Using the G10's Custom Colors Picture Settings

Why Use Custom Color Settings on the G10?

Quite a few people have moved up to the Canon G10 from their compact point & shoot (P&S) cameras. Unfortunately, they find the G10's output a bit too neutral for their taste. I consider neutral output a strength, allowing me to modify the image in post processing to fit my taste. However, there are many who don't want to spend time in post processing or don't want to post process their pictures at all. Here's where the Canon G10's flexibility really shines. In this post I'll show you in a step-by-step step fashion how to create custom settings to match whatever output you want.

What are Custom Color Settings and How Do You Use Them on the Canon G10

Custom Color settings can be used in any mode (except AUTO and SCN). For example, you might be shooting landscape and want the greens to "pop" a bit more, people with darker skin tones, more sharpening, contrast, or saturation. You get the idea.

Using Custom Color settings is easy but getting them right is another matter. I'll give you a method later in the post that should address the "getting it right" part (I changed my mind, I think that would be better done in another post). For now, I'll simply show you how to use them. Here's the step-by-step:

1. Turn the camera mode dial to one any one of the following modes: C1, C2, M, Av, Tv,  P, panoramic stitch assist, or video record. As I mentioned earlier, the AUTO and SCN (Scene) modes can not be customized. Allowing AUTO and Scene mode customizations would really defeat their purpose anyway.
2. Press the FUNC. SET button on the back of the camera. Note: once the FUNC. SET options are displayed on the screen, the little ring around the FUNC. SET button allows you to move the selection left, right, up, or down. This is the little ring with MF at the top, timer at the bottom...
3. Move down to My Colors, which are turned off by default. At this point, your menu should look like the following:You should note a couple of things here. First "My Colors" is the term Canon uses for its customizable image parameters and it is turned off in the picture above. Second, there are a number of default settings that can be used, including V or Vivid colors, N or Neutral... Vivid might be just what you're looking for, so give it a try. If not, explore the other color settings to see if they will meet your needs. If not, then go totally custom with steps 4, 5 and 6.
4. Move the My Colors selection all the way right to select the C or Custom Color setting. Take note of the [DISP.] listed right after the words Custom Color. The DISP. button is how you access each of the customizable parameters available in the G10.
5. Press the DISP. button. At this point, you should see the first customizable parameter, Contrast, available. Pressing up or down, will move you to a different parameter. Pressing left or right will adjust each parameter.
6. Press the FUNC. SET button when you're done.

Keep a Few Things in Mind

There are really 4 sets of custom colors -- I'll use the term set since Canon has no name for it. Set 1 is used in M, Av, Tv, P, and Panoramic Stitch Assist modes. Set 2 is used in Video Record mode. Set 3 is used in C1 mode. Set 4 is used in C2 mode.

If the whole Set # thing throws you off, just think of it like this. M, Av, Tv, P, and Panoramic Stitch Assist modes all share the same Custom Color settings. C1, C2, and Video Recording mode all have their own Custom Color settings.

Also keep in mind that you can turn off custom colors any time you like by simply using the steps above and selecting the OFF option rather than the C option. Your not in any danger of getting the camera in some kind of mode that you can't get it out of.

Finally, I suggest you use the C1, and C2 modes for playing with Custom Colors. C1 and C2 are, after all, the modes designed just for "Customization". For example, you might use C1 to set the camera up for outdoor and landscape photos and C2 to customize things for typical indoor family photos. The biggest benefit to using C1 and C2 for this is that they also save other settings beyond just the image parameters available in Custom Colors. I feel a C1/C2 Custom Settings blog entry coming on.

Update: As Bob reminded me in his comment, Custom Colors will not work when you are using the G10's RAW mode. The whole point of raw mode is to get output directly from the image sensor, without any modifications. Modifying the RAW output beforehand with your Custom Colors would defeat its whole purpose. 

--Thanks Bob