30d/40d owners... what are your most often used settings?

And why?

One shot? Servo?

Partial metering? Spot metering?

I am making the jump up from the XTi and just trying to find which metering/setting is going to be ideal for me. Mostly shooting nightclub shots and stock/product photography.

My lens are decent too. ranges 17 to 150 2.8 covered.

Evaluative most often with spot used for those awkward situations. Never used Partial or Centre-weighted average, never needed them.

One Shot AF 90% of the time, but AI Servo AF for F1 or MotoGP. Never used AI Focus AF, Never understood how it differs, so have stayed with what I understand.

Richard

Evaluative 100% of the time and One Shot 99% of the time, AI Servo 1% of the time.

AI Focus tries to predict whether you need One Shot or AI Servo. And fails...

Evaluative, One Shot AF, but Servo for moving subjects. Never used AI Focus. I used spot metering quite a bit on my 30D

On the 30D

I use Custom Fn 4-1, mostly AIServo, sometimes One Shot, manually select focus point via 8-way switch.

If light in a scene is constant...shoot in M and use spot metering

If light in a scene is changing...shoot in Av and use Evaluative or Center Weighted Average depending on the situation. Adjust +/-EC.

Program Mode...

Joking.
Seriously, I shoot AI Servo 100% of the time, I separated the AF from the shutter and have it on the "*" button for my thumb to activate. I shoot in Manual or Aperture Priority (adjust the exposure compensation accordingly) and I use Spot Metering most of the time lately. I use the K setting almost all the time for my white balance and shoot the highest quality JPEG

I, also, always shoot AI Servo, regardless of what I'm shooting. I don't understand how it's any less effective than One Shot AF even for static objects if not more accurate.

Calzinger wrote in post #5156054
I, also, always shoot AI Servo, regardless of what I'm shooting. I don't understand how it's any less effective than One Shot AF even for static objects if not more accurate.

It's just nice to have a confirmation sound.

thatkatmat wrote in post #5154948
Evaluative, One Shot AF, but Servo for moving subjects. Never used AI Focus. I used spot metering quite a bit on my 30D

You said "used" as in past tense. Why do you no longer use it now?

- AI-Servo with AF operation separated from the shutter button. I can achieve "one-shot" focus with a brief press on the AF button, but I also have access to Servo mode the instant I need it. It's one less control to bother about.

- Evaluative metering for now, but thinking about changing to something more precise and predictable, like partial or spot.

- Av, Tv or Manual exposure, but migrating more and more towards manual. When I'm not shooting I leave the camera in "P" mode and 400 ISO so that it's ready for a fast grab shot if something turns up and I have no time to arse around adjusting controls.

- Low speed drive - it's slow enough not to grab an extra shot when you don't mean to, but handy if you want to fire off a burst and don't have time to twiddle controls. I rarely need high speed drive but when I do I'll obviously switch as needed.

- I generally leave WB in daylight setting or a fixed Kelvin value, regardless of conditions. I shoot in raw and I'd rather all my photos started out looking the same, or equally wrong, to begin with rather than having random incorrect WB as the scene before the camera alters. Presets might get you there or thereabouts and could be essential when shooting jpegs but really it's all a bit academic when you shoot raw. I have added "Custom WB" to my favourites menu on my 40D so I may start making the effort to get WB correct in camera. I guess it will help me to get a more accurate RGB histogram for critical exposure analysis. However, I don't actually like my whites to look pure white except in daylight. I quite like a hint of blue on an overcast day and a hint of yellow when shooting in tungsten. I'd rather try to convey that sense of the actual lighting rather than neutralising it to uniform blandness.

- ISO - as low as I can sensibly go without risking camera shake and/or unwanted subject blur.

- Neutral picture style - I don't want my histogram telling me lies because of some artificially manipulated contrast/saturation/sh​arpening/colour adjustments to the embedded jpeg.

I haven't shot in nightclubs but I imagine evaluative metering will give you a good start but use manual exposure so you are not at the mercy of flashing lights throwing things off all the time. Fire a test shot, check your histogram, adjust and go from there. Manual exposure will also simplify your flash operation too, if you're using flash. As for WB, stick with daylight and then the ambient lighting will show through as it is intended. Shoot raw and you can tweak the WB and recover blown highlights (somewhat) if you need to.

You should do this as one of those multi-vote polls. I like polls

I use Av, Tv and Manual for 97% of my shooting, with Av and Manual being the most common settings.

I use whatever metering, but usually evaluative for just run-of-the-mill stuff, or spot metering for tricky stuff like low-light or long exposure shots, where I'm after detail in one portion of the shot.

I usually leave the ISO on 100 or 200, and rarely go over 400.

I use One Shot AF and low speed for 90% of my work (or play I guess), and AI Servo for the rest. I never use AI Focus.

Al servo because I shoot sports and evaluative because it just works. it I need to I use a gray card if i feel conditions are not good to trust the metering system.

Manual exposure, AI servo or 1 shot depending on what I am shooting.

bacchanal wrote in post #5155412
If light in a scene is constant...shoot in M and use spot metering

If light in a scene is changing...shoot in Av and use Evaluative or Center Weighted Average depending on the situation. Adjust +/-EC.

+1 and...

8-way switch and 99% of the time it's on one shot

ClickClick,
Most common settings I use on my 40D (and 5D)
is Manual, spot metering, ISO 100, One-Shot AF with Faithful picture style