Canon 1D Mk IV Custom Settings for Sports

Tonight I am off to photograph my home town rugby team (Newport Gwent Dragons)  v The Russian Rugby Team.  Russia are in the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in a few weeks and are playing a series of warm up games against regional teams here in the UK.  Photos will follow.

One of the things I always do when about to shoot sports, is change my custom settings on my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV body to my preferred sports settings.  For ease of retrieval myself in the future I have uploaded those custom settings to this post – please feel free to download and use yourself if you wish:

Canon 1D MK IV Sports Custom Settings

Primarily I am a documentary wedding photographer, so the settings I use for wedding shots is somewhat different to those of a sports shoot – especially fast paced sports like rugby (I will be putting my wedding settings online too over the next week).

This post was inspired in part from one that Martin Bailey did regarding his 1D Mark IV settings for the way he shoots wildlife (my settings are different to his of course).

Please remember these are my prefered settings, and seem to work best for me when shooting rugby.  For ease of reference, here is a breakdown of custom settings (note I am only showing the non-default settings):

C.Fn I: Exposure

1 – Default
2 – Default
3 – Set ISO speed range = * : Highest ISO set to 12800. Lowest set to L (50)
4 – Bracketing auto cancel = 1 : off
5 – Bracketing sequence = 1 : -, 0, +
6 – Number of bracketed shots = 2 : 5 shots
7 – Spot metering link to AF point = 1 : Enable (use active AF point)
8 – Default
9 – Select usable shooting modes = * : M, Av, Tv, BULB
10 – Default
11 – Default
12 – Set shutter speed range = Lowest Speed: 1000  - Highest Speed 8000 (I can use Auto ISO Comfortably this way)
13 – Default
14 – Default
15 – Default
16 – Default
17 – Default

C.Fn II: Image/Flash exposure/Display

1 – Long exposure noise reduction = 1 : Auto;
2 – Default
3 – Default
4 – Auto Lighting Optimizer = 3 : Disable
5 – Default
6 – Shutter curtain sync. = 1 : 2nd-curtain synchronization
7 – Default
8 – Default
9 – Default
10 – Default

C.Fn III: Autofocus/Drive

1 – Default
2 – AI Servo tracking sensitivity = * I set this to minus one (-1). This affects the knock-out focusing during fast paced sports like rugby.
3 – Default
4 – AI Servo AF tracking method = 1 : Continuous AF track priority
5 – Default
6 – Lens AF stop button function = 7 : Spot AF
7 – Default
8 – AF expansion with selected point = 2 : Surrounding AF points (I don’t want my focus to shift too far)
9 – Multi-controller while metering = 1 : AF point selection
10 – Selectable AF Point = 1:19 points (Enables C.Fn I-7 to be enabled – which only works with 19 AF points or less)
11 – Switch to registered AF point = 1 : Switch with Multi-controller
12 – AF point auto selection = 2 : Quick Control Dial direct:enable/Main Dial:enable
13 – Default
14 – Default
15 – Default
16 – Orientation linked AF point = 1 : Select different AF points (when the orientation shifts I want to use a pre-set AF point)
17 – Default
18 – Continuous shooting speed = * : H is set to 10 fps, and L is set to 7 fps
19 – Default

C.Fn IV: Operation/Others

1 – Shutter button/AF-ON button = 2 : Metering start/Meter + AF start (shutter button does not start focusing)
2 – Default
3 – Default
4 – Assign SET button = 6 : Menu display
5 – Default
6 – Default
7 – Av setting without lens = 1 : Enable
8 – WB + media/image size setting = 1: LCD monitor
9 – Lock/Voice Memo button function = 2 : Play memo (yep, I use this)
10 – Default
11 – Default
12 – Default
13 – Default
14 – Default
15 – Default
16 – Add image verification data = 1 : Enable

—-

If you want to try my settings, please save your own settings first, then download my settings file (Canon 1D MK IV Sports Custom Settings).

This is a compressed file which will extract to a 1DMKIVSPORTS.CSD file.

To Load settings:

Select [Save/load settings on media] from the Set-up Menu and press the Set button
Select [Load] and select the file 1DMKIVSPORTS.CSD from your memory card

You can see a bit more of my recent Rugby Photography on this site too if you wish.  Please feel free to share this page with anyone who you think may find it useful.

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Also, take a look at:

• Snowdonia National Park ~ A quick iPhone Photo
• Aberystwyth, Constitution Hill
• Snapseed Black and White
• Bristol Rugby v Ulster Ravens Photos
• Canon 1DX Wedding Photography

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