topic Re: starting to panic a bit... in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 17:52:26 GMT

Owner of the local drag strip talked to me about being trackside with my camera this coming year, he is after a larger Social Media presence. I normally sit in the stands. I am excited about this. Up to about a week ago I was fairly confident I was going to do well....but with the results of my latest few rounds of shooting (my dogs playing/running) I am beginning to panic some. Have a 5D Mark IV and will be using my 20-200L f/2.8 lens. Was planning on shooting Manual at f/5.6 until it started to get dark then try shooting wide open, adjusting the ISO as need be. Couldn't sleep one night...and made the mistake of reading a few different blogs about shooting motorsports. One of them mentioned shooting in AV mode, which made 0 sense. Another blog mentioned shooting in TV, keeping the shutter speed fast enough to avoid the lens from going wide open to keep the DOF deep, if that is what you desire. Have only shot in TV a few times. Have been experimenting, thanks to my pups, with it. I think I have a basic understanding of how it works. A bit confused over it but I still have some time to iron things out. I will not be following the vehicles, I will be down track a short distance from the starting line and having the cars coming at me. Which "case" should I be using?

Any general guide lines I should follow in regards to shutter settings and ISO?

Any and all advice will be appreciated.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

wq9nsc — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 19:16:37 GMT

The first thing is to get some practice shots to test your setup. He probably has some "test and tune" nights prior to the opening session so go down and experiment with different combinations of the exposure triangle to see what yields the best results. And you don't have to actually have a race to test your setup. If the owner will give you access to the track and turn on the standard lighting then park your own car just past the starting tree and take some shots to figure out the best combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO that are achievable under the available lighting conditions keeping in mind that you are going to have to use fast shutter speeds for this sport AND the wider you open the aperture the more pressure there is on the AF system to get it right. Make sure that your lens is perfectly dialed in at the usual focal length, distance, and lighting for this event using the AFMA setup.

I shot indoor soccer under poor lighting for the first time this season and I found what worked most consistently for me was to run in full manual mode. I use a 70-200 F2.8 often with the 1.4X (yielding a F4.0 lens) and for soccer I was either at 1/500, F2.8, 10,000 or 1/500, F4.0, 20,000. There are some individual shots that would have been better with faster shutter speed and a corresponding increase in ISO but those were so few that staying in full manual made the most sense. You will likely find that similar lighting issues at the strip will throw off attempts to use any of the paremeters set to auto since any intermittent light or reflection may change exposure values to something you don't want.

It took me a couple of games before I felt confident that I had chosen the best setup because the amount of noise reduction vs detail loss that you want to choose in processing is another part of this equation AND you need to have a good idea how large of an image display the owner wants to use. An image that looks great on the quick review on your LCD display, even with magnification, is likely to show far more imperfections when you look at the image on a large monitor.

Once you think you have the setup make sure to check the exposure metering in the veiwfinder throughout the event because conditions do change (i.e. when the air begins to haze up from fuel and tire smoke changing lighting conditions).

For my 1DX M2 Case 4 is the recommended mode for soccer and motor sports and is the one I would try first. Realize that at the start the rate of velocity change is tremendous and it will also be difficult for you to hold the focus on a particular point on the vehicle until you get experience with the events. I use a single point with expansion but I have a feeling a single point with no expansion may be the best setup for drag racing but testing will show what works best.

And make sure you are on a safe point on the track! Things go wrong very quickly in racing and you don't want the last thing you ever see to be through your viewfinder. Although every photographer wants to be in the optimal location for photograhy when a car breaks or goes out of control parts are ejected at high velocity and of course fire is another concern.

Good luck and have fun.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

cicopo — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 20:55:37 GMT

Some pretty good advice above. I haven't shot drag racing since my days with a manual focus film camera (Canon A 1's) nor any other motorsports in the last 10 years but I do shoot action & have tried doing it is several ways. The most important thing to remember is that you need to experiment to find the settings that work for you in the environment you'll be shooting in. I personally prefer Tv & Exposure Compensation to suit the changes in lighting at the day goes by. My article on what I shoot may be of some help but practice & more practice is the key & try every method available from Auto ISO thru Tv, Av & M.

My article is here. http://www.rccanada.ca/rccforum/showthread.php?t=147971

Re: starting to panic a bit...

TCampbell — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 21:27:00 GMT

The 5D IV has a very advanced and technical focus system.

Make sure you download and read this:

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2017/eos_1dx_markii_af_guidebook.shtml

Note that this says "1D X Mark II" but it turns out the two cameras have nearly identical AF systems ... nearly everything in this guide applies to the 5D Mark IV as well.

On your camera, make sure you enable "AI Servo" AF mode. I prefer to put it in the mode that uses ALL available AF points because that's the mode that tracks the subject as it moves and can track it anywhere. If you limit the use of AF points, then the camera can only track across the points you allow it to use.

You will also probably want to switch to high-speed burst mode.

On your 70-200mm lens... turn the Stabilizer ON but set the Stabilizer to Mode 2. More on why later.

Evaluate the cases (Case 1 through Case 6) and you may need to do some testing to decide which case is best for your situation. I shoot track cycling and find that case 2 seems to work the best (track cycling doesn't have erratic motion or fast accel/decel speeds, changes in direction, etc... but things will momentarily get in the way ... so I tend to prefer to use Case 2 for my type of shooting. Your type of shooting may require something different for best results.

In the AF tab of your camera, tab 1 sets the AF case selection.

AF Tab 2 sets first & second image priority. What's that mean? The camera can favor obtaining focus BEFORE it shoots... or it can favor GETTING THE SHOT when you hit the shutter release... even if it hadnt't finished focus. For most cameras, the default in AI Servo mode is to take the shot WHEN you press the shutter all the way down becuase you can hold the shutter half-way (or use back-button focus) to keep the camera focused on your subject (so you've pre-focused) and then when you press the shutter it is already focused.

But you can tune this on a 5D IV and tell it you'd rather have focus priority over release priority. At the velodrome, riders are looping so I'm not as worried about capturing the "decisive moment" and more worried about good sharp focus. I set 1st image priority to favor focus. Second image priority is a bit of a misnomer... it actually means "every frame in your burst apart from the first frame". That one has a 5 point scale... on the extreme left is favoring release time... the extreme right is favoring focus... the middle setting splits the balance. I noticed that with my first few outings that my first image in a burst would be sharp... but successive frames in the burst weren't as sharp. So I tuned my 2nd image priority one notch toward favoring facus (note that there's a performance penalty because camera wants to evaluate focus more carefully as you do this.)

On AF tab 4 you'll find things like "Auto AF pt sel:" and I set mine to "EOS iTR AF". There's also a choice with "EOS iTR AF (Face priority)". EOS iTR is the intelligent tracking & recongtion. But in your sport, can you even see the driver's faces? If not, you should probably disable face-detection so the camera doesn't hunt for a face in the shot.

I set "selectable AF point" to all (you can tell it to only use cross-type points ... or a 15 or 9 point grid).

You'll also find choices on how the camera picks the initial AF point when using AI Servo mode.

Also note... your camera has three CUSTOM mode positions on the mode dial. Suppose you have favorite settings for shooting a race (action shots) but you have a completely different set of favorites for shooting non-action shots at the track (cars & drivers before / after the race, etc.)

You can set up everything the way you want (e.g. for action shots) and "register" that setup to a custom position (e.g. such as the "C1" position on the mode dial. Then set up everything the way you want again (e.g. maybe this time for non-action shots), and "register" that to another custom position (e.g. such as the "C2" position on the mode dial).

Now you can flip between C1 & C2 on the mode dial and you don't have to go digging through menus ard remember the whole pile of custom tweaks that you made to optimize the camera behavior.

This is what I mean when I say the 5D IV is a "technical" camera. It has the ability to be customized to your needs, but that adds some technical complexity.

But if you read that AF Setting Guidebook that I linked, you'll become more aware of what the camera can do for you. And then register your custom settings so you can rapidly flip between shooting modes as needed.

I mentioned switching the lens Stabilizer to mode 2. Mode 1 is the general purpose mode. In mode 1 the lens will try to stabilize things in all directions. The problem with mode 1 is that you have fast moving cars and you're going to need to pan the camera to follow the car as it zooms by. In mode 1... the lens will FIGHT YOU. In mode 2... the lens knows it's going to be used to catch panning action shots... this means it WILL stabilize any up/down vertical movement ... but it will NOT fight you on the horizontal panning action.

BTW, I tend to use Av mode even for action photography BECAUSE I'm shooting at an indoor velodrome. I want the camera to use a wide aperture (typically f/2.8 ... rarely I might drop to f/4). And then I want it to use the fastest shutter speed it can manage. I'm actually ok with slower shutter speeds and frankly I sometimes prefer that.

Here's what I mean...

This is shot at 1/125th sec.

This one is taken at 1/640th...

Notice the very different amount of blur in the wheels... the 2nd shot doesn't convey a strong sense of speed... whereas the first shot (with the blur) does. I'm using the slower shutter and carefully panning to "imply motion" into a still shot.

This is a more technical type of shot because to pull this off means the camera is panning at the same speed as the subject. If it's out of sync... the subject wont look sharp. I find I get a keeper rate of maybe 1 in 10 of these that I really like (which is why I suggest bursting a blast of frames in the hope that one will be crisp.) This is something I don't recommend you start with... use a higher shutter speed to make sure you have some shots "in the bag" (you need SOME usable shots at every event). When you've got that covered... you can get a bit more artistic and try to pull off a few that convey more energy.

When I learned this technique, I started at a higher shutter speed and slowly eased my way down to a slower shutter speed. It gets easier with practice and you learn to be a bit more smooth about your tracking.

An alternate technique is to put the camera in Manual mode... but set the ISO to 'auto'. You can then pick both the shutter and aperture that you want and the camera will vary the ISO as needed. I am not super keen on this because while the 5D IV is amazing... I do start to notice the noise and if I can keep the ISO low, I'll get cleaner shots.

There are techniques for cleaning up noise and enhancing sharpness that involve create a mask to detect edges of contrast. You generally want to sharpen near edges of contrast... but there's no point in sharping a photo globally (even the flat non-contrasty areas) because that just makes the nosie more noticeable. You can invert the mask and de-noise the flat non-contrasty areas (where noise is easier to spot) and leave the edges of contrast (where noise is harder to spot and those edges need to remain sharp) alone.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 04:34:42 GMT

@wq9nscwrote:
The first thing is to get some practice shots to test your setup. He probably has some "test and tune" nights prior to the opening session so go down and experiment with different combinations of the exposure triangle to see what yields the best results. And you don't have to actually have a race to test your setup. If the owner will give you access to the track and turn on the standard lighting then park your own car just past the starting tree and take some shots to figure out the best combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO that are achievable under the available lighting conditions keeping in mind that you are going to have to use fast shutter speeds for this sport AND the wider you open the aperture the more pressure there is on the AF system to get it right. Make sure that your lens is perfectly dialed in at the usual focal length, distance, and lighting for this event using the AFMA setup.

I shot indoor soccer under poor lighting for the first time this season and I found what worked most consistently for me was to run in full manual mode. I use a 70-200 F2.8 often with the 1.4X (yielding a F4.0 lens) and for soccer I was either at 1/500, F2.8, 10,000 or 1/500, F4.0, 20,000. There are some individual shots that would have been better with faster shutter speed and a corresponding increase in ISO but those were so few that staying in full manual made the most sense. You will likely find that similar lighting issues at the strip will throw off attempts to use any of the paremeters set to auto since any intermittent light or reflection may change exposure values to something you don't want.

It took me a couple of games before I felt confident that I had chosen the best setup because the amount of noise reduction vs detail loss that you want to choose in processing is another part of this equation AND you need to have a good idea how large of an image display the owner wants to use. An image that looks great on the quick review on your LCD display, even with magnification, is likely to show far more imperfections when you look at the image on a large monitor.

Once you think you have the setup make sure to check the exposure metering in the veiwfinder throughout the event because conditions do change (i.e. when the air begins to haze up from fuel and tire smoke changing lighting conditions).

For my 1DX M2 Case 4 is the recommended mode for soccer and motor sports and is the one I would try first. Realize that at the start the rate of velocity change is tremendous and it will also be difficult for you to hold the focus on a particular point on the vehicle until you get experience with the events. I use a single point with expansion but I have a feeling a single point with no expansion may be the best setup for drag racing but testing will show what works best.

And make sure you are on a safe point on the track! Things go wrong very quickly in racing and you don't want the last thing you ever see to be through your viewfinder. Although every photographer wants to be in the optimal location for photograhy when a car breaks or goes out of control parts are ejected at high velocity and of course fire is another concern.

Good luck and have fun.

I am going to the chassis cert day next month, no racing BUT there will be a class on how the tree works so I may get a chance to get a bit of practice in. There is test and tune and a Friday Night Under the Lights event before the first points race so I will get a chance to practice. Thanks for the AFMA idea. Did not even think about it.

Last year I was in the stands until the last event, I was very unprepared for it. Really looking forward to this year, but like I said I am freaking out a bit. I really do need to get my time behind the lens. I have a very basic understanding of the Mark IV. Spent most of today watching videos and reading about the focus system of it. Hoping to try and put it to use tomorrow with my dogs...but if we get the weather we are supposed to probably not going to happen.

Thanks for your input.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 04:36:38 GMT

@cicopowrote:
Some pretty good advice above. I haven't shot drag racing since my days with a manual focus film camera (Canon A 1's) nor any other motorsports in the last 10 years but I do shoot action & have tried doing it is several ways. The most important thing to remember is that you need to experiment to find the settings that work for you in the environment you'll be shooting in. I personally prefer Tv & Exposure Compensation to suit the changes in lighting at the day goes by. My article on what I shoot may be of some help but practice & more practice is the key & try every method available from Auto ISO thru Tv, Av & M.

My article is here. http://www.rccanada.ca/rccforum/showthread.php?t=147971

Thank You for the link....

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 04:40:15 GMT

@TCampbellwrote:
The 5D IV has a very advanced and technical focus system.

Make sure you download and read this:

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2017/eos_1dx_markii_af_guidebook.shtml

Note that this says "1D X Mark II" but it turns out the two cameras have nearly identical AF systems ... nearly everything in this guide applies to the 5D Mark IV as well.

On your camera, make sure you enable "AI Servo" AF mode. I prefer to put it in the mode that uses ALL available AF points because that's the mode that tracks the subject as it moves and can track it anywhere. If you limit the use of AF points, then the camera can only track across the points you allow it to use.

You will also probably want to switch to high-speed burst mode.

On your 70-200mm lens... turn the Stabilizer ON but set the Stabilizer to Mode 2. More on why later.

Evaluate the cases (Case 1 through Case 6) and you may need to do some testing to decide which case is best for your situation. I shoot track cycling and find that case 2 seems to work the best (track cycling doesn't have erratic motion or fast accel/decel speeds, changes in direction, etc... but things will momentarily get in the way ... so I tend to prefer to use Case 2 for my type of shooting. Your type of shooting may require something different for best results.

In the AF tab of your camera, tab 1 sets the AF case selection.

AF Tab 2 sets first & second image priority. What's that mean? The camera can favor obtaining focus BEFORE it shoots... or it can favor GETTING THE SHOT when you hit the shutter release... even if it hadnt't finished focus. For most cameras, the default in AI Servo mode is to take the shot WHEN you press the shutter all the way down becuase you can hold the shutter half-way (or use back-button focus) to keep the camera focused on your subject (so you've pre-focused) and then when you press the shutter it is already focused.

But you can tune this on a 5D IV and tell it you'd rather have focus priority over release priority. At the velodrome, riders are looping so I'm not as worried about capturing the "decisive moment" and more worried about good sharp focus. I set 1st image priority to favor focus. Second image priority is a bit of a misnomer... it actually means "every frame in your burst apart from the first frame". That one has a 5 point scale... on the extreme left is favoring release time... the extreme right is favoring focus... the middle setting splits the balance. I noticed that with my first few outings that my first image in a burst would be sharp... but successive frames in the burst weren't as sharp. So I tuned my 2nd image priority one notch toward favoring facus (note that there's a performance penalty because camera wants to evaluate focus more carefully as you do this.)

On AF tab 4 you'll find things like "Auto AF pt sel:" and I set mine to "EOS iTR AF". There's also a choice with "EOS iTR AF (Face priority)". EOS iTR is the intelligent tracking & recongtion. But in your sport, can you even see the driver's faces? If not, you should probably disable face-detection so the camera doesn't hunt for a face in the shot.

I set "selectable AF point" to all (you can tell it to only use cross-type points ... or a 15 or 9 point grid).

You'll also find choices on how the camera picks the initial AF point when using AI Servo mode.

Also note... your camera has three CUSTOM mode positions on the mode dial. Suppose you have favorite settings for shooting a race (action shots) but you have a completely different set of favorites for shooting non-action shots at the track (cars & drivers before / after the race, etc.)

You can set up everything the way you want (e.g. for action shots) and "register" that setup to a custom position (e.g. such as the "C1" position on the mode dial. Then set up everything the way you want again (e.g. maybe this time for non-action shots), and "register" that to another custom position (e.g. such as the "C2" position on the mode dial).

Now you can flip between C1 & C2 on the mode dial and you don't have to go digging through menus ard remember the whole pile of custom tweaks that you made to optimize the camera behavior.

This is what I mean when I say the 5D IV is a "technical" camera. It has the ability to be customized to your needs, but that adds some technical complexity.

But if you read that AF Setting Guidebook that I linked, you'll become more aware of what the camera can do for you. And then register your custom settings so you can rapidly flip between shooting modes as needed.

I mentioned switching the lens Stabilizer to mode 2. Mode 1 is the general purpose mode. In mode 1 the lens will try to stabilize things in all directions. The problem with mode 1 is that you have fast moving cars and you're going to need to pan the camera to follow the car as it zooms by. In mode 1... the lens will FIGHT YOU. In mode 2... the lens knows it's going to be used to catch panning action shots... this means it WILL stabilize any up/down vertical movement ... but it will NOT fight you on the horizontal panning action.

BTW, I tend to use Av mode even for action photography BECAUSE I'm shooting at an indoor velodrome. I want the camera to use a wide aperture (typically f/2.8 ... rarely I might drop to f/4). And then I want it to use the fastest shutter speed it can manage. I'm actually ok with slower shutter speeds and frankly I sometimes prefer that.

Here's what I mean...

This is shot at 1/125th sec.

This one is taken at 1/640th...

Notice the very different amount of blur in the wheels... the 2nd shot doesn't convey a strong sense of speed... whereas the first shot (with the blur) does. I'm using the slower shutter and carefully panning to "imply motion" into a still shot.

This is a more technical type of shot because to pull this off means the camera is panning at the same speed as the subject. If it's out of sync... the subject wont look sharp. I find I get a keeper rate of maybe 1 in 10 of these that I really like (which is why I suggest bursting a blast of frames in the hope that one will be crisp.) This is something I don't recommend you start with... use a higher shutter speed to make sure you have some shots "in the bag" (you need SOME usable shots at every event). When you've got that covered... you can get a bit more artistic and try to pull off a few that convey more energy.

When I learned this technique, I started at a higher shutter speed and slowly eased my way down to a slower shutter speed. It gets easier with practice and you learn to be a bit more smooth about your tracking.

An alternate technique is to put the camera in Manual mode... but set the ISO to 'auto'. You can then pick both the shutter and aperture that you want and the camera will vary the ISO as needed. I am not super keen on this because while the 5D IV is amazing... I do start to notice the noise and if I can keep the ISO low, I'll get cleaner shots.

There are techniques for cleaning up noise and enhancing sharpness that involve create a mask to detect edges of contrast. You generally want to sharpen near edges of contrast... but there's no point in sharping a photo globally (even the flat non-contrasty areas) because that just makes the nosie more noticeable. You can invert the mask and de-noise the flat non-contrasty areas (where noise is easier to spot) and leave the edges of contrast (where noise is harder to spot and those edges need to remain sharp) alone.

Thank You for the link...and all of the info. I have saved it all so I can read it when my I am a bit more alert....

Thanks again....

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:52:42 GMT

@wq9nscwrote:
The first thing is to get some practice shots to test your setup. He probably has some "test and tune" nights prior to the opening session so go down and experiment with different combinations of the exposure triangle to see what yields the best results. And you don't have to actually have a race to test your setup. If the owner will give you access to the track and turn on the standard lighting then park your own car just past the starting tree and take some shots to figure out the best combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO that are achievable under the available lighting conditions keeping in mind that you are going to have to use fast shutter speeds for this sport AND the wider you open the aperture the more pressure there is on the AF system to get it right. Make sure that your lens is perfectly dialed in at the usual focal length, distance, and lighting for this event using the AFMA setup.

I shot indoor soccer under poor lighting for the first time this season and I found what worked most consistently for me was to run in full manual mode. I use a 70-200 F2.8 often with the 1.4X (yielding a F4.0 lens) and for soccer I was either at 1/500, F2.8, 10,000 or 1/500, F4.0, 20,000. There are some individual shots that would have been better with faster shutter speed and a corresponding increase in ISO but those were so few that staying in full manual made the most sense. You will likely find that similar lighting issues at the strip will throw off attempts to use any of the paremeters set to auto since any intermittent light or reflection may change exposure values to something you don't want.

It took me a couple of games before I felt confident that I had chosen the best setup because the amount of noise reduction vs detail loss that you want to choose in processing is another part of this equation AND you need to have a good idea how large of an image display the owner wants to use. An image that looks great on the quick review on your LCD display, even with magnification, is likely to show far more imperfections when you look at the image on a large monitor.

Once you think you have the setup make sure to check the exposure metering in the veiwfinder throughout the event because conditions do change (i.e. when the air begins to haze up from fuel and tire smoke changing lighting conditions).

For my 1DX M2 Case 4 is the recommended mode for soccer and motor sports and is the one I would try first. Realize that at the start the rate of velocity change is tremendous and it will also be difficult for you to hold the focus on a particular point on the vehicle until you get experience with the events. I use a single point with expansion but I have a feeling a single point with no expansion may be the best setup for drag racing but testing will show what works best.

And make sure you are on a safe point on the track! Things go wrong very quickly in racing and you don't want the last thing you ever see to be through your viewfinder. Although every photographer wants to be in the optimal location for photograhy when a car breaks or goes out of control parts are ejected at high velocity and of course fire is another concern.

Good luck and have fun.
Question about the AFMA. Guessing that I won't have any problems adjusting the 5D Mark IV to either one of my Sigma ART lenses? I have a 2x Extender that I was going to use, if need by, with my 70-200L lens. Will I need/be able to adjust the camera to just the 70-200 both alone and with the extender?

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 21:50:46 GMT

Have a question about the 3 custom settings. I am guessing that when I set one up I need to choose a certain camera mode, TV for example. If this is correct what do I need to do if I want to shoot in say Manual Mode. Do I simply hit the "Q" button and change mode thru the menu on the LCD screen or do I need to use the control dial and then make all the necessary adjustments in the various menus? Hopefully my wording makes sense...Thanks again for the help...

Re: starting to panic a bit...

TCampbell — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 15:44:50 GMT

To establish the Custom mode, you begin by ignoring the C1, C2, C3 position... just set the camera as you intend to use it (e.g. if you plan to use Tv mode, then turn the mode dial to Tv... set all the camera settings to behave the way you want.

When you've got everything set... press Menu, then navigate to the yellow 'wrench' tab #5... you should see a row that says "Custom shooting mode (C1-C3)". Pick that.

On the next screen pick "Register settings"

On the next screen pick one of the custom modes (C1, C2, or C3).

On the next screen it will ask you to confirm that you want to "Register camera settings to Custom shooting mode __" and you would confirm by hitting "OK".

You can now change the camera to something completely different... and then register that to a different custom shooting mode.

Suppose you were in Av mode when you "registered" the camera settings to custom mode "C1". You'll find that when you turn the mode dial to C1, the upper left corner of the LCD screen with the current camera settings (that would normally tell you if you are in M, Tv, Av, P, etc.) will instead read "C1" with a smaller "Tv" subscript to remind you that this custom mode was registered when you were in Tv mode.

Once you switch into the custom mode, all camera settings will change to whatever you registered... but you aren't locked in. Suppose that when you "registered" the mode, you had High-speed burst turned on and ISO was set to ISO 800 (I'm just making stuff up.) Change the camera to something else... then switch into the custom mode and you'll see it returns to whatever you had set at the time you "registered" the mode.

Even with the camera in C1 mode... you can still change those settings. Suppose you change the ISO from 800 to 1600... you'll see the change works. But rotate the mode dial OUT of the "C1" mode ... say over to Manual... then return the mode dial back to C1... and you'll see the camera restores it back to the original ISO 800.

Basically when you turn the mode dial to a custom mode, the camera settings will change to whatever settings you established when you "registered" the mode.... but you can make changes as needed while shooting. To revert back to original setttings... just leave the mode and return to it.

This is a lot easier than having to remember that you plan to swtich to Tv, you plan to switch ti AI Servo, you plan to eanble High-speed burst, you plan to change the AF point selection area, you plan to change the intelligent tracking AF case... etc, etc. and you're trying to remember to change at least a half-dozen (if not more) settings.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

cicopo — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 16:00:39 GMT

A word of caution which may apply here (not familiar with that body). When I used Custom modes any EC changes went away EVERY time the camera went into sleep mode. I hadn't expected that & it took a while to realize it was happening.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

RobertTheFat — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 19:54:59 GMT

@cicopowrote:
A word of caution which may apply here (not familiar with that body). When I used Custom modes any EC changes went away EVERY time the camera went into sleep mode. I hadn't expected that & it took a while to realize it was happening.

Yes, if you wanted a change to persist, you had to re-save the custom mode. I think some recent cameras let you specify that changes be automatically saved.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 22:08:25 GMT

I see I have a ton of info to learn. Track is holding a chassis certification day the beginning of April, there will also be a class on how to correctly use the "Christmas Tree". I am hoping that the tree is actually set up and vehicles are heading down track. I have an idea on how I am going to start out but will not be surprised if I am way off. I am fairly comfortable shooting in Manual so I am going to probably start there. I am planning on using my pups as models so I can try to get a basic understanding of TV mode.

One of the things I know I am going to struggle with is the sun...and shadows. As the sun sets I will be looking dead into it, if I remember right. There are also certain times of the day where no matter where I stand I will be in the shade while the starting area will be in direct sun...and vice versa. Have been studying many of the shots I took last year, from the bleachers and can't help but notice this. I was often in the shade, shooting thru a slim band of sun while the cars were in the shade. I am sure I am overthinking all of this....because that is one of the things I am good at.....which leads to the panic...

Re: starting to panic a bit...

RobertTheFat — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 01:10:04 GMT

@inkjunkiewrote:
I see I have a ton of info to learn. Track is holding a chassis certification day the beginning of April, there will also be a class on how to correctly use the "Christmas Tree". I am hoping that the tree is actually set up and vehicles are heading down track. I have an idea on how I am going to start out but will not be surprised if I am way off. I am fairly comfortable shooting in Manual so I am going to probably start there. I am planning on using my pups as models so I can try to get a basic understanding of TV mode.
One of the things I know I am going to struggle with is the sun...and shadows. As the sun sets I will be looking dead into it, if I remember right. There are also certain times of the day where no matter where I stand I will be in the shade while the starting area will be in direct sun...and vice versa. Have been studying many of the shots I took last year, from the bleachers and can't help but notice this. I was often in the shade, shooting thru a slim band of sun while the cars were in the shade. I am sure I am overthinking all of this....because that is one of the things I am good at.....which leads to the panic...

In this job, are you a documentarian or a publicist? If the latter (e.g., if you don't have to produce a salable picture of every car in every race), you have fewer constraints and more freedom to exercise artistic judgement. You may even be able to make the odd lighting work in your favor; sunset can be a good time to get attractive shots. And do you have to produce your best work immediately, or will you have time to grow into the job?

In the last several years before I retired, when photography was part of my job, I was able to grow into it. I cringe now at some of my early pictures, but my clients in other departments liked them, because I was at least calling attention to what their people were doing. I don't mean to imply that I could get away with shoddy work. In some cases (Inaugurations, important award ceremonies, lectures by well-known speakers, etc.) I definitely couldn't. But I sort of knew what I was doing, and the pressure usually helped by making me a more careful worker.

I think the bottom line is to treat this as an opportunity; do the best you can; but don't expect perfection. You'll learn what works as you go and should come out fine.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 00:59:32 GMT

@RobertTheFatwrote:
@inkjunkiewrote:
I see I have a ton of info to learn. Track is holding a chassis certification day the beginning of April, there will also be a class on how to correctly use the "Christmas Tree". I am hoping that the tree is actually set up and vehicles are heading down track. I have an idea on how I am going to start out but will not be surprised if I am way off. I am fairly comfortable shooting in Manual so I am going to probably start there. I am planning on using my pups as models so I can try to get a basic understanding of TV mode.
One of the things I know I am going to struggle with is the sun...and shadows. As the sun sets I will be looking dead into it, if I remember right. There are also certain times of the day where no matter where I stand I will be in the shade while the starting area will be in direct sun...and vice versa. Have been studying many of the shots I took last year, from the bleachers and can't help but notice this. I was often in the shade, shooting thru a slim band of sun while the cars were in the shade. I am sure I am overthinking all of this....because that is one of the things I am good at.....which leads to the panic...
In this job, are you a documentarian or a publicist? If the latter (e.g., if you don't have to produce a salable picture of every car in every race), you have fewer constraints and more freedom to exercise artistic judgement. You hay even be able to make the odd lighting work in your favor; sunset can be a good time to get attractive shots. And do you have to produce your best work immediately, or will you have time to grow into the job?

In the last several years before I retired, when photography was part of my job, I was able to grow into it. I cringe now at some of my early pictures, but my clients in other departments liked them, because I was at least calling attention to what their people were doing. I don't mean to imply that I could get away with shoddy work. In some cases (Inaugurations, important award ceremonies, lectures by well-known speakers, etc.) I definitely couldn't. But I sort of knew what I was doing, and the pressure usually helped by making me a more careful worker.

I think the bottom line is to treat this as an opportunity; do the best you can; but don't expect perfection. You'll learn what works as you go and should come out fine.

My images will just be for social media, least that is my intention. I am not under any contract...this is purely voluntary. I did have a couple folks contact me for specific images from last year. Last year I was shooting in auto mode, from the stands except for the last event.

I appreciate your thoughts. The real issue is my mental health issues...and I expect far to much from myself.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 15:02:28 GMT

Looks like I get another practice session of sorts. The end of March Spokane County Reacewars is hosting a DTP Racewars event. Don't know if I will be permitted trackside, hope so.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

RobertTheFat — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 22:31:50 GMT

@inkjunkiewrote:
Looks like I get another practice session of sorts. The end of March Spokane County Reacewars is hosting a DTP Racewars event. Don't know if I will be permitted trackside, hope so.

Cite your summer job with the other track and go for the equivalent of a press pass. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Re: starting to panic a bit...

inkjunkie — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 00:45:37 GMT

I contacted the promoter of the Racewars event, he siad being trackside would not be a problem. I was suppoed to meet up with a locl guy that does a lot of motorsports photography tonight but looks like it is not going to happen. I have been outside chasing our dogs around with the camera, just to get an understanding of how Shutter Prioirty works. I acutally used my T7i first, seems a bit more rookie friendly when it comes to learning things.

I also stood on the side of a couple different state highways, taking pictures of moving vehicles. I actually got lucky a few times and caught the passengers.

In the past my interest in photgraphy never lasted all that long, which resulted in me never getting out of the green box. But this time I am much more enthused about things. My wife laughs, when ever we take out 2 8 week old Redbone Coonhounds outside during the day I always try to bring a camera. I was organizing Lightroom last night...of the 6800 RAW images I have imported into Lightroom so far 4000 of them are of our dogs....

Re: starting to panic a bit...

TCampbell — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 01:43:40 GMT

@inkjunkiewrote:
I contacted the promoter of the Racewars event, he siad being trackside would not be a problem. I was suppoed to meet up with a locl guy that does a lot of motorsports photography tonight but looks like it is not going to happen. I have been outside chasing our dogs around with the camera, just to get an understanding of how Shutter Prioirty works. I acutally used my T7i first, seems a bit more rookie friendly when it comes to learning things.
I also stood on the side of a couple different state highways, taking pictures of moving vehicles. I actually got lucky a few times and caught the passengers.
In the past my interest in photgraphy never lasted all that long, which resulted in me never getting out of the green box. But this time I am much more enthused about things. My wife laughs, when ever we take out 2 8 week old Redbone Coonhounds outside during the day I always try to bring a camera. I was organizing Lightroom last night...of the 6800 RAW images I have imported into Lightroom so far 4000 of them are of our dogs....

Yeah... but that’s how you learn. You can “read” (and I encourage reading) but it doesn’t really cement in your head until you “do” it enough.

If you shoot randomly, you occasionally get a good or even great shot. As the saying goes “even a blind pig occasionally finds an acorn”. But if you shoot with a goal (instead of randomly) you start to develop a sense of what techniques help achieve the intended goal vs. which techniques aren’t helpful.

Thomas Edison tried thousands of different things in his attempt to make the light bulb. He was once asked about all of his “failed” attempts. His response was (paraphrasing) that they weren’t failures... that he now knows 3000 things that don’t work.

I feel as if, when it comes to learning photography, I also know thousands of things that “don’t work”. 😉

Re: starting to panic a bit...

cicopo — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 02:44:28 GMT

Today's equipment makes it a lot easier to do what you need to do but it's still not easy BUT if it was everyone would be doing it to the point no one would think much of a great result. Learning from our mistakes never ends unless we give up trying.