R6II 1.6 Firmware Flash Exposure Simulation Does Nothing

[Blindingly]

I think I have some understanding of the firmware upgrade now. I misunderstood Canon's implementation.

The upgrade isn't an ability to preview the effects of flash on the image. It's the ability to preview ambient only, without turning the flash off, which is how it's done now.

Currently if you put on a powered up flash the image brightens so that you can see the scene - useful for studio environments. If you want to see ambient only you turn off the flash.

The new implementation removes the need to turn off the flash to see the ambient only. The ability to see ambient only can now be done with the button you have assigned to DOF simulation and doesn't require the flash to be turned off.

So, the firmware update isn't a flash simulation, it's an ambient simulation, as before the update, but removes the need to turn off the flash.

Here's the latest R8 manual with the relevant part highlighted.

The implementation would have been clearer if it had read - "Adds the ability to enable ambient [Exposure Simulation] when a powered up/switched on flash unit is attached.

 

[Sittatunga]

I think I have some understanding of the firmware upgrade now. I misunderstood Canon's implementation.

The upgrade isn't an ability to preview the effects of flash on the image. It's the ability to preview ambient only, without turning the flash off, which is how it's done now.

Currently if you put on a powered up flash the image brightens so that you can see the scene - useful for studio environments. If you want to see ambient only you turn off the flash.

The new implementation removes the need to turn off the flash to see the ambient only. The ability to see ambient only can now be done with the button you have assigned to DOF simulation and doesn't require the flash to be turned off.

So, the firmware update isn't a flash simulation, it's an ambient simulation, as before the update, but removes the need to turn off the flash.

Here's the latest R8 manual with the relevant part highlighted.

The implementation would have been clearer if it had read - "Adds the ability to enable ambient [Exposure Simulation] when a powered up/switched on flash unit is attached.

That's just what I was gearing up to say. After all, no camera can possibly preview the effects of flash exposures, particularly for multi-flash setups but even for single on-camera flash (whether bounced or direct) if only because it can't predict the strength of the flash or its falloff with distance. A mirrorless cameras can only show the exposure simulation for the ambient lighting and that will be very dark if a shutter speed of 1/200 has been selected and the scene predominantly illuminated by flash. What Canon always did with mirrorless cameras was to switch off the exposure simulation automatically when the camera detected a charged-up E-TTL flashgun. So what this part of the update effectively does is to enable us to switch the background exposure simulation back on temporarily at the push of the depth-of-field preview button when using E-TTL flash.

 

[Higgins2002]

I think I have some understanding of the firmware upgrade now. I misunderstood Canon's implementation.

The upgrade isn't an ability to preview the effects of flash on the image. It's the ability to preview ambient only, without turning the flash off, which is how it's done now.

Currently if you put on a powered up flash the image brightens so that you can see the scene - useful for studio environments. If you want to see ambient only you turn off the flash.

The new implementation removes the need to turn off the flash to see the ambient only. The ability to see ambient only can now be done with the button you have assigned to DOF simulation and doesn't require the flash to be turned off.

So, the firmware update isn't a flash simulation, it's an ambient simulation, as before the update, but removes the need to turn off the flash.

Here's the latest R8 manual with the relevant part highlighted.

The implementation would have been clearer if it had read - "Adds the ability to enable ambient [Exposure Simulation] when a powered up/switched on flash unit is attached.

using Copilot to search for explanation gets this.

Canon has officially added the ability to enable Exposure Simulation even when a flash unit is attached—something photographers have long requested for ambient light previewing.

What This Means

Previously, attaching a flash or trigger to the hot shoe would disable Exposure Simulation, making it difficult to judge ambient exposure before firing the shutter. With this update:

• You can now preview ambient exposure in modes like Manual (M) or Fv, even with a flash connected.
• This is especially helpful for fill-flash, off-camera flash, and studio setups, where balancing ambient and flash light is key.

 

[PierreBPhoto]

I trial and error figured it out, although I find their change a bit incomplete.

In the Display Simulation menu (red 9), there is a setting labeled {Exposure only during DOF}. The icon is ExpSIM with a down arrow.

When your flash is connected, hold the DOF button (default button is on the front right of your camera), the screen will show you the Exposure Simulation (ambient only of course).

What I find stupid is that they didn't add it to the regular Exposure Simulation that is always on, or a toggle to turn it on and off. Other than studio work, I always have the regular Exposure Sim on. So when I want to use flash, I need to change my settings to ExpSimDOF, and then back to regular ExpSim when not using the flash.

So we do have an option to see the exposure, in an incomplete way.

 

[Boo Radley]

(I posted this before I read the other replies. Same conclusion.) OK, so I talked to Canon, and the guy didn't know what it did either and there is no documentation. So he asked someone after we played around with settings for 20 minutes and here is the conclusion. While it's a useful feature, it does not simulate what a photo will look like with flash added or use pre-flash or anything like that. It's really nothing new at all, actually.

Here is what it does. Normally, when a flash is attached, the camera can't be in exposure simulation mode. (If it is it switches to standard.) Otherwise if you're in a dark studio you couldn't see anything through the viewfinder, so it goes into standard mode and brightens up the screen.

Now, with 1.6 it does the same thing, but only forces bright, standard mode when you half press the shutter. Otherwise, if you have exposure simulation on and haven't half-pressed, it just stays in simulations mode. Say, for instance, you're in the shade or it's evening and you want to keep track of the ambient light in the background. If you hold the camera up to you face and exposure simulation is on, you can use it as normal to adjust for ambient conditions. When you half press the shutter to start auto focus, etc, exposure simulation switches to standard and the whole screen is now bright and you can take the photo. Once the photo is taken, it switches back to exposure simulation mode until you half press again. This is actually more in like with the way ETTL actually works. The ambient light and subject are two different things to the camera. So if you're taking a bunch of flash photos and the ambient light is changing, you can see that in between shots and compensate for it. I'm sure it has other uses.

Thanks it. Might be handy, but poorly documented and not what myself or many others though. The guy at Canon couldn't believe the ambiguous way it was worded in the release notes or that there was nothing in the documentation. So thanks for the feature Canon, and thanks for wasting so much of my time because you guys couldn't write an extra sentence or two.

 

[Blindingly]

(I posted this before I read the other replies. Same conclusion.) OK, so I talked to Canon, and the guy didn't know what it did either and there is no documentation. So he asked someone after we played around with settings for 20 minutes and here is the conclusion. While it's a useful feature, it does not simulate what a photo will look like with flash added or use pre-flash or anything like that. It's really nothing new at all, actually.

Here is what it does. Normally, when a flash is attached, the camera can't be in exposure simulation mode. (If it is it switches to standard.) Otherwise if you're in a dark studio you couldn't see anything through the viewfinder, so it goes into standard mode and brightens up the screen.

Now, with 1.6 it does the same thing, but only forces bright, standard mode when you half press the shutter. Otherwise, if you have exposure simulation on and haven't half-pressed, it just stays in simulations mode. Say, for instance, you're in the shade or it's evening and you want to keep track of the ambient light in the background. If you hold the camera up to you face and exposure simulation is on, you can use it as normal to adjust for ambient conditions. When you half press the shutter to start auto focus, etc, exposure simulation switches to standard and the whole screen is now bright and you can take the photo. Once the photo is taken, it switches back to exposure simulation mode until you half press again. This is actually more in like with the way ETTL actually works. The ambient light and subject are two different things to the camera. So if you're taking a bunch of flash photos and the ambient light is changing, you can see that in between shots and compensate for it. I'm sure it has other uses.

Thanks it. Might be handy, but poorly documented and not what myself or many others though. The guy at Canon couldn't believe the ambiguous way it was worded in the release notes or that there was nothing in the documentation. So thanks for the feature Canon, and thanks for wasting so much of my time because you guys couldn't write an extra sentence or two.

What you describe isn't quite the intended implementation. Read my post above, and see the documentation screenshot that Canon actually supply.

It's supposed to be used with the exposure simulation set to "Exposure simulation with DOF". So, while it can be activated with a half press of the shutter it's better used with a press of the button you have set to show DOF. It's how Canon have intended it to be used, it's in the revised manual that I screenshot.

It isn't what I first thought, I thought it was a flash simulation, but now we know what it actually is all the text that Canon have released agrees with what it was intended to be.

As was posted earlier the official Canon implementation is described as "Adds the ability to enable [Exposure Simulation] when a flash unit is attached". And that's exactly what it does - no more, no less.

It isn't a Flash Exposure Simulation, it's a means of seeing Exposure Simulation (which simulates ambient light, and always has done) when a flash is attached and powered up. And the means is to press the DOF button.

I think it could have been described a lot better.

 

[HVphotography]

The firmware intended to let user see Exp. Simulation (for ambient light only) when flash connected to camera. So, when i fire a shot and wait may be 2 secs, the led will show the ambient light which you can check and adjust as you please. But this is kind of annoying as I don't want to see ambient light every single shot. Before the firmware update, i setup a button to turn on/off flash firing to check the ambient light and I have control over it. Now, I can't. So I wish Canon can let us activate/deactivate this feature. Yes, now you can setup the custom button, but will not override the exp. sim in new firmware.

I just wish i could go back firmware 1.4.0 which can't find in Canon page anymore.

 

[HVphotography]

(I posted this before I read the other replies. Same conclusion.) OK, so I talked to Canon, and the guy didn't know what it did either and there is no documentation. So he asked someone after we played around with settings for 20 minutes and here is the conclusion. While it's a useful feature, it does not simulate what a photo will look like with flash added or use pre-flash or anything like that. It's really nothing new at all, actually.

Here is what it does. Normally, when a flash is attached, the camera can't be in exposure simulation mode. (If it is it switches to standard.) Otherwise if you're in a dark studio you couldn't see anything through the viewfinder, so it goes into standard mode and brightens up the screen.

Now, with 1.6 it does the same thing, but only forces bright, standard mode when you half press the shutter. Otherwise, if you have exposure simulation on and haven't half-pressed, it just stays in simulations mode. Say, for instance, you're in the shade or it's evening and you want to keep track of the ambient light in the background. If you hold the camera up to you face and exposure simulation is on, you can use it as normal to adjust for ambient conditions. When you half press the shutter to start auto focus, etc, exposure simulation switches to standard and the whole screen is now bright and you can take the photo. Once the photo is taken, it switches back to exposure simulation mode until you half press again. This is actually more in like with the way ETTL actually works. The ambient light and subject are two different things to the camera. So if you're taking a bunch of flash photos and the ambient light is changing, you can see that in between shots and compensate for it. I'm sure it has other uses.

Thanks it. Might be handy, but poorly documented and not what myself or many others though. The guy at Canon couldn't believe the ambiguous way it was worded in the release notes or that there was nothing in the documentation. So thanks for the feature Canon, and thanks for wasting so much of my time because you guys couldn't write an extra sentence or two.

That's exactly the reason I want to go back firmware 1.4.0 which I can assign a custom button to turn ON/OFF flash Firing to check ambient light. I don't need to check ambient light every shot and this new firmware forces me to see every time I shot with flash unless I half-press shutter button.

I wish Canon remove this feature in the next firmware release! Let user take control of checking Ambient light please.