7d wheels and dials

When I was being raised with film, shooting in manual USUALLY meant selecting a ****ter speed and then adjusting the aperture ring (on the lens) with my support hand...

With my T2i I had to hold a button while spinning the index finger wheel...

My new 7d defaults to the rear thumb wheel for manual aperture settings but I just switched it to the index finger wheel and the shutter speed to the read thumb wheel...

Im just curious if anyone ELSE has their camera set up like this?

I've not yet used the rear button for focusing with regularity because my thumbs I bit too short to reach comfortably...

Just monday morning thoughts...

Agree, it makes much more sense to me to have:

• shutter speed at back dial, close to the location of the focal plane shutter;
  
• aperture at front index finger wheel, close to the lens aperture.
  

Ltdave wrote in post #14628962
When I was being raised with film, shooting in manual USUALLY meant selecting a ****ter speed and then adjusting the aperture ring (on the lens) with my support hand...

With my T2i I had to hold a button while spinning the index finger wheel...

My new 7d defaults to the rear thumb wheel for manual aperture settings but I just switched it to the index finger wheel and the shutter speed to the read thumb wheel...

Im just curious if anyone ELSE has their camera set up like this?

Set it up however it feels most comfortable for you. I think you also can reverse the direction of the dials, if you wish. With some practice whatever you choose will become second nature. Right now it just feels a bit odd because you were accustomed to doing something else.

Again, it takes some practice to get accustomed to Back Button Focusing, but soon becomes second nature.

But, if you wish, you also can reassign AF to the * button (and AE Lock to the AF On button). That moves it closer so might not be as much of a reach for you. Also, the * button is larger and more prominent.

I do this swap for several reasons. AF is a lot more important to me, is used on every shot... Rather than AE Lock, which is only occasionally used. So I want the closer and more prominent button to activate AF. Also, older cameras (and/or their vertical grips) didn't have the AF On button. With them the only way to do BBF was to use the * button... so I got in the habit of using. Plus I still use some of those cameras so it's helpful to have all my cameras working the same way.

ill have to look into this set up. i read about it in the book but a combination of things must have blocked my reading comprehension...

thanks

I've reversed the aperture and shutter speed on my 5D3 and 7D as well, usually because I'm in Av mode or M and very very rarely in Tv. So for me it keeps the aperture on the same dial in my most frequently used modes.

It's personal preference, but I prefer to use the rear dial for the major input in any mode (usually apeture), this allows the index finger to rest on the shutter ready for the next shot.

I shot lots of film, and I just love the way modern digital cameras can be "customized" to almost any configuration that works for you. The "good ol' days" just weren't ever as good as a modern digital SLR at 1600 ISO. NEVER had any idea that would be possible in 1968.

Just adapt.

rral22 wrote in post #14631197
I shot lots of film, and I just love the way modern digital cameras can be "customized" to almost any configuration that works for you. The "good ol' days" just weren't ever as good as a modern digital SLR at 1600 ISO. NEVER had any idea that would be possible in 1968.

Just adapt.

+1

Back then ISO 6400 might have been something the CIA used in the spy planes...

lannes wrote in post #14630713
It's personal preference, but I prefer to use the rear dial for the major input in any mode (usually apeture), this allows the index finger to rest on the shutter ready for the next shot.

Yep, same here!

I shot a lot in the film days and moved to the Canon system with the first Eos Elan purely because of the thumbwheel. The first time I put it in my hand and was able to use my left hand to operate the lens zoom and DOF preview, the right thumb on the aperture and index finger for shutter, I was hooked. I kept buying Canon from there on out. I quit shooting in 2000. I came back to photography 2 years ago in a whole new world and after trying many different cameras, I just had to get the 7D as it felt most like the Elan 7E....without the eye control AF that I miss of course. L-P

i shot some 3200ASA film from Kodak once. it was very grainy obviously but i was blown away by it. then.....

youre right, these cams ARE very adaptable. i was just wondering...