3 days to learn basics 7D

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Hi, I am just waiting on delivery of my 7d (Thanks to Chris Primadona) which hopefully will be with me Wednesday, this will give me 3 days practice before a Rugby 7s Tournament. My questions

With there being more focus points in the 7D than my 550D, is there a particular setting best suited?

Any particular advise for using a 7D for shooting Rugby that will be different to using the 550D?
 
Not to sure on differences between the 550 and the 7D but it will be quite a leap. I found this site very useful as a good start point.
 
Not much that is not covered here
 
OK, best advice, don't try to use all the new features on your first outing.

If you set centre point AF with the default setting it will still peform better than your 550D. You can then take time learning the new stuff and expanding your capabilities.
 
C.FnIV 1, set the shutter button to "metering start" set the AF-On button to "metering and AF start" so only the back button auto focus.

C.FnIV 1, set the multi controller to AF point direct selection. Now you can use the multi controller to shift the focus point/focus zone at any time and in any direction.

C.FnIII 6, ensure the following are enabled:
Auto select: 19 point AF
Manual select: Zone AF
Man.Select: AF point expansion
Manual select: Single point AF
For Rugby you won't need Manual select: Spot AF

When you hit AF point selection button you can scroll through the focusing modes using the M-Fn button. Read the manual on what the various focusing zones will do for you, I would use them all during a rugby game.

Set the AF-drive to AI-Servo.

That should get you going....
 
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Thanks everyone, as ever, a great place to be for help and advice. Can't wait for it to arrive now.
 
I'd try for simple until you get the hang of it. Main thing is to keep your shutter fast enough to freeze the motion. A minimum of 1/500th, 1/1,000 if you can. So I'd set Shutter Priority for this. Centre focus, high-speed drive. Not sure if you have auto ISO on that, but use it if you can, otherwise make sure it's high enough to keep that shutter speed. You don't say what lenses you have, but somewhere around 100-400 will likely be needed. Remember that a wide aperture will only give a narrow depth-of-field, meaning only part of your shot will be in focus. I'd go for around f/5.6 and stay with it to begin with.

So: Shutter Priority at 1/500th or higher. f/5.6. ISO to suit this. Centre point focus, high speed drive. If shooting RAW, make sure you have plenty of memory, and shoot in bursts of around three frames to prevent the buffer from filling too fast.

Have fun!
 
Great advise I love my 7d and will be photographing 200 football teams at Butlins with it . What a weekend that's gonna be!
 
It's in the post and on its way.. should be here before 1pm tomorrow. Now its stopped raining kids are playing out...so time to go over all above again.

Thanks all,
 
OK maybe messin with too many settings at once, and overloading with reading...but is my 70-300 is usm to slow for the 7D? I was at training on Thursday, was very sunny, I used same speed (1/800) I would normally use on my 550D but pics were blured I had to up to 1/1250 I tried metering on Spot as I did with 550D but changed to center weighted on 7D. didn't have option of tracking on 550 what should this be on for rugby? Sunday is getting closer.
 
I've never shot rugby, so I won't try to offer direct advice, but there is a page about setting up the 7D for birds in flight which explains the settings an might help you decide what you need....

http://www.garyluhm.net/bio/tips_0310.html

Maybe shooting BIF and rugby don't sound like similar disciplines, but at the end of the day the challenges for the camera/photographer are not dissimilar. You have fast moving subjects, possibly tricky to track precisely, and the prospect of interference from another subject entering the scene. You may also have a busy background that could draw focus away from the subject if you aim your focus point poorly.

I don't know if you switch frequently from landscape to portrait and back, but if you prefer to use an AF point other than the centre point - e.g. the point above centre - then you can have the 7D remember your preferred point for each orientation. This avoids fumbling about every time you switch . You just need to enable the option and then the 7D automatically remembers whatever you have set.
 
Cheers tdodd and others I have a 24-70L and a 70-300 is usm lens. I think tomorrow I will have a lot to try, so hopefully won't miss too much of the games. Lads are defending champs,
 
ikolpdog said:
C.FnIV 1, set the multi controller to AF point direct selection. Now you can use the multi controller to shift the focus point/focus zone at any time and in any direction.
Click to expand...

Somehow I missed that after all this time owning a 7D :bonk:

Thanks for that :thumbs:
 
That option has been available on all bodies from the xxD series and above. I guess for me, having gone through a 30D/40D/50D/1D3/5D2 and 7D it's such an obvious thing to change that it is second nature to do so. For someone coming from an xxxD or xxxxD body it's worth a mention.

Whenever I get a new camera I don't really bother with the manual. Instead I go through the menu system from beginning to end to see what options there are and to set them how I like them. If there is an option I don't fully understand then I will look it up in the manual for further explanation.
 
OK thanks everyone. here are 3 of my best efforts with first trip out with the 7D

1.
IMG_13141.jpg


2.
IMG_1404.jpg


3.
IMG_1552.jpg
 
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