The FZ1000 allows you to allocate your chosen function to
6 buttons. These are the AF/AE-L button, discussed in the previous post and the
5 Function buttons. When recording there are 46 options from which to select.
At first this might seem like baffling overchoice. However I have some
suggestions which are designed to make the selection process easier. In any
case the function allocations can be altered at any time.
Phases of camera use I like to identify four phases of camera use:
Setup,
Prepare, Capture and Review.
As a general guide I like to leave in the main menu items
which require change in Setup Phase. These are the items you want to set at
home with the Owners Manual to hand and not need to access while out and about
with the camera.
Prepare Phase is the several minutes just before making
photos when you prepare camera settings for the task to hand. The Q Menu is a
handy place for items requiring adjustment in this phase.
Capture Phase is self explanatory. This is when you are in
the process of taking photos. Adjustments in this phase need to be made quickly and automatically, like using the
controls to drive a car. The main
control modules used in this phase are the Focus/zoom ring on the lens, the
shutter button, the zoom lever around the shutter button, the rear dial, the
AF/AE-L button, the 4 Way cursor keys and the Function buttons.
Function Buttons Page 45 of the Owners Manual.
Look at the list below of available options for the Fn
buttons. Try to decide which of those
things you might want to adjust in Capture Phase. If you have never tackled this exercise before, take a guess. There is
no "wrong" answer. If your first selections doesn't seem to work for
you, just change them.
The nice thing about this system is that each individual can
set the camera up to personal preference then change it as experience prompts a
different approach.
2. Preparations
before Recording
You can use assigned functions by pressing a function button when
recording.
• The following functions can be assigned to the button [Fn1],
[Fn2], [Fn3], [Fn4] or [Fn5].
¢
Function button settings at the time of purchase.
Making the function button
settings for recording
[Rec] menu/Recording functions
– [Wi-Fi] (P251): [Fn2]¢
– [Q.MENU] (P40): [Fn3]¢
– [LVF/Monitor Switch] (P58): [Fn5]¢
– [AF/AE LOCK] (P151)
– [AF-ON] (P151, 157)
– [Preview] (P91): [Fn4]¢
– [One Push AE] (P92)
– [Level Gauge] (P67)
– [Focus Area Set] (P46)
– [Photo Style] (P122): [Fn1]¢
– [Aspect Ratio] (P131)
– [Picture Size] (P131)
– [Quality] (P132)
– [AFS/AFF] (P139)
– [Metering Mode] (P163)
– [Burst Rate] (P167)
– [Auto Bracket] (P171)
– [Self Timer] (P174)
– [Highlight Shadow] (P124)
– [i.Dynamic] (P134)
– [i.Resolution] (P134)
– [HDR] (P135)
– [Shutter Type] (P164)
– [Flash Mode] (P203)
– [Flash Adjust.] (P207)
– [i.Zoom] (P198)
– [Digital Zoom] (P199)
– [Stabilizer] (P195)
– [Sensitivity] (P160)
– [White Balance] (P126)
– [AF Mode/MF] (P138)
– [Macro Mode] (P155)
– [Restore to Default]
[Motion Picture] menu
– [Motion Pic. Set]
([Rec Format] (P212)/[Rec Quality] (P212))
– [Picture Mode] (P219)
[Custom] menu
– [Silent Mode] (P186)
– [Peaking] (P152)
– [Histogram] (P66)
– [Guide Line] (P66)
– [Zebra Pattern] (P193)
– [Monochrome Live View] (P194)
– [Rec Area] (P216)
– [Zoom Lever] (P200)
– [Manual ring (Zoom)] (P200
My Fn button function
allocations with reasons for each, are below. You might use these as an aid to
your own thinking process. Recall from the previous post that I use Direct
Focus Area on the 4 way cursor keys:
Fn1: ISO. This is one of the three primary exposure
parameters (the others are shutter speed and aperture) so it goes to a high
accessibility location. I use Auto ISO most of the time but want direct access
to ISO adjustment if I am unhappy with the Auto ISO selection.
Fn2: The Fn 2 button is impossible to reach without releasing grip
on the handle with the right hand. It is therefore more suitable for Prepare
Phase adjustments than Capture Phase ones. So I put the Q Menu on this button.
Fn3: I need to switch back
and forth between RAW and JPG capture quite frequently. I mostly use RAW but
switch to JPG for iZoom and action with AFC and Burst Mode. So I put Quality on Fn3.
Fn4: I quite often like to
know if my camera is level, but I don't want the electronic level gauge obscuring
my preview image all the time. So I
allocate this to Fn 4 so it can be quickly switched on or off.
Fn5: I like to photograph
flowers often by the wayside and often with a hand held camera. So I want quick
access to AF Macro which resides on Fn5.
Your priorities and
photographic preferences will be different from mine and will lead to selection
of a different function set.
Q Menu Page 42-43 of the Manual.
Go to page 8 of the Custom
Menu and set the Q Menu tab to CUSTOM. You
don't want the PRESET version which is not very user friendly and doesn't have
your own preferred items. Below is the list of functions which can be assigned
to the Custom Q Menu. By the way, if you
assign a function from a main menu to the Q Menu or a Fn button it remains in
the main menu and can be adjusted from either location.
Try to figure which of
these items you might want to change in Prepare Phase of use.
Up to 15 items can be
allocated to the Q menu, with a maximum of 5 appearing at any time. Any more
than 5 requires scrolling across with the Cursor keys or rear dial. There are 36 from which to choose.
The actual method for
selecting items for the Q Menu is well described in the Manual. You might need
to jiggle and fiddle a bit with some of the items to set them where you prefer
in the line.
[Rec] menu/Recording functions
– [Photo Style] (P122)
– [Picture Setting]
([Aspect Ratio] (P131)/[Picture Size]
(P131))
– [Quality] (P132)
– [AFS/AFF] (P139)
– [Metering Mode] (P163)
– [Burst Rate] (P167)
– [Auto Bracket] (P171)
– [Self Timer] (P174)
– [i.Dynamic] (P134)
– [i.Resolution] (P134)
– [HDR] (P135)
– [Shutter Type] (P164)
– [Flash Mode] (P203)
– [Flash Adjust.] (P207)
– [i.Zoom] (P198)
– [Digital Zoom] (P199)
– [Stabilizer] (P195)
– [Sensitivity] (P160)
– [White Balance] (P126)
– [AF Mode] (P138)
– [Macro Mode] (P155)
L
– [Motion Pic. Set]
([Rec Format] (P212)/[Rec Quality]
(P212))
– [Picture Mode] (P219)
– [Silent Mode] (P186)
– [Peaking] (P152)
– [Histogram] (P66)
– [Guide Line] (P66)
– [Zebra Pattern] (P193)
– [Monochrome Live View] (P194)
– [Rec Area] (P216)
– [Zoom Lever] (P200)
– [Manual ring (Zoom)] (P200)
My own selection for the Q
Menu, with reasons, is:
* Flash adjust. Because I
am currently experimenting with flash at minus 2 EV as an alternative to high ISO
settings in low light.
* White Balance. I usually
just use Auto White Balance but in artificial light manual adjustment can be
useful.
* Autofocus Mode. I usually use 1 Area. However sometimes Face
Detect is useful and sometimes I use Pinpoint. I have not yet found a use for
Tracking. I don't like 49 Area as it does not give me enough control over the
point of focus. I have played around with Custom Multi but not yet found a
convincing use for it.
* Burst Rate. I usually use M as this gives live view on
each frame. But L could be useful for slowly moving subjects and H might be
handy in a situation where focus and framing can be fixed at the beginning of a
burst. For instance a high jumper going over the bar.
* Self timer. I generally
use 2 seconds but sometimes 10 seconds might be appropriate.
* Shutter Type. I probably
should remove this as I always use the mechanical shutter. I came to the FZ1000
from Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras most of which are subject to shutter
shock with some lenses. This requires frequent switching from E-Shutter to
mechanical shutter. But the FZ1000 is not affected by shutter shock and can be
operated with the mechanical shutter all the time.
* Silent Mode. E-Shutter is
automatically activated if Silent Mode
is set. This is the only time I would use the electronic shutter on the FZ1000.
By the way the camera is not completely silent. The OIS module makes a little
grinding noise anytime the camera is powered on. In addition the focus motor
and lens diaphragm actuator make some noise.
Custom Modes Page 120-121 of the Manual. Custom Settings are the first tab on the Custom
Menu.
The FZ1000 has two Custom
Mode positions on the Mode Dial, accessing four possible Custom Modes. These
are C1, C2-1, C2-2, C2-3. C2-2 and C2-3 are accessed by pressing the Menu/Set
button with the Mode Dial on C2, at which point a Custom Mode Menu appears,
allowing the user to scroll to the hidden custom modes.
The process of registering
a Custom Set is well described on Page 120 of the Manual.
A Custom Set allows you to
memorise and recall many settings at one place on the Mode Dial. There is a
list of items which cannot be registered in a Custom Setting at the bottom of
Page 120 of the Manual. Otherwise all settings in the Menus, Q menu, Fn Buttons
and Mode Dial are registered. Obviously settings on the Drive Mode Dial and the
Focus mode Lever cannot be registered to a Custom Mode because they cannot be
over-ridden by software. If they could
you would have a ridiculous situation in which the setting in the camera was
different from that indicated on the dial or lever.
The possibilities raised by the information above are very appealing. You can for instance allocate a Custom Mode to Video in which some or all the Fn buttons have different task allocations from those used in your setup for still photos.
The possibilities raised by the information above are very appealing. You can for instance allocate a Custom Mode to Video in which some or all the Fn buttons have different task allocations from those used in your setup for still photos.
Here are two suggestions
for Custom Modes for still photos, there is no limit to
the possibilities available for each of the 4 Custom Modes.
C1- Sport/Action:
Hard Control Modules: Burst Mode, AF-C
Software: Shutter Priority
AE, shutter speed 1/1000, Mechanical
shutter, JPG quality, Burst M, AF Mode 1 Area.
C2 -
Tripod/landscape/night:
Hard Control Modules: Timer
2 Sec, AF-S
Software: Aperture priority
AE, f5, Mechanical Shutter, RAW Quality, AF Mode 1 Area, Review Hold. Note: I
normally set Auto Review (Custom Menu Page 7) OFF. However the FZ1000 in its
current firmware configuration has an irritating glitch. If you make a few
shots then press the Playback button to check the results, the lens retracts itself,
unbidden, after a few seconds. The time delay appears to be variable. This
happened to me one evening when I was making night shots which took quite a
while to frame up and focus accurately. I was not amused when the lens retracted,
forcing me to zoom, frame and focus over again.
If Auto Review >
Duration Time > Hold is set, then image review comes up automatically and
remains in place until you half press the shutter button, allowing the next
shot to be taken. This appears to prevent the irritating lens retraction
provoked by pressing the Playback button.
In the next post I will
start working through the menus.
Dear Andrew. Your site is THE most informed and nice to read place to be for ergonomics and the use of cameras. Thank you for doing this with such great PowerPoint and inspiration! Hope your health will be restored. All the best and kind Regards Perry
ReplyDeleteSorry, "power" is what I meant to write.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most informative and well written blog/website I have come across in years of struggling with the technicalities of photography. Many, many thanks for all the effort that has gone in here
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