custom functions

[dan_weiss2]

Hi I just bought a new canon eos 3 even though everyone tried to

talk me to digital!

 

I was wondering what custom functions people like to lean on....

 

 

also, I know a lot of people use the little star in the back to

focus and lock exposure with the shutter.

 

any reason why that is better

 

thanks

[jim_j2]

Probably the best advice you will find is by reading the manual. If you did not get one when you got the camera, it can be found on the Internet with a little bit of searching and may even be available from the Canon Consumer site.

As far as the Custom Functions, . . . They are designed for just that! So that you can customize certain functions to fulfill your requirements.

The manual will also help to get you on the right track as far as the correct terminology for the symbols and Icons found on the Camera and Lens. Learning and using some of the proper terminology will help those who are trying to help you so that you are both on the "same page" for discussion purposes.

[marymac]

Dan -

 

Moving the focus to the * button lets you separate the process of auto focusing from the process of auto exposing (using Av or Tv modes). In use it lets you focus as you want (auto focus with the * button or manually focus)then press the shutter halfway to lock the exposure. When you press the shutter down fully it takes the picture.

 

- Mary

[randall ellis]

I am not overly familiar with the controls on the 3, but on my Elan II I use the * for depth of field preview.

 

- Randy

[panos_voudouris]

"I am not overly familiar with the controls on the 3, but on my Elan II I use the * for depth

of field preview."

 

The 3 has a dedicated DOF button by the lens mount, so the * can be used for other things

:-)

 

Dan, the * button for focus is only useful if you have USM lenses, which allow FTM. This

way, you focus with one button, adjust the focusing after AF is complete and take the

photo using the shutter button. Normally, the shutter button will do AF if half pressed so,

if you AF, then adjust with manually and by now have taken your finger off the shutter

button, pressing it again to take the shot will AF again, cancelling your manual

adjustment. Personally, I do not really like this as I hardly ever use FTM and it adds

another level of complexity.

[primoz]

I use * button on all my cameras because it just works better for me. I shoot only (or at least mostly) sport and with this setting I can keep tracking subject and keeping it in focus even during continious shooting when this wouldn't be possible if I would have AF connected to shutter button. After releasing shutter button af would stop and it takes few moments after pressing it again before af is locked again. With af having connected to * button this doesn't happen.<br>

But it's just personal preference and not any rule at all. I got used to this and now I couldn't live without it. Some people on other hand don't have any wish for this kind of setting.

[mark u]

There is a lot of flexibility in setting up the camera, and there are good reasons for that. Different kinds of photography are easier to accomplish with different settings, and different photographers have different preferences. You'll get much more appropriate advice if you are specific about what kind of shooting you wish to optimise for. You can hardly expect a complete washing list on the basis of your question - there are too many settings and situations to consider.

[dan_weiss2]

primarily I am shooting weddings.

 

anyone out there with advice...greatly appreciated

[panos_voudouris]

The custom functions are there to simply change slightly the way the camera works, not

make it work better. It depends on your style.

 

Example, do you use ECF? If so, you might find that limiting the AF points to 11 helps you

get better ECF control.

 

Example 2, do you use spot metering? If so you might find that linking the spot to the AF

point is better than having a spot meter always in the center. But then if you always use

the central spot and recompose there is no need.

 

Example 3, do you use FTM (or do you have any USM lenses to begin with)? If so, you

might want to move AF to the * button, on the other hand, I don't like it.

 

As you can see, there is no fixed "advice". It just depends on your style. Use the camera

and if you think that something is not right, see if a CF can change it.

[dan_weiss2]

not sure what the abbreviations are that you were talking about. please enlighten...

[steven_flanagan]

Im glad you asked this question. It amazes me this concept has never been explored fully by people so I am going to describe what I see as the ultimate (IMHO the most flexible and powerful) setup for EOS3 and 1V. The thing is to throw the default button layout in the bin. It takes some getting used to, I wish I was in your position to use this setup from the beginning. Here we go, try out the following combination of custom functions for camera perfection:

 

CF4-3 * button is AF. In most cases in One shot you only need to focus once and exposure, dof and composition are the things you keep changing before you take the photograph. CF4-3 does not lock AE when you half press the shutter button ? if you leave the camera permanently in spot metering, you have the choice, press multispot button once if you want to lock exposure, else leave the exporsure ?live?, ideal for when there are clouds in the sky constantly changing the lighting conditions while you are composing you shot. I find this choice of real time or locked exposure to be indispensible. (Alternatively if you don?t use spot permanently, you can switch between CF4-1 and CF4-3 depending on weather you want shutter to lock AE or not.)

 

CF13-3 9 active focus point surrounding the centre, linked to spot metering. Closely combined with the custom functions 11, 18 and 17 below:

 

C11-2 for immediate quick dial to rotate focus point selection. Focus point selection is generally something that you want to do FAST. Exposure compensation can be performed by holding down the # button and adjusting with the main dial ? the same as 500N etc, and no bad thing ? it eradicates accidental exposure ajustment, and if you have time to think about adjusting exporsure, you have time use this button-dial combination. Trust me.

 

CF18-1 Assist button jumps to registered focus point. Register the central one or the whole lot. Fantasticly fast focus point selection when combined with the dial. It?s completely intuitive and therefore fast unlike the default focus point selection method. (I?m thinking of 1V here where we don?t have ECF.)

 

CF17-0,1,or 2, up to your preference.

 

CF16-1 Always leave on for saftely shift, a no brainer. I have never seen anyone observe this, but the saftely shift is clever enough to know not to restrict you when you have flash on, so you can happily set your Tv to your flash synch speed of 200 or 250 even when the camera warns you that you will underexpose it thankfully doesn?t saftey shift since the flash will provide the extra light to fill in the foreground subject, whilst you may not care about the background being full exposed. I took pictures of flying seaguls like this - guarenteed fastest shutter speed to freeze the flight, full flash power available and a nicely saturated dim evening background.

 

That?s is! The perfect camera setup in my opinion. Just a shame switching between One shot and AI servo is so cumbersome, I miss my old 50E dial? I wish all lenses had one of those buttons on that could be set up to toggle between these two modes. That would be absolute perfection for fast response to any situation.

 

Looking above I realise I have given a setup for the 1V. I realise some of the options are not available for the EOS 3, so maybe someone could refine this setup for those of you that have ECF.

 

I?m not suggesting this as a rigid ?only? solution, but I do think it?s the best starting point, and its possible to change two or three other custom functions as and when needed. I have tried other combinations, but always come across a small niggle limitation, such as not being able to AE lock, etc. I am certainly not claiming I am the only one to use this combination, just that I am surprised no one has ever expanded on the advantages of it.

[phil vaughan - yorkshire u]

ECF Eye control focus - available on some Canon film bodies, where after calibration the camera will focus on the focus point your eye is looking at. Some love it, some hate it, personally I can't wait for it to come to digital.

 

FTM Full time Manual - using a quality USM lens you can 'touch up' the focus manually, without switching off AF.

 

USM UltraSonic Motor - Faster, more accurate focussing motor in Canon high end lenses, often allowing FTM.