canon-EOS-Documentation-Project found on Github. If you would like to contribute to the project, please open a Discussion in the project.

Since P, Tv, Av, Fv, C1-C3, etc. are called "modes" in Canon documentation, I try hard not to say "still photo mode" or "movie mode" but instead I try to use the terms Still Photo Shooting and Movie Shooting. Canon tends to use the term "Movie Recording" but, to me, that sounds like when a movie is actually being recorded. As Canon phrases it, "the still photo shooting/movie recording switch is set to" either or .

Also, when I say a button is pressed, I mean that the button is pressed and released. I will try to say "pressed and held" or similar phrase to mean that the button needs to be held down.

I also use the phrase "This is sticky" which is vaguely complex. Basically it means that a setting remains in effect even if the camera is turned off or the menus are accessed, etc. The catch here is that if the camera is currently in one of the C1-C3 modes and Auto update set. sub-option of the Custom shooting mode (C1-C3) menu item found in tab 5 of the Yellow Set-up Set-up menu is set to Disable, then the setting will remain changed under the same restrictions as changing any other setting which, as far as I can determine, is not clearly defined.

2. AF Focusing

The Points In Focus YouTube Channel has a very good video about the auto focus engine in Selecting a Subject for Tracking with Servo AF - EOS R5 mark II Tip 35. All of the ways that the various settings affecting auto focus interact is rather involved. His video steps through many of them in a logical manner. Likewise, I will use this space to add revelations about how the auto focus engine works here and will likely append to it over time.

There are settings that need to be enumerated:

The Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink menu can be set to On or Off.
The Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink menu menu which can be set to Auto, People, Animals, Vehicles, or None.
The Start/stop whole area AF tracking function that can be assigned to a button.
The AF area menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink menu which can be set to Spot AF, 1 point AF, Expand AF area, Expand AF area around, Flexible Zone AF 1, Flexible Zone AF 2, Flexible Zone AF 3, or Whole area AF. The AF areas Spot AF, 1 point AF, Expand AF area, and Expand AF area around can have a lock icon or not.
The AF operation menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink menu can be set to One-Shot AF or Servo AF. In all of my testing, I will be using Servo AF. I may check to see what One-Shot AF does but I seriously doubt if I will ever check out what AI Focus does.

I want to mention that if you fiddle with this a lot, you will notice that the camera does not appear to be 100% consistent. I will try to describe what happens the majority of the time but as the video points out, "Your Mileage May Vary".

2.1. When an AF area with the lock icon is selected

The simple cases. If the AF area menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus menu is set to one of the options with the lock icon, the Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink menu and the Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink menu are grayed out and a button with the Start/stop whole area AF tracking function has no effect. Thus, if you want the camera to focus strictly to what is under the focus area, pick one of these areas and you don't need to worry about three of the other settings – they are off.

2.2. When an AF area without the lock icon is selected

Spot AF without the lock icon is selected for this example. I will refer to it as the "focus area". With the Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus menu set to Off and I have the shutter half press function set to Metering and AF start. I will refer to this as "the focus button" since it is less typing and also more accurate. And I will refer to the button with Start/stop whole area AF tracking assigned to it as "the tracking button". When a button is pressed and held down, I will call that "pressed". When a button is pressed and released, I will call it "hit". e.g. "when the track button is hit". Last, to change the scene I am panning the camera as it sits on a tripod. This should simulate tracking an object as it moves.

When the focus button pressed, the camera starts to focus and the white focus area will turn blue when focus is achieved. Panning the camera will cause what ever is under the blue squared to come into focus (assuming it isn't too close, etc). Releasing the focus button causes the blue square to go back to the white area.

With the focus button pressed, if the tracking button is hit, the small blue square turns into a larger blue square that is the area that the camera is now tracking. If the camera is panned, the larger blue square will track the area. When the focus button is released, often (but not always), the small white focus area appears. Note the sequence: press and hold the focus button, press and release the tracking button for the larger blue square, release the focus button to go back to the white focus area.

If the focus button is pressed and released, while the metering timer is still active if the track button is hit, the four corners of a box are drawn with double lines around an area close to where the focus area was. I am not 100% sure who this area is determined. It appears to be the area close to the original AF area that is closest to being in focus.

While in this state, the area moves as the camera pans. When the focus button is pressed, the double white box turns into a blue box when focus is achieved. The area still moves as the camera pans. Hitting the track button a second time reverts back to the original state with the original white focus area in the original place which turns blue when the focus button is pressed and focus is achieved.

When the track button is hit and the double line box is drawn, this state appears to persist until the camera goes back to sleep or until the track button is hit a second time. The metering timer as well as the timer to dim the screen can expire but the double line box remains. When the camera goes to sleep however, the state is forgotten and when the camera is woken back up, it will be back to the normal state with the original focus area in white.

When the Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus menu item is turned On the camera changes behavior. With the focus button not pressed, the white AF area is shown. When the focus button is pressed, the white area changes to a blue area of a different shape. It can be a single blue rectangle or it can be a bunch of blue focus points dancing about the screen. The original area that the blue box covers will be close to the original white AF area but it can drift away and end up on any part of the screen. Where ever the blue area ends up, that area will be tracked as the camera pans.

If the focus button is pressed, when the track button is hit, the camera switches to the original AF area. Note… this is if the track button is hit while the focus button is pressed. If the track button is hit while the metering time is active but the focus button is not pressed, then the box drawn with double lines appears. Again, panning the camera while in this state moves the double lined box with the pan.

2.3. When AF Area is selected

When the AF area is set to "AF area" and the Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus menu item is turned Off, there screen is clear of any focus boxes until the focus button is pressed at which point a broken box drawn with a single line is shown around the whole screen along with the dancing blue focus boxes. When the focus button is released, the screen is cleared of focusing information again.

If the track button is hit while the focus button is pressed, the dancing blue boxes change to a single box that moves as the camera is panned but is otherwise much more stable than the dancing blue focus points. If the track button is hit a second time, the system goes back to the dancing blue focus points. Note again: focus button pressed, then the track button results in this behavior. The odd thing to note is the double white box does not appear in this path. And, when focus is released and then pressed again, the state of the camera is as if the track button had not been pressed. To rephrase, the state does not last until the camera goes to sleep but lasts only until the focus button is released.

If the track button is hit while the metering timer is active (e.g. the focus button was pressed and released), then the while double lined box appears. A blue focus box is then presented when the focus button is pressed. Hitting the track button again (with the focus button still held down) reverts back to the dancing blue focus points.

When the Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus menu is turned On and the focus button is pressed first, a stable larger blue box is presented. If the track button is pressed during this time, the small dancing blue points appear. Pressing the track button a second reverts back to the larger single blue area.

Curiously, if the track button is hit before the shutter, the double lined box appears. Pressing the focus button presents the larger stable blue focus area. Hitting the track button while the focus is pressed results in the dancing blue points. But hitting the track while the focus is released results in the white double box disappearing yet when the focus button is pressed, the single larger blue box is presented rather than the dancing blue dots. It seems a little inconsistent here. Also, this behavior appears to be like this rather the camera is woken up from a fresh sleep or if it is during the metering timer.

2.4. What about Subject to Detect?

It appears as if the Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink Auto Focus menu setting is more or less orthogonal to all of the above. I believe it works to think of all of the above as "How to move the focus area in order to find something to focus on" while the Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink menu has to do with what to focus on. With a Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink Auto Focus menu set, priority is given to what that subject is with the Auto setting simply meaning that one of the other three topics needs to be picked – which ever is predominant.

3. AF Selection

First, the AF area selection control menu item found in tab 3 of the Green Control Customization menu item can be set to either M-Fn or Main Dial. When set to Multi-function button, when a button set to the AF point selection function is pushed (and it may be released), each push of the M-Fn button will cycle through the AF areas that have been enabled in the Limit AF areas menu item found in tab 5 of the Pink Auto Focus menu. When AF area selection control menu item found in tab 3 of the Green Control Customization menu item is set to the Main dial, then turning the Main dial selects the AF area.

During the time that AF point selection is active, the button may be pressed when one of the areas that do not have the lock icon is selected to change the state of the Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus menu.

When , , or is selected, the button may be pushed at which point the Main dial controls the horizontal size and the Quick Control 1 controls the vertical size.

The Multi-controller can be set to Direct AF point selection or it can be set to Off. When set to Direct AF point selection, moving the Multi-controller in any of the eight directions at any time will move the AF area. When the Multi-controller is set to Off, then under normal conditions, the Multi-controller does nothing. After the AF point selection button is pressed, the Multi-controller can be used to move the AF area. This is also true when the AF area selection control menu item found in tab 3 of the Green Control Customization menu item is set to the Main Dial.

After the AF point selection button is pressed, the AF area may also be moved vertically with the Quick Control 1 and horizontally with the Main dial when the AF area selection control menu item found in tab 3 of the Green Control Customization menu item is set to M-Fn.

4. Canon Autofocus Button Functions Videos

The Points In Focus YouTube Channel has three videos talking about the functions that can be assigned to buttons on the newer Canon EOS videos. He demonstrates on an R5 Mark II but the videos are generally useful for many Canon cameras produced in early 2026.

5. Functions available for customization Canon EOS R1

Currently this is just the list of icons and brief descriptions for each of the functions that can be assigned on single buttons on the Canon EOS R1. My hope is to add decent descriptions to some / most / all??? of these over time.

Mild disclaimer: I own an R5 Mk II and an R1. Generally I am fumbling with the R5 Mk II except when I happen to notice a difference.

: Metering and AF start: One of the four options shutter button half press is able to do. When the shutter button is half pressed, AE metering and AF are both started and continue until the button is either released or fully depressed which takes a photo. If the button is released, AE continues for another eight seconds but AF stops.
: AF stop: When a button is held down that starts AF, focus will be re-achieved as the situation changes. But if a button set to AF stop is also held down, focusing will stop (as the name implies). This makes the most sense if the shutter button half press is set to one of the two settings that has AF start although there may be other situations as well.
: AF point selection: The AF point selection function is described in AF Selection.
: Direct AF point selection: This can only be set on the Multi-controller. When set this way, the eight way movements move the AF area in the direction the controller is moved.

: Direct AF pt sel (during meter): This is can only be set on the AF start button/Smart controller. When a button set to any of the metering start functions is pressed and for eight seconds after it has been released, the AF area can be moved via finger movement across the AF start button/Smart controller.

: Set AF point to center

Pressing a button assigned to this function will move the AF area to the center.

: Start/stop whole area AF tracking

This setting is detailed in the AF Focusing section.

: Switch to registered AF point

This feature is fairly well documented in the manual. It is documented here for the R1 and here for the R5 Mark II.

: Switch to registered AF func.

This function allows a single button to be configured to set up many of the AF settings via the button. The settings include:

AF area
Whole area tracking Servo AF
Subject to detect
Spot detection
Eye detection
Servo AF characteristics
Case Auto character.
Tracking sensitivity
Accel./decel. tracking
Servo 1st image priority

Each of these can be enabled making the specified setting take effect or not leaving the specified setting unchanged.

: Direct AF area selection

Each push of the button assigned to this function cycles through the AF areas that are enabled via the Limit AF areas menu item found in tab 5 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu.

: Direct select of sub to detect

Each push of the button assigned to this function cycles through the subject types that are enabled via the Limit subject to detect menu item found in tab 5 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu. ¹ ????

: One-Shot AF * Servo AF

The AF operation menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu cycles from One-Shot AF to Servo AF with each push of the button assigned to this function.

: Moving AF pt, meter., AF by eye ctrl

One of the four options shutter button half press is able to do. Eye control menu item found in tab 5 of the Green

Control Customization menu must be on. When the shutter button is half pressed, AE metering and AF with eye control are both started and continue until the button is either released or fully depressed which takes a photo. If the button is released, AE continues for another eight seconds but AF stops. The AF area is moved to where the eye control is at the moment the shutter button is half pressed. Keeping it half pressed does not allow the AF area to move around with the eye. When Eye control is off, this setting appears to work the same as Metering and AF start.

: Move AF point by eye control

Eye control menu item found in tab 5 of the Green

Control Customization menu must be on. At the moment the button is pressed, the AF area is moved to where the eye control pointer is. Neither AF nor AE are started.

: Moving AF point, start AF by eye ctrl

Eye control menu item found in tab 5 of the Green

Control Customization menu must be on. At the moment the button is pressed, the AF area is moved to where the eye control pointer is. Both AE and AF are started and continue while the button is held down. AE continues for eight seconds after the button is released.

: Eye control

Eye control is toggled on and off with each push of the button. This is the same setting as the Eye control menu item found in tab 5 of the Green

Control Customization menu.

: AF on detected subject

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, AF area menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink

menu is temporarily set to Whole area AF and the auto focus system is engaged.

: Eye Detection AF

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, AF area menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink

menu is temporarily set to Whole area AF, Eye detection menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink

menu is enabled. It isn't clear if Auto, Right Eye, or Left Eye is selected. And the auto focus system is engaged.

: Eye detection

Each push of this button cycles through the Off, Auto, L Eye, and R Eye options enabled in the L/R eye detection menu item found in tab 5 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu.

: Spot detection

Cycles Spot detection off and on with each push of the button when Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu is set to Vehicles. Spot detection is normally altered with the

button when Vehicles is selected for Subject to detect menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu.

: Register people priority

The Register people priority menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu is Enabled and Disabled with each push of the button assigned to this function.

: Action Priority

The Action Priority menu item found in tab 2 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu is Enabled and Disabled with each push of the button assigned to this function. Funny note: When setting this option via the menu, the choices are Enable and Disable but when changing it via the button, the settings are Off and On. But for Register people priority, it is just the opposite.

: Focus mode

I don't have a lens to test this with but I presume that it mimics Focus mode menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu with each push of the button assigned to this function cycling between manual focus and auto focus modes.

: Peaking

When the camera is set to manual focus, ² then the MF peaking settings menu item found in tab 6 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu has an affect. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, it will toggle the top sub-option, Peaking, of that menu On and Off.

: Focus guide

When the camera is set to manual focus,² then the Focus guide menu item found in tab 6 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu has an effect. A button assigned to this function will turn that setting On and Off with each push of the button.

: Register focus preset

The manual has a good description of this function along with Recall focus preset. When the button assigned to this is pushed, the current focal distance is recorded. This will persist across shooting mode changes and even power cycles but not lens changes.

: Recall focus preset

The manual has a good description of this function along with Register focus preset. When the button assigned to this function is pushed, the preset focal distance is recalled. After a lens change, there appears to be something that is set as a default but it isn't the value recorded.

: Subj. detect. AF

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, subject detect is enabled along with Whole area tracking Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu. What isn't clear is which type of subjects will be detected.

: Drive mode

Selects the next drive mode with each push of the button assigned to this function which has been enabled in Restrict drive modes menu item found in tab 4 of the Orange

Custom Functions menu.

: Switch * cont. shooting modes

When electronic shutter is being used and the drive mode is one of the continuous shooting speeds, holding down a button assigned to this function can select a different continuous shooting speed. The continuous shoot speed while the button is not held down is selected by various ways including Drive mode menu item found in tab 6 of the Red

Still Shooting menu. The continuous shooting speed selected while the button is held down is selected via the

button while selecting this function.

: AE lock, AF stop

As the name implies, this appears to lock the auto exposure and stop the auto focus engine.

: Metering start

One of the four options the shutter button half press is able to do. When the shutter button is half pressed (and held that way), metering starts and continues until the button is fully released or fully depressed. When the button is released, AE continues for another eight seconds.

: AE lock

When the button assigned to this function is pushed, the exposure is locked. It will remain locked as long as the button is held down and for the value set in Metering timer menu item found in tab 7 of the Red

Still Shooting menu after release.

: AE lock (hold)

This function cycles between holding and releasing the exposure lock. The first press (and release) will hold the current exposure settings in what appears to be an indefinite time. The second press will release the hold and let the auto exposure reevaluate.

: AE lock (while button pressed)

One of the four options shutter button half press is able to do. The best way to think of this "metering start and AE lock". When any button with "metering start" is momentarily pressed, it starts an eight second timer where the AE engine is running. After eight seconds, it stops. When the shutter button half press function is set to AE lock (while button pressed), touching the shutter button starts AE. Holding the shutter half pressed (as well as taking the image) will cause AE to lock.

: AE lock/FE lock

Sorry… I don't want to muck about with flash right now. Maybe later.

: Release AE Lock

When a button assigned to this function is pressed and released, any exposure lock is released.

: Expo comp (hold btn, turn *)

In P, Tv, Av, and M shooting modes, holding a button assigned to this function down enables the

Main dial to adjust the exposure compensation. In Fv mode however, even after releasing the button, the main dial continues to adjust the exposure compensation until the Metering timer menu item found in tab 7 of the Red

Still Shooting menu expires.

: ISO speed

When a button assigned to this function is pressed and released, a display showing the ISO and any of the dials will adjust the value.

: Set ISO speed(hold btn,turn*)

When a button assigned to this function is pressed and held, the

Main dial is used to adjust the ISO.

: Flash firing

Sorry… I don't want to muck about with flash right now. Maybe later.

: FE lock

Sorry… I don't want to muck about with flash right now. Maybe later.

: Image size selection

Not documented ³

: One-touch image quality setting

Not documented ³

: One-touch image quality (hold)

Not documented ³

: *Cropping/aspect ratio

When the button assigned to this function is pressed (and can be released or not), a horizontal menu appears in the screen and any of the dials can be used to select the desired crop and aspect ratio.

: Switch between crop/aspect

During selecting this function, the button is used to check or uncheck the which cropping and aspect ratios to be made available. The full selection is full, 1.6 crop, 4:3 aspect ration and 16:9 aspect ratio.

When the button assigned to this function is pressed the next selection in the set just described is chosen.

: Auto Lighting Optimizer

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a horizontal menu is displayed and matches the function of the Auto Lighting Optimizer menu item found in tab 3 of the Red

Still Shooting menu with the

button enabling or disabling the optimizer from working with the [M] and [BULB] shooting modes. Any dial can be used to select between the different optimizer options.

: White balance selection

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a horizontal menu appears with the various preset values of white balance such as cloudy, sunny, etc. Any of the dials can be used to select the desired setting. The

button can be pressed which presents an X-Y view of the white balance where the setting can be moved by the Multi-Controller. The

Main dial can be used to set the white balance bracketing.

: Switch color temperature

While assigning this function to a button, the

button may be pressed and a list of the four K1-K4 is presented with check boxes to enable or disable each setting. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the next K1-K4 will be selected.

: WB Shift/Bkt.

This is available only during still photo shooting. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a X-Y view of the white balance is presented and the multi-controller can be used to adjust the settings. The

Main dial can be used to adjust the white balance bracketing.

: WB correction

This is available only during moving shooting. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a X-Y view of the white balance is presented and the multi-controller can be used to adjust the settings. The adjustment for bracketing isn't present since bracketing during moving shooting isn't possible.

: Picture Style

There are eleven Picture Styles defined. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a menu of these eleven styles is displayed as two lines with the top line having six selections and the second line having five. The multi-controller may be used in both the horizontal and vertical motions to select one of the styles. Any of the dials may also be used to select one of the styles. Also, the

button brings up a different screen with the six attributes of the selected style before the

button was pressed are available in a vertical menu. The

Quick Control 1 is used to select which attribute to change while the

Main dial is used to change its value.

: Record func+card/folder sel.

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a menu identical to the Record func+card/folder sel. menu item found in tab 1 of the Yellow Set-up

Set-up menu is presented with the same functionality.

: False color

Only available for Movie Shooting. With each push of a button assigned to this function is pressed, the False color sub-option of the False color set. menu item found in tab 8 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu is toggled on and off.

: Zebra

Only available for Movie Shooting. With each push of a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Zebra sub-option of the False color set. menu item found in tab 8 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu is toggled on and off.

: Movie recording

Only available for Still Photo Shooting. This is the default function for the Movie shooting button. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the camera switches into [ Program AE3 (movies)

] and starts recording. A subsequent push will stop the recording.

: Pause Movie Servo AF

Only available during Movie Shooting. The Movie Servo AF sub-option of the Movie Servo AF menu item found in tab 1 of the Pink Auto Focus

menu must be set to Enable for this function to do anything. While Movie Shooting, pressing a button assigned to this function once will Disable the Movie Server AF. Pressing the button again will Enable

Movie
    Server AF

. The function is not sticky.

: Audio Status

Only available during Movie Shooting. By default, this function is assigned to the Depth-of-field preview button. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, an Audio Status display is brought up identical to Audio Status menu item found in tab 2 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu.

: Cinema zoom (to tele)

I don't have a lens to test this function out.

: Cinema zoom (to wide)

I don't have a lens to test this function out.

: Custom Picture

Only available during Movie Shooting. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Custom Picture menu item found in tab 4 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu menu is brought up.

: Pre-recording

Only available during Movie Shooting. {{{when-pressed}, the Pre-recording sub-option of the Pre-recording set. menu item found in tab 6 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu is toggled. This function is sticky.

: Movie self-timer

Only available during Movie Shooting. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a horizontal menu is presented with the three options presented by Movie self-timer menu item found in tab 7 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu: Off, 10 sec, and 2 sec. Any dial as well as the Multi-controller can be used to select the desired setting.

: Standby: Low res.

Only available during Movie Shooting. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Standby; Low res. menu item found in tab 10 of the Red

Movie Shooting menu is toggled. This function is sticky.

: Flash function settings

Sorry… I don't want to muck about with flash right now. Maybe later.

: Quick flash group control

Sorry… I don't want to muck about with flash right now. Maybe later.

: Dial function settings

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a grid of up to ten functions is displayed. The grid can be one or two lines tall and up to five columns across with one of the columns being selected. If the function is assigned to the Multi-function button button, then the Multi-function button icon is displayed on the left meaning that subsequent pushes of that button will move the selected column to the right and then wrap around to the first column. If the Multi-function button is not assigned to this function, then the Quick Control 2 icon is displayed on the left. In all cases, the Quick Control 2 can be used to select the desired column as well as the button(s) that the function has been assigned to.

Once a column has been selected by subsequent pressing of the button or by the Quick Control 2, the values of the selected function on the top row can be adjusted by the Main dial while the values of the selected function on the bottom row can be adjusted by the Quick Control 1. There are icons presented so all this doesn't need to be memorized.

While selecting this function for a particular button, the button can be pressed to configure the grid of ten possible positions. The available functions are:

ISO speed
Drive mode
AF operation
White balance
Flash exp. comp
Exposure compensation
AF area
Metering mode
Picture Style
Off

: Cycle between the set functions

Pressing a button assigned to this function will display an attribute to be adjusted. Subsequent pushes will bring up the next attribute that has been enabled. The seven attributes or attribute pairs are listed below. They are enabled via the

button during the process of assigning this function to a button.

ISO speed
Exposure compensation
White balance
Drive mode / AF operation
Flash exp. comp / Metering mode
AEB setting
Shooting mode

: Maximize screen brightness (temp): When a button assigned to this function is pressed (and released), the back LCD screen will go to maximum brightness. A subsequent push will restore the screen's brightness to it regular setting. No change to the EVF that I can see.
: Power off: When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the camera goes to sleep however the shutter does not close.
: Screen off: When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the rear LCD display is turned off.
: Unlock while button pressed: If the Power/multi-function lock switch is in the lock position, then when a button assigned to this function is held down, the controls become unlocked and the camera behaves as if the Power/multi-function lock switch is in the On position. This function can only be assigned to the DOF button and the button that some lenses have.
: Short press: LCD illumination - Long press: LCD info switching: This can only be assigned to the / LCD panel info switching/illumination/cropping button. As the name implies, a short press will turn the top LCD illumination on and another short press will turn it off. Long presses will cycle through the two screens of information.
: Short press: LCD info switching - Long press: LCD illumination: This can only be assigned to the / LCD panel info switching/illumination/cropping button and is its default assignment. As the name implies, a long press will turn the top LCD illumination on and another long press will turn it off. Short presses will cycle through the two screens of information.
: LCD panel illumination: When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the illumination of the top LCD panel is turned on and then off with a subsequent push.
: LCD panel info switching: When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the information displayed on the top LCD panel cycled.

: Shooting mode settings

This is the default for the

Mode button. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a two line by five element grid of all the possible modes is displayed. Those that have been enabled in the Restrict shooting modes menu item found in tab 1 of the Orange

Custom Functions menu are highlighted. Any of the dials as well as the Multi-controller can be used to select the desired mode. Unlike some functions, the

Mode button does not have to be pressed for the change to take affect. e.g. the shutter button can be half pressed and the camera will still make the assignment.

: Switch to Custom shooting mode

Okay, to me this is a little weird. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the camera will cycle through the custom modes that have been enabled in the Restrict shooting modes menu item found in tab 1 of the Orange

Custom Functions menu. In addition, it will also select whatever was last selected via the Shooting mode settings described above. For example, if C1-C3 are enabled and the last mode switched to by the

Mode button is Av. Then pushing this button will cycle through the C-C3 modes as well as the Av mode but not the other enabled modes.

: Silent shutter function

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the setting of Silent shutter function menu item found in tab 6 of the Red

Still Shooting menu is toggled.

: Switch focus/control ring

Testing on the R5 Mark II with firmware 1.3.1 (June 2026) and the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens, the Focus/control ring menu item found in tab 3 of the Green Control Customization menu menu appears. The lens has both a control and a focus ring. Just as is described in the "Lenses for which this menu is displayed that have both focusing and control rings" section of the Control Customization Details of the R5 Mark II manual, in one option, the focus and control rings function as normal and in the other option, the control ring is disable and the focus ring acts as the control ring. When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the option just describe toggles between the two settings. It is sticky. I do not have a lens with just one ring and no switch so I can't test the "Lenses without a focusing/control ring switch" condition.

I do have lenses with just one ring but they have a switch. This function appears to do nothing. I also have the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM Lens in which case the menu item does not appear and this function appears to do nothing as well.

: Depth-of-field preview

This is the default function assigned to the Depth-of-field preview button. When the Display simulation menu item found in tab 8 of the Red

Still Shooting menu is set to "Exposure+DOF", this function does nothing because the camera is already adjusting the display simulation for exposure as well as depth of field. When a button assigned to this function is pressed and Display simulation menu item found in tab 8 of the Red

Still Shooting menu is set for any of the other three options, the aperture is closed to the value selected so the user can judge the depth of field that will result when the photograph is taken.

: Reset selected item in Fv mode

When a button assigned to this function is pressed and the camera is in Fv mode or a custom mode based upon Fv mode, the selected item that has been selected via the

Quick Control 2 will be reset to Auto.

: Reset Tv/Av//ISO in Fv mode

When a button assigned to this function is pressed and the camera is in Fv mode or a custom mode based upon Fv mode, all of Tv/Av/

/ISO are reset to Auto.

: Quick Control screen

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Quick Control screen is presented just as if the

Quick Control button had been pushed.

: Magnify/Reduce

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Quick Control screen is presented just as if the

Magnify/reduce button had been pushed.

: Image replay

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Quick Control screen is presented just as if the

Playback button had been pushed. There is one subtle difference. When the actual

Playback button is pressed a second time, the camera goes back to shooting mode but this doesn't appear to happen with a button assigned to this function.

: Magnify images during playback

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, it has the same effect as if the

Playback button had been pressed followed by the

Magnify/reduce button. Subsequent presses toggles the magnification on and off.

: Register/recall shooting func

Perhaps the single most universal function. Before I get into the details, here are some subtleties that I have found. Yes, this function can be assigned to more than one button but No each button will have the same settings. ☹️

When the button is pressed while assigning this function to a button, the user shown a list of nineteen attributes. The list has two columns. The left column is a check box. When checked, then this attribute will be applied to the camera while the assigned button is being pressed. The right column are the values that the attribute can be assigned. For example, Shutter speed can be assigned any value from 30" to 1/32000. Curiously, Auto is not in the list.

Here are the list of attributes that can be set. Have FUN!!!

Shooting mode
Shutter speed
Aperture
ISO speed
Metering mode
Exposure compensation
White balance
AF area
Whoe area tracking Server AF
Subject to detect
Spot detection
Eye detection
Servo AF characteristics
Case Auto character.
Tracking sensitifity
Accel./decel. tracking
Servo 1st image priority
AF start position
AF operation

: Menu display

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the menu appears just as if the

Menu button had been pressed.

: Manual HF anti-flicker shoot(Tv)

I don't feel like I 100% understand the anti-flicker abilities and I don't have flickering lights at home to test with.

: Recom. Tv for HF anti-flicker shoot

I don't feel like I 100% understand the anti-flicker abilities and I don't have flickering lights at home to test with.

: Pre-cont. shooting

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the setting of Pre-cont. shoot menu item found in tab 6 of the Red

Still Shooting menu will be toggled.

: Touch Shutter

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Touch Shutter menu item found in tab 2 of the Green

Control Customization menu setting is toggled.

: OVF sim. view assist

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the OVF sim. view assist menu item found in tab 8 of the Red

Still Shooting menu setting is toggled.

: * Display frame rate set.

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, the Display frame rate set. menu item found in tab 9 of the Red

Still Shooting menu is toggled between Power Saving and Smooth.

: Communication function

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a menu essentially the same as Tab 2 of the Purple Communication Functions is presented. The functions in the list are:

Transfer images to FTP server
Connect to EOS Utility
Upload to image.canon
Sync time between cameras
Connect to smartphone(tablet)
Connect to Wireless remote

There is also a "Connection settings" button that brings up the list of Connection settings: the same menu that is presented when the Connection settings sub-option of the Network settings menu item found in tab 1 of the Purple Communication Functions menu is selected.

: Airplane mode

When a button assigned to this function is pressed, a menu is presented for Airplane mode. The user can select On or Off.

: EOS Multi Remote group: All