Could someone to check their Canon 580EX for me...

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/26/2006 04:34:45 PM · #1

It's a new toy for me ok :-) When I pull out the diffuser (clear plastic thing on the top) the display starts blinking (light on or off). If stops blinking and remains steady when I put it back in. Seems to be consistent.

Is this normal behavior on this beast (all be VERY annoying)?

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

12/26/2006 04:50:49 PM · #2

It isn't because you pulled the diffuser out. It's because you've tilted the head. It's no longer pointing straight at the subject and so the zoom settings aren't going to be accurate. I wish it had another way to communicate that ... as I too find it annoying.

NstiG8tr

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

12/26/2006 04:51:49 PM · #3

Maybe it's just a reminder that you have the wide angle diffuser out.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/26/2006 04:59:18 PM · #4

Originally posted by dwterry:

Nope - The display is constant on mine no matter the angle of the head. The second I pull out the WA diffuser the whole display flashes (the bounce card is fine by itself).

Originally posted by NstiG8tr:

Maybe it's just a reminder that you have the wide angle diffuser out.

Probably but I wanted to confirm (searching for the manual as we speak). I can see that cause of the plastic thing over the head :-) more clearly then the annoying flashing of ALL the info (which is worse when the backlight is on).

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

12/26/2006 05:09:20 PM · #5

Hmmm... you're right. I got mine out to check on it and I found the following behavior:

- Diffuser out, head pointing straight ahead (one notch up from the bottom), no blinking

- Diffuser out, head pointing anything higher than straight ahead, it blinks.

- Diffuser out, head pointing down, it blinks an icon of the flash unit.

Message edited by author 2006-12-26 17:09:58.

gloda

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/26/2006 05:12:28 PM · #6

It blinks if it doesn't point straight ahead because using bounce flash AND the diffuser result in weird lighting.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/26/2006 05:21:02 PM · #7

Thanks guys! - I confirmed what David indicates, it just seems like a silly way to show something. Thanks Gilles - From what I have seen so far, I kinda like the results of both - I have another off camera flash into a brolly for most of the lighting and was just doing that to get some minor fill in the foreground.

It's new and I am playing around - what can you say. Still have not seen a mention in the manual but anyway - I rarely read most of them anyway :-)

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

12/26/2006 06:46:27 PM · #8

now that you have the 580, you need to go on and spend the $35 for the gary fong lightsphere; it does all the things the bounce and diffuser panels do, and more. the longer you put it off, the madder at yourself you will be, once you finally get it...

;-)