> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Ken Durling
> Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2001 8:10 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: EOS Decided against an Elan 7e - a/f assist light
> (plusflashassist)
>
>
> On Sun, 9 Sep 2001 17:52:27 -0600, you wrote:
>
> >As for not handholding in low the low light that would cause
> unassisted a/f
> >not to work, I am sure that you carefully read the many posts of the
> >exchange and simply forgot to point out that the problem of
> flickering light
> >in people's eyes is just as bad when you are focusing prior to a
> flash shot
> >as it is with available light. I don't mean this as ridicule,
> for you are
> >indeed an honorable person and an keen observer and thinker, and
> no doubt a
> >masterful photographer.
>
>
> Sarcasm doesn't particularly suit you, Gerry.
Thanks for saying that. It is a stimulus for me to resist the temptation to
be sarcastic.
> OK, maybe I do need to
> read parts of the thread again, because I thought you and others were
> objecting to the white pre-flicker of the built in flash - with most
> serious flash photography wouldn't you be rather using the red assist
> of an external flash, and isn't that pretty much what the earlier
> Elan's AF assist was like?
I don't know about the original Elan, but the Elan II has an infrared assist
light in the place where the 7 has its red-eye reduction light. The IIe uses
its built-in flash for red-eye reduction. I don't know why they changed the
function with the 7, since the only time you need red-eye reduction is when
you are using the built-in flash anyway. As for the red assist light on the
attached flash units, I certainly would use them, since the red is less
irritating than the bright white light. But I also like to use my camera
without an attached flash, i.e. grab it and my general purpose lens and use
the built-in, inadequate though it is, when I need it.
I did have a built-in red a/f assist on my old Maxxum 7000i, and I found
that the absence of it on the 600si that replaced it was a real weakness,
which is probably why I am so sensitive to it on the Elan 7.
> I honestly don't know, so fill me in. I
> have found the built in flash to be pretty useless most of the time,
> except as occasional fill. It's underpowered for long shots, and
> harsh for close shots.
I find it useful, but limited as you say. However, I sometimes find myself
to be the photographer of record, and it is very handy to use it sometimes,
even with its inadequacies. I will often grab my camera and go and not want
to take along my whole kit, just use my basic zoom lens and, when necessary,
the flash. The other problem with the red light on the attached flash is
that you have to fiddle with the custom functions depending on whether you
want flash or not. Believe me, I do take low light pictures with or without
a tripod where it is too dark to focus, but where I don't want to use the
flash. So if I want to use the light but not the flash, I have to fiddle
with the custom functions and then remember to unfiddle them when I want to
use the flash. Whichever light is used for a/f assist, I just would like to
see a fast, simple switch to turn it on or off, whether or not I am using
flash. Likewise, a positive way to use or not use flash that I can switch
with a single flick of thumb or finger.
> And if you'd been following *my*posts here, you'd realize that I am
> not a blind devotee of the camera, interested only in justifying my
> purchase. I think if there's enough you like about the camera,
> there are work-arounds for the things you don't like. But maybe not.
> Everyone has different ways of working.
I knew it all along. You may be right about the workarounds. It is just
that with the Maxxum 600si I have had so much frustration with autofocus
that I really am sensitive to the issue. It may be that in the end it is
really OK, and that the Canon engineers made a sensible decision to drop the
feature from the Elan 7. However, I don't understand why they replaced it
with a red-eye light. Basically I am betwixt and between, which is probably
why I have hesitated so long. I even have toyed with the idea of going over
to a manual focus slr and learn to be handy with it. But Canon doesn't make
one, and so I can't share lenses with my daughter, and I can't get the IS
lenses. The fact is that I can work around all the problems even with my
Maxxum, but I do find it frustrating. I think one thing I should learn to
do is to work with a 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens in low light situations. This
would also make focusing easier.
I really think I need to try the 7 for a day (two would cost too much) to
see how bad it would really be. But I have to say that my experience in the
store, which turned out to be the red-eye light and not the a/f, was
frustrating. Now that I "see the light" I realize that the camera focused
just fine in the store, so I should probably start by going back to the
store and putting it through its paces, as I can do that for free.
----------------------------------------------
Gerry Palo
Denver, Colorado
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