Canon 30D - Manual (Page 34)

Page 34 of 35 © Ken Rockwell 2006
The LAN(WFT-E1) setting is for use with the WFT-E1 Wireless File
Transmitter. The WFT-E1 is a $999 gizmo and antenna that screws to your
camera and attaches with a cable. It allows you to FTP your shots to your
computer over Wi-Fi.
Format is important. Formatting erases the card and lets it start fresh. I format
my card every time I shoot anything. Frequent formatting prevents file errors
and corruption. Want to lose files and have unreadable cards? Then just keep
erasing images from the card and forget to reformat. Reformatting is good
hygiene. I prefer my Nikon SLRs, which have a two-button way to do this
without menus. I prefer the Nikons because they make this easy for
something I do a couple of times a day. I reformat after every time I download
and back up.
Custom Functions are 18 more settings I cover at Canon 30D Custom
Functions.
Clear Settings resets almost everything I just explained.
Clear All Camera Settings resets everything I just explained on the past few
pages to their defaults.
Clear All Custom Functions resets everything I'm about to explain at Canon
30D Custom Functions.
I don't use these, because they reset everything without any intelligence. I
prefer Nikon's green-button reset, because Nikons SLRs are smart enough to
reset the tactical things like ISO, focus mode, WB, exposure compensations,
flash modes, etc., that I change for every shot, but leave the strategic settings,
like file numbering, timers, saturation and no beeping, alone.
Resets are important, because every night I usually wind up my camera to
ISO 1,600 and some screwy custom white balance, flash mode and exposure
compensation, and every morning I need to set it all back to ISO 100 and
normal. With the Canons I need to run down a long checklist of about a dozen
things I may have messed with, because I can't use their reset because it
resets too much, meaning I would have to go down an even longer checklist
to reset the strategic items.
Nikon's reset only resets what I need reset. I use it every time I shoot. It's not
just for dummies!
Sensor Clean is for locking up the mirror and cleaning the sensor. Don't try
this at home! I've made about 60,000 shots on DSLRs and I've never cleaned
a sensor, except with a blower bulb. I have met pros who have destroyed their
$5,000 D2Xs because their sensor swab was defective. Don't let this happen
to you. The only people who recommend trying this yourself are the people
who want to sell you swabs.