I have just recently upgraded from an EOS 5 to an EOS 3. However, I have a few little questions about the EOS 3 which don't appear to be answered in the manual.

1) It will not use the AF assist light on my Speedlite 430EZ. The custom function to cancel the AF assist is not set. Will the EOS 3 only use the assist on the EX series flashguns, or is there a problem with my 430 EZ (The only other body I have available to test it on is a friend's EOS 5, which is notorious for not using the AF assist on external flashguns)?

2) Is there an interaction between the custom function which limits ECF to 11 focus points and CF17-1 (which expands the area for centre-point select AI servo tracking)? If so, what happens?

3) Why is there no metering scale on the top plate in manual mode?

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), February 20, 2002

Answers

>It will not use the AF assist light on my Speedlite 430EZ

Do you have multiple focus points selected? Since the 430EZ only covers the central point it's possible that the EOS 3 will only illuminate the 430EZ's AF assist light when you have the central point selected.

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), February 20, 2002.

Even with just the central point selected, the AF assist is not activated.

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), February 20, 2002.

"Is there an interaction between the custom function which limits ECF to 11 focus points and CF17-1 (which expands the area for centre- point select AI servo tracking)? If so, what happens?"

With 11 focus point set, CF17-1 & 2 does not expand the focus area (I don't believe this is well documented). With all 45 points active, CF17-1 works fine.

-- kenneth katz (socks@bestweb.net), February 20, 2002.

So you finally took the plunge!

1) The EOS 3 activates the AF assist beam at a much lower EV level than the EOS 5 or other "consumer" EOS cams. Maybe it wasn't dark enough?

The AF assist lights on my ST-E2 and 420EX work fine with my EOS 3. The AF assist light on my wife's 220EX also works, but covers the center AF cross only. I don't recall having problems with the AF assist beam on my 430EZ, but I sold it 2 years ago, so memory is a bit foggy. At any rate, the 430EZ only covers the center sensor.

2) With ECF or manual sensor selection and CF13-1 or 2 (11 focus points), CF17- 1 or 2 is canceled. You simply get what you select. With automatic sensor selection (ECF off), all 45 points will be active and CF17-1 or 2 expands the focus points as expected.

3) The manual metering scale is displayed on the LCD only on the lower and mid- level EOS cams. The pro cam have to make do with a viewfinder display.

You'll notice eventually that the EOS 3 lacks the shiftable DEP program that your EOS 5 had. Well, I missed it. With the EOS 3 I use DEP mode, note the F stop, turn off AF (to retain the hyperfocal distance setting), change to AV mode, set the F stop one or two stops smaller and take the picture! It's so easy to do the same thing without leaving DEP mode by simply turning the main dial.

You may soon notice that the spot meter or partial reading will not lock with the shutter button as the EOS 5, 50, 100, etc., does. Instead, you must use the * or FEL buttons. It took me a while to get used to that.

-- Puppy Face (doggieface@aol.com), February 21, 2002.

Having tried to use the AF assist even with the lens cap fitted to the lens, I am beginning to suspect that the problem lies in the flashgun being a much older model, and that for this to work correctly, I'd need an EX series flashgun.

I don't tend to use the DEP program much, so I wouldn't have noticed the effect you describe. However, I do use program shift a great deal, and get slightly annoyed that the EOS 3 will only shift in entire stop steps, as opposed to the half-stops of the EOS 5. There should be a custom function to choose the shift stepping.

There's a couple of other points that I wish canon would change, or allow the user to set, eg moving AEL to the +/- button, so that AEL is still available with CF4-3. Since I've jsut come from the EOS 5, CF4 finally becomes useful because it does not necessarily lock the exposure, but having the feature available would be useful.

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.

Issac:

I've received my new EOS 3 a week ago I tried my 430EZ with it. The AF assist light is working for me. I had all the sensors enabled for automatic selection. In any case it wasn't that dark. All the modes (P, Av, Tv, M) did the same thing. My speedlite is an international version with meter scale. What else? All the CFs were in factory default.

I'm not surprised you had (or have) questions. I think the instructions were not particurlaly well written. They should write a manual just for more advanced users.

Hope it helps.

-- Bernardo Movsichoff (musi22@netscape.net), April 20, 2002.

That suggests that my flash is faulty...not a hugely big deal, since I don't use it much.

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.