Make scene modes more functional

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Scene modes can be convenient, especially for the photographically challenged 
spouse. However, scene modes are hampered by limitations that don't make them 
very useful. It's great that we can now use RAW in scene modes, but would the 
following additions be possible?
1. Extend AutoISO or replace built-in AutoISO with hack AutoISO.
2. Provide ON/OFF control for flash.
3. Enable safety shift.
4. Enable white balance control.
5. Enable exposure compensation.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by colinban...@gmail.com on 1 Sep 2011 at 2:09

• Blocking: #298
• Merged into: #304

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Sorry, this was meant as an enhancement and not a defect.

Original comment by colinban...@gmail.com on 1 Sep 2011 at 2:11

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Original comment by eduardo....@gmail.com on 1 Sep 2011 at 7:22

• Added labels: Type-Enhancement
• Removed labels: Type-Defect

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i never used the creative scenes of the camera... what are they good for ? what 
can they give you, which you cannot get from the Semi-Auto modes ? sorry if i 
sound lame now... but most of the time (~95%) i use Av, and in the other 5% i 
use M.

Original comment by fired...@gmail.com on 1 Sep 2011 at 9:41

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maybe the presets can be mapped to each one of the scene modes similar to A-DEP.
So to have a presets quick access...
that's what I thought reading the title of the post... but maybe it's really 
another feat request that can also be added.

Maybe preset from 1 to 6 can be set to being called up by using each one of the 
,for me too, unused scene modes.
This will not improve the scene modes it will just improve the mode dial...

maybe a menu can be made with a:
scene override > portrait > NO or1 to 9 (to select the preset to use instead of 
portrait, maybe our portrait preset)
                       > landscape >No or  1 to 9 (to select the preset to use instead of landscape, maybe our landscape preset)... 
                       > etc.
No to keep the scene mode unchanged.

when unchanged the scene modes can be made more functional with the feature 
suggested by coliban but i'll not use them either, if i can use my presets 
instead.

Original comment by scri...@gmail.com on 1 Sep 2011 at 11:30

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I've been using Canon cameras for a long time and never used the scene modes, 
so I should be as biased against using them as anyone. However, I can see 
circumstances where I could use them if they weren't so limited. The same 
applies to my wife, who is much less adept with the semi-auto modes. For 
example, during a typical walk around, I can be doing a landscape shot, 
followed by a close-up dragonfly-on-flower shot, followed by a BIF or active 
rodent shot, followed by a portrait :) That's a lot of switching of various 
modes. During this type of activity, useful scene modes can help. In other 
cases where I'm focused on one type of photography, I'll always use one of the 
other modes. 

At any rate, it can't hurt to make the mode dial more useful. Also, I assume 
that someone must be using these scene modes if we're taken the trouble to 
enable switching between RAW/JPEG.

Original comment by colinban...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 5:01

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I do not want to sound herrassing, but i still do not believe these zones will 
became usable, even with this features added... they do not give enough control.
If we anable these features, the zones will became similar to semi-auto modes, 
but still with not enough control, so IMO they will be still useless...

On the other hand scrizza's suggestion is interesting, pethaps it should be in 
another issue.
About "taking the trouble to enable switching raw/jpeg", it's global, so these 
zones got lucky, nothing special was done for them.

Original comment by fired...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 6:47

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It's more about convenience than control, and obviously not something for 
everyone. I have to keep in mind though that the 400plus hack is based on what 
developers might find useful, so that they could justify spending unpaid time 
in development...and that makes perfect sense.

Therefore, I suggest that we close the issue and move on. I could do the same 
thing using presets, but the dial would have been more convenient.

Original comment by colinban...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 12:05

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The zones on a Canon 400D:

'Canon divides the dial into "Basic" and "Creative" zones, the Basic range 
encompassing the Full Auto setting and the six scene modes in what Canon refers 
to as the "Image" zone. The Creative zone includes settings for Programmed 
exposure, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, full Manual control, and the 
Automatic Depth of Field mode.'

I think with a little studying from any good documentation regarding the 400D 
and how each basic zone scene/image setting works combined with the added 
features of 400plus - presets (even extended presets) could quite easily be 
made for each of the scene mode dial settings.  By using a good naming 
convention to name these presets you have basically what what you need.  Now, 
use the A-DEP setting to allow loading any of these presets, show your spouse, 
family member, or shooting buddy how to easily load the desired preset and 
you're done...

Does this get you what you need w/out any software changes required?

Original comment by mike.guf...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 12:26

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Mike, what you suggest was actually my original intent...then it occured to me 
that the Image zone of the dial wasn't doing anything useful :) Thus the 
thought of using this zone as "additional presets", so to speak. 

So yes, I do have a solution that doesn't require any software changes. I 
should have made this clear at the onset.

Original comment by colinban...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 1:08

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I know that I suggested we drop this, but following up from previous comments, 
it seems that the simplest solution would be to attach each scene mode to a 
preset. It could be confusing though, if the preset isn't somewhat related to 
the scene mode icon. To resolve this, and *as an option*, we could display the 
presets menu when one of the scene modes is selected. The current preset 
attached to the scene mode would be highlighted, and pressing SET would load 
the preset.

Original comment by colinban...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 3:43

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Or simply have additional presets statically named with the same names like the 
zones...

Original comment by fired...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 3:52

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"Or simply have additional presets statically named with the same names like 
the zones..."

That's even better.

Original comment by colinban...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 4:13

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My two cents: hacking scene modes looks complex to me, both from a user's  and 
a developer's point of view. However, assigning presets to scene modes looks 
great as a user, and relatively easy as a developer; many thanks for the idea.

Original comment by eduardo....@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 9:02

• Changed state: Accepted

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Something really great in scene modes would be the capability to manually 
select the AF point (generally the central point as this is the only with cross 
detection ...). 

Original comment by philippe...@gmail.com on 2 Sep 2011 at 9:46

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Issue 140 has been merged into this issue.

Original comment by fired...@gmail.com on 18 Sep 2011 at 1:39

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Original comment by eduardo....@gmail.com on 20 Mar 2012 at 1:04

• Added labels: Milestone-M2

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Original comment by eduardo....@gmail.com on 23 Nov 2012 at 10:21

• Now blocking: #298

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[deleted comment]

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This feature "assigning presets to scene modes" would be awesome!

I just started using 400plus and am thrilled to see the Presets[1] option! I 
have always wanted the C1, C2, C3 custom modes found in the 5Dmk2,3 -- and Ken 
Rockwell praises this a lot -- it's like having 3 different cameras [2] 
available at the speed of rotating a dial!

I never used the "scene shooting modes"[3] because I would never know what 
settings are actually in use. If I could see the current settings on the back 
of the screen before I push the shutter that would be awesome! Assigning 
presets to a "picture" on the dial is also much more memorable than "C1, C2, 
C3". Even with A-DEP shooting mode now hosting my "9" C1-9 modes... I'm quite 
happy!

[1] http://code.google.com/p/400plus/wiki/UserGuide#The_presets
[2] http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/5d-mk-iii.htm#tr
[3] Auto depth-of-field (A-DEP)+ Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Night, No 
Flash

Original comment by bwieseon...@gmail.com on 24 Nov 2012 at 2:15

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Original comment by eduardo....@gmail.com on 27 Nov 2012 at 3:21

• Changed state: Merged