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M3 low light focus, really low light....

Started Sep 2, 2015 | Discussions
fzrip Junior Member • Posts: 29
M3 low light focus, really low light....

Hi, i've been looking at the M3, but I'm concerned about the low light focusing when doing night time portraits.

I'm talking about really low light, where my 70D has to rely on the AF assist from the external flash, will the M3 be OK? is the built in LED assist enough? It's not one of those annoying strobes is it?

Lenses, if thats relevant, will be EFS 24 F2.8 STM, and EFS 15-85.

Thanks in advance for your help / advice

Canon EOS 70D Canon EOS M3
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jayboo Senior Member • Posts: 2,366
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

Might this recent thread help in any way:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56403983

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OP fzrip Junior Member • Posts: 29
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

That thread seems to talk mainly about focus with available light, I'm after focus info when using the built in AF assist lamp, as I understand the hot shoe flash AF assist won't work.
Many thanks for taking the time to reply

MikeJ9116 Veteran Member • Posts: 6,955
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....
1

fzrip wrote:

Hi, i've been looking at the M3, but I'm concerned about the low light focusing when doing night time portraits.

I'm talking about really low light, where my 70D has to rely on the AF assist from the external flash, will the M3 be OK? is the built in LED assist enough? It's not one of those annoying strobes is it?

Lenses, if thats relevant, will be EFS 24 F2.8 STM, and EFS 15-85.

Thanks in advance for your help / advice

The problem with some EF/EF-S lenses is they have a larger diameter than the EF-
M and prime lenses.  This causes them to interfere with the body's illumination lamp and makes it less effective or not effective at all.  They also cause shadows in some situations with the on-board flash.  The only way around this I can think of is to use a top mounted, or off body, flash to get it away from the lens body.  One flash a lot of people use is the older 220EX flash.  It uses four batteries so recycle time is somewhat better but the main reason many use it is it has an AF illuminator and doesn't require the flash to be fired to gain focus.  It is small but doesn't have bounce capability.  They can be found on ebay for cheap and I will probably get on sooner or later.

OP fzrip Junior Member • Posts: 29
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

I have the 220EX, but the flashes focus assist lamp doesn't work with the M3 (I believe.....).
Do you know how effective the M3's assist light is in very very dark conditions?

MikeJ9116 Veteran Member • Posts: 6,955
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

fzrip wrote:

I have the 220EX, but the flashes focus assist lamp doesn't work with the M3 (I believe.....).
Do you know how effective the M3's assist light is in very very dark conditions?

As long as it is illuminating your target, I find it to be fairly effective and about as good as most external flashes that have illuminators. Another thing I have found that improves low light focus with the M3 is using STM lenses. The EF-M 18-55mm lens I have focuses far better than any of the EF/EF-S (+adapter) lenses I have tried. I can't say for sure that EF/EF-S STM lenses work as well as the EF-M lenses as I haven't actually tried one. My guess is they do or are real close to performing the same.

One thing I have come to like about the EF-M lens I have is that I can switch to manual focus by keeping the shutter half way down and turning the focus ring.  This kicks in focus peaking and zooming of the image to fine tune a focus that is difficult to achieve using auto focus.  The EF/EF-S STM lenses might do the same but I can't confirm it.

OP fzrip Junior Member • Posts: 29
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

Thank you, if the body AF assist lamp is as good as the 220 assist then I'll not have a problem.

IvanM Regular Member • Posts: 460
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

And if all else fails there is always MF...

Rock Will New Member • Posts: 1
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

fzrip wrote:

That thread seems to talk mainly about focus with available light, I'm after focus info when using the built in AF assist lamp, as I understand the hot shoe flash AF assist won't work.
Many thanks for taking the time to reply

I tried 90EX, 580EX, 600EX-RT, none of their AF Assist beam can work with M3.

On it's manual page,155, quoted the AF assist beam on the external flash will not fire except 320EX.

JRET
JRET Contributing Member • Posts: 840
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

Thread is over 7 years old

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GENESIS 1:3

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KEG
KEG Veteran Member • Posts: 4,909
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

JRET wrote:

Thread is over 7 years old

And basically everything is better than M3 but those colors... WOW.

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KEG

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Sittatunga Veteran Member • Posts: 5,406
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

Rock Will wrote:

fzrip wrote:

That thread seems to talk mainly about focus with available light, I'm after focus info when using the built in AF assist lamp, as I understand the hot shoe flash AF assist won't work.
Many thanks for taking the time to reply

I tried 90EX, 580EX, 600EX-RT, none of their AF Assist beam can work with M3.

On its manual page,155, quoted the AF assist beam on the external flash will not fire except 320EX.

Welcome to the forum. The 320EX uses its LED floodlight as an AF assist beam, the 580EX & 600EX-RT have IR assist beams. Mirrorless cameras use their imaging sensors for their AF, which have UV/IR cut filters in front of them. That's why most flashgun AF assist beams can't work with mirrorless cameras.

trungtran Senior Member • Posts: 1,747
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

KEG wrote:

JRET wrote:

Thread is over 7 years old

And basically everything is better than M3 but those colors... WOW.

I still use my M3 for product photography.

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KEG
KEG Veteran Member • Posts: 4,909
Re: M3 low light focus, really low light....

trungtran wrote:

KEG wrote:

JRET wrote:

Thread is over 7 years old

And basically everything is better than M3 but those colors... WOW.

I still use my M3 for product photography.

It has the advantage of being the smallest M that I own.

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KEG

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