Pro Photographer's Camera Set Up For Sports: Autofocus, Custom Modes, Settings and More

How I set up my camera for sports photography. Going through my camera menu to get my new camera set up for sports photos. Going through back button focusing, setting my focus point, autofocus modes, changing your frames per second, highlight alert, autofocus case setting, custom modes, changing file names, changing the date and time, vertical grip, screen brightness, screen tone color, and how to set up custom menus.
0:44 - how to set up back button focus
2:22 - setting focus point
2:54 - how to set up orientation linked autofocus
3:21 - how to set up servo mode
3:33 - how to change frames per second
3:55 - how to set up highlight alert
4:26 - what autofocus case setting to use for sports
4:48 - how to set up custom modes
6:11 - how to change the file name of my camera
6:43 - how to change date and time of my camera
7:22 - how to turn off your vertical grip controls
7:50 - how to change the screen brightness and color tone on my camera
8:05 - how to set up a custom menu on my camera
Follow along on Instagram @paulrutherford_
Check out my images at www.paulrutherfordphotography.com
As always, leave any questions in the comments!

[@Paul_Rutherford]

What are your go to settings? I still can't get over how amazing custom modes are!

[@NKolakovic]

Such a cozy setting! thanks for the helpful tips! I'll be sure to send people this way!

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Thanks!

[@flicsbyjd]

dudes house is beautiful

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Haha. Appreciate it. Just that room though, the rest isn’t as nice and covered with baby toys.

[@Rehness]

Thanks for the video. Do you always shoot cRAW ?

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Depends on the situation. I switch between jpeg and cRAW. I've got a video on it for more in depth thoughts.

[@bquinn722]

Definitely want to do this! I program as many buttons as I can to do different things (for example, switching between electronic shutter) and then everything else I put in a custom menu. I use formatting the card a lot and have that in the custom menu. Anything is a pain to find in these camera menus lol😂 so having a custom menu is extremely helpful

[@Paul_Rutherford]

It took my 30 extra minutes to film this cause I had to find the exact location of all the settings!

[@bquinn722]

@@Paul_Rutherford lol.

[@afsphotography9071]

Thank you for this video, it was very helpful! I shoot a lot of baseball and having a slower shutter speed on a custom mode (for panning or to achieve lower ISO) is a great idea! I’ll have to utilize that. Here is one of my favorite custom settings: I have a Canon R7 and I changed the depth of field preview button to spot AF with tracking disabled. That way if tracking cannot detect my subject well, I can hold down that button and use traditional AF more like a DSLR. Do you usually use subject tracking or traditional AF when shooting sports?

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Love that idea. I don’t use the tracking unless it’s the eye/face detection. Just use a single point and track the athlete myself.

[@_SYDNA_]

I've been trying to add remotes to my use of the R3. I am new to setting up remotes. Have you been able to make the PocketWizard's work with the R3? I tried with a used PW miniTT1 shoe-mounted on the R3 sending to a FLEX TT5 wired into a 5D4. No love so far. Have you been able to get any of the PW products to trigger a remote camera and will any read the button press off the main camera through the shoe?

[@Paul_Rutherford]

I haven't tried shooting with remotes using the R3 hot-shoe. When I shoot with remotes I have a dedicated trigger/button separate from the R3 for the PW. Sorry I can't be of more help!

[@_SYDNA_]

@@Paul_Rutherford Thanks! I appreciate the response.

[@ericmdrs]

Are you using an iPhone to record your Camera? how? Can this also be used as a monitor?

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Yes I am. It’s the Accsoon Seemo. It makes your phone an external monitor. For photos though you have to shoot with the iPhone as your screen which is much harder to do. But video you can have it just be an external monitor.

[@Twobarpsi]

With back button focus, servo mode, and a running player for example, you have to hold the back button focus down continuously, AND press the shutter button as well, correct? What is the main benefit of BBF? I still don't use it. I don't see the advantages? I will focus and recompose in one shot drive mode, or in servo just track the subject with a focus point. I guess being able to pre focus on a spot would be one advantage of BBF.

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Great questions. Yes you have to continuously hold it down for servo to keep focusing on an athlete. And the biggest benefit of it is being able to pre focus and recompose your photo. Most used for baseball batters, pitchers, I’ll do it for volleyball also as you can see in a recent photo. The more you use it the more you see opportunities for it. It also becomes second nature. I don’t think it will drastically improve the number of photos you’ll get, but for me it improves the shooting experience 1-2%.

[@afsphotography9071]

Using back button focus for me eliminates the need to switch from servo to one shot. I always leave it in servo. I just hold it down for servo. But focusing, then letting off the button and recomposing works like one shot focus without changing settings. Does that make sense?

[@Twobarpsi]

@@afsphotography9071 it does make sense, and a lot of people use it. Maybe I need to try it out. I just see it being harder to press two buttons to take a picture.

[@Twobarpsi]

@@Paul_Rutherford thanks for the reply! I will have to retry it again. I set my camera up for it, but found BBF a little cumbersome. Maybe I need to give it a 2nd chance.

[@afsphotography9071]

@@Twobarpsi yeah that is the only disadvantage, but I’ve tried switching to shutter button focus and I switched back to back button focus like two days later. It’s the way to go on mirrorless or DSLR to me.

[@brenthaugen1270]

Do you use Register Recall? I find it handy for high ISO night games. It’s nice to slow the shudder and bring down the ISO for non action shots. Congrats on the R3👍🏻

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Is that a Nikon feature? I think it works the same as custom modes. But that is a great way to use it! Hadn’t though about using it that way

[@afsphotography9071]

I just set up my Canon R7 to have a custom mode with a 1/500th shutter speed to take non-action shots in the shade at baseball games. Since I use a 70-300 4-5.6, the ISO can get pretty high at 1/4000 or 1/8000.

[@Paul_Rutherford]

Perfect use of it!

[@brenthaugen1270]

@@Paul_Rutherford not sure if Nikon has it.

[@Paul_Rutherford]

I know they have something similar, not sure what it is called.