EOS 3 / 550ex --- how many lights?

[david_wright4]

Hi.

 

Quick question - I've got three Canon bodies (EOS 300 / 30 / 3) and a

Speedlite 550ex. When I put the Speedlite on the 300 or 30 I get

three focus assist lights, when I put it on the EOS 3 I only get two -

the top two of the triangle of lights comes on, the bottom one stays

off.

 

Is this normal? I've handed the camera in to be checked and the

dealer says it's working normally --- but if that's the case why am I

only getting two lights? The Speedlite is in perfect working order -

as far as I can tell. It certainly works normally on any other Canon

body.

 

What's the general verdict --- Canon EOS 3 and Speedlite 550ex - two

lights or three?

 

Thanks.

 

PS ... checked all the custom functions, as far as I can tell

everything is okay. Is there a custom function somewhere that tells

it to use only two-thirds the focus assist?!!

[yakim_peled1]

The 550EX gave me focus assist for the 5 horizontal AF points on my 30. On the 300 it should be the same. On the 3 it should give you focus assist for all 45 AF points. HTH.

 

Happy shooting ,

Yakim.

[david_wright4]

Hi Yakim.

 

I get focus assist on all focus points no problem - the issue is the amount of focus assist. There are three bulbs on the front of the 550ex - two at the top and one below. On other EOS cameras all three light up no problem - but on the EOS 3 I only get the top two to light.

 

Is there anyone out there with an EOS 3 and a 550ex who can tell me if this is normal behaviour? I'm planning on going back to the dealer this weekend to speak to them about it again --- they're telling me that there's no problem but to me it seems that I should have three focus assist lights and not just two!!

 

FYI - I've tried this with different lenses and all sort of different settings - and whatever I do I cannot make that elusive third light come on on the EOS 3!! EOS 300's / 30's - no problem, the EOS 3 - no light. I've not been able to get my hands on another EOS 3 to see if this is normal behavious tho --- so anyone else using this combination I'd be grateful if you could have a look and let me know how many focus assist lights you see.

 

Thanks.

[test11664875106]

David,

 

do you get 'in focus' picture with EOS 3? I have EOS 3000 and EOS 3 and Sunpack 4000 flash. While under low light EOS 3000 employes focus aid of the flash, EOS 3 focuses fast even without one. Keep in mind, that EOS 3 has better focusing ability so it doesn't need as much light as lower-end bodies.

[brian_silveira1]

I tried this on my EOS-1v. I didn't even know that there were

three LEDs on the flash. I only ever got the centre LED to

light since I always used the central focusing point. However,

if I use all 45 points, then top two LED light up instead,

covering all 45 focusing points.

 

So the answer to your question is that with the 1v at least

(cousin to the EOS-3), the 550EX only illuminates the top

two LEDs when all 45 points are selected, but illuminates

the single bottom LED when the central point is selected.

 

Hope it helps,

[david_wright4]

Hi.

 

Photos always in focus - but in low light conditions the lower level of assist light seems to make the camera hunt more for a focus point. But it always gets there - it's an excellent camera, it just seems to not want to turn on that third focus light to help itself out!

 

Which is why I'm making this post ... is this normal practice for an EOS 3 and a 550ex or has my camera (or flash) picked up a spurious fault? Do any other 3 / 550 owners get all three lights or is it normal to get only two? Is it designed so that the better algorithms in an EOS 3 only need two lights but the lower level algorithms in an EOS 300 or 30 need all three?

 

Maybe it is normal - the EOS 3 might cope better with just the two lights, the third being reserved for lower level bodies - but it seems odd to equip a feature and not to use it. Does the 1V only use one light? Can the new top end digitals see in the dark??

 

Thanks.

[david_wright4]

Brian - think we were typing at the same time and crossed over in the postings.

 

Thanks for the info., I'll give it a try when I get the camera back - it's still at the dealer following the check out. Maybe it is a feature of the camera and not a problem - but there's nothing anywhere in any manual or reference book that I can find that states this as a "feature"! And the dealers (PhotoFactory in Edinburgh) don't know about it either - they took one look and immediately took the camera in for repair!!

 

Anyone else only getting two lights on a 550?

[bill_goldman]

I, also, have an EOS-1v and have verified that the camera in combination with the 550EX, the AF assist lights work exactly as Brian noted in his response. I.e., only the top 2 lights illuminate when the camera is in the 45-point auto mode and only the single bottom one lights when the camera is set for the single, center focus point. In both cases, the camera focuses quickly and accurately; I would assume the EOS-3 works similarly.

 

I would assume that Canon designed the 550EX to default to all three focus assist lights when the Speedlite is mounted on any other EOS body, which does not have the 45-point AF system, in order to maximize its effectiveness with all bodies.

[robin_sibson1]

I noticed this behaviour a while back on my -1v, and have never seen any mention of it in any manual. For a real blast, try setting CF-17-1 (or, presumably, 2, but I have not bothered to try that) and centre focusing. You will find that the camera will choose whether to use the single AF light or the double one depending on circumstances (test done with 17~40, same behaviour at 17 and at 40). It is not easy to check the focus acqusition boxes and the AF lights simultaneously, but I assume that it uses the two-light AF when it wants to try an off-centre focus point. I wonder if there are any other examples of adaptive use?

[andrew_sanders1]

My eos 3 behaves exactly like yours David, toew lighrs at the top only and the bottom one if I use the centre point only. So I guess it's normal.

 

Andrew Sanders

[david_wright4]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I don't have an issue - but I wish they'd document things like this in the manual! Now I just need to get back into Edinburgh and get the camera back.

 

It's Spring, it's sunny and the sky is bright blue - and I'm stuck in an office. Think I'll go climb a Munro this weekend. With a camera.

 

Happy snapping.

 

David.

[david_wright4]

A follow up ... emailled this query to Canon UK technical support to get their response, the email I got back is pasted below. Looks like they don't know the flash guns do this either!!

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

Our tests indicate that the illumination pattern emitted by the 550EX does not change when used with different EOS cameras, including the EOS 3.

 

A white piece of paper was held close to the illuminator and a consistent pattern was observered. Perhaps the best description is that of a 'face', comprising of 3 central circles -- 'eyes,nose' -- , an upper and lower line / semi circle -- 'top and bottom of face'.

 

Should you require any further technical assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us quoting your Incident number. If replying, please include a daytime contact telephone number.