Canon Eos 3 Back Wheel / Aperture Control

[anthony_wallace]

Hi there,

 

The back control wheel on my Eos 3 doesn't click anymore and turns freely, sometimes changing the

aperture with my face when I take a photo!

 

Apart from getting it serviced-can you these days?- is there a way I can use a function that will allow me

to control the aperture with another button whilst turning the one for the shutter speed?

 

I really want to still be able to use the camera on fully manual and not AV mode.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Anthony

[hjoseph7]

I don't think there's a way and I don't remember any function on the EOS3 that can perform this, but I could be wrong. I just happen to have the 5D manual on me and most of the functions relate to the AF system. There is nothing there about controlling the aperture. If there was, which one of the buttons on the back of the camera would Canon use for this function ?

[robin_sibson1]

Hold down * button, turn main dial, I seem to remember - provided you haven't set * to give AF-on-demand (CF-4-1 or CF-4-3).

[miguel_tapadas]

Easy. You just press the +/- button plus turn the main dial for aperture, and just turn it for shutter speed. ?But I would try to get the back dial fixed, it is tremendously usefull, no just for manual mode, but for choosing focus point if not in ECF, or to dial exposure compensation on-the-fly when in Tv or Av.

It's a hell of a camera, isn't it?

[adrian_lowe]

You will hate me for this but I would buy a new camera back as a replacement. I have an old EOS1 which had a similar problem and it turned out that the repair wouldn't be worth the cost. Having said that... I gave the wheel a smck with my index finger knuckle (out of pure frustration I would add) and it worked fine, UNTIL I turned the rear whell off, problem returned, so tried the knuckle approach again, and its still o.k. Trouble is I'm now consumed with guilt!..

 

P.S If you're in the U.k, try FFordes they sometims have spares/repairs bodies.

[franklin_polk]

I'm going to second Adrian on this, buy another back. A brand new back costs about $130, and you're looking at around $100 for Canon just to look at it. Fortunately, the backs were designed to be interchangeable, just push down on the pin that sticks out of the hinge (on the inside right of the camera), and pull the back slightly, and it'll pop right off. Reverse that to put the back back onto the camera.

[bongeiste]

According to the manual, you can do this if Custom Function # 5 is set to "0". Use the Main Dial to control shutter speed and press the "+/-" button and turn the Main Dial to change the aperture. If you set Custom Function #5 to "1" it will reverse the functions (i.e., the Main Dial will control the aperture while pressing the "+/-" button while turning the Main Dial will change the shutter speed.

[hjoseph7]

Miguel and Francis are right, Custom Function 5 set to '1' should do the trick, but does this presume that the control wheel is not malfunctioning .

[anthony_wallace]

Thankyou Adrian,

 

I read your comment and fixed it with my knuckle ha ha!

 

Thankyou to everyone else as well because I'll probably have to use your advice in due

course as well...

 

Very happy to have my Eos 3 back to speed :)