EOS 3 CF 13 (spot meter linkage to 11 selectable focusing points)

I recently purchased a Canon EOS 3, and am quite happy with the camera. I have noticed one glitch in one of the custom functions. Custom function #13, focusing point and spot metering linkage, has a setting (#1), that limits the number of focusing points from 45 down to 11, and LINKS the spot meter to these 11 points. On my body, the number of focusing points does indeed become 11, but the spot meter is still linked to the middle point. Has anyone else experienced this problem. since I only shoot in manual mode with spot metering, this would have been a perfect union between the many focusing points available and my exposure technique!

Rob, this should work fine. I suspect that problem is that you are

not selecting true spot-metering. CF13 #1 will always select 11 focus

points, but the spot-metering is linked with evaluative and spot-

metering *ONLY*. if you select partial or center-weighted, the

metering is off the central sensor. spot metering is the small,

blackened dot in the LCD metering selection. good luck. let us know

what you find out. what you describe is CF13 #2, so I would double

check before returning your camera.

EOS cameras always had a problem with CF#13. Goes along with the FD

curse.

I have a question for you as a new EOS 3 owner. When I picked up the

EOS 3 the first time and fired it off, It seemed to "rebound" with

mirror slap. I mean you could definitely feel it. Maybe it was that

particular camera. But you could feel it. Also does the fit and finish

of your camera seems better than adverage or just adverage. I know

this may seem like shocking questions, and may even invoke a little

buyers remorse, and I'm sorry for that inconvience. I just thought for

$1400 the camera should feel alittle more...sturdier, more robust.

Don't get me wrong, I have two A2's w/VG10 grips, a 630 and a EOS 1-c

digital camera, all of which I love (I'm never giving the 1-c

back-unless we get the 560!) I've owned several early Canon Classics

including the FTn and the TL, 2 T90's, a T50, AE-1, AE-1 Program, and

two A-1 w/motor drives, and a whole slew of canon lenses. I've shot

just about everything imaginable that you could shoot while working

for the government and newspapers.

So I don't want to second guess your decision. Just see if my

perceptions were correct while handling a new EOS 3.

 

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Marcus J.

I evaluated systems, and jumped from my Nikon F2's to the Canon EOS

system. first impressions? overpriced, and yes .. somewhat fragile

with a cheap quality to it. the camera uses a plastic body with a new

finish that does lend a certain cheapness and non-metal feel to it.

but this quickly goes away as the camera delivers. the functionality

and eye-control, system breadth and performance, are outstanding. the

newly designed remote trigger connector is flimsy, doesn't fit well,

yet I am told is a substantial improvement over the older design. for

me, I liked the way the systems worked, the user-interface, and the

feel of it my hands. the new Nikons are nice, but do not have

Tilt/Shift lenses, Image Stabilzation, and other features that allow

me to do my photography better. pricing? too high. noisy .. way too

loud. the power booster, battery, and $400 battery charger is

robbery. what can you do? I am generally very happy, and will also

purchase the next pro-model that is announced. when I look at my

chromes, taken through an 'L' lens, there is something magical for me

there. and overall, I have become a better photographer and advanced

my art.

Yes guys, after I posted this question, I checked the settings out

and found that I did have it at the wrong setting the whole time. A

rather funny blunder after I realized what I had done.

 

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As to the questions posed about my feelings toward the camera, I am

still out on that decision. This is my first pro camera, for the

last two years(my entire shooting career)I have been shooting the

Elan IIE. I enjoyed the Elan, but then again it was my first and

only camera, thus nothing to compare it to. I am truly glad that I

chose a Canon to start with, I like the EOS system very much. But my

level of shooting has made a pro level camera as my main body

necessary, allowing for the Elan backup body.

 

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The EOS 3 was my first and pretty much only choice. The focusing

system is truly magnificent. I shoot primarily with the 300L IS,

almost exclusively birds, much of the time with a 1.4X tele and no

tripod. Stalking and shooting shorebirds with this camera has been

an incredible experience and a huge step foward in my photography.

The results are inspiring, and the camera system has much to do with

that.

 

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I also have found the camera to have a somewhat plastic feel to it.

The side door catches on my hand and opens sometimes also, but that

is minor. My only true gripe about the camera thus far though is

that my meter is off 2/3 to one full stop, depending on which

metering function you choose. Spot, partial, and center-weighted are

off one full stop, while evaluative is off 2/3 stop, all towards

under-exposure. This is not what I expected to get for my $$$$.

Calibrating the meter is not even a big deal, but when I switch

between metering modes, this is an extra distraction. I haven't

decided what to do about it. I would like to get it fixed, but I

don't want to be without it for three months either. Any suggestions

would be appreciated.

Rob, could you be more specific in regards to the metering problem. I

am curious because differences in metering modes is acceptable, in

fact, desired. having six exposure modes, that all yielded the same

exposure would be useless. the idea, is to use the exposure mode that

yields a more correct response to the environment in which it is

placed. the underexposure can only be determined by your results,

looking at your slides. what I did, was to bracket three pictures of

a gray card, in a well lit scene, and analyze the results. I have one

of the first EOS-3's and my meter agrees perfectly with my Sekonic

508. however, the meter is only one component of a complex system

that may have errors. a spot on meter, is of little value, if the

shutter or aperture stop-down mechanism is faulty. my results showed

that my camera, as a system, was about -1/3 stop off. my wife,

disagreed and thought the bracketed slides were best at normal

exposure. and the plastic feel? I have long since gotten over this,

as the camera is performing and holding up well, and I have come to

appreciate the light and balanced feel it offers. good luck.

I can be very specific. Soon after I bought the camera I noticed

that my exposures were coming in a bit dark. For the previous year

or so I had little problems with my exposures, so this obviously was

a clue something was amiss. I do not like to use a grey card to

calibrate my meter, but I did use one as a first check, and although

due to reflections the results varied up to two stops, I did get a

feeling my meter was off. I then purchased a wallace exposure disc

and checked again. The exposure disc returned the above mentioned

results.

 

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As to your ascertion that the meters in the camera could and even

should be different is very questionable to me. I understand that

the different metering modes function better for different

situations, but that is far from implying that they would read 18%

reflectance differently. If I produce a perfect 18% grey for any of

the six or twenty different metering systems available in cameras

today, and any one of them does not record perfect exposure, than it

is not calibtated correctly, nothing more and nothing less. The

subjective use of the information provided by these different

metering systems is what you are speaking of, and if this information

is not correct in the first place, then the resulting exposure will

be of no use as a learning tool, as it has been corrupt by a faulty

meter.

 

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The headache caused by this problem of three metering m0des being 2/3

stop off, and the fourth being a full stop off should be obvious.

For metering modes 1,2, and 3 I would calibrate my meter 1 full stop

lower(ISO 50 instead of ISO 100), but for metering mode 4

(evaluatinve), I would calibrate to ISO 64 instead. Since I shoot

wildlife, mostly birds, the scenes and backgrounds I am shooting are

constantly changing. Since I use the spot meter probably 90% of the

time, this is not a problem. But I also will use evaluative metering

on occasion, and it is now that my meter will be calibtated 1/3 of a

stop too much. This can be easily corrected while establishing how

far form center I am opening up or closing down, but it is still a

distraction! The question is, is it enough of a distraction to

warrant sending thte camera back to the factory for probably trhee to

four months to get the problem corrected????

my response was not in regards to taking an exposure of a 18% gray

card, in six or twenty metering modes. you are correct, they should

all be the same, assuming the 18% card is full frame. for reference,

my EOS-3, yields identical exposures for all metering modes when used

in this fashion. I would send the camera back to Canon, under

warranty, for no other reason other than you have lost your

confidence in it, and this will effect your photography.

 

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by the way, I just performed this metering exercise on a gray card in

all metering modes, and they were identical. send the camera back, or

check your own results with a new (dull) gray card.

Rob,

The underexposure problem of the EOS3 is well known, it affects all

early EOS 3's when a relatively slow lens is attached (300L IS +

1.4TC fits this bill). This problem is related to the firmware

exposure map in the camera's NVRAM. Contact your nearest Canon

service centre and ask them to fix it. It is a free fix and takes

only a few minutes (at least here in South Africa, where Canon

service is not very busy). They reprogram the exposure map via a

flash hotshoe attachment (you can also ask them to confirm shutter

speed accuracy just to rule that out as a problem)

Regards

Jules.

This is in regards to the "plastic" feeling of the EOS 3. I owned a

T-90 for 8 years before it was stolen two months ago. Since I live

200 miles from the nearest camera store and have not physically

touched and EOS 3, how does it feel compared to the T-90 (which held

up beautifuly in 5 years of geology field-work).