What is saved in custom settings?

[MalthouseMark]

I’m interested in the custom settings 1/2/3

Specifically I’m interested in the Sony A7iii and A7C bodies.

I haven’t used/explored these custom modes much but am considering using them more. However I want to know what things are saved per mode and what are just “that’s how the camera is set up”.

For example I use back button focus but I know if I pass the camera to my wife she would not be ready to use it. Therefore creating myself a custom/user mode that was for her and didn’t need BBF would be of benefit. I suspect that BBF remains the same regardless of mode settings. But what about other things like zone focus vs other focus modes, or single frame shooting vs high burst mode?

Is there a guide to what is saved vs what is not and/or what is common through all modes? I can’t spot it and those two bodies are what I use.

Thanks,

Mark

[MalthouseMark · Accepted solution]

For those coming behind me I've found the answer. I hope this helps.

Sadly, as I suspected, the AF-ON (to allow me to use back button focus) isn't one that is saved. I found several people asking pretty much the same thing - to know what is saved. That's the bit I've now worked out. Then I've worked out how to use that to do the bit I wanted - the ability to hand over my camera to someone else to take a photo (e.g. a photo of me with a couple at a wedding without explaining how to use the camera and back button focus - just point and shoot).

On an A7C if you go into Camera 1 (menu 3/14) there is MR 1 / 2 Memory. (online guide here) within that you see the mode that is currently set up and a screen of icons showing what you've got set within that mode - so for example if I was in Aperture Priority and had set HI+ drive mode and Zone focus they would show up here. If you press the DOWN navigator you'll see more settings that are configured. Some are greyed out and you can't change (for example if you were to select a program mode and want to save it). Essentially if it is on that list you're going to save that setting at whatever it is set at.

Choose a memory 1, 2, 3 on the camera or M1, M2, M3, M4 on the card. And it saves it there - you've got 7 potential custom modes you could set up for yourself.

Choose instead the menu item MR 1 / 2 Recall and you can choose any of those 7 that you've saved. Indeed swing the top dial to 1, 2, 3 and it goes into recall mode and you can recall one of them or one of the ones set onto the card.

On the Sony A7iii the fature is on the Camera 1, (menu 3/14) screen again and works in the same way.

You can also configure a custom button so that if you press it down the camera will go into your favoured mode whilst it is held down (e.g. something quick happening and you want a grab shot but you're in another mode).

For me this means that I can now go through and check:
1) The defaults for the A7C

2) The defaults for the A7iii

3) configure the two camera types fairly similarly for my general use and decide on a common User Memory 1 / 2 (I probably won't do three different ones) and set those up with one grab-shot mode on a custom button.

4) to allow me to hand over to my wife I'd just have a User Menu item that says "turn off BBF" and when I want to hand the camera over simply go to the menu, hit "turn off BBF" and twist the dial to "User Memory 1" (or 2) and hand it over - then she can leave it in that mode and happily shoot away without thinking.