roy_kekewich

I was doing an empty-camera test involving using my Elan IIe's built-in pop-up flash to trigger two slaved Vivitar flashes and got a somewhat disturbing result.

<p>

So as not to expose my (eventual) subject with the built-in flash, I was blocking its light with a piece of black card angled over the housing. Specifically, with the flash popped up, I rested the one-foot square card against the edges of the top and bottom of the flash housing.

<p>

After firing a test shot, I discovered a grey rectangle, exactly the size and shape of the flash tube, on the surface of the black card!

I fired a few more times and got the same result. Once, I'm sure I saw a single strand of smoke (xenon gas?) rise up from underneath the flash?

<p>

Is is dangerous to your camera/flash to use a card in this way?

<p>

Thank you,

<p>

Roy Kekewich

I use the ElanIIe and wear glasses.

Calibrations are cumulative. As I have continued calibrating in as

many different lighting situations as possible, the camera has become

more responsive to my eye. In a Canon brochure they refer to this

feature as "self-teaching technology".

<p>

I have heard that people who wear LARGE glasses (mine are small)

sometimes encounter problems. I suspect this is because the camera is

comparing the cornea of your eye to stored images of your cornea, and

somehowlarge glasses interfere with this.

<p>

My eye-control feature gets better and better. I don't have to

always look at one of the three AF squares in the 'finder anymore.

When I look anywhere ABOVE the squares or at the height of the

squares, as though there were an imaginary line drawn across the

'finder right through the squares, the camera detects my eye's

direction and uses the nearest AF square to focus. This does not work

below the "line". A Canon service manager confirmed that there is

indeed a "window" in the area I described where eye control will work.

<p>

By the way, when you calibrate be sure to stare fixedly at the AF

squares and don't forget to calibrate it holding the camera vertically

as well.

Don't give up, it skates rings around regular AF once it knows your

eyes well enough.

Good luck!

Roy Kekewich

I have the ElanIIE and chose it over the A2E because:

<p>

- eye-control focus works whether you hold the camera horizontally or

vertically; A2 is horizontal only.

<p>

- by the way, eye-control is a GREAT feature and well worth the extra

$50. I have written about its many advantages in answers to questions

in this forum - check them out if you're interested, but briefly: you

never have to aim off to use AF then recompose and shoot--you simply

look and the camera really does respond to your eye; you can lock

exposure using eye-control by looking at a midtone in the frame

sometimes without re-aiming; you can also control your depth-of-field

function using your eye.

<p>

- the A2E does not offer the advanced flash features of the Elan:

(when used with a Canon EX series flash ONLY) such as the ability to

synch at ANY speed up to 1/4000 of a second; ETTL, which is better

than TTL (a Canon technician told me that the Elan / 380EX is giving

pros better flash exposures than they get with the top of the line 1N

body and 540EZ flash, and Popular Photography said ElanII/380EX

delivered the most natural mix of flash and ambient OF ANY SYSTEM THEY

HAD EVER TESTED); flash exposure lock; and second curtain synch.

<p>

Eye-control has made me faster and more able to capture the "decisive

moment"; the advanced flash features are giving me great results and

the ability to use flash in many situations which I couldn't with the

A2 or, in fact, most other cameras on the market.

<p>

Good luck,

Roy

Nikita,

<p>

I have an ElanIIe. My understanding is that the automatic flash

reduction is up to a maximum of 2 stops. So, it could be less in some

cases.

<p>

The Elan has ETTL capability, which is a new form of autoflash, and

has been called the best to date (by Popular PHotography) and some

Canon pro users. Here's how it works:

<p>

First, to answer your later question: AMBIENT LIGHT is the light in

the environment in which you are shooting-- the sun, lamps,

flourescents etc., VERSUS the light YOU bring with you to the shoot,

such as your flash.

<p>

When equipped with an EX flash (380EX, 550EX etc.), the ElanIIe

determines autoflash exposure as follows:

<p>

1. the EX flash fires a pre-flash. This light returns to the camera

and is measured to determine the best power setting (such as fill

reduction) by comparing it to the AMBIENT metering (the light

measurement of the light in the environment).

<p>

The camera uses the Elan's most sophisticated metering (Evaluative for

ambient) to do this; along with a flash sensor located up near the

viewfinder. The two readings are compared and the camera works out

the optimum COMBINATION of light from the flash and light from the

environment to produce the most natural looking flash shots possible.

Once determined, in a period of 4 microseconds including all these

steps, the camera sets the flash and itself accordingly.

<p>

ETTL's method is different. The last generation, ATTL, used the

preflash only to measure distance, and the earlier TTL had no preflash

but measured off the film plane.

<p>

Make sense? If not, please feel free to email me. Flash can be very

complicated; I find it so, though I'm starting to catch on a bit.

<p>

Regards,

Roy

True, the A2e doesn't, but by the way the ElanIIe does. So, if you're

looking to purchase one...

Roy

I had a serious battery problem with my ElanIIe, which was brand new.

I would get low battery warning signals despite having tested the

batteries on a voltage meter. At times, my system shut down, again

with brand new batteries. Eventually, Canon replaced the body for me.

Thank god for warranties.

<p>

I get at least ten rolls on a set of batteries in my BP50 or using a

2CR5 6 volt. I use eye-control focus 100% of the time, which

contributes to usage, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.

<p>

Using the BP50 saves hundreds of dollars in batteries, versus the 2CR5

6 volt ones, because you can use inexpensive 1.5 volt AA batteries.

<p>

You also get a second shutter release, making shooting verticals

easier and giving you a better grip for holding on at slow shutter

speeds. Pays for itself many times over in no time.

<p>

ROY

<p>

Somewhere on this or another forum, I saw a note about battery

problems and Elans. If anyone could direct me to it, I'd appreciate

it, though it may have been on another forum--can't find it on either.

To add to Bob Atkin's comment: I would also suggest the Tamron (for

Canon AF) 28 - 300. I have the 28 - 200AF lens and use it on my Canon

Elan IIE, getting superb results at all focal lengths, plus

close-focussing ability to 20 inches. All other 28 - 200s have a

closest-focusing barrier of 5 to 8 feet, so watch out for that.

<p>

With rare exception, lens mounts are proprietary (so you can't use a

Nikon lens on a Canon body etc.). Makers of lenses for other

companies' camera bodies (e.g. Tamron, Sigma and Tokina) offer

different versions of each lens that are not only compatible with

lens mounts, but also electronically dedicated. The latter means that

the computers in the camera body and lens can "talk" to each other. In

Canon cameras, some 50 different types of data are transmitted back

and forth between the camera body and lens, information related to

exposure, auto-focussing (and perhaps other things).

<p>

Good luck!

<p>

Roy

Likely the reason you've read that the 380 is "best" is that it was

designed specifically for use on the ElanIIE. (I have the same

equipment. The EX series is the new generation. The 550EX is the big

brother (introduced later than the 380EX) to the 380EX. The 550EX

equates in terms of power to the 540; both are Canon's most powerful

shoe-mounted (vs. handle-mounted) flashes. The guide number of the

380EX (iso 100, 50mm) is 102 feet, whereas the 550EX is much higher,

I think it's 140 feet. So you've already got all the advantages of

the 380/Elan combination, PLUS more power and more options on the

flash--not to forget wireless flash with additional 550EX's and/or the

transmitter.

<p>

Though compatible across the board, the EX flashes when used ONLY WITH

the ElanII, the EOS 3 and the very low end bodies (but not the 1N),

provide E-TTL autoflash (the most sophisticated to date), high speed

synch and FEL.

Roy

I would think in your areas of work that eye-controlled focus and the

550EX flash would offer many benefits. Thought my comments on my

experience with the ElanIIe and another EX speedlite might be

relevant:

<p>

<p>

Note: I copied the following excerpt from my answer to Tom

Smart's question on this

forum.

<p>

Eye-Control Focus

<p>

I highly recommend Eye-Controlled-Focusing! So, if you go with

the Elan, spend a tiny bit more and get the ElanIIe.It performs

exceedingly well in all but

the toughest of conditions (as likely would any AF system). The

ElanIIe offers

eye-control in both horizonal and vertical positions (unlike the

horizontal-only A2E)and it

really does get more sensitive to your eye the more you calibrate

it in as many levels of

light as you can. Calibration takes only a few seconds and

involves setting CAL on your

mode dial and staring at flashing index squares while you depress

the shutter button

half-way. It beeps and you're done. ( Don't forget to do it

vertically as well.)

<p>

Eye-control

focus has it all over other AF modes (also available on the Elan,

though I never use

them). For example, I'm shooting a model standing in an archway.

If the focusing index

points are on the arch and it's closer, of course the AF will

focus on it. With eye-control I

simply look at the focus index square that falls on the model and

press the shutter to

focus on her. Another example: I'm shooting in a crowd situation

(doing event photography) and someone is standing

closer to the lens that my subject whom I've framed in my

'finder. Once again, I simply

look at my subject and press the shutter button half-way. If I

then want to shoot the

nearer person, I simply have repeat the procedure, ALL WITHOUT

EVER HAVING

TO RECOMPOSE. This makes you faster and more likely to "capture

the moment". By

the way, though the manual tells you to look at the focusing

index square to select it, you

can look anywhere ABOVE the squares, press the shutter half-way,

and the camera will

select the focusing square nearest to where you're looking!

<p>

I think some people are a bit intimidated by eye-control. That's

a shame, because I

believe if more people had experienced what I have using it,

eye-control would sweep the

industry.

<p>

You can even use it to lock an exposure without moving the camera

either at all or very

much: say you're concerned that a bright white subject will fool

your light meter and

cause underexposure. You might LOOK AT a medium toned area in

your 'finder such as

green grass in sunlight, focus on it (thereby taking an exposure

reading via Canon's AIM

system) press the exposure lock button to retain the reading,

take your finger off the

shutter, look at your subject, and press the shutter. Wild, huh?

<p>

EX Series Flashes with the EOS 3 or ElanIIe

<p>

A Canon technician told me that some pros have reported getting better

flash exposures with the 380EX used on the ElanII (the model for which

it was designed) than they get with a 1N and 540EZ.

<p>

The EX series of flashes are compatible across the board, but when

used on the EOS 3 or ElanII (and the really low end bodies), but not

on the 1N, they provide several advantages:

<p>

1) Popular Photography magazine said that the autoflash exposures

produced by the ElanII and 380EX were the BEST OF ANY SYSTEM THEY HAD

EVER TESTED (prior to release of the EOS 3 and 550EX). Why?

<p>

E-TTL is the NEW GENERATION of autoflash and more sophisticated than

TTL or A-TTL. The EX's preflash is used to measure exposure (not just

distance); it is compared to the ambient exposure, and the optimum

combination is determined and used. All in 4 microseconds.

<p>

The EX and 3 or ElanII combination also gives you:

<p>

High Speed Synch a.k.a. FP Flash - flash synch up to the maximum

shutter speed (1/4000th on the Elan).I use this to add catchlights to

portrait subjects' eyes, while blurring out the background using a

wide aperture, when shooting outdoors in bright "Sunny F16"

conditions.

<p>

Flash Exposure Lock - a manually fired preflash measurement based on

your eye-selected metering segment

<p>

Second Curtain Synch - as you likely know, so you can freeze a moving

subject with flash and produce the blur lines behind the subject. (I

don't know if the 1N has this or not).

<p>

EX flashes are deemed Canon's most sophisticated to date, for good

reasons. I get great results with my system and can't wait to upgrade

to the EOS 3 and 550EX wireless (at last no PC cords) system.

<p>

With the positive experience I've had using eye-control and ETTL

flash, personally I wouldn't look at the 1N etc for a second.

<p>

I would confidently predict you would get many more shots you'd

normally miss with standard AF using the eye-control way, and probably

much better exposures, faster, with the EX flash series.

<p>

Hope this is useful.

<p>

Roy

<p>

<p>

Good stuff above, to which I can add:

<p>

There's a guide number chart on page 44 of your 380EX's manual.

<p>

In meters, the G.N. is 31 or 102.30 feet. I multiply be 3.3 to convert

meters to feet. Keep in mind that your Guide Number changes not only

with ASA, but also with focal length. It decreases at the wide end and

increases at telephoto. Finally, when using high speed sync (FP

Flash) guide numbers plummet (see the chart).

<p>

By the way, I get excellent results with both normal and FP flash.The

lower guide numbers associated with FP flash are of no consequence in

my photography since I use high speed synch only to add a bit of fill

to knock out shadows caused by bright, harsh sunlight, as well as to

add catchlights to my subjects'eyes.

<p>

Great feature: I can shoot wide open to blur out the background to

make my portrait subjects stand out while shooting flash synched to

any shutter speed up to and including 1/4000th of a second. This is

otherwise unheard of in 35mm photography, except with EX flashes used

on specific EOS models. Good going, Canon!

I, too, use an ElanIIe, 380EX and Tamron AF 28 - 200. Most often i

use ASA400 print film for shooting events and even location portraits.

I get consistently good flash exposures.

<p>

There are two simple checks you can make:

As you zoom your lens you should be able to hear the 380's flash head

zooming in concert. Also, the small green lights on the back of the

flash should be lighting up as the zoom head moves, indicating its

position, from 28 to 105.

<p>

Also, try using AV (aperture priority), setting your Tamron wide open

to F/4 at 28 - 35mm and see what the corresponding shutter speed

becomes. You may find indoors that the shutter is, for example, 1/6

1/8. In Program mode, the slowest shutter speed the Elan will use is

1/60th (in brighter light it will give 1/90th or 1/125th). So, if you

have an ambient reading of, say 1/8th, and your camera is defaulting

to 1/60th, then you are underexposing the background by 3 stops! This

may account for your dark pictures.

<p>

By the way, if this is happening in your indoor shots, an easy remedy

is to get your subjects to stand near a wall. The light from the

flash will then reflect back off the wall, exposing it sufficiently.

<p>

Hope this helps!

Your question relates to one of my own: I have a Canon 380EX I use on

my Canon Elan IIe. I also have a classic Vivitar 285HV flash--the

manual for which warns not to fire more than 25 times in a row (when

using direct current) because of the danger of overheating. They

recommend a 4 second rest. Does the same apply to our AF flashes?

<p>

From your anecdote, it seems it would. Nowhere in my 380's manual can

I find any such warning. Any clarification would be much appreciated

by me, too.

I'm extremely happy with my Elan IIe and Tamron 28-200 lens.

The two make for a virtual camera system in one.

The camera offers some unique advancements that are not even found on

the Canon 1N (but now offered on the EOS3):

- eye-control focus, which I find far superior to traditional AF

- ETTL, Canon's most advanced autoflash system (when used with the

380EX, which I use, and the 550EX) Popular Photography magazine

actually called it the best autoflash system for natural photos

obtained with a mixture of flash and ambient they'd EVER TESTED.

- AI Focus, an artificially intelligent autofocusing mode that will

keep you in focus-priority mode until your subject starts moving, when

it will switch to servo (predictive) autofocus. Very handy.

- again, with EX flashes: high-speed flash synch up to 1/4,000th of a

second shutter speed\

The Tamron 28 - 200 is of superb quality owing to the incorporation of

aspherical optics and low dispersion optical glass. It's the only

super-zoom in its class to offer close-focussing ability (20" at

135mm) WARNING: other 28 - 200's can't focus any closer than 5 - 8

feet at any focal length. This problem creates all sorts of

difficulties, from having to move back to being unable to use the

focal lengths of your zoom for some classic applications. For example,

you may not be able to get the right framing for a close-up portrait

while in the 80 - 135mm range, which is the classic range of focal

lengths for portraiture.

<p>

The camera/lens combination I have has enabled me to catch many shots

I would have missed owing to the slowness of having to change lenses

and otherwise meter and focus manually.

<p>

Having shot with my system for about 6 months I could never even think

of going back to my old manual system.

I'm really glad I opted for eye-controlled focus when I bought my Elan

IIe. It's really easy to use and set up (ie. calibrate). I find it

makes me faster and more efficient in location photography. In

addition, eye-control solves some classic autofocusing problems, such

as having to recompose because something or someone is standing closer

to your camera than your subject.

<p>

Now that I've had eye-control I would not want to do without it. I've

had no problems with it whatsoever, it's a breeze to set up

(calibration takes only a few seconds) and my camera really is getting

more responsive to my eye the more I calibrate it in different light

levels (owing to what is apparently called "self-teaching

technology"). I'm faster at metering using eye-control as well as

composing. It's a godsend in a crowd or any situation with a lot of

people or things (c/b a forest) that will drive you crazy if you use

traditional autofocus methods and workarounds. While others are

wasting time turning off AF to go manual or aiming off to refocus or

meter, I've "captured the moment" and am on to my next shot. I've

caught several pictures that would otherwise have been missed if it

weren't for eye-control.

<p>

By the way, some don't realize there are three calibration settings on

the ElanIIe. You, your spouse and a third camera user can each have

their own setting (meaning it will respond to each person), or do what

I've done: 1. for use with my glasses , 2. for contact lenses and 3.

for my naked eye!

<p>

Finally, in Full Auto (point and shoot mode), eye-control switches

off, so you can hand your camera to a snapshooter (who still benefits

from standard AF).

<p>

I NEVER use the other autofocusing options available because

eye-control is faster, more accurate and puts control of autofocus in

MY hands, not in the "hands" of the camera.

<p>

Roy Kekewich

Note: I copied the following excerpt from my answer to Tom Smart's

question on this forum. Hope it's helpful:

I highly recommend Eye-Controlled-Focusing! So, if you go with the

Elan, spend a

tiny bit more and get the ElanIIe.It performs exceedingly well in

all but the toughest of

conditions (as likely would any AF system). The ElanIIe offers

eye-control in both horizonal and vertical positions (unlike the

horizontal-only A2E)and

it really does get more sensitive to your eye the more you

calibrate it in as many levels

of light as you can. Calibration takes only a few seconds and

involves setting CAL on

your mode dial and staring at flashing index squares while you

depress the shutter

button half-way. It beeps and you're done. ( Don't forget to do

it vertically as well.)

Eye-control focus has it all over other AF modes (also available

on the Elan, though I

never use them). For example, I'm shooting a model standing in an

archway. If the

focusing index points are on the arch and it's closer, of course

the AF will focus on it.

With eye-control I simply look at the focus index square that

falls on the model and

press the shutter to focus on her. Another example: I'm shooting

in a crowd situation

and someone is standing closer to the lens that my subject whom

I've framed in my

'finder. Once again, I simply look at my subject and press the

shutter button half-way.

If I then want to shoot the nearer person, I simply have repeat

the procedure, ALL

WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO RECOMPOSE. This makes you faster and more

likely to "capture the moment". By the way, though the manual

tells you to look at the

focusing index square to select it, you can look anywhere ABOVE

the squares, press

the shutter half-way, and the camera will select the focusing

square nearest to where

you're looking!

<p>

I'm sure if you go with the ElanIIe and a Canon or

Canon-dedicated autofocus lens

such as the Tamron, you will soon forget your frustrations with

old-fashioned

split-prism finders. You're in for a treat.

<p>

I think some people are a bit intimidated by eye-control. That's

a shame, because I

believe if more people had experienced what I have using it,

eye-control would sweep

the industry.

<p>

You can even use it to lock an exposure without moving the camera

either at all or very

much: say you're concerned that a bright white subject will fool

your light meter and

cause underexposure. You might LOOK AT a medium toned area in

your 'finder such

as green grass in sunlight, focus on it (thereby taking an

exposure reading via Canon's

AIM system) press the exposure lock button to retain the reading,

take your finger off

the shutter, look at your subject, and press the shutter. Wild,

huh?

<p>

Good luck. Roy

I have an ElanIIe and a Tamron AF 28 - 200 mm lens. Compared to

focussing my old manual Ricoh KR5 (a Pentax -compatible and close

counterpart in many ways to the K1000)with its split-image finder, my

new system is a dream come true.

I do a lot of low light (event photography) work and night

photography. Here's what I've found:

1. The autofocus assist beam, when emitted from the camera or my Canon

380EX flash, works superbly. I've gotten in-focus, good exposures

using both the body's and flash's AF assist beams with the Elan's

built-in pop-up flash and the 380EX when shooting tests in BLIND

DARKNESS. You'd think they were shot in daylight; and in all cases I

purposely threw the lens way out of focus before shooting.

<p>

2. A limitation of autofocussing seems to arise in conditions that are

in-between near, total darkness eg. some street scenes at night, and

a low-light situation eg. some large interiors such as meeting

facilities.

Here, I've learned that manual focus with the aid of the in-focus

indicator is best achieved by turning the focusing ring VERY slowly

once you know you're in the ballpark. I find the in-focus indicator is

better than my eyesight in judging focus in many night photography

conditions.

<p>

3. I highly recommend Eye-Controlled-Focusing! So, if you go with

the Elan, spend a tiny bit more and get the ElanIIe.It performs

exceedingly well in all but the toughest of the above-mentioned

conditions (as likely would any AF system). The ElanIIe offers

eye-control in both horizonal and vertical positions (unlike the

horizontal-only A2E)and it really does get more sensitive to your eye

the more you calibrate it in as many levels of light as you can.

Calibration takes only a few seconds and involves setting CAL on your

mode dial and staring at flashing index squares while you depress the

shutter button half-way. It beeps and you're done. ( Don't forget to

do it vertically as well.)

Eye-control focus has it all over other AF modes (also available on

the Elan, though I never use them). For example, I'm shooting a model

standing in an archway. If the focusing index points are on the arch

and it's closer, of course the AF will focus on it. With eye-control

I simply look at the focus index square that falls on the model and

press the shutter to focus on her. Another example: I'm shooting in a

crowd situation and someone is standing closer to the lens that my

subject whom I've framed in my 'finder. Once again, I simply look at

my subject and press the shutter button half-way. If I then want to

shoot the nearer person, I simply have repeat the procedure, ALL

WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO RECOMPOSE. This makes you faster and more

likely to "capture the moment".

By the way, though the manual tells you to look at the focusing index

square to select it, you can look anywhere ABOVE the squares, press

the shutter half-way, and the camera will select the focusing square

nearest to where you're looking!

<p>

I'm sure if you go with the ElanIIe and a Canon or Canon-dedicated

autofocus lens such as the Tamron, you will soon forget your

frustrations with old-fashioned split-prism finders. You're in for a

treat.

<p>

I think some people are a bit intimidated by eye-control. That's a

shame, because I believe if more people had experienced what I have

using it, eye-control would sweep the industry.

<p>

You can even use it to lock an exposure without moving the camera

either at all or very much: say you're concerned that a bright white

subject will fool your light meter and cause underexposure. You might

LOOK AT a medium toned area in your 'finder such as green grass in

sunlight, focus on it (thereby taking an exposure reading via Canon's

AIM system) press the exposure lock button to retain the reading, take

your finger off the shutter, look at your subject, and press the

shutter. Wild, huh?

<p>

Good luck. Roy

When employing bounce flash,using a device such as the Lumiquest Pocket Bounce or an index card angled over the head of my 380EX flash, should I use my ElanIIe's flash compensation feature to increase output?

<p>

Lumiquest's site says light loss is 1.3 stops yet adds that no compensation is required for AUTOMATIC flashes- what about Canon's E-TTL flashes such as my 380EX? I'd appreciate some advice regarding this approach when shooting indoors, in both a "normal" or large interior, as well as outdoors when using fill-in flash.