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bmwqc
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Posted: Wed Oct 26th, 2005 03:12 am |
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I purchased my EPS 20D 1 month ago. I have had many problems with it. I am using the low-cost EF 28-105 lens. First off, my pictures never come out that sharp. When comparing to pictures taken with my point and shoot G6, the latter wins hands down. As a matter of fact, the EOS 20D picture quality is no better than my old 4MP G2. I figure it could be due to the poor quality of the lens and I am going to try out a better quality lens.
A more serious problem is the quality of the flash images (using the built-in flash unit). I am using the P mode and with the flash compensation set to +1 (without compensation, the flash pictures come out way too dark). The big problem is that in most of my pictures (at least 80%), the top 1/2 of the image comes out dark (as if the light from the flash never reached it), while the bottom half seems properly illuminated. Is it as if the top part of the flash unit was masked off while flashing (it was not). I don't know what is causing this, because from time to time, some flash pictures do come out OK., but as it stands, I cannot accept this level of unreliability for the kind of money I paid.
I have included a sample picture showing the problem as I described. I suspect there may be an intermittent problem with the sync or the shutter mechanism? Any advice would be welcome.
Tks
bmwqc
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bmwqc
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Posted: Wed Oct 26th, 2005 05:16 am |
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Here is the sample picture. I scaled it down this time to meet the max. size std.
BMWQC
Attachment: IMG_0714scaled.jpg (Downloaded 17 times)
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admin
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Posted: Wed Oct 26th, 2005 10:16 pm |
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couple of things to try
- put a static object on a wall - like lines on a piece of paper - news print etc using your G6 and 20D on a tripod take pics from the same position with the same exposure focal length etc then compare - if you still have the same problem ie the G6 is way sharper then you have either one of two problems - camera or lens
so next step go to a camera store get take your camera and lens and use one of their lenses (same lens or better) on your camera take some pics do the same with your lens again at same focal length exposure etc if the shop lens was clearly better then it may be that you have a dud lens if there is no difference the camera maybe at fault - send it back to canon and ask them to look at it
- if the 20D shots are better in the the it may be a camera holding or exposure technique and you may need to work on that - you may be exposing on the wrong program or shutter speed is too slow and you see camera shake - the G6 is a much lighter camera and you may just be better at handling it - a camera course on how to use the 20D may also be a good thing - instructors may pick up any problems
as for the flash - something looks off there - again do a comparision with the G6 then do an in store comparison with another 20D -
in my experience most good camera stores are willing to do these things as they like to keep customers happy as long as you don't do it at a busy time of the day - do it early in the morning they will probably be bored anyways 
hope this helps
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bmwqc
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Posted: Thu Oct 27th, 2005 04:34 am |
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I did used a tripod from the same position to compare the two cameras. Using flash shots, both cameras were focused on a bookshelf (full of books) at the far end of my room. I compared the pictures by enlarging the images and reading out the titles of the same group of books. There was no comparison, the G6 wins hands down. I never used the tripod for outdoor comparisons, but judging from the few hundred picture samples taken, the G6 comes out ahead.
I will be looking forward to try out some other lenses at the shop next week. I agree my EF 28-105 lens is of questionable quality. Besides the flash problems as I outlined earlier, many times that same evening when I took those shots, the auto focus would not come on. It was pretty dark at night in the amusement park, but with the pre-flashing feature to light up the subject (only 10 feet or less away), the lens was unable to lock in on the focus.
As for for flash curtain symptom, the problems is that it does not do it all time time, but when it does, the results are awful and frustrating (all the night shots that evening were ruined), and I did not bring along the G6 that evening.
Here is another sample shot outlining the flash problem. Please note the ground is brightly lit, as well as the legs of the subjects, while the brown object in the left background is the ride machinery that is made to look like a fake tree trunk which extends all the way past the top of the picture, but the photo shows only half of it because of the flash.
so next step go to a camera store get take your camera and lens and use one of their lenses (same lens or better) on your camera take some pics do the same with your lens again at same focal length exposure etc if the shop lens was clearly better then it may be that you have a dud lens if there is no difference the camera maybe at fault - send it back to canon and ask them to look at it
- if the 20D shots are better in the the it may be a camera holding or exposure technique and you may need to work on that - you may be exposing on the wrong program or shutter speed is too slow and you see camera shake - the G6 is a much lighter camera and you may just be better at handling it - a camera course on how to use the 20D may also be a good thing - instructors may pick up any problems
as for the flash - something looks off there - again do a comparision with the G6 then do an in store comparison with another 20D -
in my experience most good camera stores are willing to do these things as they like to keep customers happy as long as you don't do it at a busy time of the day - do it early in the morning they will probably be bored anyways
hope this helps
Attachment: IMG_0696.jpg (Downloaded 8 times)
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George Green
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Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 10:23 am |
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Hi,
As a professional Press Photographer using the EOS 20D, I am really puzzled by the problem you are having with the shots taken with the camera's built-in flash.
On occasions, if you shoot with a wide-angle lens fitted with a lens-hood and close to your subject, the hood obscures part of the light emitted by the flash, making the BOTTOM part of the image darker than the top.
But I have never encountered a situation where the TOP of the image is dark and the bottom light!
It might seem silly, but you definitely are not obscuring the top of the flah, when taking your shots, either with an attachment, or anything else.
Regards,
George
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bmwqc
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Posted: Wed Sep 20th, 2006 03:53 am |
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I have since replaced the EF 28-105 lens with the ELS-17-85 IS USM. The optical quality has been much improved.
Getting back to the problems with the top half of the pictures being dark using the built-in flash, I am positive there were no obstructions. I do not use a lens hood and there were on some occasions where I took a series of test shots in the dark (of the same subject and from the same spot) and some pictures turned out properly exposed and others were had darkened top halves of the images.
As the camera was less than 1 month old when I originally posted this message, I was able to return it for a brand new replacement.
I have had the new replacement since Nov-2005 and to date, I have taken aboupt 9500 pictures. It worked fine (the flash pictures were OK, but I was never able to use the flash in the auto mode because the pictures always came out grossly underexposed). About 1 month ago, I started experiencing the same kind of flash problems as with the first camera. This time I took it into Canon service and they have had the camera for 3 weeks (waiting for parts?). I took sample pictures to show the service manager and she told me it looked like a flash sync problem (shutter?).
Overall I have not had a good experience with my EOS 20D. Two major problems of the same nature with 2 different cameras is unacceptble considering the kind of money paid out for it.
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