Canon Custom Modes Tip

[fwwwn]

Ok, I thought I'd share this. Last night I couldn't sleep so I reconfigured my 40D - been meaning to do this for a while as some of the custom functions had to be changed to suit my shooting style better.

Anyway, I never really use the custom modes; C1, C2 and C3 on the dial, so I thought of some uses for them, and I think the one use is quite clever.

I set C3 up for those times when you just can't miss the shot. The reason I use C3 is because it's the easiest and quickest to twist the dial to the end. Settings I chose were Av mode, widest aperture, high ISO, servo AF, and high speed drive. The reason for the wide aperture and high ISO is so that the shutter speed will always be fast enough, even in low light. If you miss the shot with those settings I doubt you would have been able to get it anyway.

JPG shooters must remember to choose a suitable picture style and white balance setting as well.

C1 was set up for neutral studio work (M) and C2 for black and white street shooting (Av again).

Other things I changed include 1/2 stop shutter and aperture, and full stop ISO when changing, as I find I never shoot at 'weird' apertures and ISO values.

Just some tips I felt like sharing, use it, don't use it, modify it to suit your style... Let me know what you think, and please add your own setup and tips! Also, Nikon shooters, don't know if you have something similar, please add if you do!

 

[BigAl-sa]

Francois, the biggest problem I've found with the custom mode buttons is that I keep forgetting what I assigned to the buttons I find it quicker to change parameters in M or Av than trying to figure out what I had on the C buttons.

 

[fwwwn]

When you press the 'info' button it should tell you what mode the custom modes are set as.

 

[koffiejunkie]

The reason for the wide aperture and high ISO is so that the shutter speed will always be fast enough, even in low light. If you miss the shot with those settings I doubt you would have been able to get it anyway.

Wouldn't TV make more sense then? Set something reasonable, say 1/125, and if you need to go higher or lower, all it takes is a flick of your index finger.

 

[fwwwn]

I was just thinking that. Then I realised, at high ISO 1/125 would be way off in daylight, as the correct exposure would be 1/2000 at f/22 ... so even twisting the dial fast wouldn't get it there quick enough. Av allows a bit more room if you have 1/8000 but still won't work. hmmm. I think the only overall solution is P. Or two quick shot setups, one for daylight and one for indoors/low light. What do you think? :/

 

[koffiejunkie]

Yeah, P probably is a decent compromise. It's a pity that the 40D's Auto-ISO in the creative modes is so limited - 400-800. That always bugged me. That's one of the improvements I'm enjoying tremendously on the 50D - it's 100-1600

 

[fwwwn]

Agreed. I don't even consider 400-800 to be 'auto iso'. It's only one stop dammit. But yeah, koffie use the auto iso if you're going to use this setup, should help.

 

[koffiejunkie]

Agreed. I don't even consider 400-800 to be 'auto iso'. It's only one stop dammit. But yeah, koffie use the auto iso if you're going to use this setup, should help.

Canon's misrepresentation of Auto-ISO annoys me greatly. in M, it's stuck at 400. FFS. If I set it tot Auto, I want it to be Auto. I want it available in any mode I choose. I want RAW in all modes too.

 

[bwana]

Canon's misrepresentation of Auto-ISO annoys me greatly. in M, it's stuck at 400. FFS. If I set it tot Auto, I want it to be Auto. I want it available in any mode I choose. I want RAW in all modes too.

Ya think!

 

[bwana]

Canon's misrepresentation of Auto-ISO annoys me greatly. in M, it's stuck at 400. FFS. If I set it tot Auto, I want it to be Auto. I want it available in any mode I choose. I want RAW in all modes too.

I think you'd like the "ISO Safety Shift" the 1Dmk3 has.

 

[koffiejunkie]

I think you'd like the "ISO Safety Shift" the 1Dmk3 has.

Both 40D and 50D has it too, but only in Tv and Av. I've never seen it in action - not sure what it shifts. The 50D manual describes it thus:

"This works in shutter-priority AE (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) modes. When the subject's brightness changes erratically and the correct autoexposure cannot be obtained, the camera will change the exposure setting automatically to obtain a correct exposure."

Assuming it works the same as on the 40D, it doesn't involve ISO. The 40D's manual is a bit more specific:

"This works in shutter-priority AE (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) modes. If the subject's brightness changes suddenly and the current shutter speed or aperture becomes unsuitable, the shutter speed or aperture is shifted automatically to obtain a suitable exposure"

Amusingly, the G9 has "Auto ISO Shift." Their description in the manual is two pages long, so I'll give you the gist of it. It works in Auto, P and Av and boosts the ISO if needed. I've seen this work, and it's really useful. Except on the G9 where I really want to avoid 800 and higher

How does it work on the 1Dmk3?

 

[bwana]

How does it work on the 1Dmk3?

There are two safety shift modes. The first (like the 40d?) auto adjusts exposure settings. This is available in TV and AV. The second, available in P/TV/AV let's you safety shift by adjusting the iso between 100 and 3200. You can also set the min shutter speed etc.

 

[koffiejunkie]

There are two safety shift modes. The first (like the 40d?) auto adjusts exposure settings. This is available in TV and AV. The second, available in P/TV/AV let's you safety shift by adjusting the iso between 100 and 3200. You can also set the min shutter speed etc.

Now that's nice!

 

[bwana]

Now that's nice!

How else would you tell the ISO safety shift when to kick in?

Back to the original topic of the thread I dont think the camera has custom modes (it definitely doesnt have idiot modes either).

 

[koffiejunkie]

How else would you tell the ISO safety shift when to kick in?

How about not at all, like on the G9? That's why I say it's nice. Now if they went one step further and allowed you to define the minimum and maximum ISO too (like my Pentax K100D Super did), that would make me buy one.

This is the thing that annoys me about missing features in medium to high-end cameras. These devices are essentially computers, running software. The difference between having custom modes and not having custom modes, has nothing to do with the hardware (other than, on the 50D, the print on the dial). CHDK proves this.

 

[bwana]

How about not at all, like on the G9? That's why I say it's nice. Now if they went one step further and allowed you to define the minimum and maximum ISO too (like my Pentax K100D Super did), that would make me buy one.

This is the thing that annoys me about missing features in medium to high-end cameras. These devices are essentially computers, running software. The difference between having custom modes and not having custom modes, has nothing to do with the hardware (other than, on the 50D, the print on the dial). CHDK proves this.

I'm pretty sure I can set the min/max iso and there may well be custom modes however my manual is in german and I haven't had time to fully explore the pdf version.

 

[koffiejunkie]

I'm pretty sure I can set the min/max iso and there may well be custom modes however my manual is in german and I haven't had time to fully explore the pdf version.

LOL! I hate PDF manuals. Just this morning I was thinking I should get the G9's manual printed. That way I might actually read it.

 

[bwana]

LOL! I hate PDF manuals. Just this morning I was thinking I should get the G9's manual printed. That way I might actually read it.

I'm slowly working my way through it - though I might just print out a hard copy tomorrow.

Amongst other things I've determined I can save the basic camera settings (sort of an instant reset to my config) and 10 custom custom configurations but those need to be saved to a card. Not a problem as I've got plenty of small cards lying around that can be dedicated to the task.

[-]Speaking of cards I wonder if there is much of a difference between SD Extreme III cards and CF Extreme III cards?[/-] Never mind - asked and answered http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/camera_multi_page.asp?cid=6007-9256 the SDHC is slower

 

[Moklet Kcuf]

Other things I changed include 1/2 stop shutter and aperture, and full stop ISO when changing, as I find I never shoot at 'weird' apertures and ISO values.

There can be quite a difference between 1/3 stops, let alone 1/2. A correct exposure has a 'sweet spot' that makes an image pop, and you could very well miss it by blocking your stop range.
Sure, you can patch it on the computer, but a perfectly exposed image is always nicer.
For me, if a Camera had a 1/6th Stop option, I'd use it

Canon's misrepresentation of Auto-ISO annoys me greatly. in M, it's stuck at 400. FFS. If I set it tot Auto, I want it to be Auto. I want it available in any mode I choose. I want RAW in all modes too.

Auto ISO in Manual Mode would defeat the purpose. You need a fixed ISO to define your Shutter Speed and Aperture.

Any Auto Setting inherently gives uncontrolled results. Hence the beauty of Manual control. Personally I shoot in Manual almost exclusively, it actually is much easier to understand ultimately than your Camera's 'auto mentality'.

As for Custom settings on my 5D- I haven't played with C12&3 but have quick access for some things in My Menu-
Mirror Lockup
Highlight Priority
Long Exposure Noise reduction

Maybe I will try not to sleep tonight and have a play around

 

[koffiejunkie]

Sure, you can patch it on the computer, but a perfectly exposed image is always nicer.

+1

Auto ISO in Manual Mode would defeat the purpose.

No it doesn't. It allows you to use the camera in a Shutter+Aperture priority mode, something that a few manufacturers offer (Pentax with the Sv mode) and that's incredibly useful.

If I'm in a situation with a lot of movement and rapidly changing light (think dance shows or something along those lines), auto ISO in M would allow me to control the exposure time and depth of field, and let the camera work out the rest.

Any Auto Setting inherently gives uncontrolled results. Hence the beauty of Manual control.

You can still select any ISO setting. Having the option of a real auto doesn't hurt or prevent you from using it any other way.

Thinking about it, by your argument, having Auto ISO in Av or Tv must be worse, because now you have *two* uncontrollable variables. You never know which of the two settings the camera is going to adjust, and by how much. With Auto ISO in M, you know it's only one variable, and you know exactly how it's going to respond.

Personally I shoot in Manual almost exclusively, it actually is much easier to understand ultimately than your Camera's 'auto mentality'.

I learned to shoot, and still do a fair bit of shooting, with a Pentax K1000 - I understand how things work.