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I wonder how many posts I am going to initiate over the next 6 months???? Quite a few I reckon!!!!
I am just wondering what 'custom settings' you guys / girls have for your 7D (3 x custom settings on the main dial)??
Obviously after learning a fair bit of information over my previous threads I know I don't need one for B&W as I can do that in post.
I was thinking about having one for a HDR setting but apart from that - I have no idea.
I have my far one set for birds with a fast shutter speed. Flying birds are the few things you really don't have time to adjust for once you see them. I figure I have enough time to pull the camera out and twist the knob as far as I can, I know I'll be in flight mode and ready to shoot. Number 1 is set for HDR stuff with my bracketing set up to take three shots about two stops apart. The second one varies on what I'm doing that day. Hope that gives you an idea anyway before the that vx-thing starts spamming this thread.
Actually, I don't. Never have, and haven't bothered investigating.
Although, I think I should, having a bird/macro/hdr setting ready to go sounds nice...
Don't forget. The good/bad thing about those three setting is if you ever tweak something, it will revert back to what it was programmed for before you realize it. It's a love/hate thing.
Hi, I use them frequently, but I don't use permanent settings for C1-C3. I change them from one session to the other. I ususally think of them as C1 for still subjects and C3 for the fastest action liekly to happen on a particular photosession. E.g. a day by the sea I store a typical landscape setting under C1 and maybe a bird in flight-setting under C3. Another day I may store a setting for an audience overview at a sports event under C1, a player portrait setting under C2 and the action setting under C3. Be careful with custom settings that lock the exposure (M mode with fixed ISO) - you will likely adjust e.g. shutter speed for correct exposure, but if you don't shoot for a while the camera will revert to the stored setting.
I think they're a great feature. As pointed out above, if the camera goes to sleep (or if you change modes then change back), any changes you made to the custom mode revert - unless you re-register the setting. The 1D X actually has an option to automatically re-register as you change settings.
The other thing to remember is that you cannot change the base mode of a C setting, meaning if you initially register C2 from Av mode, you can change almost anything and re-register, but you cannot change C2 to be based on Tv or M mode without starting from scratch.
For me, C1 is tripod shots, C2 is birds/wildlife (usually in trees/thickets), C3 is birds in flight - same reason as andnowimbroke, and it's C3 because it's fastest to just twist the mode dial to the hard stop when a bird flys by.
More than just exposure settings are stored - other settings, including custom functions, are part of the registered settings.
Here are mine for the 7D, in detail. All RAW+L.
- C1, tripod shots: Av mode, ISO100, f/8, single point AF (center), evaluative metering, One Shot, 2sec timer/remote, mirror lockup enabled (C.Fn III-13).
- C2, birds/wildlife: Av mode, ISO Auto, f/wide (I set it with the 85mm f/1.2L II @ 1.2, so every lens I mount defaults to it's widest aperture), spot AF (center), spot metering, AI Focus, high speed drive
- C3, BIF: M mode, 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO Auto, AF Point Expansion, evaluative metering, AI Servo, high speed drive; for this one I also set up the AF C.Fn's - the ones I changed from default are C.FnIII-1, slow and C.FnIII-3, Continuous AF tracking priority.
I use C1 and C2 for HDR bracketing - C1 at -2, 0, +2 and C2 at -1, 0, +1. Although it duplicates the EV 0 shot, this makes it pretty quick and easy to get a 5 shot HDR. C3 is for BIF like others, although I can't tell you how many times I forget the simple act of twisting the dial to C3!
I don't use them. I suppose they are a good idea and sound functional, but for me, its just one more thing to remember.
I'm the same as Bob.....
Wally
When I was still using the 7D I considered many times using the settings on the knob, but just never did. If I were going to use the custom settings it would have been to change between AF modes quickly. Usually when you need AI servo mode it seems you are usually in “One Spot” mode.
Now with the 1D IV there is no knob on top to make these changes. When you go to the “mode” button there is no choice for “auto” and there are no options for pre selected settings. I am sure there is probably a way to set your own settings, but I haven’t found the need for it yet. I shoot almost exclusively in “manual” mode now.
The important settings that vary regularly I log them in to “my menu settings” so I can change them quickly. Right now I have white balance, highlight tone priority, live view, bracketing and format.
More important with the 7D but less important with the 1D IV is “One Shot” and “AI Servo” mode. With the 7D I always saw a noticeable difference between the two modes when it came to getting sharp crisp shots of static objects. With the 1D IV there is almost no difference, and the only reason I usually want “One Shot” is so I can utilize “Spot AF”. All the times I considered custom settings with the 7D they were always AF related reasons.
Hi Team
Just a quick question.
Is there a way to change how long the rear menu is displayed on the 7d after you hit the 'Q' button.
If I don't touch any buttons, mine only stays on for about 8 seconds. Is this a default setting that can be changed or is it a fixed time setting
OK, I must admit that this thread got me interested, so I got to playing around with them a few weeks ago.
So now i've got my custom modes set to:
C3 - Bird Mode. Easiest to get to, turn the dial until it don't turn no more, you've got the least amount of time to get bird shots anyway.
- Tv, 1/400s, Auto ISO. The beauty of this is that as the light gets lower and lower, the ISO stays on 100 until the aperture is wide open, then the iso goes up to 3200, then the shutter starts reducing in speed. with the 70-300L set at 300mm, it rarely gets narrower than f/6.3, so it may as well be wide open anyway. Also, if a bird is sitting still, I can easily switch the speed down to 1/200s or 1/100s with my finger to bump the ISO down, or up to 1/1000s for a quick flying bird. The reason I don't use Av is because with fixed ISO the shutter-speed can be too slow, or with auto-iso it stays above 1/400s at 300mm, it ignores if the lens has IS or not, and it's quicker to change the speed in Tv than to change the ISO in Av. 5-point AF expansion, centre-weighted metering, review time off (because otherwise it can give a "busy" light if i pause in shooting for a second or two), auto-power-off only 1 minute, it comes back quick enough, AF at AI Servo.
C2 - Macro-mode, for when I'm hiking for birds and see a nice flower, still with 70-300L attached. Av, Iso400, f/9 (easily changeable, but a good starting point). Evaluative full-screen metering, i think it's on 9-point AF, review on and auto-power-off about 4 minutes (my 'normal' setting), maybe AF as AI Focus or one-shot, not sure.
C1 - HDR setting. The custom-mode refused to save that live-view was on, or i'd have saved it with live-view on. Av, Iso100, f/6.3 for landscapes (i think), evaluative metering, One-shot single-point focus if i forget to switch to MF. +/- 2EV bracket centred on -2/3EV, then i turn the thumb dial 2-clicks to centre on 0EV, then 2 more clicks to centre on +2/3EV, so I get a 9-shot HDR with 2/3EV spacing between each shot (a lot of times i throw out the brightest because the shutter ends up at 1s long or something stupid). I did have mirror-lockup and 2s/remote shutter, but the first few times I used it I got confused (as I always do when mirror-lockup is on and forget it is), I figure that if i'm going to use a tripod i'll set it up on purpose then (that may change).
Now, the only real times i *don't* use the c1-c3 is for using a flash, which is M, Iso100, 1/200s, f/2.8 or whatever depending on lens, and let the flash fill in the dark bits. (7D mk2, can we have 4 custom modes please?)
Not that I know, and I don't think so, I've never seen a menu item for it, but i'll check my manual later (if/when I find it).Quote:
Originally Posted by weewillo