The orange menus are all about the custom settings, changing controls and much more. It is the area that allows me to get the cameras ergonomics how I want, allowing me to make rapid changed depending on the situation. Having said that I don't remember changing anything in Orange 1
Nor have I changed anything in Orange 2.
Orange 3 however is where I had a lot fettling and head scratching. That was just one item here, customizing the buttons to my needs. I want to explore this more as I learn the camera and will probably be fiddling until the next camera comes along.
First thing I do here is set the shutter button to metering and shutter release only, removing AF from that button so I can have my desired setting on various back buttons.
The next button I configure is AF-ON
Here I set the Dial Function.
While the menu is open I press the info button. This opens a sub menu where I decide what features can be selected on the top dial after M-Fn is pressed. I only want one function here, the ability to change exposure compensation. As M-Fn is nicely placed next to the shutter, I can quickly adjust compensation as needed. Press M-Fn>twiddle the top dial and shoot away. So I only hav the one item ticked. If others are selected too, you can scroll between them with the joystick or rear pad.
The next button I customize is AF-ON
Here, with Metering and AF Start highlighted I press the Info button to bring up the details
The detail page confused me at first look as I didn't see the tick boxes on the left. The items on the right are the settings where the case can be selected, AF mode, AF start area, subject tracking and eye detection. These items are only effective if the tick box on the left is ticked. For this button, everything is ticked. Servo AF characteristics are set to case 2, which I customized earlier in pink menu 2. I have Servo mode enabled, full AF area subject tracking on and set to animal and eye detect on. It has proven quite effective much of the time for me.
Next I customize the * button
Again with Metering and AF start I press the info button to set the detail. Here Servo AF Characteristics are set to Auto with the box ticked on the left. AF operation is ticked and set to servo. I have the AF area set to Spot and subject tracking Off. This just gives traditional spot AF when I use this button. It is useful for crowded scenes with lots of subjects. Now just by moving my thumb I can go from full tracking over the whole AF area to the most basic of spot AF modes.
Onto the DOF preview button. In its default function I never use it. So I change it to a dedicated ratings button. Many never use ratings, but I find them useful. If I take a shot that I think is really nice I give it a rating so it is easy to pick out three weeks later when I get around to editing.
Again, there is a sub menu when the INFO button is pressed with the star highlighted. This allows more control over ratings. I like to be able to give 1-5 stars so all boxes are checked
Next I customize the up, down, left and right buttons. Up us set to dial function, again another button I can use to change exposure compensation. Like before it has a detail sub menu accessed with he INFO button. Why do I have two places to change exposure comp? It was setup in the early stages with this camera and I was struggling to find the M-Fn button. I will probably change what the Up button does in future as my muscle memory develops accessing the M-Fn button
Left I have set for quick access to drive modes. I can press this then use the top dial to quickly change frames per second or activate the self timer etc.
Right I have assigned to start/stop tracking. I can now just click this and an icon pops up in the EVF telling me it is on. Now when I press the * button I get spot AF as the start point, but full animal tracking afterwards. I just press right later on to turn tracking off if I want to return to basic AF on that button.
Finally the down button I have set to enable RAW burst mode. I will use this to capture insects or birds taking off. Anything where a creature will reacts much faster than I can.
Orange menu 4 has little interest here. Orange 5 has just one option, to clear all custom settings. I hope I never press that by mistake.
