20 Steps to the Perfect Canon EOS Rebel T6s/T6i Setup

The definition of "perfect" in regards to T6i/T6s (750D/760D) setup is of course referring to my own preferences. That there are so many setup options shows that not everyone is the same as me.

1. Open the box, find the battery and battery charger, connect the two and plug the charger in. A charged battery is needed for almost everything going forward.
2. While the battery is charging, the one step that can be accomplished is software installation. Canon Digital Photo Pro and EOS Utility are the two apps I load.
3. Another step that can be taken parallel to battery charging is installation of the neck strap.
4. Install the charged battery and power on the camera. Update the date, time and time zone as prompted.
5. To enable the full set of menu options, turn mode dial to P, Tv, Av or M. Then begin changes by pressing the Menu button.
6. Change "Image quality" to "RAW"
7. "Beep" to "Disable"
8. "Release shutter without card" to "Disable" (Important)
9. "Image review" to "4 sec."
10. Set all "Lens aberration correction" options to "Disable"
11. "Picture Style" to "Neutral" with "Sharpness" set to "1". Note that I select the Neutral Picture Style for a lower contrast histogram to better show the camera's available dynamic range in-camera. I usually change image to use the "Standard" style in DPP during post processing.
12. "Long exposure noise reduction" to "Auto". I frequently change this option when shooting, most often to "On".
13. "High ISO speed NR" to "Off". Noise reduction reduces image sharpness and very potentially destructive to image details. I apply NR to my taste (usually very lightly) during post processing.
14. Live View "Grid display" to "Grid 1" to get the thirds lines
15. Histogram disp from "Brightnes" to "RGB"
16. "Auto rotate" to "On/Computer". This allows images to fill the camera LCD regardless of the orientation they were captured in.
17. Viewfinder display: Set Electronic level, Grid display and Flicker detection to "Show"
18. "Feature Guide" to "Disable"
19. Custom functions: ISO expansion: On,
20. Setup My Menu to include: Long exp. noise reduction, Anti-flicker shoot, Format card, Date/Time/Zone, Mirror Lockup, Sensor cleaning

Regardless of your setting alignment with mine, I recommend that you maintain your own camera settings list. The list will be helpful if your camera requires reconfiguration (such as after returning from Canon service) or as a basis for configuring your next camera upgrade.