User Banks

[hark]

How many owners of the D500 make use of the various User Banks? There is a Photo Shooting Bank, a Custom Shooting Bank, and a My Menu. All of these can be configured with various settings to make changes somewhat quick but involve having to go into the menu. But with my other bodies, I make use of U1 and U2. Mostly I use U2 which is set for BBF, Auto ISO, and AF-C. When I switch to A (Aperture Priority), I use the shutter button for Auto Focus, manually adujust ISO, and AF-S.

According to this video, when configuring the Photo Shooting Bank, the changes aren't necessarily locked in like they are with U1 and U2 of other bodies. I might be the only one who switches between BBF for moving subjects but switch to using the shutter button to AF for stationary subjects (and yes, I know I can simply focus with BBF then remove my thumb to simulate AF-S).

My question is this: does anyone else switch between BBF for AF vs. using the shutter button for AF? If so is there any other way to quickly make that change without having to go into the Banks?

This video shows the differences between U1 and U2 of other bodies in comparison to how the Banks work on the D500. Switching to U1 and U2 is so much faster than having to go into the menu options.

At 7:21 the guy goes into the down side of these User Banks since it takes a little more time to switch between them.

 

[Hobbit]

im still learning mine as its only been a few days LOL

 

[KGfoto]

I have a D500. You can assign a lot of functions to the Fn1, Fn2, and Preview buttons. AF-ON is one of the functions that is available. I have assigned virtual horizon and Group-Area AF to the Fn and Preview buttons on my D500.

I'm disappointed in the memory banks. They don't seem to retain settings like shutter speed and aperture settings. If you change those while shooting, the last settings you had the camera on will be in the memory banks the next time.

I found that the video record button to the left of the shutter button can be re-programmed to execute Mode. Mode is in the group of four buttons on the top left of the camera but it's much more convenient to have it next to the shutter button.

 

[hark]

I have a D500. You can assign a lot of functions to the Fn1, Fn2, and Preview buttons. AF-ON is one of the functions that is available. I have assigned virtual horizon and Group-Area AF to the Fn and Preview buttons on my D500.

I'm disappointed in the memory banks. They don't seem to retain settings like shutter speed and aperture settings. If you change those while shooting, the last settings you had the camera on will be in the memory banks the next time.

I found that the video record button to the left of the shutter button can be re-programmed to execute Mode. Mode is in the group of four buttons on the top left of the camera but it's much more convenient to have it next to the shutter button.

Hi KGfoto and welcome! Thank you for the information. I've never attempted to reassign any buttons up until now, but I'm inclined to look into it. The thing I really liked about using U1 and U2 is that they saved all the specifics such as aperture and shutter speed as you mentioned (even +/-).

I might contact Nikon at some point and ask. Hopefully it will become available in a firmware update down the road.

 

[Bikerbrent_RIP]

Welcome aboard KGfoto. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

 

[KGfoto]

Hello Hark, Thank you for the welcome. The Fn and Preview buttons are very useful. I also like the U1 and U2 settings on my D750 and D7500. I tried to set up the photo banks in the D500 but stopped using them after a while. I found that it's just as fast to use the external controls.

 

[KGfoto]

Hello Bikerbrent, Thank you for the welcome. This looks like an excellent photography forum. I will post some of my photos soon.

 

[SteveH]

I really like the user settings, I have one for wildlife with my preferred auto focus settings etc, then a second for macro etc

 

[hark]

I really like the user settings, I have one for wildlife with my preferred auto focus settings etc, then a second for macro etc

Steve, do you know how to get out of a user bank and just go back to something like Aperture Priority? I'm afraid to try it because I haven't seen any videos on how to go back to a general setting without being in a user bank. I was accustomed to using the U1 & U2 buttons so changing was quick and seamless.

 

[SteveH]

Steve, do you know how to get out of a user bank and just go back to something like Aperture Priority? I'm afraid to try it because I haven't seen any videos on how to go back to a general setting without being in a user bank. I was accustomed to using the U1 & U2 buttons so changing was quick and seamless.

Ah sorry for the confusion Hark, I was referring to the U1 & U2 on the command wheel - I'm not actually sure what the bank settings are, I don't have it on the Z6, just U1, U2 & U3 on the command dial.

 

[hark]

Ah sorry for the confusion Hark, I was referring to the U1 & U2 on the command wheel - I'm not actually sure what the bank settings are, I don't have it on the Z6, just U1, U2 & U3 on the command dial.

Thanks for the clarification, Steve. Glad to see you back! :cheerful:

 

[SteveH]

Thanks for the clarification, Steve. Glad to see you back! :cheerful:

Thank you! :cheerful: It's good to be back!

 

[nickt]

Cindy @hark , well I ended up getting a d500. A few things I've learned. You asked above about how to get out of a memory bank and back to regular. You probably figured it out by now, but you can't. You are always in a bank. One video suggested thinking of them as 'cameras'. Camera A, Camera B, etc. So it doesn't remember particular saved settings, it just remembers where you left things. In a way, that might work out for me. I didn't care for the U's, if I changed something and I didn't specifically save it, it would go away. Not with a power cycle but with moving the mode dial. It got confusing.

My quickest way to change d500 banks so far is fn2-my menu. I thought I found another way but its really clunky and not useful. Program the fn1 button for button +wheel to change the group. The problem is there is no indication. You have to bring up the info menu to see what you changed. And it only works for the shooting banks, not the custom bank. Nothing in the shooting banks I want to change as a group like that. I would have designed it to give an indication and make it so fn1 + front wheel does one bank and fn1 + back wheel does the other bank.

Something else of interest... You can have shutter button focus active along with the back button (A8). And you can set the bb to AF-ON with a particular area mode selected, different from what you are currently using with the shutter button. You can't work af-s or c into the mix though, only area mode. So that's all I have so far. I'm getting lost in videos but not much real shooting yet.

 

[hark]

Cindy @hark , well I ended up getting a d500. A few things I've learned. You asked above about how to get out of a memory bank and back to regular. You probably figured it out by now, but you can't. You are always in a bank. One video suggested thinking of them as 'cameras'. Camera A, Camera B, etc. So it doesn't remember particular saved settings, it just remembers where you left things. In a way, that might work out for me. I didn't care for the U's, if I changed something and I didn't specifically save it, it would go away. Not with a power cycle but with moving the mode dial. It got confusing.

My quickest way to change d500 banks so far is fn2-my menu. I thought I found another way but its really clunky and not useful. Program the fn1 button for button +wheel to change the group. The problem is there is no indication. You have to bring up the info menu to see what you changed. And it only works for the shooting banks, not the custom bank. Nothing in the shooting banks I want to change as a group like that. I would have designed it to give an indication and make it so fn1 + front wheel does one bank and fn1 + back wheel does the other bank.

Something else of interest... You can have shutter button focus active along with the back button (A8). And you can set the bb to AF-ON with a particular area mode selected, different from what you are currently using with the shutter button. You can't work af-s or c into the mix though, only area mode. So that's all I have so far. I'm getting lost in videos but not much real shooting yet.

Thanks, Nick. I too purchased a D500 but haven't ventured into the banks yet. I was afraid of exactly what you mentioned - the bank wouldn't allow you to get out of it without going to a different bank. :crushed:

But mostly I am interested in AF-C with BBF so haven't attempted to change anything else. Right now my Nikon 1.7x refurbished TC just isn't operating like it did within the initial 30 days of purchase. That's been my biggest concern. At least I purchased a Square Trade warranty - one that I will definitely use when it seems businesses are operating more normally.

Thanks again. I appreciate your detailed info. :cheerful:

 

[hark]

Cindy @hark , well I ended up getting a d500. A few things I've learned. You asked above about how to get out of a memory bank and back to regular. You probably figured it out by now, but you can't. You are always in a bank. One video suggested thinking of them as 'cameras'. Camera A, Camera B, etc. So it doesn't remember particular saved settings, it just remembers where you left things. In a way, that might work out for me. I didn't care for the U's, if I changed something and I didn't specifically save it, it would go away. Not with a power cycle but with moving the mode dial. It got confusing.

My quickest way to change d500 banks so far is fn2-my menu. I thought I found another way but its really clunky and not useful. Program the fn1 button for button +wheel to change the group. The problem is there is no indication. You have to bring up the info menu to see what you changed. And it only works for the shooting banks, not the custom bank. Nothing in the shooting banks I want to change as a group like that. I would have designed it to give an indication and make it so fn1 + front wheel does one bank and fn1 + back wheel does the other bank.

Something else of interest... You can have shutter button focus active along with the back button (A8). And you can set the bb to AF-ON with a particular area mode selected, different from what you are currently using with the shutter button. You can't work af-s or c into the mix though, only area mode. So that's all I have so far. I'm getting lost in videos but not much real shooting yet.

Thanks, Nick. I too purchased a D500 but haven't ventured into the banks yet. I was afraid of exactly what you mentioned - the bank wouldn't allow you to get out of it without going to a different bank. :crushed:

But mostly I am interested in AF-C with BBF so haven't attempted to change anything else. Right now my Nikon 1.7x refurbished TC just isn't operating like it did within the initial 30 days of purchase. That's been my biggest concern. At least I purchased a Square Trade warranty - one that I will definitely use when it seems businesses are operating more normally.

Thanks again. I appreciate your detailed info. :cheerful: