Thread: Basic Settings Questions

So, I finally gave in and am selling my T1i that I just got and ordered a 50d. I'm stoked! I know this is the camera I should have gotten in the first place (thanks DH for being so accepting of my changing mind and habit!)

Any ways...this may be fairly elementry, but my question is: What do you use settings wise? What do you keep your settings at as a standard, or do they change often. Settings I'm talking about are WB, focal points, AF settings, metering, etc (everything OTHER THAN shutter, ap, and ISO).

Thanks in advance!

I have the 50D, love it. I am 99.9995% of the time set in manual. Settings change with the environment i'm shooting in. You're not gonna need ISO 800 on a bright sunny day right? My WB is either custom after taking pic of the grey card or AWB when i haven't changed it. I 've tried using Flash for WB and have had good results with that. Right now i'm practicing toggling my focal points and back button focus (BBF). My meterign lately has been on evaluative, but I'm reading up on spot metering to try and get a better understanding on it. aperature and ss also change for the enviroment i'm shooting in or what i'm trying to achieve in the image. Hope that helps, enjoy you're new toy. Looking forward to seeing what you take with it.

My focal points always change (from picture to picture, really) as I am constantly toggling them. WB stays on auto when I don't have my grey card with me (so basically, if I'm not doing a session). AF stays on single. Metering obviously changes when "the big three" change.

ETA: just realized you meant what KIND of metering... so to answer that question, mine stays on spot metering at all times

Can you elaborate on what "toggling" means? I am not 100% sure. Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by Amy_&_Eva

Can you elaborate on what "toggling" means? I am not 100% sure. Thanks in advance

Changing the focus point with the dial or the arrows (not sure what those are called)

I usually keep my settings at auto white balance, one shot, and spot metering, unless the situation calls for something different. I just got a grey card that I've yet to use.

Toggle means to switch back and forth between something, so toggling your focal points is when you switch the focus points for autofocus.

Thanks girls!

Previous to now I'd always kept my WB at auto, spot metering, AF Auto (did not AF on a moving target), and I did toggle my focal points quite often.

The reason I ask is because in my class, the teacher suggested using center weighted metering and change the WB to the light you're in. Well, I have never truely understood the different metering systems and when ever I've tried to use a different WB setting, the pics came out funky.

I'll have to order a gray card. I know there has been discussion before, but is there one that someone suggests? I'll also do a search to see if I can find a good thread with suggestions.

I can't really answer you question, b/c I keep my WB set to auto ( I KNOW!) and I just learned to toggle my focus points.

Rather than starting a new thread, I thought I'd ask here.

What about AV and TV modes? I've only had my camera set to Manual since the second week of owning a DSLR, so I haven't even messed with these. Do you use them, at all? When playing around last night I kinda felt like I was cheating....