580EX settings questions...

Ok, first let me say that I've read the entire manual, and some of it twice, but have not found answers to a couple questions I have. I also did a search here, but have not found what I'm looking for in any of the posts I've read.

Does anyone here know if there is a way to change the distance display on the flash LED display from meters to feet? I cannot find anything about that.

Also, the manual says that when the pilot light is green, the flash is not yet at full power (full power is indicated by a red light). My pilot light never has a red light, always only green. But the flash seems to be working properly, so am I misunderstanding something here in the instructions? I am wondering if I have the flash (or 10D body) in some mode that is preventing the flash from working at full power??? I normally shoot mostly in Av mode, but I have tried other modes and have not seen the pilot light turn red. I'm stumped.

After reading the 580 manual, I am uncertain if the 10D is considered a type A body, or a type B body.

If you are reading this and can answer any of my three questions, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

--
Pbase homepage at http://www.pbase.com/tim32225/root

see the note at the bottom of p. 27 for how to change the measurement. I find that shooting in Av works for fill outdoors, but I shoot my indoor flash shots in manual camera mode. Choose an aperture for the DOF you desire and a shutter speed for the situation. I also dial in +2/3 flash exposure compensation.
--
Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
Canon 2oD, Canon Gee3, and Canon S7o.

I keep trying to find an artist's eye in the B & H catalog

Hi, Tiom,

Tim32225 said:

Ok, first let me say that I've read the entire manual, and some of
it twice, but have not found answers to a couple questions I have.
I also did a search here, but have not found what I'm looking for
in any of the posts I've read.

Does anyone here know if there is a way to change the distance
display on the flash LED display from meters to feet? I cannot
find anything about that.

Click to expand...

See manual, p 27, bottom. (Hard to find, I know!)

Tim32225 said:

Also, the manual says that when the pilot light is green, the flash
is not yet at full power (full power is indicated by a red light).
My pilot light never has a red light, always only green.

Click to expand...

Your batteries are probably weak or low on charge, as appilcable.

Tim32225 said:

After reading the 580 manual, I am uncertain if the 10D is
considered a type A body, or a type B body.

Click to expand...

Type A - all EOS digital cameras are.

Best regards,

Doug

Visit The Pumpkin, a library of my technical articles on photography, optics, and other topics:

http://doug.kerr.home.att.net/pumpkin

My EOS 20D must be a point and shoot camera - I find out that if I don't point, I get erratic results; if I don't shoot, I get no results.

Well Tim, I just wanted to say hey!!!!

Tim32225 said:

Ok, first let me say that I've read the entire manual, and some of
it twice, but have not found answers to a couple questions I have.
I also did a search here, but have not found what I'm looking for
in any of the posts I've read.

Does anyone here know if there is a way to change the distance
display on the flash LED display from meters to feet? I cannot
find anything about that.

Click to expand...

Page 27 I think.

Tim32225 said:

Also, the manual says that when the pilot light is green, the flash
is not yet at full power (full power is indicated by a red light).
My pilot light never has a red light, always only green. But the
flash seems to be working properly, so am I misunderstanding
something here in the instructions? I am wondering if I have the
flash (or 10D body) in some mode that is preventing the flash from
working at full power??? I normally shoot mostly in Av mode, but I
have tried other modes and have not seen the pilot light turn red.
I'm stumped.

Click to expand...

Thats interesting to me. What batteries are you using?
rechargables? etc.

Tim32225 said:

After reading the 580 manual, I am uncertain if the 10D is
considered a type A body, or a type B body.

Click to expand...

Type A

Tim32225 said:

If you are reading this and can answer any of my three questions, I
would appreciate it.

Click to expand...

Man thats what we are hear for.. Hope all is going well with you and tha family...... Lets chat sometime.
Vaughn-ster

Tim32225 said:

Thanks,

--
Pbase homepage at http://www.pbase.com/tim32225/root

Click to expand...

--
Vaughn T. Winfree
Friends Don't Let Friends Shoot Film

pBase supporter http://www.pBase.com/vaughn

--Excuse the typos/spelling as I just read my response.
Vaughn T. Winfree
Friends Don't Let Friends Shoot Film

pBase supporter http://www.pBase.com/vaughn

Thanks Juli, and Doug for your responses. (DOH... I can't believe I missed that little footnote twice on page 27). I changed the scale to feet, and also am relieved to know that the 10D is a type A body. I thought it probably was, but I was unsure.

As for the green / red light question, I hope the problem is just weak batteries, as you indicated. However, I thought NiMH batteries, dropped off pretty suddenly compared to alkalines. It's true that it's been probably 2 weeks since I topped them off, but the only thing that puzzles me, is that the flash seems to be giving full power flashes when I take test photos, even though the light never turns red. It has also been acting fine for over an hour as far as I can tell, while I've been playing around with the settings, and taking test photos. The light was never red from the start. I'm going to throw one set of batteries in the charger, and go from there once they are fully charged.

Doug, have you observed the light not turning red when your batteries start to run down?

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.
--
Pbase homepage at http://www.pbase.com/tim32225/root

Tim,

When I use my 580EX the light is normally "red". When the flash shoots it goes to "green" and then back to "red" indicating that its ready for the next shot. I watch the length of time it stays on "green" and the longer it does, the weaker are my batteries until eventually it won't flash any longer.

Hi, Tim,

Tim32225 said:

Thanks Juli, and Doug for your responses. (DOH... I can't believe
I missed that little footnote twice on page 27). I changed the
scale to feet, and also am relieved to know that the 10D is a type
A body. I thought it probably was, but I was unsure.

As for the green / red light question, I hope the problem is just
weak batteries, as you indicated

Click to expand...

Flash problems here are ALWAYS a matter of battery charge.

Tim32225 said:

However, I thought NiMH
batteries, dropped off pretty suddenly compared to alkalines. It's
true that it's been probably 2 weeks since I topped them off . . .

Click to expand...

NiMH cells have a fairly rapid self-discharge rate. I always keep 12 of them on charge. I put new ones in the flash (and into the two "spare" packs) each time I go on a shoot.

Tim32225 said:

. . ., but
the only thing that puzzles me, is that the flash seems to be
giving full power flashes

Click to expand...

No,, not full power - just whatever output the metering system determines is needed (thus you get proper exposure). That is almost way less than full output. And the flash is perfectly able to deliver such an output even when the storage capacitor is not fully charged. (The output is regulated so it doesn't vary with the voltage to which the capacitor is charged - within limits, of course.)

(See Fine Manual, p 10, "About Quick Flash".)

Tim32225 said:

when I take test photos, even though the
light never turns red. It has also been acting fine for over an
hour as far as I can tell, while I've been playing around with the
settings, and taking test photos. The light was never red from the
start. I'm going to throw one set of batteries in the charger,
and go from there once they are fully charged.

Doug, have you observed the light not turning red when your
batteries start to run down?

Click to expand...

Always.

Don't fight it.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

Thanks again for your help and suggestions last night.

I just wanted to follow up and let you know that after I recharged a set of batteries and then tried them last night, the pilot light on the flash immediately went to red very quickly after each shot.

I had already read the part in the manual about "quick flash" but I was unclear at the time that this quick flash may in lots of cases be the same amount of flash as if the unit were fully charged (on a close subject). That feature makes the 580 even more useful for handling successive flash photos at short subject distances in relatively short intervals.

I'm already glad I chose the 580.

Thanks again to Jui, Vaughn, Doug and Bob for the help.

--
Pbase homepage at http://www.pbase.com/tim32225/root

Hi, Tim,

Tim32225 said:

Doug,

Thanks again for your help and suggestions last night.

Click to expand...

Glad it worked out.

Tim32225 said:

I just wanted to follow up and let you know that after I recharged
a set of batteries and then tried them last night, the pilot light
on the flash immediately went to red very quickly after each shot.

Click to expand...

It's ALWAYS the batteries!

Carla says, "tell him it's the batteries and come to lunch."

Tim32225 said:

I had already read the part in the manual about "quick flash" but I
was unclear at the time that this quick flash may in lots of cases
be the same amount of flash as if the unit were fully charged (on a
close subject). That feature makes the 580 even more useful for
handling successive flash photos at short subject distances in
relatively short intervals.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. The 550EX works the same way - in fact, almost any flash unit with any kind of metered output control does - only Canon describes it as a "feature"!

Tim32225 said:

I'm already glad I chose the 580.

Click to expand...

A nice machine, Im sure.

Best regards,

Doug