Setting up the Canon G1X3 Part 3 Function Assignment 12 December 2017

I rested the G1X3 against one of the vertical columns for stability. Extreme subject brightness range prevails in this cathedral . Direct sun was shining on the stained glass windows above the altar. I could see little in the pews in front of the camera. The color version looks weird. Monochrome suites this subject better. Original RAW file converted in DPP4 and further worked in Adobe Camera Raw.

I have given a separate post to this as there are many options and the opportunity cost of each function assignment is not always readily apparent and not clearly revealed in the User Guide.

Canon is pricing the G1X3 only $50 less than an EOS80D with 18-55mm kit lens and with the current cashback deal running in Australia $320 more than the EOS M5 with  15-45mm kit lens.

My point is that the G1X is priced to appeal to enthusiast photographers who are going to expect a comprehensive, well considered set of controls for their money.

No longer can Canon expect buyers to be content with limited controls on a camera just because it bears the “Powershot” label.

In some respects the G1X3 does deliver but in others it comes up short of my expectations and I suspect those of a user who hoped it would match the ergonomics and controls of the EOS80D.

For example: Function assignment.

Menu>Camera2>Function Assignment>

The discussion below is relevant to Mode Dial settings P, Tv, Av, M. Limited options apply in other Mode Dial settings.

This is where things get a bit complicated.  Canon gives you lots of options for user assignment of function to the shutter button, * button, dials, video button and AF frame selector button.

There are so many options that making a selection might be a bit daunting.

I approach this problem by thinking first about what I want the camera to do and how I want it to operate.

A key requirement for me is ready availability of back button focus/focus lock. I want to be able to lock focus on a part of the subject so the focussed distance is fixed over a series of shots. This way people or other subject elements moving about within the frame will not cause the AF system to go hunting on every shot.

Now as it happens Canon describes a method of achieving focus lock on Page 95 of the User Guide.

The process described is:

1. Half press the shutter button, get the double beep and see the AF frame go green. Focus is achieved.

2. While keeping the shutter button half pressed, press the < button (MF/Macro) Now release the shutter button and see the green MF symbol top right and the vertical MF analogue scale beneath it together with various prompt symbols and zoomed in view of the focus area..

The camera is now in Manual Focus mode. Focus will not change when the shutter button is pressed.

You can make a series of pictures with focus locked.

Press Menu to ready for focus bracketing.  Press  the AF frame selector button to move the AF frame around.  Press the Flash (>) button to change zoom level.  There are on screen prompts about all this.

3. Repeat 1 and 2 to unlock focus and return to normal operation.

OR  press the < button twice. First time brings up the Macro/Normal/MF dialogue, the second selects Normal.

Right, so all this works as advertised. BUT:

The double-button-with-half-press business is slow, awkward and half the time I accidentally fully press the shutter in the process.

That’s not what I want.  I want a single button which I can press to achieve and lock focus separately from the shutter button such that a second press on this button will deactivate the focus lock and return to normal operation.

But try as I might, I cannot locate a way of achieving this on the G1X3.

I did however find some alternatives which might suffice.

Back button focus option 1  

Go to Menu>Camera2>Function Assignment>Shutter/AE Lock> second option down, [AE lock/AF].

This means the shutter button does AE lock (and image capture)  and the * button does AF (and AF lock although neither the the tab label nor the User Guide mention this).

Note: The camera menu abbreviated indications and PDF User Guide on Page 106 for function assignments for the Shutter Button and * Button are very confusing. 

The User Guide says that option 4 [AE/AF, no AE Lock] is to "enable exposure compensation by pressing the shutter button halfway"..... Which doesn't seem feasible and doesn't happen anyway.

In practice I can find no functional difference between the second and fourth of the four options available.  

Anyway, back to my discourse: 

Now when you press the * button you get a double beep and the AF frame goes green to indicate focus achieved. Focus is also locked even though the AF frame returns to white as soon as you release the * button.

Now you can take a series of photos with the focus locked.

Every time you press the * button, focus acquires and locks again.

Problem is the only way to return to normal function (meaning focus is achieved with the shutter button) is to re-enter the menu and set [Shutter/AE Lock] function back to the default which is the first option which is [AF/AE Lock]. This means the shutter button does AF (and AF lock if half pressed) and the * button does AE Lock.

This is all a bit convoluted to put it mildly. I put [Function Assignment] on My Menu to speed up access a bit.

Another approach is to allocate the [AF lock-by-*-button] settings to one of the Custom modes. This works well and provides a quick way to enter and exit the settings. I put those settings on Custom2.

Note:  All the buttons other than those on the rear dial,  including the * button are small and recessed and difficult to locate by feel. I used a toothpick to put a small dab of epoxy resin on the * button, making it easier to locate by feel with the right thumb.

So what is the best option for back button focus/focus lock ?

In the absence of a dedicated AF-ON button none is altogether satisfactory.

Each works after a fashion but the opportunity cost of each is significant.

Option 3  Manual focus/scale focus

Menu>Camera2>Function Assignment>Dials>  Note that functions can be assigned to the lens ring (Continuous ring in Canospeak), Control dial and Front dial in each of P, Tv, Av, M and Movie Modes separately.

So if you want to confuse yourself completely you can have each of the dials doing something different in each of the shooting modes.

Anyway for the purposes of this exercise set the function of the lens ring to MF (Manual Focus) in each of the shooting modes. I think that is the default.

Now press the < (MF/Macro) button and select MF

OR  just start turning the lens ring.

Follow the instructions on Pages 89-90 of the User Guide to acquire manual focus.  The camera has peaking but after experimenting with the various options for peaking I am finding it much less useful than the same feature on other cameras which I have used. The peaking is not peaky enough so to speak.

To exit manual focus press the < (MF/Macro) key on the rear dial.

Scale focus  The G1X3 has an analogue manual focus scale which is useful for pre-setting a focus distance. There are markings for 1, 2 and 5 meters and infinity on the main scale and 10, 20 50 cm on the secondary scale.

I find the 5 meter mark useful for street photography and the infinity mark (which by the way is not at the very top of the scale) useful for general scenic work.  

Note: If you want to use manual focus but have the lens (continuous) ring set to some other function you can enter manual focus mode  by pressing the < button then focus with the up and down buttons. There are on screen prompts about this.

Press the < button again to exit MF mode.

A side note: while experimenting with  manual focus operation I found that the lens appears to stay in focus when zoomed, raising the possibility that it might be a parfocal, something unusual in this type of lens.

Menu>Camera2>Function Assignment>Dials

As noted above you can set what function will be accessed by each of the lens ring, front dial and rear(control) dials and a different set of options can be used in each of the P, Tv, Av, M and Movie Modes. There must be some reason Canon offers such a potentially confusing wealth of options.

I try to keep things simple on principle although anyone who has read this far will be starting to appreciate that simplicity can be elusive.

Anyway I leave the function of the front dial and rear dial at default settings.

As for the lens ring (Continuous ring) I have been experimenting with step zoom which I like to use and manual focus. However I am finding manual focus in general photography to be less than useful. 

The AF is so reliable and accurate that I find there is rarely any need for manual focus which not very precise anyway.

Menu>Camera2>Function Assignment>Movie Button (the red button) and  

AF Frame Selector button

Canon gives you 23 options for the movie button but of course you lose [Movies] for 22 of those.

If you do allocate something other than [Movies] to the Movie button it is still possible to make movies but not in P, Tv, Av or M Modes, by turning the Mode Dial to the Movie icon which provides [Movie Standard] settings and allows you to initiate movie capture with the Movie button.

There are 22 options for the AF Frame selector button.

If you change position of the AF frame with the touch screen the default function of this button may not be required.

If you do decide to set a function other than the default for either of these buttons  think about allocating a function you will want in Prepare Phase of use.

Items for adjustment in Setup Phase can stay in the main menu.

Items already available on the Q Set button need not be duplicated on another button.

Items which require adjustment in Capture Phase of use are best managed with the lens ring, front dial and rear dial.