Posted by Niall Riddell on March 6, 2006 at 10:22 AM
Hi Guys,
I took delivery of a S/H Canon 500mm f/4.5 L lens last week thanks to help from this forum.
I am now looking for some information on how best to use it. There are a number of features on this lens that are new to me but I am sure someone out there knows how to use them.
Full time manual focus (with 3 speed settings) - I guess this works as it says on the tin
Focus preset - how do you get this to work and what is the purpose of it?
Selectable focus beep - does this have any practical use at all (apart from scaring the birds )
Has anyone used this lens with an EOS 30 - I am finding that the lens occasionally locks up all the camera functions and I need to remove the lens to reset the camera.
I'm not familiar with the 4.5 so I'll leave the better qualified to reply on the other points except:
Locking up - - does the camera read a 00 aperture? This is usually due to poor contact between the lens and camera contacts (if you see what I mean) - dismounting the lens and re-attaching usually fixes this. A good clean of the contacts (both on the lens and the camera) is probably required.
FTM - only works in single AF mode, if you are in AF servo/track mode the FTM is disabled
Focus 3 speeds - refers to pitch of focus used by the manual focus, fine, medium and coarse
Focus Preset - I never actually use it to be honest, but theory is can preset focus on a point with the lock slide button , eg a feeding station branch, follow a subject which throws out your point of focus and then return to original focus point by activating/twisting the narrow preset focus ring - I don't use it 'cos I have a neoprene camo cover so it is difficult to activate the preset slider through the rainproof clear cover window. I find the lens focusses just as quickly by point and half shutter depress 99/100.
I've never suffered lockups with my lens on a whole range of bodies I have used with it, dirty contacts may be one cause but if it is a well used example also check for worn terminals or sloppy lock mechanism, the lens may not be sitting in correct alignment to the body contacts. But I also had a 17-35 2.8 L W/A zoom that locked cameras when moved from AF to manual and back to AF again - the cause was not dirty contacts - the Canon repair cost was £120ish.
Mike
Posted by Niall Riddell on March 6, 2006 at 11:52 AM
Hi Guys,
Thanks for this. I think the lock is not caused by dirty contacts (I have had the 00 aperture reading problem before). I think it is similar to what Mike described where a switch from AF to MF and back to AF seems to confuse the system. I will have a little play with this and see what happens.
Regarding the Focus preset I will probably play with this and then never use it again but its better than being ignorant!
Niall,
I've just finished a varied w/e with mine......from reindeer in the snow to karts in lovely evening sunlight (pity it wasn't the other way round)
Focus preset is a nuisance, and doubly so with an Art Morris neoprene cover attached; with the neoprene cover it tends to switch the preset to on.......no matter how many times you switch it off ......and it keeps moving the knurled ring.
Turn the beep off, as you say it is just plain annoying. Must be Canon's concession to the blind users
The lens as you will have found out by now, is much lighter than the newer f4 model and this makes it very easy to handhold. I've found with mine that the best results are often obtained with just a beanbag for support.
I would recommend a neoprene cover for it, although the camo is a bit OTT the cover its self does offer good protection to these large white areas.
Just to pick up on what Mike said about FTM, I assume that the 500/4.5 works in the same way as my 400/2.8, I have focus set to the * button, AF set to AI servo so that I can grab a single focus or track and the drive mode set to continuous and I have FTM all the time, when in 'single AF' mode I have to half press the shutter for FTM.
The focus preset is usefull if you are working a perch, focus on the perch, turn on focus preset, then pull the switch towards you to set that as the preset, anytime you want to return to that preset give the knurled ring a tweak, I find it very useful.
Discussion
5 repliesHi Guys,
I took delivery of a S/H Canon 500mm f/4.5 L lens last week thanks to help from this forum.
I am now looking for some information on how best to use it. There are a number of features on this lens that are new to me but I am sure someone out there knows how to use them.
Full time manual focus (with 3 speed settings) - I guess this works as it says on the tin
Focus preset - how do you get this to work and what is the purpose of it?
Selectable focus beep - does this have any practical use at all (apart from scaring the birds
Has anyone used this lens with an EOS 30 - I am finding that the lens occasionally locks up all the camera functions and I need to remove the lens to reset the camera.
Thanks for your help,
Niall
I'm not familiar with the 4.5 so I'll leave the better qualified to reply on the other points except:
Locking up - - does the camera read a 00 aperture? This is usually due to poor contact between the lens and camera contacts (if you see what I mean) - dismounting the lens and re-attaching usually fixes this. A good clean of the contacts (both on the lens and the camera) is probably required.
A
Focus 3 speeds - refers to pitch of focus used by the manual focus, fine, medium and coarse
Focus Preset - I never actually use it to be honest, but theory is can preset focus on a point with the lock slide button , eg a feeding station branch, follow a subject which throws out your point of focus and then return to original focus point by activating/twisting the narrow preset focus ring - I don't use it 'cos I have a neoprene camo cover so it is difficult to activate the preset slider through the rainproof clear cover window. I find the lens focusses just as quickly by point and half shutter depress 99/100.
I've never suffered lockups with my lens on a whole range of bodies I have used with it, dirty contacts may be one cause but if it is a well used example also check for worn terminals or sloppy lock mechanism, the lens may not be sitting in correct alignment to the body contacts. But I also had a 17-35 2.8 L W/A zoom that locked cameras when moved from AF to manual and back to AF again - the cause was not dirty contacts - the Canon repair cost was £120ish.
Mike
Thanks for this. I think the lock is not caused by dirty contacts (I have had the 00 aperture reading problem before). I think it is similar to what Mike described where a switch from AF to MF and back to AF seems to confuse the system. I will have a little play with this and see what happens.
Regarding the Focus preset I will probably play with this and then never use it again but its better than being ignorant!
Thanks for your help,
Niall
I've just finished a varied w/e with mine......from reindeer in the snow to karts in lovely evening sunlight (pity it wasn't the other way round)
Focus preset is a nuisance, and doubly so with an Art Morris neoprene cover attached; with the neoprene cover it tends to switch the preset to on.......no matter how many times you switch it off
Turn the beep off, as you say it is just plain annoying. Must be Canon's concession to the blind users
The lens as you will have found out by now, is much lighter than the newer f4 model and this makes it very easy to handhold. I've found with mine that the best results are often obtained with just a beanbag for support.
I would recommend a neoprene cover for it, although the camo is a bit OTT the cover its self does offer good protection to these large white areas.
Have fun
John
Just to pick up on what Mike said about FTM, I assume that the 500/4.5 works in the same way as my 400/2.8, I have focus set to the * button, AF set to AI servo so that I can grab a single focus or track and the drive mode set to continuous and I have FTM all the time, when in 'single AF' mode I have to half press the shutter for FTM.
The focus preset is usefull if you are working a perch, focus on the perch, turn on focus preset, then pull the switch towards you to set that as the preset, anytime you want to return to that preset give the knurled ring a tweak, I find it very useful.
HTH