Canon 7d indoor setting help please!

Set up your three total recall settings and you can't go far wrong.
Shoot raw, AWB, don't be afraid to get up the iso 3200, fix the noise in lightroom
Great camera, you'll be fine.

Ok I'm not experienced but as a newbie to the 7D, you do have the time to set up C1 and C2. i.e. Custom settings for each type of scene. Just go throught the menus picking what you want and register them [Saves that profile]. All you do then is turn the mode dial to whatever scene you want.
Personally I add a bit of sharpness to what ever I selected if shooting JPEG as it overcomes the 7D's inherent bias to soft inmages.
I do agree with the poster who suggested using RAW. But you can select JPEG and there is a button on the back that can make that JPEG + Raw as you desire shot by shot.
I'd disable all the exposure compensation / high light enhancing options as they can mess up the exposure if you use flash compensation or bracketing etc.

If you are shootingthe presenter I would strongly advise using spot AF, get their eyes and you will be fine - really pretty good sharp imges. Forget the 19 point AF stuff unless you like OOF soft images.

The off camera wireless flash was even easy for me - got great result 1st time. - depends if you will have access to place the 580Ex somewhere reasonable say if you are having one speaker after the other in a fixed position.
Plus keep an eye on it as they are about £450! If say you scoot off for a coffee.

Irish09 wrote in post #14708806
Hi,

Newbie here!

I am a Nikon girl at heart, but have been handed a Canon 7D to shoot with for a work function this weekend. Two lenses have been supplied - 85mm f1.8 and 17-55mm f2.8.

I have been playing around with the settings all day - it is quite different to the Nikon range!

Would so appreciate any advice for the settings on the Canon for the following two scenarios (which I will be shooting all weekend):

1. Indoor conference (no natural light but plenty of articificial light). Room of about 300 people, but will be concentrating on individual presenters and will be able to get quite close,

2. Indoor presentation night (stage lighting). Will have less access, but enought to be close to the stage. House lights dimmed, but stage lighting will be on (or so I am told!).

Thanks so much for any advice!

Irish

Hi Irish!
Welcome to the forum..
My only question to you is, why were you handed a 7D for this event?

Ok, now for your concerns in setting up the 7D. Good thing you already know what to look for.
"Concentrating on individual presenters"

You have a great set-up with the 85mm & the 17-55mm.
I say try out the 85mm first to test out that low light situation you might come across if there is no "Stage Lighting"

For the 7D - I keep my baby on (m) mode. Adjusting everything from the go!
But if I had little knowledge on how the 7D operates I would set it up at:
-Aperture Priority mode (for your type of needs) "Concentrating on individual presenters"
-spot metering, single focus point
-select your desire focus point

http://digital-photography-school.com …canon-7d-and-other-models

Any who!
I tend to use nothing but Single Spot Focus Point on everything that I use.

Sometimes when I need a big group shot. I change it to:
19 Point AF

But remember I do this on the (m) mode.

Adjusting my ISO on the go, looking at my meter-gage for a correct balance exposure.
I usually take a shot with a (stop above the balance) I can always go in DPP later and stop down the exposure if nessesary.

So yea...I think thats it.

Have fun and Enjoy!

Irish09 wrote in post #14708806
Hi,

Newbie here!

I am a Nikon girl at heart, but have been handed a Canon 7D to shoot with for a work function this weekend. Two lenses have been supplied - 85mm f1.8 and 17-55mm f2.8.

I have been playing around with the settings all day - it is quite different to the Nikon range!

Would so appreciate any advice for the settings on the Canon for the following two scenarios (which I will be shooting all weekend):

1. Indoor conference (no natural light but plenty of articificial light). Room of about 300 people, but will be concentrating on individual presenters and will be able to get quite close,

2. Indoor presentation night (stage lighting). Will have less access, but enought to be close to the stage. House lights dimmed, but stage lighting will be on (or so I am told!).

Thanks so much for any advice!

Irish

If you can't get hold of a flash for indirect light, then I'd shoot at largest aperture, high ISO to obtain a comfortable shutter speed.

Otherwise, M mode, meter the ambient background 2 stops underexposed, and bounce flash. This will give a more natural shot with a nicer tone rather than being 100% artificial light.

Irish09 wrote in post #14708848
Hi James,
Thanks for such a quick response
I have been shooting with my Nikon cameras for a couple of years, so am comfortable taking a camera off the auto settings... I would prefer to actually! I have just never shot with a Canon before. My "newbie" comment was more about my presence on the forums!

Irish

Irish

My bad. In my haste to help, I didn't read your post carefully enough. As others have said, I'm sure your knowledge with Nikon will translate to Canon with ease. Good luck and welcome to the POTN.

James

TeamSpeed wrote in post #14710386
This is exactly how I do it, and the results are quite good. I set all my cameras to full ISO stops, and then use EC to push to the right. This gives me the control I need without having to go through 2 more ISO values each stop.

Thanks for the confirmation TeamSpeed...This is what I've been doing.

Seems to control high ISO noise very nicely.

Originally Posted by rrblint
Wouldn't you get the same effect by setting ISO at X and exposing at X+1/3(with compensation in post) ?

Example: ISO 800 with exposure comp set to +1/3...Thus effectively achieving ISO 640...Then compensate for overexposure in post.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #14710386
This is exactly how I do it, and the results are quite good. I set all my cameras to full ISO stops, and then use EC to push to the right. This gives me the control I need without having to go through 2 more ISO values each stop.

Hey hello there TeamSpeed!
What do you mean full ISO stops, & EC? sorry if thats a dum question but I don't feel like googling it..lol

lannes wrote in post #14709536
This is a good blog that explains it

http://shootintheshot.​joshsilfen.com …canon-hd-dslr-native-iso/

Thanks

Hi, Irish! First, as a general rule with the 7D, shoot RAW and overexpose +2/3 of a step. Do you use Lightroom?

Next, use "Center Weighted Average" for the Metering Mode (it's the button above the top LCD on the far left - use the index finger wheel to adjust).

Use "Single Point AF" or "AF Point Expansion". In both cases, focus with the center point and recompose.

Shoot "Auto White Balance" (Same button as Metering Mode just use the back thumb wheel to adjust).

Use Aperture Priority. Set Exposure Compensation at +2/3 and adjust ISO to get shutter speeds of 1/60 for stationary subjects or 1/125 for those that might move.

Irish09 wrote in post #14708806
Hi,

Newbie here!

I am a Nikon girl at heart, but have been handed a Canon 7D to shoot with for a work function this weekend. Two lenses have been supplied - 85mm f1.8 and 17-55mm f2.8.

I have been playing around with the settings all day - it is quite different to the Nikon range!

Would so appreciate any advice for the settings on the Canon for the following two scenarios (which I will be shooting all weekend):

1. Indoor conference (no natural light but plenty of articificial light). Room of about 300 people, but will be concentrating on individual presenters and will be able to get quite close,

For this situation, since you can get "quite close" go with the 17-55 lens at f/2.8. This should give you good "subject isolation". If you find that you are too far away, switch to the 85 mm f/1.8 and shoot at f/1.8.

Irish09 wrote in post #14708806
2. Indoor presentation night (stage lighting). Will have less access, but enought to be close to the stage. House lights dimmed, but stage lighting will be on (or so I am told!).

Same as above but you'll more than likely want to start out with the 85 mm f/1.8. Adjust ISO to get the desired shutter speed.

Irish09 wrote in post #14708806
Thanks so much for any advice!

Irish

Hope this helps! Good luck!

DreamMaker23 wrote in post #14712507
Originally Posted by rrblint
Wouldn't you get the same effect by setting ISO at X and exposing at X+1/3(with compensation in post) ?

Example: ISO 800 with exposure comp set to +1/3...Thus effectively achieving ISO 640...Then compensate for overexposure in post.

Hey hello there TeamSpeed!
What do you mean full ISO stops, & EC? sorry if thats a dum question but I don't feel like googling it..lol

Hi DreamMaker23...What TeamSpeed is calling "full ISO stops" refers to doublings of 100(ie.: 100, 200, 400, 800,...).

And EC refers to "exposure compensation", which can be set to 1/3, 1/2, or 1 stop increments.