Canon 7D Sports Settings

As the other settings I can't take credit for these either, but I found these settings on SportsShooter.  

Picture Style - Standard (but sharpness upped to 4) 

C.Fn III: Autofocus Drive
1 - AI Servo tracking Sensitivity: Set to -1
2 - AI Servo 1st/2nd img priority - Set to 0 - AF priority/Tracking Priority
3 - AI Servo Tracking Method - Set to 0 - Main Focus point priority (that way the camera focuses on what you want, not what it wants)
4 - Lens Drive when AF impossible - Set to 0
5 - AF Microadjustment - Set to 0 (Most people have said this is ineffective. Even the manual says it needs to be done on location where you are shooting to do any good.)
6 - AF area select mode - I have single point w/expansion selected and single point. Been shooting mostly on single point w/expansion for sports.
7 - AF Manual pt. selection pattern - Set to 1 (Continuous)
8 - VF display illumination - set to 1 (Enable)
9 - Display all AF points - Set to 0
10 - Focus Display in AI Servo/MF - Set to 0
11 - AF-assist beam firing - set to 2 (Enable to external flash only)
12 - Orientation linked AF point - Set to 0
13 - Mirror lockup - Set to 0 (Disable)

C.FN IV: Operations/Others
Shutter button is set to Meter only
AF-ON button is turned OFF (too easy to hit accidentally)
AE lock button (*) is set for metering and AF Start

Canon 1D Mark IV Sport/Action Settings

These are the settings I'm using for sports on the Canon 1D Mark IV. Like the settings for the Mark III Settings it has been very successful. 


I-Exposure
1-0
2-0
3-Enable
4-0
5-0
6-0
7-1
8-2
9-Disable
10-Disable
11-0
12-Disable
13-Disable
14-Disable
15-0
16-0
17-0

II-Image/Flash exp/Disp
1-0
2-0
3-0
4-0
5-0
6-0
7-0
8-1
9-0
10-1

III-Autofocus/Drive
1-0
2-one click above Slow, this is so any object that may move into your frame is slower to change focus other than the athlete you are on.
3-0
4-0
5-1 You are already focusing with your thumb, you do not want your camera to continue to search for focus.
6-0
7-0
8-2 This works great on the Mark IV, slows down focus reaction on the Mark III. Uses all the focus points within the center circle on the focusing screen. Works best during the day, night should go to single focus point and not surrounding.
9-1
10-0
11-0
12-0
13-0
14-1
15-1
16-1
17-0
18-Disable
19-Disable

IV-Operations/Other
1-3
2-0
3-0
4-0
5-0
6-0
7-0
8-0
9-0
10-0
11-1
12-0
13-Disable
14-1
15-0
16-0

For Canon's Official Custom Guide CLICK HERE.

Canon 1D Mark III Sports Settings

Here are the settings I use on my Mark III. (For settings I use for the Mark IV, click here.) I use these setting for all of the sports I shot and have had great success. I typically only shoot RAW, but when I do shoot jpg, I'll adjust the sharpness as noted here:

(Very Important) First thing I do is set up User Def 1, set internal sharpening to one click under max, then use User Def 1. Then set to sRGB.



I-Exposure
1-0
2-0
3-Disabled
4-0
5-0
6-0
7-0
8-0
9-Disable
10-Disable

11-0
12-Disable
13-Disable
14-Disable
15-0

II-Image/Flash exp/Disp
1-0
2-0
3-0
4-0
5-0
6-0
7-0
8-0
9-0

III-Autofocus/Drive
1-0
2-one click above Slow, this is so any object that may move into your frame is slower to change focus other than the athlete you are on.
3-0
4-0
5-1 (Very Important) You are already focusing with your thumb, you do not want your camera to continue to search for focus.
6-0
7-0
8-0
9-3
10-0
11-0
12-0
13-1
14-1
15-0
16-Disable
17- Disable

IV-Operations/Other
1-3
2-0
3-0
4-0
5-0
6-0
7-0
8-0
9-0
10-0
11-0
12- Disable
13-Disable
14-0
15-0
16-0