New Camera Settings

[MarkBarbieri]

So when you get a new camera, what options to you change from the defaults? I'm not talking about things like P/Av/Tv/M mode or your aperture. I'm talking about camera settings that you rarely change.

I just got a new 7D and here are the options I set:

1) Date/Time - I wish you could set GMT and then just change time zones as you traveled.

2) Quality - RAW, of course.

3) Release Shutter Without Card - Disabled.

4) Increase review time to 8 seconds. It wastes battery, so I drop it lower when I'm going to have a long shoot.

5) Colorspace Adobe RGB - Just in case I ever shoot JPG

6) Picture Style Neutral - Just in case I ever shoot JPG

7) Highlight Alert Enabled - This wasn't the default? That's crazy.

8) AF Point Display enabled - This wasn't the default? That's crazy.

9) Histogram RGB Enabled

10) VF Grid Display enabled

11) Bracketing seq - I like it to go low, medium, high rather than medium, low, high

12) Exposure Safety Shift Enabled

13) Long Exposure Noise Reduction - Auto. I turn this off when I'm shooting low light performances and fireworks.

14) Manual AF Point Selection Pattern - Continuous. This is a new one for me. It means that if I scroll to one extreme of the focus points, it will wrap over to the other extreme.

15) AF-assist IR only. This shuts off the autofocus assist beam and only uses the infrared AF assist when you have a flash on.

16) Second Curtain Sync on my flash

17) Move AF to the * button - Much better than having AF on the shutter button.

18) For the My Settings page, I have
a) Review time - so I can quickly shut off the LCD
b) Auto Exposure Bracketing
c) Format
d) Mirror Lockup - Because Canon refuses to let you put this on a button

I then set my camera to AI servo (the only mode you use when you take AF off the shutter button), low speed continuous, ISO 400, Av mode with f-stop f/4, evaluative metering, and flash exposure compensation -1. I register those settings to C1 on my dial so that if I ever pick up my camera without time to think about adjustments, I have a known starting point.

 

[boBQuincy]

My base settings are pretty much the same as yours, within the limitations of a Rebel Xsi (bracketing sequence is M/L/H, no other choices). I have not used the * button for AF yet but plan to try it. My base setting for exposure is P.

 

[giantstu]

as a sports shooter, having the * as the AF is the first thing i ever do.

 

[mabas9395]

as a sports shooter, having the * as the AF is the first thing i ever do.

I'm a left eyed shooter who wears glasses. I have never been able to comfortably use this function. My thumb keeps hitting my glasses.

 

[photo_chick]

I set things pretty much the same as you, Mark. Except on the 50D the * is already set for AF out of the box. Though for the life of me I cannot figure out how to disable the AF on the shutter button. There is no option to make it AE only. It's been a month since I got it so I may have to get the manual out. LOL

 

[giantstu]

I'm a left eyed shooter who wears glasses. I have never been able to comfortably use this function. My thumb keeps hitting my glasses.

I am a left eyed shooter with glasses too and have never even thought about it...
It just worked.

 

[YesDear]

congrats on the new camera!

 

[SrisonS]

Out of curiosity, what is the advantage of using * for AF, as opposed to having it on the shutter button????

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Out of curiosity, what is the advantage of using * for AF, as opposed to having it on the shutter button????

It allows you to control AF separately from your shutter. So what? It gives you more control.

Here's how I do it. I switch my camera to AI Servo mode so that when I've got the focus button it pressed, it continually updates the focus. When I want to hold focus, I just let go of the button. That gives me the best of AI Servo (the ability to do continuous focus) with the advantage of One Shot AF on demand.

I'll give you an example, picked because it was the last time I tried using my camera with focus on the shutter button. I was shooting my boys ice skating and I was wearing gloves. I thought it would be better to reduce the number of button presses, so I switched AF back to the shutter button. I quickly switched it back because I needed the flexibility. Because they were moving so much, I needed to be in AI Servo mode. However, when they stopped, I wanted the ability to focus and recompose. Without focus on the * button, I would have had to keep switching back and forth between AI Servo and One Shot. I could have used AI Focus (which tried to intelligently decide which mode to use), but I've never found that to be as reliable as using the dedicated button.

It's very handy when you are shooting anything that moves a lot. You really need AI Servo mode to track your subject. On the other hand, it is great to have the ability to hold focus where it is.

When I first switched to this mode (as advised by sports photogs), it took a couple of days to get used to it. Now it feels odd not to be in that mode. The biggest downside is that I have to turn it off when I hand my camera to someone else to shoot with because it is too odd for them to grasp quickly.

 

[mabas9395]

I also change my flash to rear-curtain synch.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I also change my flash to rear-curtain synch.

This is another in the category of "why isn't that the default"??? I suppose that having the flash go off at the end of a shot would confuse a lot of newbies and generate complaints and questions. The fact that it would make for better pictures most of the time is secondary.

 

[VVFF]

I set things pretty much the same as you, Mark. Except on the 50D the * is already set for AF out of the box. Though for the life of me I cannot figure out how to disable the AF on the shutter button. There is no option to make it AE only. It's been a month since I got it so I may have to get the manual out. LOL

Actually it's not the default. The default for the * button is Exposure lock/Flash exposure lock.

To make the shutter button exposure lock only you have to go into the custom functions...it's in there.

 

[VVFF]

8) AF Point Display enabled - This wasn't the default? That's crazy.

This is the only one I don't do. I simply don't see the point of showing my focus point on the review screen. If I took the picture, I thought I focused correctly. Simply showing me which focus point I used doesn't tell me if I focused and recomposed or if I nailed the focus or not. I just find it gets in the way of reviewing my photos and showing them to others after they are taken.

I then set my camera to AI servo (the only mode you use when you take AF off the shutter button).

And I disagree with this. While Servo is much easier to use for different situations with it on back button focusing, it still is better IMO to use one shot when the situation calls for it. I simply find the focusing to be a bit more accurate and easier to control. I can see where you are coming from though and I guess it comes down to preference. I like back button focusing because I can do exposure lock even with the flash up and in a more logical order.

If the flash is down you have to first lock exposure...then lock focus. I find typically if you are doing recomposing that you want to do the opposite. Having back button focusing allows this.

 

[JoeDif]

My main setup changes are:

1) back button focus

2) second curtain synch

3) change function button for custom WB setting

4) AF Illumination - off