I am extremely upset that a printed manual was not included with my EOS R7.

[susieq48]

The R7 is my third Canon camera.  I am seriously thinking of returning it as it requires re-learning the dials etc that one should be able to quickly manuver while shooting.  They are not intuitive. With my older cameras, I was able to sit with the manual and camera and go through it step by step. You could put it down for awhile and pick it up again with ease. Now we are expected to sit at a computer to read through pages. That can't be done in the comfort of my living room.  Don't even talk about using a phone with the print so small you can barely see it. I also packed the manual with me when travelling to review features that I don't usually use during my normal shooting but may want to try.

Am I the only one disappointed with the idea that a corporation that charges enormous amounts for it's cameras can't afford to print a manual for those who would want one?   

[normadel]

Canon stopped producing printed manuals some time ago, before mirrorless cameras. My EOS 6D did not have a printed manual. 

You could print it yourself, partially or completely. Or, if you search Ebay for  an R7 manual, you will find ones for sale that have been printed by people who do it as a business.  They'd mostly be 8.5x11 and wire-or plastic-bound, maybe looseleaf.  I saw at least one that gives you a choice of size. This is where I found my 6D manual, and it was actually printed  same-size as Canon's manuals are/used to be!

[justadude]

Canon was still printing manuals after the 6D came out in 2012 (I had a manual with my 6D as well as my 60D which came out at the same time).  My Canon RP is from 2019 and came with a printed manual.  My recent R6m2 did NOT come with a manual, but a friend with the earlier R6 did have a thin manual.  I'm thinking this is fairly recent.

[Tronhard]

Hi Susie and welcome to the forum:

So, to clarify where you are...  You chose to buy the R7 without being aware of the configuration of the controls?

Canon do this reconfiguring of controls, almost as an experiment, every now again - the notorious control bar on the EOS R being an example, and it can be frustrating: I have been shooting with Canon SLRs, DSLRs and MILCs for over 4 decades and I too get use to a certain control layout.   However, when considering the purchase of a camera I always check out reviews from sources I trust and I download a PDF copy of the manual to go through and see about any new features or changes in configuration that may be significant so I know what I am getting. 

A recent example is the EOS R6MkII, which has the ON-OFF switch on the opposite side from all other MILCs and even DSLRs, and that original spot is now taken with a switch between still and video.  Yep, I still try to turn it off and get video, but I knew before I purchased it that this was an issue and decided I could learn to live with it, and I can.

Given that the vast majority of people who buy cameras don't read the manuals, (which explains why they come here and ask us), like many other consumer electronics companies, Canon decided a long time ago to desist from both the cost and waste of producing hard copies that likely end up in a landfill.   I personally like the PDF's because I can annotate, use the search function for specific phrases, and I can store the manuals on a smartphone or tablet for reference when I am out and about or travelling. Since you have apparently neither a tablet or a laptop, that leaves you with a hardcopy, but they are available, or  you can print only those parts of the PDF you need for reference.

Canon are not alone in this. Nikon and Sony include a very rudimentary guide with their cameras, but if you want the whole thing, you download that from their websites.

If you want a Canon R-series body that has controls very similar to the Canon DSLRs, then I would recommend checking out the EOS R6 (Not the MkII version), it's an excellent camera, has a superior build, and focus system to the R7 and has a great sensor.  It is full-frame, but if your lenses will work with that, they are great cameras.
Check out the manual ahead from here:
Canon : Product Manual : EOS R6 : Part Names (start.canon)

[shadowsports]

Greetings susieq48,

I'm really sorry you feel this way, I find digital copies of my manuals to be very convenient and easy to use.  

There is no difference between having a printed manual and viewing a PDF on a tablet or computer.  I don't use my mobile device either.  Like Trevor said, you can annotate and search the PDF for keywords or specific information.  I sit in front of my computer all the time with my camera.  I have a home office, a big desk and a super comfy chair to sit in.  Most of the time I sit on the couch with my laptop in front of the TV with my camera. Now I have the manual and YouTube for reference.  You don't even have to read the table of contents. Just type in the word or term you are looking for.  So simple and convenient.  

Second and more importantly, Canon continually introduces new features each time a new firmware is released. They add new features, hardware compatibility and functions that were not available when the camera was released and a manual might have been printed.  A printed manual might be obsolete by the time you get your camera. My R5 C has two manuals. One for photo, one video.  The printed manuals that came with the camera (think I got 2) were obsolete in just a few months after I got my camera.  I was absolutely grateful for the new features and functions that the new firmware added.  The only way to have a current reference for your camera is to use the digital copy available on your products support portal.  Canon updates these regularly.  You can print it if you wish, but you lose the ability to search it easily.  When a new firmware gets released and a feature gets added, now your printed manual is once again out of date.  So using a digital format is the most efficient way to ensure your manual or reference is current, applicable and up to date. 

When I travel I usually have a laptop but if I didn't, YouTube is right there.

[Waddizzle]

Welcome to the forums!

Not including a full User Guide with products has become the norm with many types of consumer electronics.  Manufacturers may only include a “Quick Start” card or a brief Instruction Manaual in the box.  This saves the manufacturer significant costs.  In theory, these savings are passed down to the consumer.

You can download the R7 Advanced User Guide, as well as free apps, from the R7 Product Support Page at the link just below.

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/eos-r7 

The actual Advanced User Guide is 963 pages long.  This would add considerable size and weight to the camera box.  It just might even double the size of the box.  

[jrhoffman75]

---

@susieq48 wrote:

The R7 is my third Canon camera.  I am seriously thinking of returning it as it requires re-learning the dials etc that one should be able to quickly manuver while shooting.  They are not intuitive. With my older cameras, I was able to sit with the manual and camera and go through it step by step. You could put it down for awhile and pick it up again with ease. Now we are expected to sit at a computer to read through pages. That can't be done in the comfort of my living room.  Don't even talk about using a phone with the print so small you can barely see it. I also packed the manual with me when travelling to review features that I don't usually use during my normal shooting but may want to try.

Am I the only one disappointed with the idea that a corporation that charges enormous amounts for it's cameras can't afford to print a manual for those who would want one?   

---

The manual is over 900 pages. If it was a bound paper document it would most likely be larger than the camera.

As noted by others, most folks don't read the manual anyway. It would be a major waste of resources.

You can download the PDF manual and have it printed at Staples, or as others have noted, there are companies that have already done that and sell them.

Older cameras were much simpler and didn't require a large manual to describe the use.

Return it if you wish, but I suspect any other camera you purchased would be in a similar state.

I have a very "simple" EOS M200 digital camera and the PDF manual for that is still over 500 pages.

EOS Magazine, a UK based site, makes handy pocket books.

[Stephen]

Hi, Susieq!

We stopped including the printed copies because the vast majority of them ended up in the trash, and most of our users preferred to be able to reference specific sections of the manual electronically on their iPads or other mobile devices since they are easier to take with them than a thick printed manual.

If you want a printed copy, you can contact the Canon Print Factory. They will let you know the cost of the printed manual prior to purchase. They're available Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm ET at 631-330-4255. You will need to let them know you want the EOS R7 Advanced User Guide CT2-D181-B.

[justadude]

I blame a lot of this on the worldwide paper shortage that started during COVID once the mills shut down.  I wish that was a joke.  I worked for a business mail company at the time.  We printed medical bills, insurance statements, and similar important documentation.  We had a very hard time for two years getting paper supplies for stock, and what we did find was 2-3 times the price due to the shortage.  A lot of companies went to online documentation for things like this due to the huge increase in cost AND the difficulty in even getting paper.

[Tronhard]

Well, it might be in part, but this has been a trend for quite a while.  I think it was driven by the cost of production, the flak that manufacturers got for wasting materials (especially when they were often not read), and the fact that manuals changed quite quickly as firmware changes rendered them obsolete.   I think these things happen for more than one reason.

If our OP's ID is an indication of age, if born in 48, a hardcopy is much more within their comfort zone, and not apparently having access to an acceptable mobile device (phone not ok and no tablet or laptop apparently), then they are stuck with getting their manual in a printed format separately.
However, I am still surprised that due diligence as to configuration was apparently not done before making the purchase.