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

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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 Pailes (rpailes@peganet.com), April 16, 1999

Answers

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-3 owner (aviator@vernonia.com), April 16, 1999.

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.

Marcus J.

-- Marcus J. Wilson (marcus.wilson@dtra.mil), April 19, 1999.


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.

-- EOS-3 owner (aviator@vernonia.com), April 23, 1999.

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.

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.

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.

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 Pailes (rpailes@peganet.com), April 28, 1999.


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.

-- EOS-3 owner (aviator@vernonia.com), April 29, 1999.


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.

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.

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????

-- Rob Pailes (rpailes@peganet.com), April 30, 1999.


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.

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.

-- EOS-3 owner (aviator@vernonia.com), April 30, 1999.


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.

-- Julian Radowsky (julianr@iafrica.com), August 05, 1999.

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).

-- Bill (blozier@empnet.com), September 01, 1999.

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