Need help with Canon 7D Mk II custom control setting: I use back button focus; but since I have a large extended family, I fairly often need to hand off to someone else who doesn't...

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

I use back button focus; but since I have a large extended family, I fairly often need to hand off to someone else who doesn't know how to to use it. I read recently (don't know where now) that one of the other buttons could be reassigned so that I could toggle between back button focus and traditional shutter button use. Any suggestions for doing this in a way that makes sense? I have read the manual, gone through the custom controls, but so far I haven't discovered how to do it. Am I missing something?

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMpWnWBSPiQ

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

AR Farm Gal wrote:

I use back button focus; but since I have a large ... (show quote)

Just tell the person you hand the camera to, which button to use for focus!

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

speters wrote:

Just tell the person you hand the camera to, which button to use for focus!

Lol. Easier said than done.

Canoe50d

I set up the same way and just before I hand off the camera to a family member I put it in Green mode and that sends focus back to the shutter botton. I figure if I have to explain how to focus, I will also have to explain how to adjust, so I take all that off the table and dumb it down for them. Or, I use a tripod and remote trigger. good luck

Capn_Dave

Canoe50d wrote:

I set up the same way and just before I hand off the camera to a family member I put it in Green mode and that sends focus back to the shutter botton. I figure if I have to explain how to focus, I will also have to explain how to adjust, so I take all that off the table and dumb it down for them. Or, I use a tripod and remote trigger. good luck

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Yep dat's what I do :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

That's what I have been doing. The problem is that even with an exterior flash mounted and turned on, the camera measures ambient light and many times (with interior shots) sets the ISO way too high. You know the rest--noisier shots than are I would like and that are not necessary. So . . . .

DJ Craig Loc: Payson, AZ (North-Central)

For the other person holding your camera, just flip to auto. (Or use the tripod method if you absolutely have to use manula settings.)

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

dirtpusher wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMpWnWBSPiQ

If you watch that video it will boggle your mind. Isn't it possible to have TOO MUCH in a camera??? I couldn't even follow that guy. I have BBF in my 7D II and I have it programmed for those two back buttons. How would you remember which button was programmed for all of those options he gives???

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

foathog wrote:

If you watch that video it will boggle your mind. Isn't it possible to have TOO MUCH in a camera??? I couldn't even follow that guy. I have BBF in my 7D II and I have it programmed for those two back buttons. How would you remember which button was programmed for all of those options he gives???

It's was pretty straight forward to me once I familiarized my self with the camera's functionality. I came from a 60D which is far less complex or customizable and had little problem learning the 7D2

imagesintime Loc: small town, mid-America

AR Farm Gal wrote:

I use back button focus; but since I have a large ... (show quote)

If you don't want to use full auto, set up how you want the camera to function on one of your c(x) modes on the mode dial. When you hand the camera off just switch the dial to that mode.

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

foathog wrote:

If you watch that video it will boggle your mind. Isn't it possible to have TOO MUCH in a camera??? I couldn't even follow that guy. I have BBF in my 7D II and I have it programmed for those two back buttons. How would you remember which button was programmed for all of those options he gives???

could be. lol you know boys an their tys, they want more bells an whistles to play with.. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

On the assumption that you're taking family portraits the focal distance should be the same between all shots so why not, just before handing it over, you do the BBF and pass it to them. I do this quite regularly and have never had an issue except for cut off heads, eyes dead center etc. The focus has always come out fine. Oh yes, do not make any mention of what you've done as it just invites lots of time consuming questions, not to mention they will, believing themselves to be the next Ansel Adams, want to try it out and invariably focus on the wrong spot.

AR Farm Gal wrote:

I use back button focus; but since I have a large ... (show quote)

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

imagesintime wrote:

If you don't want to use full auto, set up how you want the camera to function on one of your c(x) modes on the mode dial. When you hand the camera off just switch the dial to that mode.

This might work. I'll check it out. Thanks. I was looking at reprogramming buttons and didn't make that work.

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

big-guy wrote:

On the assumption that you're taking family portra... (show quote)

That's a possibility. Thanks.