- Live View
- Electronic Level
- Highlight Alert
- Camera User Settings (C1, C2, C3)
- Custom Functions
- Final Thoughts
Camera User Settings (C1, C2, C3)
If you frequently change the settings on your camera to a specific setup, you might find the camera user settings to be very useful. For example, when shooting HDR, I always set the camera exactly the same way: I turn on the Auto-Exposure Bracketing so I'm shooting three bracketed exposures, RAW quality, ISO 100, and I set the camera to aperture priority (Av) with the aperture set to f/16. I've programmed all of these settings into one dial (I chose C1) ahead of time. Now, when I'm out in the field, all I have to do is select C1 mode on the top of my camera, and it's all set and ready to shoot.
This feature is great in other scenarios, such as if you want a certain setup when shooting video, or if you like to shoot your subjects in a specific way. Page 224 in your Canon 7D user's manual lists all of the settings that can be programmed into one of these modes.
Setting up one of these user setting modes is easy:
- Set your camera with all of the settings you want to program, as if you were going to start taking pictures.
- Press the menu button and go to the third menu tab from the left (see Figure 4).
- Scroll down to the "Camera user setting" option.
- Press the Set button, select Register, and follow the instructions on the LCD monitor.
- When you're ready to shoot in your custom mode, turn the mode dial to the position you programmed (C1, C2, or C3). Your camera will automatically set itself to your programmed settings.
Figure 4 You can use the "Camera user setting" option to preprogram settings and functions on your camera.