EOS R5 Mark II Allow to remove "Basic Shooting info" in Viewfinder Shooting Info via Firmware

[C-Cella]

Hi all.
I have customised the "Screen Shooting Info" of my R5 Mark 2 and have bene able to get a totalyl clean UI.

I removed the: Basic Shooting info, Detailed Shooting Info, On-screen Buttons, Etc...

This gives me a clean UI to compose, frame, observe. 

The shooting info (Shutter Speed, Mode, ISO, IBIS, Battery, etc...) appear only when holding the shutter (they disappears after the chosen "Metering Timer") so info is there, just not all the time.

There seems to be no way to get the same "clean UI" in the Viewfinder (unless I missed it)
The "Basic Shooting info" always appears in VF and can't be removed.
Given the smaller size of the VF a clean Ui is very much needed, more even than for the screen.

The feedback for the Canon team I give is to let us also remove the "Basic Shooting info" when customising "Viewfinder Shooting Info"

Current VF Shooting Info customisation options:




Desired VF Shooting Info customisation options:




Viewfinder Display Format n°2 is not helping solve this issue at all.

[Stephen]

Hi there! While I'm not in support, with the help of Gemini, we've put together a comprehensive guide on how to get the clearest EVF possible. We're also including all of the official Canon sources for reference.

To address your post specifically, we've outlined the necessary steps for removing all configurable information elements and also confirmed the limitation regarding the "Basic Shooting info."

Action Steps to Maximize EVF Cleanliness

To remove all configurable overlays (like grids, histograms, and metering bars), you must combine two steps: cycling with the INFO button and full menu customization.

1. Cycle to the Cleanest Pre-Set View

Pressing the [INFO] button cycles through the available Viewfinder Display formats. One of these options is designed to be the most minimal display, typically pushing essential data (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) to the very edges of the display area, or outside the image frame altogether.

2. Fully Customize the Display Screens

For the most thorough cleanup, use the menu options to uncheck all optional overlays:

1. Navigate to the Shooting Menu (Red Camera Icon).

2. Select [ : Shooting info. disp.] (Shooting Information Display).

3. Select [VF info/toggle settings] (Viewfinder info/toggle settings).

4. Disable Screens: Use the dial to select all information screens you do not want to see. Press the SET button to clear the checkmark next to the screen number.

5. Edit the Remaining Screen: Select the single, least-cluttered screen you wish to keep and press the INFO button to edit its contents.

6. Turn Off All Overlays: Select and uncheck [] every optional element listed (e.g., Grid display, Histogram disp, Electronic level size, etc.).

7. Select [OK] to register the setting.

In addition, also turn off these specific overlays from the main [ : Shooting info. disp.] menu:

• Vertical Exposure Level: Select [Vertical exp level] and set the option to [Off].

• Lens Info: Select [Lens info display] and set both Focus distance disp. and Focal length disp. to [Off].

Source for All Customization Steps: Product Manual : EOS R5 Mark II : Shooting Information Display

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Conclusion Regarding the "Basic Shooting info" Limitation

As you and the community have observed, even after performing all the steps above, the essential "Basic Shooting info" (like Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO) will likely remain visible. This is a current design constraint: the camera is built to retain these critical settings within the viewfinder display, which prevents a 100% clean view.

[C-Cella]

The current "desing constraint" is problematic and impacts negatively the shooting experience.

100% clean Ui, no black areas (like in "Screen" dispaly) should be possible in EVF when not metering.

The viewfinder is alredy small, the current UI desing is dedicating vital space only to display info giving us cuatomers/users no option.

VF usability is sub optimal but hopefully it can be fixed by Canon development team via firmware as my OP proposes.

So the issue remains, canon support should be informed and pass feedback to development team.

[p4pictures]

For the viewfinder there are three possible displays that are accessible. 

1 - simple display no additional info

2 - display with additional info - can be configured with INFO button

3 - display with additional info - can be configured with INFO button

Screen 1 of the viewfinder is the most equivalent to the LCD screen setting 4. Neither of these two settings have an INFO button to change what is shown. However the viewfinder aspect ratio is different to the LCD screen, in that it has additional height and Canon used that space at the bottom to show shutter speed, aperture, ISO, exposure compensation etc in the same way as it has done for DSLR and film SLR cameras for many years. This black area at the bottom is not impacting the area that the image occupies at all. However if you find it a distraction there is no way to switch this off currently.

Your best way to share your request to Canon is via the feedback link on the Canon USA homepage - you'll find it in the footer. 

[FloridaDrafter]

Thank you, Brian! I've been watching this thread and trying to figure out (before posting) if the way I understood Canon's implementation of the space in the EVF was accurate. The R5 II's EVF displays 100% of the sensor at the sensors ratio of 3:2 with a magnification of 0.76X. I suspect the viewing area is something like 3:2.1+/- to give that extra black space for basic info to be displayed.

With that in mind, the only way I see for Canon to give the OP what they are wanting and still maintain 3:2 at 100% is to increase the size of the viewing area in the EVF itself, which would require a change in hardware. I guess you could make it smaller with the existing hardware via firmware, but that wouldn't be my preference. I'm perfectly fine with it as is. The R5 II has one of the most beautiful VF's I've ever had the pleasure of using 🙂

Newton

[C-Cella]

I looked into the specs.
Viewfinder is 4:3 Aspect ratio • 5.76 Million dots (1600x1200)
11.1% of the "pixel area" is dedicated to the "black bar" at the bottom, the remaining 88.9% is the "image area" at 3:2 (5.12 million dots)

So I was wrong the black bar (letterboxing) is not avoidable, it will always be there as Canon didn't choose a 3:2 EVF that matches the sensor size.

The Canon team can nonetheless via firmware allow to not show the "Basic shooting info" and centre the "image area so have letterboxing bottom/top rather than only bottom.

Or very simply allow to not show "Basic shooting info" in the black bar a the bottom, when metering timer expires, to let us focus better on the "image area" itself.

That is doable.