D Lynch
Veteran Member
Recently I got an RX100-7 (used)
I find your settings are very helpful.
However, I have so much to larn.
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RX10 IV custom settings revisited
- Thread starter AlwynS
- Start date
I find your settings are very helpful.
However, I have so much to larn.
AlwynS
Veteran Member
Dick Barbour
Veteran Member
Hi Alwyn,
I appreciate your sharing your settings. I've read your previous version as well as this one, and also Stephen Ingraham's settings. I've got a new RX10iv and setting it up for birds is high on my list. I'm coming from m43 using the PL 100-400 (200-800 equiv.) for birds and had fairly good success. I used S mode, usually 1/2000 for BIF and lower for perched or other wildlife. My question is, since a high shutter speed seems to be the most important setting for birds, why don't you use S mode? Stephen uses P, you used to use A, and now you use M! Why not use S to ensure the shutter speed and allow the camera to set both aperture and ISO to get the right exposure?
Thanks,
****
AlwynS
Veteran Member
Hi ****
I think really at the heart of it is the fact that setups entail compromises, always compromises....
I truly feel that there is no "one size fits all" for setups. This both in terms of one setup for all circumstances AND (possibly more importantly) one setup for all users. I really think what we are all striving for is i) a good starting point for many/most circumstances that ii) we are comfortable with. So please bear this in mind when you read my (and possibly anybody else's) description of settings. Read it, take a look at the underlying assumptions and reasons (if supplied: I always try to explain WHY I do certain things), consider it from your requirements and adapt as needed.
Some comments below
And, come to think of it, ISO is rather important as well...
I did consider S but again I was a bit concerned about the camera doing things I would prefer it not to. Going to S seemed more like trading one compromise for another.
Which took me to M. What I like about M is that I can start with my "ideal" setup: 1/2000th, F4 and reasonable ISO. But I do realise that there are times when this will not work. In that case I now have an option to change any of the 3 parameters VERY quickly and VERY easily. The two typical scenarios that I have found:
* Scene is too bright and 1/2000th, f4 and ISO 100 (the minimum Auto ISO goes to) still gives an over exposed image. In this case I quickly use my right thumb to increase the shutter speed with the control dial. If I REALLY wanted I could of course also just decrease the aperture but I have not yet found that necessary/desirable.
* Scene is too dark with f4 and 1/2000th. In this case I can quickly adjust the shutter speed slower using the control dial as above OR increase ISO using my right thumb to turn the control wheel.
I think really at the heart of it is the fact that setups entail compromises, always compromises....
I truly feel that there is no "one size fits all" for setups. This both in terms of one setup for all circumstances AND (possibly more importantly) one setup for all users. I really think what we are all striving for is i) a good starting point for many/most circumstances that ii) we are comfortable with. So please bear this in mind when you read my (and possibly anybody else's) description of settings. Read it, take a look at the underlying assumptions and reasons (if supplied: I always try to explain WHY I do certain things), consider it from your requirements and adapt as needed.
Some comments below
Weeelll, yes and no. I consider aperture critically important as well. There has to be a very good reason for me to move my camera away from f4 for two reasons: light gathering and the fact that the RX10 IV lens is very good at f4.
And, come to think of it, ISO is rather important as well...
The reason I avoid using P is that it takes too much control out of my hands. I do not like leaving too many choices up to the camera. Initially I used A to force the camera to f4 and then used "Auto ISO Faster" with upper & lower limits to "encourage" the camera to use a fast shutter speed while not going crazy with ISO. Over time I was getting a bit concerned that "Auto ISO Faster" seemed to sort of use 1/1000th as a target for shutter speed and I found that a bit too slow for BIF.
I did consider S but again I was a bit concerned about the camera doing things I would prefer it not to. Going to S seemed more like trading one compromise for another.
Which took me to M. What I like about M is that I can start with my "ideal" setup: 1/2000th, F4 and reasonable ISO. But I do realise that there are times when this will not work. In that case I now have an option to change any of the 3 parameters VERY quickly and VERY easily. The two typical scenarios that I have found:
* Scene is too bright and 1/2000th, f4 and ISO 100 (the minimum Auto ISO goes to) still gives an over exposed image. In this case I quickly use my right thumb to increase the shutter speed with the control dial. If I REALLY wanted I could of course also just decrease the aperture but I have not yet found that necessary/desirable.
* Scene is too dark with f4 and 1/2000th. In this case I can quickly adjust the shutter speed slower using the control dial as above OR increase ISO using my right thumb to turn the control wheel.
So those are my motivations. But as mentioned: you have to decide what works best for you. By all means consider the opinions of others like myself. But at the end of the day you have to remember the old adage: "Rules are made for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men". In the end your choice is the important one!
Dick Barbour
Veteran Member
...
Alwyn,
Thanks for the detailed explanation. As you say, it's really up to what makes the most sense for the individual. I'm going to try your settings, both old and new and see what works for me.
****
Dick Barbour
Veteran Member
Have been playing with settings, and have ended up so far with pretty much Alwyn's latest version, except: Shutter instead of Manual mode, low burst shooting, and fixed focus instead of continuous. I know continuous is better and I need to work with it, but I've never used it much so have less confidence in it. Here are some results from a local pond yesterday. The dragonfly took some perseverance; those things are fast! I think the result is pretty good considering it was at 1600 ISO, thanks to Topaz Sharpen AI.
****
theironmadchen
Leading Member
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****, the dragonfly capture is amazing! The details are so clear. Alwyn's settings do seem like a good starting place; I'm going to start experimenting with a similar philosophy too.
Cathy
Cathy
Yes I remember when I bought my RX10IV just days before travelling to Florida I really only had a quick flick through the user manual on the plane, but it was reading your custom settings thread that meant I never had to look at that manual again for the rest of the holiday, I got many great results especially BIF right from the off and shot some 4000 images all using your setup, so thank you for taking the time to provide such useful information as well as the contribution you make to this forum, it’s very much appreciated by me at least and I’m sure others on here.
IMO the single most useful feature of this camera is the Custom Hold feature and like you I have tweaked my setup since then and in particular have my ‘sitting bird’ custom hold (on AEL button) set to Focus Mode =DMF as there is often time to check/fine tune focus with a fairly stationary object and also of course avoid the odd mis focus on twigs etc, I have also started using the touch screen now which I had completely forgotten the camera even had until recently.
Regarding your new settings, I am a little confused atm but maybe I’m missing something obvious here (very likely)
In particular you said that you programmed these approximate settings to Custom Hold 1 and 2? but I can’t see how that would work because when you hit whichever button you have configured to activate that particular Custom Hold in manual mode the Aperture/Shutter speed and ISO will be locked at whatever they were before you hit the button, i.e. as long as you hold that Custom Hold button you can not change Aperture for example?
At least that’s how it works on my camera, i.e. I have my Custom hold 1 set for Shoot Mode AP, but once I have hit the button to activate Custom Hold 1 (AEL button) the Aperture will remain at what it was immediately before I hit the button, once you hit that button turning the Aperture ring has no effect until you let go of the button.
I also assume from your descriptions that you must have configured your control wheel for ISO via >Cust Key (Shoot) which I found really annoying when I tried this a while back as I found I was continually nudging it by mistake but maybe that's just me being a little ham-fisted.
Unfortunately I don’t currently have my camera with me atm but I will definitely try your settings next week so apologies if I have made a wrong assumption here or have misunderstood how this works for you.
IMO the single most useful feature of this camera is the Custom Hold feature and like you I have tweaked my setup since then and in particular have my ‘sitting bird’ custom hold (on AEL button) set to Focus Mode =DMF as there is often time to check/fine tune focus with a fairly stationary object and also of course avoid the odd mis focus on twigs etc, I have also started using the touch screen now which I had completely forgotten the camera even had until recently.
Regarding your new settings, I am a little confused atm but maybe I’m missing something obvious here (very likely)
In particular you said that you programmed these approximate settings to Custom Hold 1 and 2? but I can’t see how that would work because when you hit whichever button you have configured to activate that particular Custom Hold in manual mode the Aperture/Shutter speed and ISO will be locked at whatever they were before you hit the button, i.e. as long as you hold that Custom Hold button you can not change Aperture for example?
At least that’s how it works on my camera, i.e. I have my Custom hold 1 set for Shoot Mode AP, but once I have hit the button to activate Custom Hold 1 (AEL button) the Aperture will remain at what it was immediately before I hit the button, once you hit that button turning the Aperture ring has no effect until you let go of the button.
I also assume from your descriptions that you must have configured your control wheel for ISO via >Cust Key (Shoot) which I found really annoying when I tried this a while back as I found I was continually nudging it by mistake but maybe that's just me being a little ham-fisted.
Unfortunately I don’t currently have my camera with me atm but I will definitely try your settings next week so apologies if I have made a wrong assumption here or have misunderstood how this works for you.
Dick Barbour
Veteran Member
Yes, isn't it nice to have someone who has already figured it out? I've now tried his manual mode instead of shutter and I think he's right, manual is even better. I got this one yesterday, although I didn't use his exact settings. You have to be ready to make some adjustments on the fly. That, and trust your histogram.
****
AlwynS
Veteran Member
Very nicely done, kudos to you!
AlwynS
Veteran Member
To each his own: in using Flexible Spot (small) focus mode, I have never had significant issues with twigs etc. while using AF. I personally struggle mightily to get decent MF under any circumstances. I am absolutely not sufficiently well coordinated to be comfortable holding the Custom Hold button pressed, holding the camera steady enough to keep the focus point on the subject and still competently turning the focus ring to adjust the focus. In the same time I would be struggling with that I could have taken ten separate three shot bursts with AF if I were worried about missing focus. But in my case that is hypothetical: as I said, I have utter confidence in getting the small Flexible Spot focus point on the subject with AF, even with very difficult situations. I would also be very concerned with the bird flying off while I was still struggling to achieve Manual Focus: they frequently do that when I try to photograph them!
In any case: if I felt I had enough time to manually focus, I would absolutely have had sufficient time to change MR from my BIF setting to my Perched Birds setting.
I think it is very important to realise that Custom Hold is a very limited, very transient thing. I only use it if there is a very brief window of opportunity to take a shot that I would likely have missed had I taken the time to change mode. Either that or for instance I want the camera to be in BIF mode in anticipation of a bird flying off but while I wait I want to take some stills.
As for the transience: as example, as you noted, Aperture will always be locked at what it is at the time that you press the preferred Custom Hold key. Unlike when using Memory Recall, you really cannot change ANYTHING when using Custom Hold. For example: I pretty much keep my aperture at F4 permanently. So with the manual settings and Custom Hold 1 for BIF, when I press the key associated with Custom Hold 1, the camera will show that it is in Manual mode with the Aperture as dictated by the aperture ring, and all other settings will be as stored when you save the Custom hold configuration. In my BIF case, the shutter speed will therefore be the 1/2000th that I set and ISO will be Auto between 100 and 3200. You are pretty much locked in to that: there really is nothing you can do to change any of those while using the Custom Hold AS FAR AS I KNOW.
Obviously when you are using Memory Recall you can change anything: Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus area, burst mode etc. etc.: basically anything. Changing things while you are using that memory location will keep those changes while you are in MR mode. It will not change the stored values in that memory location so the next time you recall that memory location it will bring up the settings that you originally programmed in.
As for assigning ISO to the control wheel: this is a personal thing. From my perspective: to change the ISO you only have two options: assign it to the control wheel or assign ISO to a button. If you assign it to a button, if you want to change the ISO "on the fly" as it were, to change the ISO you will have to press the appropriate button, the ISO select display comes up in the viewfinder and you then have to use the control dial to select what you want and press the center button. I find that too cumbersome and slow. I have also never had an issue with inadvertently turning the Control Wheel so it is not an issue for me. Seeing as this does not work for you it seems the only option is to assign ISO selection to a different button.
Hope that helps?
Thanks for the explanation it all makes sense now, you are really talking about having full Manual control using MR not Custom hold, the confusion arose when I read that you had assigned these settings to custom hold and my immediate reaction was that afaik that actually doesn’t work because as you say in Manual mode you cannot change anything once you hit that button.To each his own: in using Flexible Spot (small) focus mode, I have never had significant issues with twigs etc. while using AF. I personally struggle mightily to get decent MF under any circumstances. I am absolutely not sufficiently well coordinated to be comfortable holding the Custom Hold button pressed, holding the camera steady enough to keep the focus point on the subject and still competently turning the focus ring to adjust the focus. In the same time I would be struggling with that I could have taken ten separate three shot bursts with AF if I were worried about missing focus. But in my case that is hypothetical: as I said, I have utter confidence in getting the small Flexible Spot focus point on the subject with AF, even with very difficult situations. I would also be very concerned with the bird flying off while I was still struggling to achieve Manual Focus: they frequently do that when I try to photograph them!
In any case: if I felt I had enough time to manually focus, I would absolutely have had sufficient time to change MR from my BIF setting to my Perched Birds setting.
I think it is very important to realise that Custom Hold is a very limited, very transient thing. I only use it if there is a very brief window of opportunity to take a shot that I would likely have missed had I taken the time to change mode. Either that or for instance I want the camera to be in BIF mode in anticipation of a bird flying off but while I wait I want to take some stills.
As for the transience: as example, as you noted, Aperture will always be locked at what it is at the time that you press the preferred Custom Hold key. Unlike when using Memory Recall, you really cannot change ANYTHING when using Custom Hold. For example: I pretty much keep my aperture at F4 permanently. So with the manual settings and Custom Hold 1 for BIF, when I press the key associated with Custom Hold 1, the camera will show that it is in Manual mode with the Aperture as dictated by the aperture ring, and all other settings will be as stored when you save the Custom hold configuration. In my BIF case, the shutter speed will therefore be the 1/2000th that I set and ISO will be Auto between 100 and 3200. You are pretty much locked in to that: there really is nothing you can do to change any of those while using the Custom Hold AS FAR AS I KNOW.
Obviously when you are using Memory Recall you can change anything: Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus area, burst mode etc. etc.: basically anything. Changing things while you are using that memory location will keep those changes while you are in MR mode. It will not change the stored values in that memory location so the next time you recall that memory location it will bring up the settings that you originally programmed in.
As for assigning ISO to the control wheel: this is a personal thing. From my perspective: to change the ISO you only have two options: assign it to the control wheel or assign ISO to a button. If you assign it to a button, if you want to change the ISO "on the fly" as it were, to change the ISO you will have to press the appropriate button, the ISO select display comes up in the viewfinder and you then have to use the control dial to select what you want and press the center button. I find that too cumbersome and slow. I have also never had an issue with inadvertently turning the Control Wheel so it is not an issue for me. Seeing as this does not work for you it seems the only option is to assign ISO selection to a different button.
Hope that helps?
I must admit I have not used MR with this camera probably from previous disappointing experience with the A77 which did not save important things like Focus Mode or Button Assignment which for me rendered this as a useless feature in my eyes at the time, but if the RX does recall these settings then maybe MR would be worth a revisit.
Dick Barbour
Veteran Member
Thanks!
theironmadchen
Leading Member
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The details on that butterfly are amazing! Very nice shot ****.
I'm trying to figure out using zebra vs histogram ... I guess that would be the topic of a different thread
**** Barbour wrote:
I'm trying to figure out using zebra vs histogram ... I guess that would be the topic of a different thread
**** Barbour wrote:
Yes, isn't it nice to have someone who has already figured it out? I've now tried his manual mode instead of shutter and I think he's right, manual is even better. I got this one yesterday, although I didn't use his exact settings. You have to be ready to make some adjustments on the fly. That, and trust your histogram.
****
mackey1001
Veteran Member
Resurrecting this thread, since I just got a new (used) RX10M4 a month ago, and am continually learning something new. Amazing features and capabilities, and a lot to learn, but it's definitely a keeper for me.
I was having a tough time using Manual Focus quickly, and found a shortcut!!
I have multiple Custom Shoot Sets saved, including one saved for birds with S Priority set at 1/2000 (or maybe 1/2500 is better?), C-AF, high speed burst, wide AF...
If you set the front dial to MF, but temporarily HOLD AND RELEASE the Custom Shoot Set button (for me, one of them is set to the AEL button), it'll establish the initial AF, and then I can adjust the MF slightly (if needed).
Saves a lot of time and tweaking, by getting you an initial AF (without having to use the DMF mode, where having to keep the shutter button in a half-press HOLD position, I don't find easy to do in a coordinated manner).
-M1
AlwynS
Veteran Member
Good trick! But I must admit I do not really use MF because I struggle to get it nice and sharp.
mackey1001
Veteran Member
Resurrecting this thread, since I just got a new (used) RX10M4 a month ago, and am continually learning something new. Amazing features and capabilities, and a lot to learn, but it's definitely a keeper for me.
I was having a tough time using Manual Focus quickly, and found a shortcut!!
I have multiple Custom Shoot Sets saved, including one saved for birds with S Priority set at 1/2000 (or maybe 1/2500 is better?), C-AF, high speed burst, wide AF...
If you set the front dial to MF, but temporarily HOLD AND RELEASE the Custom Shoot Set button (for me, one of them is set to the AEL button), it'll establish the initial AF, and then I can adjust the MF slightly (if needed).
Saves a lot of time and tweaking, by getting you an initial AF (without having to use the DMF mode, where having to keep the shutter button in a half-press HOLD position, I don't find easy to do in a coordinated manner).
-M1
Good trick! But I must admit I do not really use MF because I struggle to get it nice and sharp.
--
Cheers
Alwyn
Same here, but I'm thinking it could be useful for certain situations ... like times I'm having trouble with AF for birds among branches and vegetation. Quick switch to MF dial after initial one-button Custom Shoot Set focus. Or maybe even to try some nightsky photography of stars? Haven't tried astrophotography yet with my new RX10M4, but will try at some point.
I did turn on MF Focus Peaking Low, with Red color (to match what I'm used to, with my Olympus M4/3 gear, which I just sold).
I was having a tough time using Manual Focus quickly, and found a shortcut!!
I have multiple Custom Shoot Sets saved, including one saved for birds with S Priority set at 1/2000 (or maybe 1/2500 is better?), C-AF, high speed burst, wide AF...
If you set the front dial to MF, but temporarily HOLD AND RELEASE the Custom Shoot Set button (for me, one of them is set to the AEL button), it'll establish the initial AF, and then I can adjust the MF slightly (if needed).
Saves a lot of time and tweaking, by getting you an initial AF (without having to use the DMF mode, where having to keep the shutter button in a half-press HOLD position, I don't find easy to do in a coordinated manner).
-M1
Good trick! But I must admit I do not really use MF because I struggle to get it nice and sharp.
--
Cheers
Alwyn
Same here, but I'm thinking it could be useful for certain situations ... like times I'm having trouble with AF for birds among branches and vegetation. Quick switch to MF dial after initial one-button Custom Shoot Set focus. Or maybe even to try some nightsky photography of stars? Haven't tried astrophotography yet with my new RX10M4, but will try at some point.
I did turn on MF Focus Peaking Low, with Red color (to match what I'm used to, with my Olympus M4/3 gear, which I just sold).
Last edited:
GilaSki
Active member
Just wondering, Alwyn, if you've been able to make the time for this bit of a write-up? Thanks for sharing your considerable knowledge about this camera. Cheers.
AlwynS
Veteran Member
Ooh, bad me, I have forgotten about this, sorry! Will have to make a plan to do it.
E
Elliern
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