Your Canon EOS-1D X user tips

[neuroanatomist]

In Ai though, it's pretty great! Canon should do a combo, where I can have One shot at the shutter button alone, and then Ai on the AF-ON button, so when it's pushed it's Ai on the AF-on and only release on the shutter, and if I just want one shot release the AF-ON and take shot like you always have (with One Shot focus).

You could set up two C# settings, one with One Shot and shutter button AF, another with AI Servo and back button AF.

Personally, I like back button AF for One Shot portraits (people and perched birds), too.  If subject distance isn't changing, I can avoid the (very) slight delay due to AF, and more accurately time the shutter release.

[Richard Lane]

Can different selection modes be associated with the press-and-hold toggle between AI Servo and One Shot?  For example, in servo I'm using 61-pt auto selection a subject can be tracked right across the frame and so iTR can be used, but when I press M.Fn2, I don't want 61-pt auto selection.  I suspect the answer is no, but maybe I missed something?

No, they can't.  But if you program the "Register/Recall Shooting function" in Custom Controls (I chose the AE* Button) then you can select your AF Area Selection method.  That's why I like this new 1DX feature that we discussed in the other thread.  Here's the link:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=8585.0

The one thing that you can't do with the Register/Recall Shooting function is switch from One Shot to AI Servo, but this weekend I was experimenting and I realized that I can press the AE* recall shooting button, which also Auto-focuses (just like AF-ON) and then also press the M-fn2 button to switch from One Shot to AI Servo and then press the shutter button (yes, that's 3 buttons at once) to take the shot.

I was actually in One Shot Mode (not common for me, but nothing was going on and I didn't feel like holding in the One Shot<--> AI Servo button, and then the bird took off so out of instinct I guess, I figured out that you could press all 3 buttons and get the desired function by accident.

[Richard Lane]

@Richard: Are you sure the "last AF is on the shutter" ? Because if I aim at something white and the AF-light strobes and the AF just sits there and I press the shutter, it does NOTHING, but if I release the AF-ON in the same no-af possible situation, it tries again.

Yes, if you have them both set to Auto-Focus (AF-On, not AF-Off) then release AF-On, then the last button that you press (Shutter Button) will set the final focus. If your white target didn't move then the  shutter button press had no reason to change focus.  Try focusing on something else to test it.

Ah, okay... So I set the shutterbutton to meter when pressed.. Yeeeeah, well then I guess it might not be for me then, just because, If I want to shoot a shot in One shot, I first have to press the m...f..n button to switch to One Shot from Ai, then push the AF-ON button on the back, hold them and then push the shutter. To me, using three buttons to take a picture is ridicolous.

You can just press and release AF-On to stop focus for a stationary photo.  So, you don't have to switch out of AI Servo every time.  if you would like the AF beep and confirmation then you would have to switch to One Shot.  You could also set up different Custom Shooting Functions for One Shot and AI Servo.  Personally, I wouldn't let One Shot be the reason that you don't use AF-On for tracking and the shutter button for image capture. I'm rarely in a rush when I use One Shot and you could always change the setting via AF Mode, so no need to hold any extra buttons in if you don't want to.  But, do what you feel comfortable with.

[Viggo]

@Richard: Are you sure the "last AF is on the shutter" ? Because if I aim at something white and the AF-light strobes and the AF just sits there and I press the shutter, it does NOTHING, but if I release the AF-ON in the same no-af possible situation, it tries again.

Yes, if you have them both set to Auto-Focus (AF-On, not AF-Off) then release AF-On, then the last button that you press (Shutter Button) will set the final focus. If your white target didn't move then the  shutter button press had no reason to change focus.  Try focusing on something else to test it.

Ah, okay... So I set the shutterbutton to meter when pressed.. Yeeeeah, well then I guess it might not be for me then, just because, If I want to shoot a shot in One shot, I first have to press the m...f..n button to switch to One Shot from Ai, then push the AF-ON button on the back, hold them and then push the shutter. To me, using three buttons to take a picture is ridicolous.

You can just press and release AF-On to stop focus for a stationary photo.  So, you don't have to switch out of AI Servo every time.  if you would like the AF beep and confirmation then you would have to switch to One Shot.  You could also set up different Custom Shooting Functions for One Shot and AI Servo.  Personally, I wouldn't let One Shot be the reason that you don't use AF-On for tracking and the shutter button for image capture. I'm rarely in a rush when I use One Shot and you could always change the setting via AF Mode, so no need to hold any extra buttons in if you don't want to.  But, do what you feel comfortable with.

I took your advice and tried the AF-ON for AF and remove AF from the shutter (just metering). And now it's second nature. And focus and recompose just with releasing the button eliminated the need for One Shot for me.

Awesome advice, thanks!!

[Richard Lane]

Glad you're liking the new set-up!

Heres the link for the Online Video Tutorials for the 1DX, instead of downloading the Zip Files:

http://learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/galleries/tutorials/eos_1dx_tutorials.shtml

[Viggo]

If you like HDR, here's my tip:

Set C1 to bracketing with 5 images. Use LV and 2 sec self timer, that way it blasts off all images at 12 fps without mirror in between, and you don't move the camera by pushing the shutter. Be sure to use One Shot 

Works great when you don't want to use a tripod, and very quick to find.

[neuroanatomist]

The 1-series cameras can save the current camera settings to a card, up to 10 sets, and load them on demand.  The 1D X is the first 1-series body to feature Camera User Settings (C#).  The combination makes for a powerful way to manage groups of settings, since the C# settings are saved and loaded along with other settings.

For example, I have one Outdoors set, where C1 is for landscapes, C2 for static birds/wildlife, and C3 for BIF.  I've got a Family set, C1 for tripod shots (10 s timer), C2 is for static shooting (min 1/125 s, manual AF point selection), C3 for moving kids (1/250 s min shutter, 61-pt AI Servo), etc.  Another set for manual AFMA with the FoCal settings.

I store them all on an old 2 GB CF card carried in the pocket of my Blackrapid RS-4 strap, with a backup on my computer.

[smi]

What do you mean by another set for manual AMFA with FoCal settings Neuro?

[Richard Lane]

Since Canon choose to bring out all of the custom functions into sub-menus, I'm finding that there are a lot of sub-menus to click through in order to get to the next main menu tab.

A new Tip!

When in the Menu Screen, if you press the Q Button, then the menu will jump to the next Main Menu Tab directly for each press of the Q button, instead of clicking  through all of the individual sub-menus with the multi-controller.

Rich

[neuroanatomist]

What do you mean by another set for manual AMFA with FoCal settings Neuro?

FoCal specifies certainl settings like spot metering, +1 EC, etc., and the shots need to be JPG (and is the only time I don't shoot RAW).  That's for taking the shots yourself and having FoCal do the analysis on the images, rather than driving the camera.  That was before the 1D X was supported at all.  Fortuantely, FoCal for Mac supports full auto calibration now, which will come in handy the next time I do an AFMA (which will be very soon).