Custom modes - how do you use them?

[Darmok N Jalad]

Pretty basic question, but I was curious how you use the Custom modes on your dial. Some cameras have only one “C” on the dial, while others have 3, maybe 5 of them. For the longest time, I ignored this feature, but I’m venturing beyond now that I’m more comfortable with the rest of the camera settings.

I’ve been trying to set one up for BIF, where shutter speed and ISO are higher, and tracking is enabled. My success isn’t all that, but maybe things will improve.

 

[deep diver]

I've never thought to use them. I like to plan what I want to do in each shoot (or each shot) and choose my settings at that time. Even for BIF, i might not want the same thing every time.

 

[mollyc]

I’ve never set them up. I shoot the same way all the time.

however, now that I have a mirrorless with a reticulating back I have thought of setting on up that does not use bbf. I prefer bbf but with the flippy back I can shoot a lot lower to the ground now when doing macro. But the bbf button is at a weird angle. It would be easier in that position to focus and shoot with the shutter button.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Pretty basic question, but I was curious how you use the Custom modes on your dial. Some cameras have only one “C” on the dial, while others have 3, maybe 5 of them. For the longest time, I ignored this feature, but I’m venturing beyond now that I’m more comfortable with the rest of the camera settings.

I’ve been trying to set one up for BIF, where shutter speed and ISO are higher, and tracking is enabled. My success isn’t all that, but maybe things will improve.

There are lots of instruction videos at "youtube" for bird photographers that relate to your individual camera. While I prefer written instructions, watching some of the videos have help me with my camera settings for bird photography.

My cameras have three places where I can save groups of settings, and I wish that Canon would provide more than three places where I can save more. As it is now I have one for animals, one for people, and the third one for taking photos of the Auroras. The one for animals include eye focus, servo, tracking, and burst mode. The same for the one I use for people, except that it has single shot/burst with a back button. Both include spot focus, and Auto ISO. I can control the spot focus with the joystick if needed, and tracking by pressing the star (*) button.

The one used for the Auroras uses a few manual settings (manual focus, no spot focus, and fixed 1250 to 1600 ISO speed depending on how bright they are).

For taking photos of wildlife (birds, moose and so on) I don't have enough time to set the camera the way I need to. All I do is to switch the camera on, and turn the dial to A for animals, or B for people, and to C for Northern Lights.

For macro, landscape, and so on, there is plenty of time to set the camera as needed. One thing I like about some new cameras is that one can set it so it can be controlled using the touch screen. For example pressing the shutter release while looking through the viewfinder, or "touching" the screen to release the shutter if not using the viewfinder.

 

[mackmgg]

I started using them whenever I was playing with BIF. On Canon you pick a mode (Av, Tv, F, M) and a default starting point. Every time you turn to that mode it goes back to that default. So it’s more convenient than manually going from the 30” exposure you had set for astro to the 1/4000” you want for BIF. You just use one of the custom functions as a starting point, and then manually go where you want from there.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

One thing I've thought about is the in-camera highlight/shadow curve adjustment. In post, I almost always raise shadows and drop highlights (so much outdoor shooting), but then when I started doing some B&W, I wanted the opposite to get more contrast. That's when it really got me thinking about how others use the C-modes. My G9 has so many customizable buttons, I can do a lot of "on-the-fly" adjustments, provided I can remember which button does what.

Another thought, the front of my G9 has a switch that, in M mode, I have it set to enable/disable people/animal detect, but on my BIF mode, it turns tracking-AF on and off. It really can get one's head spinning, but it's nice to be able to swap features around so quickly.

 

[Dockland]

Don't know if my R5/R6 has custom function. Never used it either way, I'm usually in aperture priority or full manual mode.

 

[kenoh]

I tried to use them in the past but I am not consistent enough that I would commit settings to a slot. I know the cameras I use have the option but for some reason I am just not using them.

I am considering trying them because I am trying to force myself to do more long exposures and there is a trick where I can set the custom settings to base iso, aperture to F11 and 1/30 shutter, then have another that is the same except shutter of 30 seconds. That way I have quick access to switch back and forth between two shutter speeds that are 10 stops in difference so I can compose and frame, then switch, pop 10 stop nd on and shoot. Rather than being daft and only taking long exposures for both composing and checking clipping. Obviously adjusting exposure as situation dictates but hopefully giving me a faster workflow on location.

That was a crap description sorry but hopefully you get the idea.

 

[Dockland]

I can clearly see a benefit of using custom mode/function when filming. Like one custom function for 4K 240fps, another for HQ 4K or something like that

 

[someoldguy]

I've got my G9's c-1 to c-3 positions set as follows :
C1 - Night sky photography ..... Manual , shutter to Bulb , ISO 2500 , save to card 1 , RAW
C2 - I'm a tourist ....... Av , ISO 200 , save to both cards , card 1 RAW , card 2 JPEG Card 1 gets swapped out daily , card 2 is a 128 that stays in the camera throughout the trip .
C3 - High resolution mode .....Av , ISO 400 , save to card 1 , RAW This works in conjunction with the lower front button which opens up the high res menu .

Haven't messed with C3-1 , 3-2 , and 3-3

 

[Clix Pix]

I have never bothered setting up the custom buttons on my Sony A7R IV; I shoot in manual and each situation is different so I prefer to deal with it at the time rather than trying to remember that Button "C 2" does this and Button "C 3" does that, etc.

 

[stillcrazyman]

I don’t use any of the custom modes on my Fuji XT3. I had set it to aperture priority and seem to do fine with it.

 

[Clix Pix]

For a long time I used aperture priority pretty much all the time and then when getting frustrated a few times I finally bit the bullet and went back to all-manual, which I hadn't used in years. It does give me much more control over the A7R IV. With the RX10, I still use aperture priority since that's usually the camera I just grab and shoot in a hurry as situations arise. Also with its 1" sensor it really doesn't leave a lot of latitude for proper manual tinkering, anyway.

 

[someoldguy]

I have never bothered setting up the custom buttons on my Sony A7R IV; I shoot in manual and each situation is different so I prefer to deal with it at the time rather than trying to remember that Button "C 2" does this and Button "C 3" does that, etc.

My 3 settings are just there to save me from wasting time messing around with Panasonic's Menus , of which I'm not particularly fond.They're just jumping off spots . Usually I'm just on Av and RAW , and saving to card 1.

 

[Clix Pix]

I've pretty much gotten used to Sony's menus now.....but of course when I eventually buy the new Alpha 1, that camera has the new menu setup and I'll have to learn everything all over again!

 

[whiteonline]

I generally keep my camera in aperture priority for normal shooting.
I have my U1 set for landscape photography on a tripod: disable IBIS, Manual mode, non-auto ISO 64, single-shot, single-point AF.

 

[Ray2]

I always set them up when I get a new camera. Same approach all the time: Day, Night, BW. Never use them. Easier to simply use a function button.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Don't know if my R5/R6 has custom function. Never used it either way, I'm usually in aperture priority or full manual mode.

Yes, the R5 and R6 have custom modes. Even all the buttons, dials, and joystick can be customized. In the menu, look for, "Customize Buttons," and "Customize Dials" to give you an idea what you can do. Then look for, "Custom Shooting Modes C1-C3."

When creating custom functions, I prefer to set the camera to M mode (manual), then create a custom program for taking photos of the Auroras (fixed ISO around 1250-1600 depending on how bright the lights are, 4 to 6-second exposures, standard noise reduction, manual focus, shutter button to take the photo, etc.), and finally save (record) these custom functions to C1, or C2, or C3. So now all I have to do to take photos of the Auroras is to turn the dial to the place I have recorded the custom settings (C1-C3) and shoot away

All is explained by Nina Bailey's eBooks about the R5, and the R6 (Understanding The Canon EOS R6, and also another eBook for the R5).

 

[robgendreau]

I have them set up on different bodies, since I often forget where things are in menus.

So a setting for macro, night sky photography, flash. On the mirrorless one for adapted lenses.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I've since gone another step and made C1 BIF mode, C2 B&W mode, and C3 low light mode. Each mode has a different highlight-shadow profile, based on how I edit each in post.

 

[MacNut]

Usually I just use manual and adjust as needed. I’ll use custom buttons but not modes.

 

[mlemonds]

I only use the custom modes in video, but I find it very useful for that. One 24 fps, one 60 fps and a 120fps.