What do YOU use your custom mode dial positions for?

I am curious what people use their custom positions on the mode selector (C1, C2, and C3) for?

When on diving trips, I use one for top side, and one for underwater shooting. Other times I use it for indoor/outdoor, etc. settings to approximate those conditions.

What I find annoying is that some camera custom settings are not stored by the custom modes. This is very annoying, and this is one of the few things I miss from my very old underwater Olympus rig. On that camera, EVERY setting in the entire camera was stored to the custom modes, so when you switched to one, you really had all settings optimized for the task at hand.

I only have one custom setting so far, and that's one for taking HDR based on 3 exposures, that I can modify more at the time of shooting if necessary. I just find it quicker to get ready for the HDR with it as a pre-set.

C1 - my professional photos, combination of highest quality settings with all the bells and whistles from custom functions

C2 - my gigs photos, higher iso, lower res, burst on, no noise reduction, etc, etc, where getting the shot rules over quality of shot

C3 - currently unused

I don't use them. If the camera goes to sleep you lose any changes you have made in C mode and it reverts back to the default C setting you have set up. Pretty much useless, for me other than changing the function of the 1/2 shutter press from continuous metering to AE lock. Since I shoot almost always in Manual, the ability to store that setting has been of little use to me.

^ That seems like quite a design flaw. I didn't realize this, and might be one of the reasons I had the impression they weren't saving some settings. I shoot quite often in complete manual as well...
It shouldn't be so difficult for Canon to make C modes that keep all camera settings, period.

bohdank wrote in post #11159927
I don't use them. If the camera goes to sleep you lose any changes you have made in C mode and it reverts back to the default C setting you have set up. Pretty much useless, for me other than changing the function of the 1/2 shutter press from continuous metering to AE lock. Since I shoot almost always in Manual, the ability to store that setting has been of little use to me.

Yeah, I didn't like that "feature" either. I would take a few shots of the moon using the C1 settings, then mess around with a few settings, then walk away for awhile. When I would come back and start shooting, I would confused why the shots looked messed up. I later realized they didn't retain it either. Recently, I started using it again. I just starting shooting in a nightclub and found the settings that I never have to change.

Canon's implementation is lame, imo. The C settings should only default to their original settings if the camera is turned off or you move the mode dial away from that C position to another position. Then when you move it back, you're back to whatever default that C setting has stored. That would make everybody happy.

Wallace River wrote in post #11159845
I only have one custom setting so far, and that's one for taking HDR based on 3 exposures, that I can modify more at the time of shooting if necessary. I just find it quicker to get ready for the HDR with it as a pre-set.

Hi, may I know what are your HDR settings. Been trying to find the correct settings but just can't get it right. Hope you can help me.

Thanks a million.

My "trick" for my C1-C3 settings is to make the camera's go-to-sleep delay four minutes instead of one minute, which is what I normally use.
I usually can't help myself playing with the camera within four minutes, so that will keep the modifications to the settings, which I may do on the fly, so to speak.

Otherwise, if you do changes you want to keep, you just re-save them to the Cx position again.

C1 = landscape/HDR ( AV priority at f11, AEB)
C2 = sports (servo, center expansion, burst, manual, auto iso)

With C2 I have default set to wide open (differs by lens) and 1000 shutter. I, too, hate when it keeps going back to default after going to sleep. I have to keep checking the shutter speed as the sun goes away on those late fall day games. I also have to crank the ISO to 6400 or 12800 manually sometimes.

Custom modes go away when the camera goes to sleep? Or is turned off?

What model cameras are these? My 50D retains its C1 and C2 when it's off.

I usually shoot in Av, single shot, one shot focus. But I've set C2 to high speed burst, AI Servo focus for those occasions when I see some immediate action.

I use C2 because it's the end of the dial and I don't have to look, just slam the knob to the stop and blast away.

-js

Spaniard wrote in post #11160018
Hi, may I know what are your HDR settings. Been trying to find the correct settings but just can't get it right. Hope you can help me.

Thanks a million.

mi000ke wrote in post #11160363
C1 = landscape/HDR ( AV priority at f11, AEB)

Spaniard, I use similar to mi000ke, with it on low-speed burst to take the 3 exposures specified by the AEB. I have mine set for f/7.1, but that's easily modified as required.

I've actually never used the custom dials on the 5D MK II. I usually just find it easier to change a couple things here and there as needed, as I'm almost always in Av/M/B.

This post got me thinking though, I probably could benefit from setting up at least 1 or 2 for certain types of shooting.

I never use my custom settings.

C1 = mirror lockup with 2sec timer