AF illuminator on the Maxxum 7D

Alan Browne wrote in
:

But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.


Please read again.

Alan Browne wrote in
:

But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.


Please read again.

Alan Browne wrote in
:

But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.


Please read again.

Magnus W wrote:
Alan Browne wrote in
:


But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.



Please read again.


Well, since I posted last, I may have misunderstood the shop fella.
Looking further in the Maxxum 7D .pdf files that someone pointed us to
in another thread, it says below that the pop-up flash will fire
regardless of the ambient light. Page 97 also says the AF illuminator
can be turned on/off, not the flash function itself.

So, sans an accessory flash, it seems to presume that if ambient light
is low enough to need AF illumination, and one raises the pop-up flash,
then the pop-up flash will be used for both AF illumination AND flash,
whether one really wanted flash or not.

So, my original shop question stands... Will the AF system still perform
in low-light situations, albeit where one might want to use flash, but
what if I don't want to use flash?

I do know that the 700i (film) system uses the built-in AF illuminator
(red-patterned), even though the pop-up flash is down (and off).


Using the built-in flash (p.31)

To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side.
This flash position must be set manually, and once up, the flash unit
always fires regardless of the amount of ambient light. The flash mode
is changed with the recording menu (p. 71).

Push down the built-in flash when the camera is not in use. The flash
is also used as an AF illuminator, see page 97.


AF Illuminator (p.97)

The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too
dark for the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few
short bursts to provide light for the camera to focus. When an
accessory flash is attached, the accessory flash unit is used as the AF
illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on and off in section 2
of the custom menu (p. 92).



--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten'

Magnus W wrote:
Alan Browne wrote in
:


But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.



Please read again.


Well, since I posted last, I may have misunderstood the shop fella.
Looking further in the Maxxum 7D .pdf files that someone pointed us to
in another thread, it says below that the pop-up flash will fire
regardless of the ambient light. Page 97 also says the AF illuminator
can be turned on/off, not the flash function itself.

So, sans an accessory flash, it seems to presume that if ambient light
is low enough to need AF illumination, and one raises the pop-up flash,
then the pop-up flash will be used for both AF illumination AND flash,
whether one really wanted flash or not.

So, my original shop question stands... Will the AF system still perform
in low-light situations, albeit where one might want to use flash, but
what if I don't want to use flash?

I do know that the 700i (film) system uses the built-in AF illuminator
(red-patterned), even though the pop-up flash is down (and off).


Using the built-in flash (p.31)

To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side.
This flash position must be set manually, and once up, the flash unit
always fires regardless of the amount of ambient light. The flash mode
is changed with the recording menu (p. 71).

Push down the built-in flash when the camera is not in use. The flash
is also used as an AF illuminator, see page 97.


AF Illuminator (p.97)

The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too
dark for the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few
short bursts to provide light for the camera to focus. When an
accessory flash is attached, the accessory flash unit is used as the AF
illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on and off in section 2
of the custom menu (p. 92).



--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten'

Based on the Maxxum 5 and the 7, it's got to be so #(#$*@# dark for it not
to be able to AF that you're going to either need a flash or a tripod
anyway. I tried turning off the AF Illuminator on my Maxxum 7 (set at ISO
400) -- the room I was in was dark enough to need between a 2 and 4 second
exposure at f/4 (depending on the spot in the room) and it still managed to
autofocus quickly. It's also not unlikely that they've improved the AF
system in the past 4 years. With the anti-shake technology, much slower
speeds are doable with the 7D, and it looks like the existing, 4-year-old
AF system in the Dynax/Maxxum 7 would be up to the job.

I doubt cost was the issue -- I suspect it might've been a space / size
issue. They also probably figured that if you were using a 5600HS(D), you'd
have the AF-illuminator on the flash, and in really low light you'd need
the flash anyway. Is anyone going to be doing ISO1600 candid shots sans
flash with a Digital SLR the way you might with B&W film?

On 17-Oct-04 09:59, Jer wrote:
Magnus W wrote:

Alan Browne wrote in
:

But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.


The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.




Please read again.



Well, since I posted last, I may have misunderstood the shop fella.
Looking further in the Maxxum 7D .pdf files that someone pointed us to
in another thread, it says below that the pop-up flash will fire
regardless of the ambient light. Page 97 also says the AF illuminator
can be turned on/off, not the flash function itself.

So, sans an accessory flash, it seems to presume that if ambient light
is low enough to need AF illumination, and one raises the pop-up flash,
then the pop-up flash will be used for both AF illumination AND flash,
whether one really wanted flash or not.

So, my original shop question stands... Will the AF system still perform
in low-light situations, albeit where one might want to use flash, but
what if I don't want to use flash?

I do know that the 700i (film) system uses the built-in AF illuminator
(red-patterned), even though the pop-up flash is down (and off).


Using the built-in flash (p.31)

To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side.
This flash position must be set manually, and once up, the flash unit
always fires regardless of the amount of ambient light. The flash mode
is changed with the recording menu (p. 71).

Push down the built-in flash when the camera is not in use. The flash
is also used as an AF illuminator, see page 97.


AF Illuminator (p.97)

The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too
dark for the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few
short bursts to provide light for the camera to focus. When an
accessory flash is attached, the accessory flash unit is used as the AF
illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on and off in section 2
of the custom menu (p. 92).

Based on the Maxxum 5 and the 7, it's got to be so #(#$*@# dark for it not
to be able to AF that you're going to either need a flash or a tripod
anyway. I tried turning off the AF Illuminator on my Maxxum 7 (set at ISO
400) -- the room I was in was dark enough to need between a 2 and 4 second
exposure at f/4 (depending on the spot in the room) and it still managed to
autofocus quickly. It's also not unlikely that they've improved the AF
system in the past 4 years. With the anti-shake technology, much slower
speeds are doable with the 7D, and it looks like the existing, 4-year-old
AF system in the Dynax/Maxxum 7 would be up to the job.

I doubt cost was the issue -- I suspect it might've been a space / size
issue. They also probably figured that if you were using a 5600HS(D), you'd
have the AF-illuminator on the flash, and in really low light you'd need
the flash anyway. Is anyone going to be doing ISO1600 candid shots sans
flash with a Digital SLR the way you might with B&W film?

On 17-Oct-04 09:59, Jer wrote:
Magnus W wrote:

Alan Browne wrote in
:

But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.


The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.




Please read again.



Well, since I posted last, I may have misunderstood the shop fella.
Looking further in the Maxxum 7D .pdf files that someone pointed us to
in another thread, it says below that the pop-up flash will fire
regardless of the ambient light. Page 97 also says the AF illuminator
can be turned on/off, not the flash function itself.

So, sans an accessory flash, it seems to presume that if ambient light
is low enough to need AF illumination, and one raises the pop-up flash,
then the pop-up flash will be used for both AF illumination AND flash,
whether one really wanted flash or not.

So, my original shop question stands... Will the AF system still perform
in low-light situations, albeit where one might want to use flash, but
what if I don't want to use flash?

I do know that the 700i (film) system uses the built-in AF illuminator
(red-patterned), even though the pop-up flash is down (and off).


Using the built-in flash (p.31)

To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side.
This flash position must be set manually, and once up, the flash unit
always fires regardless of the amount of ambient light. The flash mode
is changed with the recording menu (p. 71).

Push down the built-in flash when the camera is not in use. The flash
is also used as an AF illuminator, see page 97.


AF Illuminator (p.97)

The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too
dark for the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few
short bursts to provide light for the camera to focus. When an
accessory flash is attached, the accessory flash unit is used as the AF
illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on and off in section 2
of the custom menu (p. 92).

Magnus W wrote:

Alan Browne wrote in
:


But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.



Please read again.

Read for me; it is quite ambiguous.

"AF ILLUMINATOR
The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too dark for
the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few short bursts to
provide light for the camera to focus. When an accessory flash is attached, the
flash unit is used as the AF illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on
and off in section 2 of the custom menu (p. 92)."

This says what it does but does not clarify that the shot itslef will be without
flash. How does the Max 5 behave Magnus?

Cheers,
Alan



--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

Magnus W wrote:

Alan Browne wrote in
:


But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.



Please read again.

Read for me; it is quite ambiguous.

"AF ILLUMINATOR
The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too dark for
the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few short bursts to
provide light for the camera to focus. When an accessory flash is attached, the
flash unit is used as the AF illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on
and off in section 2 of the custom menu (p. 92)."

This says what it does but does not clarify that the shot itslef will be without
flash. How does the Max 5 behave Magnus?

Cheers,
Alan



--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

Magnus W wrote:

Alan Browne wrote in
:


But the internal flash
will only fire if flash is enabled via menu and still in up position,
even though it was used for AF.

The downside here is that if the flash is enabled and up it
will fire during the actual shot as well.



Please read again.

Read for me; it is quite ambiguous.

"AF ILLUMINATOR
The built-in flash is used as an AF Illuminator. When the scene is too dark for
the camera to focus, raise the built-in flash. It fires a few short bursts to
provide light for the camera to focus. When an accessory flash is attached, the
flash unit is used as the AF illuminator. The AF illuminator can be turned on
and off in section 2 of the custom menu (p. 92)."

This says what it does but does not clarify that the shot itslef will be without
flash. How does the Max 5 behave Magnus?

Cheers,
Alan



--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--