Canon default settings...

[rpcrowe]

I let a friend "play" with my 7D and he changed so many parameters that I ended up having to revert the camera back to its default settings before I could set it back to the way I want to use it.

However, this brings to mind two of Canon DSLR default settings...

I would think that more photographers would rather have their DSLR set up so that it will not shoot without a card, rather than having their cameras set up to be able to shoot with no card installed (and not capture any image).

The Canon Gods must have a different opinion since the default for Canon DSLR camera is to be able to shoot without a card installed.

That is something that I always change automatically as soon as the battery goes into a new camera.

The same thing goes for when I select auto exposure bracketing. In the camera default setting, the AEB will automatically stop working when the camera is shut off or when a battery is changed.

I may be a different breed, but when I turn something on, I prefer to be the one to decide when I want it turned off. Of course, I choose through the menu, not to have the AEB stop when the camera is shut down. However, IMO, that should be the default setting.

[herbert]

Hi Richard,

Shooting without a card is probably a good thing for shop floor retailers. Just take it out of the box and it is good for customers to play with. However from a practical standpoint it is not a sensible thing to do as a photographer.

As for AEB the standard revert to normal does not bother me. I don't turn my camera off until the end of the days shooting. If I were in the habit of turning it on and off throughout the day as I hiked around taking HDR landscapes then maybe it would be an issue. On the 7D you could use a custom preset of course to ensure the bracketing stays on.

If you look at the flip side where a photographer has turned off his camera 4 days ago then quickly turns it on to take a photo it would be annoying if bracketing was still on. Maybe avoiding that situation is how Canon market research came to their default settings. The defaults are to best serve the masses with no inclination to have to change them.

I hope someone can tell us what is standard for other manufacturers for comparison.

Alex

[Geoff F]

Personally, I rather like the reset when switched off option.

So often I set up for a particular function which I don't regularly use, like AEB, and then when I go to another scene I find the camera is still shooting as previously set. Which incurs the same mental strain about disabling that was caused through the enabling process.

Simply turning off to reset is so useful for me. But my camera has the Auto Power Off option set for several minutes so it doesn't keep switching off just because I am thinking instead of shooting.

There are several buttons on my 7D which I have never used and would be willing to have a camera without so much confusion; like my old 40D.

[rpcrowe]

I will admit that the 40D is a more simple camera than the 7D. The sophistication of the 7D can be mind boggling. I usually review some of the very sophisticated components of the 7D auto focusing system prior to shooting action related subjects.

I often wonder if some photographers who complain about their 7D AF system being off have not changed the focusing inadvertently. This happened to me recently when I let a friend play around with my 7D in expectation of purchasing one. He changed so many camera parameters that I simply reverted the parameters back to the default modes and set the camera up the way I like if from scratch. That was easier than changing the individual parameters back and possible forgetting to change one or another...

If a photographer is having problems with a camera exposure and/or focus, I recommend reverting back to the default settings and adjusting the parameters from there as one of the first troubleshooting methods...

I do have both my 7D and 40D set up with the custom preset to have the AEB continue when the camera is turned off. I learned that the hard way, years ago, when I needed to change batteries within the Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico. When I changed the battery, the camera reverted back to standard exposure in lieu of AEB and I ended up with three identical exposures of each shot...

Now, with the User Selected Mode system of both the 7D and my 40D, I have C-2 set up for AEB. I also have C-1 set up for action shots. IMO, it is really neat to be able to shift from the various camera parameters I use for shots of still subjects to action parameters with one twist of the mode dial because I sometimes need to shift the parameters quite quickly. I will also often have C-3 set up for night shooting with mirror lock up, etc...

I use the heck out of the User Selected Mode system and am quite surprised that this system is almost never touted when the xxxD cameras are compared with the 40D or 7D; or that the three user selected modes of the 7D are never mentioned when comparing that camera with the 60D which has but a single user selected mode. IMO, three modes are nicer than one but, one mode is certainly better than none!

In fact, I have a matrix of how I like my camera set up for various venues and will register these parameters using the User Selected Modes prior to leaving home. It is easier and safer to select the parameters at home rather than in the field when I might just forget an important parameter change...

[Geoff F]

One thing that often catches me out with AEB is . . .

To separate different batches of AEB shots, or a group with different focus points for that matter, I photograph my hand (out of focus) so there is an obvious break between each series which makes editing easier.

But with AEB, I have then used one of my shots so get one less with the intended batch. Unless I remember to take a full burst of hand only shots!

Releasing my shutter finger too early during a burst is another frequent problem when I lack concentration.

[loosecanon]

The user configured settings are a great boon. The real advantage is not only can you preset the AEB but also the shooting mode to continous so that pressing the shutter and holding it down shoots the bracketed shots and then stops until finger released.

[rpcrowe]

To separate different batches of AEB shots, or a group with different focus points for that matter, I photograph my hand (out of focus) so there is an obvious break between each series which makes editing easier.

Geoff, If you have one of the user selected modes (if your camera has them) set up for AEB with burst shooting it is easy to switch from AEB with burst mode to single shot by just twisting the mode dial. That way you can have a single shot of your hand between your AEB sequences with little or no problems...

The user selected mode is one of my favorite bells and whistles on my 40D and 7D. I am extremely pleased that Canon reverted back to three User Selected Modes with the 7D...

[Geoff F]

Those options on the dial are something which I have never used; except accidentally when the dial has become moved and I have struggled to work out what has gone wrong.

I will read up about how to configure them.

When shooting some bursts today, I managed by shooting three shots of my hand then deleting two, when I remembered. But a little bit of unnecessary work it seems.

[rpcrowe]

The book, "David Busch's Compact Field Guide for the Canon EOS 7D" is a great reference manual and is light enough to carry with you if you are unsure of the camera. David has other camera field guide's which, I assume, are equally as good as the one for the 7D.

I like this book because it deals specifically with the 7D and how to set up and use this camera to your best advantage. It doesn't contained any boilerplate filler on leses and composition which I don't need nor want in a guide.

Registering the User Settings and clearing those settings is covered on page 223 of the 7D User Manual. The registering of settings is simple and selecting the registered settings is even more simple. If you forget what the settings are, you can find information about most (but, not all) of the User Settings you have registered by turning the mode dial to C1, C2 or C3 and pressing the Quicm Kenu Button...

[Colin Southern]

Hi Richard,

I make the same changes you do -- and a lot more. The big difference is that I don't let anyone else play with my cameras