david_wright4

<p>We have lots of camera shops in the UK - but nowadays they have names that largely include the word "phone". People don't buy compacts, they use their phones for snapshots. Stores like Jessops relied on the selling of bulk compacts to subsidise the limited market for professional level and specialist equipment, when people stopped buying compacts their operating model became unsustainable. Unfortunate - but kinda inevitable.</p>

<p>What we now have is a model similar to what happened to hifi years ago - you can buy cheap and cheerful hifi anywhere, but for the specialist high end stuff you need to be prepared to travel to it. We're now in the situation that high end photographic equipment will only be available online or in specialist shops that are few and far between. Be prepared to travel to it, don't expect to find it on the high street.</p>

They're okay - I use a Samsung NV3 for every day use and I've taken some pretty good photos with it. It's basic - but contains enough functionality to do what I need it to do. The main advantage over my EOS 30D set up is that it's always there - in a pocket ready to be whipped out. I've previously used an IXUS 400 and a Nikon L11 for the same purpose and the Samsung is as good as either of them - and in the NV3's case has a very handy internal zoom lens (my IXUS 400 was wrecked when my 2-year old decided to put the lens away for me - I can still hear the noise of plastic gears screaming!).

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Or - as it's digital you want - draw the required lines on the LCD on the back with a felt tip pen, take a photo and see how it looks. You can always delete it and recompose - no wasted film and no major surgery to the inside of the camera.

Found this out almost by accident - from a link on the Warehouse

Express website. A 100 pound (150 euro) cashback offer from Canon on

20d's bought between now and the end of the year. In Europe only - no

idea if it will come across the Atlantic in time.

 

http://canoneos20dpromotion.onlinerebates.com/intro.aspx

 

Anyone bought one since the 15th September is entitled - there's an

online form to fill out and an address to send it to. Glad I waited!

Prices are dropping - at least, they are in Europe - where it was too high to start with anyway. Canon have announced a 100 cashback for anyone buying a 20D between now and the end of the year. Might have to ask Santa nicely.

 

http://canoneos20dpromotion.onlinerebates.com/intro.aspx

 

I've no idea if this cashback will extend to USA or beyond.

They've just announced a cashback offer in Europe against the 20D camera, nothing on lenses announced. 100 pounds (150 euros) off the price of a 20D, takes it down to around 800 pounds for the body only.

 

http://canoneos20dpromotion.onlinerebates.com/intro.aspx

 

Runs from 15th September through to the end of the year.

What country are you in?

 

In the UK I find EOS magazine a good read, and unsurprisingly it's very heavily weighted towards the Canon system. You can subscribe online.

 

http://www.eos-magazine.com/

And hopefully now small enough to appear in-line.<div></div>

Born 6 weeks ago ... my camera is melting!<div></div>

... and the question mark in the price should be a UK pound sign ...

Product announcement from EOS magazine in the UK ... that'll make the US price about $500 if I remember my exchange rates correctly.

 

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

 

New macro lens for EOS digital cameras

 

Also new is the EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM lens. When attached to the EOS 20D, 300D or 350D, the lens gives a similar field-of-view to the EF 100mm macro lens used on a 35mm camera. The UK suggested retail price is ?349.99. Availability is expected to be April 2005.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?!!