What are custom modes and why use them?
This can be used for both photography and video!
Not all Canon cameras have these custom settings on the mode dial – only the ‘pro’ level cameras.
How to set it up
Setting a custom mode is easy: select ALL the desired camera settings, including the custom functions, then go into the menu Camera User Setting, Register then select the dial position you want it to be associated too. From now how, when ever you put the dial on the selected custom mode, all the camera settings are going to be set as those at the time you registered the settings.
Note: if you select a custom mode then apply some changes, these changes will not be registered. They will be lost when the camera powers off which can happen quickly if you set your camera to auto power off after a short period of time. This is contrary to other dial controls where the last setting is kept between on/off.
Uses
Photographers have found various uses for this feature, including:
- giving a quick access to mirror lockup
- activating the highlight tone priority
- quickly switching between completely different camera settings to adapt to shooting conditions
As you can see, Custom modes are quite useful, make sure you take a moment to register at least one with your favorite settings.
How do you use Custom Modes?
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Another great use of Custom modes is to set up the first one (C1) with your standard settings for your video shoot: picture profile, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, … When you’re on set and say your next scene requires a different aperture, set the aperture (or what ever else your changing) and record your custom mode to C2. That way, when you need to go back to your standard settings, switch the camera to C1 and voila you’re ready to shoot.
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