NEWSERIES
In part 37 of our series: As technology marches on, learn how to personalize your settings for perfect results
Custom Functions
How to refine your camera’s performance
It’s fair to say that EOS digital cameras have evolved considerably since the launch of the EOS D30 in 2000. Back then, a 3.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor and three AF points were cutting edge. But even with its modest specification by today’s standards, the camera performance and operation could still be fine-tuned via Custom Functions in the menu.
Today’s Canon EOS cameras offer a similar set of Custom Functions, although given their additional functions and advanced performance, models such as the EOS R6 Mark II and EOS 5D Mark IV come with multi-tabbed menus of customizable adjustments.
A number of these functions are those which you’d perhaps set and forget when you first get the camera. For example, some models have a Custom Function that allows you to change the direction of the dials as you’re making adjustments when you’re shooting in Av or Tv mode. While the majority of us are likely to stick with the default set-up, you can reverse the direction that the dials are turned to adjust the shutter speed or aperture.
Other Custom Functions are likely to be used more frequently. A few cameras have ‘Mirror lockup’ in the Custom Functions menu rather than the Shooting menu. If you’re doing a lot of landscape or long lens photography where you might want to lock the mirror up before you take a shot to reduce vibrations, it’s likely that you’ll be dipping into the Custom Functions menu to toggle this feature on and off.
Finding & changing the Custom Functions
THE MAJORITY of modern EOS cameras have a dedicated set of orange Custom Functions tabs in their menus, but on a few models, including the EOS 4000D and EOS 250D, you’ll need to select the Custom Functions option in the yellow Set-up/Function settings menu instead.
On cameras with a Custom Functions menu, any changes you make will be indicated in blue in the menu. With other cameras, you’ll have to check the Custom Functions at the bottom of the screen to see which ones are displayed with a blue ‘1’.
If you come unstuck, you can reset all the Custom Functions. You can do this in the final page of the Custom Functions menu or via the ‘Clear all Custom Func.’ in the Set-up menu.
IT’S YOUR CALL
Understanding how some Custom Fun
