Do you use your custom dial settings?

I have my custom settings set for: C1 Portraits (AV, ISO 400, f3.5, single shot AF, center point AF): C2 Sports (AV, ISO 400, f3.5, AI Servo, Single point expanded AF). I use these for a base point, then adjust for the current situation. I like the idea, but say I shoot a few times, then hang the camera down for a minute, it powers down to save battery, then when I'm ready to shoot again, trigger the shutter button to turn it back on, and it's back to the saved settings of the custom dial, so I have to re tune the settings for the present situation. I find that a pretty big hassle, and could see people not even using these settings.

For me, they are the single best feature of the camera. When I shoot Rollerderby, I have C1 for stop action flash shots, C2 for motion blur shutter dragging, and C3 for after bout team photos. No messing with settings in a dim roller-cade, just twist the mode dial.

Same goes for shooting air shows, one setting for prop blur on the warbirds, another for the jets. I do wish however their behavior after power down was configurable with a custom function. I work around it by setting my auto power off for 4 minutes which works well for either of the two above mentioned scenarios.

Stamp wrote in post #11496007
I like the idea, but say I shoot a few times, then hang the camera down for a minute, it powers down to save battery, then when I'm ready to shoot again, trigger the shutter button to turn it back on, and it's back to the saved settings of the custom dial, so I have to re tune the settings for the present situation. I find that a pretty big hassle, and could see people not even using these settings.

Which is why I do not use them.

Yes C1 setup for BIF C3 for video and C2 for something else... can't remember what now

I never use them because I cant lock them in from session to session.

bohdank wrote in post #11496249
Which is why I do not use them.

gonzogolf wrote in post #11497296
I never use them because I cant lock them in from session to session.

+1

A pain in the **** IMO

Agree the reset is a real PITA, but I have finally gotten into the habit of checking the settings frequently. I find more and more that I am just using M. I only, use C when I might want to radically switch between styles (e.g., I am shooting a soccer game and want to take a quick landscape shot then go back to the game). I also find my C for landscape/HDR is useful when I'm hiking. quick set up, shoot, pack up and hike to the next spot. Makes it a little faster to set up without blowing the settings, while not pissing off my hiking buddies who hate to stop every 5 minutes so I can shoot.

Nah, never have on any of the camera Ive owned.

Yes! One of the things I love my 7D for.

C1: BIF settings: 1/1500 shutter priotity, Auto ISO zone AF, 2/3 stop overexposure etc. etc.
C2: landscape: f11 AV, single point focus, ISO 100 normal exposure etc.

Within 1 second I can switch from landscape to BIF and back.
More keepers (the landscape will wait but the birds won't )

They are excellent, provided you have a certain type of images you keep coming back to. Otherwise, if you are going to change them every time, there is of course not too much point in using them at all.

I set c1 for HDR c2 for BIF c3 for low light city scape
i like it alot, i use it as a starting point and than i tweak setting

omer wrote in post #11498274
I set c1 for HDR c2 for BIF c3 for low light city scape
i like it alot, i use it as a starting point and than i tweak setting

Yep, that's what I do when i pull my camera out of the bag, I use them for a starting point, but then they reset whatever adjustments I've made when it powers down. Also, I do like it powering down after a minute, because if, for instance, I'm walking around town with it, I don't want to turn it off and on to snap a photo, I just leave it on, and drop it down. When I'm ready to go, I just focus and she's back up, but back to the original custom settings.

I think I'll probably stop using them as much as I had hopped I would.

I haven't used them.

One is for video, one is for HDR, one is for emergency sports/action in-case I have all my settings messed up.

Used to use them, don't anymore. Much more comfortable changing everything on the fly now.