C1, C2, C3... what have you done with yours?

I'm still trying to figure out all the options/settings on the 5D3, and I'm pretty sure I'm not using the Custom modes to their best advantage. It'd be really great to hear how you're using them!

So far, I've set:

C1 for STATIC subjects:
• Aperture priority auto
• Auto ISO (100-25600)
• Wide-open startup
• Min 1/125 shutter
• Silent, one-shot drive
• Back-button/single-point/one-shot focus
• AF Case = 1
• AF One-shot release priority = focus
• Shutter half-press = metering only
• StopDown = one-shot <-> AI Servo
• Auto white balance
• Picture style = Portrait (+2 sharpness)
• Auto Lighting Mode = Standard
• Evaluative metering
• Joystick = AF point selection
• Selectable AF points = 61
• High ISO NR = Low

C3 for MOVING subjects:
• Aperture priority auto
• Auto ISO (100-25600)
• f4 startup
• Min 1/250 shutter
• Loud, high-speed drive
• AI-Servo, full-auto (all AF points) focus
• AF Case = 6
• AI Servo 1st image priority = focus
• AI Servo 2nd image priority = focus
• Shutter half-press = metering and AF
• StopDown = one-shot <-> AI Servo
• Auto white balance
• Picture style = Standard (+3 sharpness)
• Auto Lighting Mode = Standard
• Evaluative metering
• High ISO NR = Low

And I can't think what to do with C2. Full manual everything probably for tripod/landscape use...

If you're using different settings for anything like the two scenarios above, or if you think any of the settings I've chosen are dumb (I probably haven't understood the manual properly), I'd be very grateful if you could show me the way...

Cheers,

Al

There are countless options.

In my sports setup, I have C1: Action with automatic exposure, C2: Action with manual exposure and C3: Action with additional flash fill light.

In my more general setup I have C1: Action, C2: Portrait and C3: General flash photography.

And so on...

Haven’t opened the box of my new 6D yet, but as far I remember there were only C1 and C2 on my old 6D. I had similar to you, a “bird in flight” mode on C2 and one for static subject macro with live view on C1. It’s one of the things I’ll have to re-do tonight.

/Neil

I have a 6d.

I use C1 for "snapshots" basically for family/people, so saturation is up, image format is JPEG only, silent shutter mode is on, and I believe AF is ONE SHOT with all focus points enabled.

I use C2 for movie mode, so ISO is manual, shutter is 1/50 (I turn it to 1/120 for 60fps mode), saturation is turned down.

Looks like we are all doing basically the same thing. For me:

C1 BIF

C2 Static Subjects

C3 Video (first time using a custom Function for this)

C1 = Aperture priority, wide open, one shot, silent mode (for everyday shooting)

C2 = Manual, shutter at 1/2000, AI Servo, 6fps shooting (for daylight moving subjects, sports, etc)

C3 = manual mode shutter at 1/50th and ISO at 1600, aperture to be set based on light (for video).

All have back button focus, evaluative metering, Raw+L, beep off,

rest of the settings, i don't care (i shoot raw).

The only thing that really matters with C1, C2, C3 is to know how to set them when needed.

So I have one for indoor portraits with flashlight and the other two are more adhoc, depending on the situation.

C1 - hdr shots

C2 - high speed shooting.

If you have the 1Dx you can toggle sequentially through these settings with the M-fn button by dedicating it in the Q menu. Each of the custom settings can auto updated with any change made in each of the custom settings. You can include all three of custom settings plus one of Av, Tv, or M. You can set less than all four as well

--
Blake in Vancouver
Canon and Zeiss Stuff. Mac Stuff & annoying PC & Windows stuff.

I set

C1 for MLU and 2-sec timer at base ISO 100. LV is better than MLU for tripod work and I use remote shutter release but 5D3 still requires explicitly change drive mode to 2-sec timer (in comparison A7/R doesn’t have such requirement and easier to be fired from a remote controller under any modes and it also supports cellphone wireless control)

C2 – still thinking how to use it.

C3 for AI-Servo action photos, 6fps, AF Case #1

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55485085@N04/
http://qianp2k.zenfolio.com/

There already is. It's called Auto.

On my 6d, I pretty much have C1 for action and C2 for variable light conditions, when Av auto ISO is the go.

However, I've heard that many just use custom settings for the specific conditions of the shoot, changing for each environment. For this mode, I would like to be able to save and load each type of settings. Some sort of custom settings pre-set if you like.

I think someone mentioned somewhere that at least some Nikon models can bias the Auto exposure time setting. It's still based on the focal length, but you can make it neutral, slow or fast, to adjust somewhat to your preferences. Thus, if the camera would normally select 1/60 s for a 50 mm lens, you may get 1/30 or 1/125 s instead. Automatically.

My set-up is similar to yours, but with C2 configured as a general-purpose compromise between fast and slow subjects. Then I switch to C1 if I want to take extra care over a static subject, or C3 if I need AF tracking and fast continuous shutter drive.

I do feel that Canon's mode dial is rather muddled. Some of the positions control the entire camera set-up, whilst others only affect the auto-exposure mode. Changing the exposure mode in a C1 / C2 / C3 mode is awkward because both features are on the same dial. And the exposure modes themselves, M / Av / Tv / P, date from the days of film and do not integrate well with the third exposure parameter, ISO.

Here's how I'd design the mode controls for a modern dSLR:

• The mode-dial becomes a scenario-dial. It contains C1, C2, C3, Auto, and whatever other scene-modes are appropriate. Each dial position loads a complete set of parameters into the camera, including exposure settings, AF configuration, drive mode, etc. It does everything it does now, except that the M / Av / Tv / P positions are moved off.

• The exposure mode is controlled separately by a cluster of three buttons, which toggle auto-shutter-speed, auto-aperture, and auto-iso. Each button would have a status indicator so that the exposure mode can be seen at a glance. So auto-exposure + auto-shutter = P-mode, etc.

In this scheme I'd even put the scene modes from lower-end cameras onto the scenario-dial. Sports / landscape / night / portrait / etc. The difference being that they would be fully configurable, just like the C1 / C2 / C3 modes. The icon would serve just as an aide-memoire as to what each scenario is set-up for.

C1 - Setup up for my Canon 24-70 F/4 IS (AV, single-shot AF, 1/8th min ISO floor)

C2 - Setup for my Canon 70-200mm F/4 IS (AV, AF-servo, 1/250th min ISO floor)

C3 - Setup for my Sigma 35mm 1.4 (AV, Single-shot AF, 1/30th min ISO floor)

I have honestly forgotten about these presets. Honestly, I usually just change my settings on the fly. Although, this got me thinking about how I change my settings for video vs stills. Neutral w/ contrast -4, saturation -2, and some other tweaks. So, I just registered those to C1.

Great thread!