The Save/load cam settings on card feature allows you to save the settings currently programmed on your camera onto the memory card, which can then be reloaded from that card at a later date. This can be either to the same camera, or to another camera of the same model.
Up to 10 settings can be saved on a single card. However, there’s nothing to stop you having more than one card with saved settings, meaning that the possibilities are endless. You can name the group of saved settings, so you know exactly what you're loading when the card is inserted.
This feature is very similar to using the Custom shooting mode options in terms of what you can save, but it does take slightly longer to load the settings from a card rather than changing the shooting mode to one of the Custom modes.
Once loaded, the settings can bereadily changed and those changes will remain in place even if the camera powers down or is turned off. This is a subtle but important difference to how the custom modes work – any changes made to a Custom mode are lost if you change mode or turn off the camera (unless an additional setting is turned on which allows you to alter the programming).
When using the Save/load cam settings on card feature, the vast majority of menu items and custom controls can be saved, making this a very versatile option.
However, for a sports photographer that shoots many different types of disciplines, this can allow for a precise camera set-up to be saved for each and every type of sport. An athletics meet would be a good example – when one moment you might be covering the 100 metre sprint and the next minute capturing the triple jump or high jump. And, if you’re working as part of a team of photographers covering the Olympics, for example, or some other big international event, and need to use a loan camera whilst yours is being serviced, then you can quickly and easily load your settings, preferences and even copyright details straight onto this other camera.
For the amateur photographer you rarely shoot the same thing enough to warrant saving the settings and if you do specialise just one type of photography you are not normally doing lots of different types. So, for amateur photography the custom shooting modes are generally a better option than this.
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