EOS 5D mkIV - LCD illumination

[spectru]

In Bulb mode, the LCD light turns off when you press the shutter button. Page 63 of the instruction manual confirms this.  So, in the dark, the exposure timer can't be seen.  Is there some way to override this?   I know there are alternatives to looking at the exposure time in the LCD panel, but that is my preferred method of timing a Bulb exposure.

[John_B]

Hello spectru and welcome to the Canon Forums and thanks for your inquiry!

The top LCD panel light can be activated by pressing the small button to the top right of the panel. The icon beneth the button should look like a small light bulb. This will illuminate the LCD long enough to check your settings. We hope this helps! 

[spectru]

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@John_B wrote:

Hello spectru and welcome to the Canon Forums and thanks for your inquiry!

The top LCD panel light can be activated by pressing the small button to the top right of the panel. The icon beneth the button should look like a small light bulb. This will illuminate the LCD long enough to check your settings. We hope this helps! 

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Thanks.  But...

I know how to turn the light on. Pressing the shutter button turns it off in Bulb mode. Is there a way make it stay on during a Bulb exposure?  I don't want to touch the camera during the exposure.  And if I do press the button to turn the light on during the exposure, the LCD light only stays on for 6 seconds, not much help for watching the timer for an exposure of minutes.

I can shine a light on the LCD; or, I can turn on the Wifi and use my phone; or,  I could buy a remote control with an illuminated timer.  I'd rather use the timer in the LCD panel.  What's the point of having it if it isn't visible during an exposure?  Isn't there some way of overriding this built-in shortcoming?

[Johnw1]

If you hit the button again it will turn on again. I would have my camera on a tripod. This is on a 80D. 

[RobertTheFat]

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@spectru wrote:

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@John_B wrote:

Hello spectru and welcome to the Canon Forums and thanks for your inquiry!

The top LCD panel light can be activated by pressing the small button to the top right of the panel. The icon beneth the button should look like a small light bulb. This will illuminate the LCD long enough to check your settings. We hope this helps! 

---

Thanks.  But...

I know how to turn the light on. Pressing the shutter button turns it off in Bulb mode. Is there a way make it stay on during a Bulb exposure?  I don't want to touch the camera during the exposure.  And if I do press the button to turn the light on during the exposure, the LCD light only stays on for 6 seconds, not much help for watching the timer for an exposure of minutes.

I can shine a light on the LCD; or, I can turn on the Wifi and use my phone; or,  I could buy a remote control with an illuminated timer.  I'd rather use the timer in the LCD panel.  What's the point of having it if it isn't visible during an exposure?  Isn't there some way of overriding this built-in shortcoming?

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While you have the shutter open, any extraneous light can affect the exposure. If I were you, I'd stay as far behind the camera as possible and use the stopwatch on my phone.

[spectru]

I've done that. it's a little awkward holding the remote in one hand and the phone in the other.

The camera has a bulb timer, but it takes extra steps to set up. That's probably how I'll do it next time. I've used the Wifi with my phone as a remote release, but that's kind of fiddly. And I think WIFI eats battery power.

My 5D4 is new. I'm used to using the timer in the illuminated LCD in my old camera.. Was just hoping the retain my old habits. Sorry to lose a tried and true way of doing it.  We always think of the latest and greatest model as being an improvement instead of losing friendly features.