A7 III custom function menu, very limited functions available

[foobuntu]

I recently I got myself my first Sony cam, an A7 III. 
Liking the camera, liking the features, liking the quality.....but boy do I need help with this menu.

Research now and also prior to buying the cam brought up that Sony seems to be a bit notorious for suboptimal menus, but I thought how bad could it be and in the end the quality of the images and the footage is what matters, right?
However, this menu is so amazingly bad that I really hope that it's just me not getting it and someone here can help me out.

I wanted to setup a custom function menu (Fn button). But almost every functionality I want to put there isn't available. For example, I wanted to assign File Format for video in this menu, so I can quickly switch between HD and 4k. Also, I can change the framerate but I have no control over the actual recording settings like 100p 100M vs 100p 60M. So when I switch framerates via the function menu I do not know what quality I'm recording.

On the other hand functions like setting the focus assist highlight color I can assign to the Fn menu, something I consider to almost be a set and forget setting, nothing I need regularly, right at my fingertips.

Why in the world aren't all menu settings available in the custom function menu?

I already watched several setup guides on YouTube, however they discuss things like that only briefly if at all.
I really hope that I'm missing out on something and you can help me, otherwise I see myself paying a lot of money for a cam that is capable of awesome photography and videography but is such a pain in the ass to use, that I broken heartedly might have to return it.

[tinplater]

Since I don't do video, can't really help you.  But you might experiment with the memory 1 and 2 dial options to lock in a set of parameters for two shooting situations?  I have mine set for settings I use for portraits and action photography and can switch back and forth with a simple twist of the dial.

Also the "MY MENU" (star icon) allows you to choose the parameters you choose frequently without having to hunt through the large menu menu.  I find that extremely useful for quick access to change something (like silent shutter, touch shooting, etc).  You can assign file format, record settings S&Q and so forth to that easy to find and get to menu.

Edited November 30, 2018 by tinplater

[foobuntu]

Well I already have my memory slots set up, but again Sony does it's utter best to make this feature pointless. I have M1 as my photo setup and M2 as my video setup, with the respective settings for each mode. However settings like the monitor are global settings, so are not considered when changing memory sets. I would like to have the monitor on M1 (photo setup) to be Auto, so I can fluently switch between display an viewfinder but on M2 (video setup) I want the monitor to be fixed to display. So....since the memory slots don't allow me to set things up the way I want I thought it would be a somewhat decent compromise to have a custom function menu where I can quickly change the monitor behaviour. And BAM! Sony strikes again by not letting me have that setting in the Fn menu.
Then I thought ok, take the bitter pill and wast a custom button (C1, C2, C3, C4) on this setting. Far from ideal but at least better then nothing. And BAM! Sony strike just one more time by not even having it in there.
Literally the ONLY way to change the monitor behaviour is to go all the way into the menu and change it. W......T........F.........!!!!

If this camera was made by some young startup company, I would tollerate a quirk or two, but for the company that Sony is, they did an absolutely embarresing job on the menu system. Wh o programmed this? A shimpanse smashing on a keyboard?

Sorry, for the rant here. I give the cam one more weekend and if I then still feel the way I feel now I hope that it's not too late to return it. Probably my first and last Sony experience, unfotunatelly  .

By the way, the "MY MENU" solutions is disqualified, since, for me, it doesn't have any real benefit over going through the nativ menu.

[LiveShots]

I set FINDER/Monitor to Manual, then set C2 to Finder/Monitor Sel.

So each time I press C2 it swaps between Monitor and ViewFinder

[foobuntu]

That's a great tip, thanks a lot. That really helps to ease the pain a bit.