I'm a working pro and need a second body, and it's a choice between an EOS 1N and a EOS 3; I have a 1N now. My hesitation centers around two areas: 1) the real-world difference (if any) between Eye Control Focus and the 1N's system for fast action (sports,etc.) 2) Whether the wireless flash option on the 550 EX actually works well when covering events, weddings, etc. I envision a 550 on one of those Redwing stands that extends its own legs, with another 550 or the wireless transmitter on the camera. The idea is to escape the "flash on camera" look

Stuff I've read so far suggests that there may be a significant delay between pressing the shutter and the final flash exposure with the wireless E-ttl system, making catching the moment rather unlikely. Has anyone out there actually used the wireless flash when doing event coverage? Any comments from working sports shooters on the 3's autofocus?

I love the 1N. It was the first camera to seduce me away from my Canon F1 mechanical system, which was well-built and reliable but never captured my heart. In those days, I only used it when the task was inappropriate for my M-body Leicas. So, is it a EOS 1N or a 3 for me? I realize there are other differences than the ones I've touched on beteen these two bodies, but they aren't that important to me. But if the wireless flash is only useful if you can tolerate long lag times, and the new autofocus system is no real improvement over the 1N, then I'd prefer to have another 1N. By the way, I use "back-button focus" on my current 1N when I use AF; no other way seems natural to me.

-- Jonathan Barber (jbarber@squonk.net), November 19, 1999

Answers

jonathan,

I have two EOS-3's that work very well for me. I generally use the ST- E2 transmitter to trigger two/three 550EX flashs. E-TTL works marvelously well, and I can detect no delay as you mention. I cannot imagine what this refers to, unless someone is using rear-sync with Av and low-light ambient, forcing a long exposure and flash trigger at the end. that is a reflection of the methodology and not a problem with the flash system. the system sounds perfect for your applications. with the EOS-3, you can flash bracket and flash exposure compensate. it is a marvelous system.

buy one!

-- Daniel Taylor (aviator@agalis.net), November 20, 1999.

I have used 2 550's in wildlife (birds)work. From my experience 2 suggestions. 1. the range between camera and slave may not be enough for some of the situations you describe. 2. the slave unit has an annoying 1Hz flash of the red focus light. I wonder if it may put some birds off and don't see how I could disable this feature.

-- Lawrie Weston (westonl@melbpc.org.au), December 12, 1999.

Lawrie: Thanks for the report. I am guessing that you get the 1Hz focus light when you initiate focusing, not after fully depressing the shutter release to take a picture. Am I right? If so, then for me, it would happen when I press the back button for focus, which I'd find acceptable. But if it happens when you try to release the shutter, I'd worry about delay, though my other informant says there's no appreciable delay.

I realize the coupling range for cordless may not be great (30 ft. or so), but I could live with that for most purposes.

-- Jonathan Barber (jbarber@squonk.net), December 14, 1999.

Re the 1Hz flashing. It is on all the time to indicate from a distance that the slave unit has fully charged and is ready to use. A bit like a remote "ready" lamp. If the flash is on the Save Energy position and enters the down phase you would have to go to the unit and turn it off and back on again. For this reason I only use the "on" position as I'm usually in a hide (blind?) and don't want to disturm the subject. This lamp would, I believe have no negative effect on the response time of the slave unit. On that subject, I don't think that in general use you would notice any difference between the operation of a slave 550 and a manual flash with a standard slave triggering device. The up side is the balancing of flash and ambient light in the ETTL mode, which is what I use always except for close-ups or intentional underexposure of the background. On the matter of focusing speed, I find the EOS3 appreciably faster at locking onto the subject than my EOS50 which, I feel would be at least as fast as the EOS1 as it is a more recent model

-- Lawrie Weston (westonl@melbpc.org.au), December 16, 1999.

I would think in your areas of work that eye-controlled focus and the 550EX flash would offer many benefits. Thought my comments on my experience with the ElanIIe and another EX speedlite might be relevant:

Note: I copied the following excerpt from my answer to Tom Smart's question on this forum.

Eye-Control Focus

I highly recommend Eye-Controlled-Focusing! So, if you go with the Elan, spend a tiny bit more and get the ElanIIe.It performs exceedingly well in all but the toughest of conditions (as likely would any AF system). The ElanIIe offers eye-control in both horizonal and vertical positions (unlike the horizontal-only A2E)and it really does get more sensitive to your eye the more you calibrate it in as many levels of light as you can. Calibration takes only a few seconds and involves setting CAL on your mode dial and staring at flashing index squares while you depress the shutter button half-way. It beeps and you're done. ( Don't forget to do it vertically as well.)

Eye-control focus has it all over other AF modes (also available on the Elan, though I never use them). For example, I'm shooting a model standing in an archway. If the focusing index points are on the arch and it's closer, of course the AF will focus on it. With eye-control I simply look at the focus index square that falls on the model and press the shutter to focus on her. Another example: I'm shooting in a crowd situation (doing event photography) and someone is standing closer to the lens that my subject whom I've framed in my 'finder. Once again, I simply look at my subject and press the shutter button half-way. If I then want to shoot the nearer person, I simply have repeat the procedure, ALL WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO RECOMPOSE. This makes you faster and more likely to "capture the moment". By the way, though the manual tells you to look at the focusing index square to select it, you can look anywhere ABOVE the squares, press the shutter half-way, and the camera will select the focusing square nearest to where you're looking!

I think some people are a bit intimidated by eye-control. That's a shame, because I believe if more people had experienced what I have using it, eye-control would sweep the industry.

You can even use it to lock an exposure without moving the camera either at all or very much: say you're concerned that a bright white subject will fool your light meter and cause underexposure. You might LOOK AT a medium toned area in your 'finder such as green grass in sunlight, focus on it (thereby taking an exposure reading via Canon's AIM system) press the exposure lock button to retain the reading, take your finger off the shutter, look at your subject, and press the shutter. Wild, huh?

EX Series Flashes with the EOS 3 or ElanIIe

A Canon technician told me that some pros have reported getting better flash exposures with the 380EX used on the ElanII (the model for which it was designed) than they get with a 1N and 540EZ.

The EX series of flashes are compatible across the board, but when used on the EOS 3 or ElanII (and the really low end bodies), but not on the 1N, they provide several advantages:

1) Popular Photography magazine said that the autoflash exposures produced by the ElanII and 380EX were the BEST OF ANY SYSTEM THEY HAD EVER TESTED (prior to release of the EOS 3 and 550EX). Why?

E-TTL is the NEW GENERATION of autoflash and more sophisticated than TTL or A-TTL. The EX's preflash is used to measure exposure (not just distance); it is compared to the ambient exposure, and the optimum combination is determined and used. All in 4 microseconds.

The EX and 3 or ElanII combination also gives you:

High Speed Synch a.k.a. FP Flash - flash synch up to the maximum shutter speed (1/4000th on the Elan).I use this to add catchlights to portrait subjects' eyes, while blurring out the background using a wide aperture, when shooting outdoors in bright "Sunny F16" conditions.

Flash Exposure Lock - a manually fired preflash measurement based on your eye-selected metering segment

Second Curtain Synch - as you likely know, so you can freeze a moving subject with flash and produce the blur lines behind the subject. (I don't know if the 1N has this or not).

EX flashes are deemed Canon's most sophisticated to date, for good reasons. I get great results with my system and can't wait to upgrade to the EOS 3 and 550EX wireless (at last no PC cords) system.

With the positive experience I've had using eye-control and ETTL flash, personally I wouldn't look at the 1N etc for a second.

I would confidently predict you would get many more shots you'd normally miss with standard AF using the eye-control way, and probably much better exposures, faster, with the EX flash series.

Hope this is useful.

Roy

-- Roy Kekewich (roykekewich@yahoo.com), January 18, 2000.