Highlight Tone Priority - ISO range limits

Have you tried Highlight Tone Priority? You know the one, the setting that shifts your dynamic range from the shadows to the highlights giving smoother tonal gradation in the highlight areas. While it's very useful in some situations - anywhere with lots of highlights and not much shadow - it can cause issues when you get to shadow areas as that dynamic range has to come from somewhere - the shadow tones. this could cause more noise in the shadow areas, so use it sparingly. 

Anyway, this post is not about that per se, but about the limitations it puts on your ISO range. We'll show you some examples of images with and without HTP in a future post. 

This list shows you the standard ISO range (with expansion turned on) of the camera and the ISO range once Highlight Tone Priority is turned on. 

EOS-1D Mark III - STD: 50-6400, HTP:ON 200-3200

EOS-1Ds Mark III - STD: 50-3200, HTP:ON 200-1600

EOS 5D Mark II - STD: 50-25,600, HTP:ON 200-6400

EOS 50D - STD: 100-12,600, HTP:ON 200-3200

EOS 40D - STD: 100-3200, HTP:ON 200-1600

EOS 450D - STD: 100-1600, HTP:ON 200-1600

For a quick way to check if you have HTP switched on or not, looked at the information screen - either the top LCD panel for those cameras that have one, or the rear LCD for the EOS 450D. 

On the EOS-1D/1Ds Mark III, EOS 40D and EOS 450D, the ISO speed when HTP is turned on, will show with small zeros eg: 2oo rather than 200. For the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 50D, this has been changed so that it now shows D+ on the top LCD panel. 

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EOS 40D Firmware update

Well, what do you know. The camera that everyone thinks is discontinued has a firmware update! 

That's right folks, the EOS 40D has just had a new firmware released to adjust a few things. According to the Canon website, these are:

1. Fixes a malfunction that in rare occurrence causes a low battery indication to be displayed when using the EF 85mm F1.2L II USM lens. Depending on the battery check timing of the camera, the battery level displayed on the camera's LCD data panel may shows Battery will be exhausted soon or Battery must be recharged, even though the battery capacity is sufficient.
2. Fixes a malfunction that in rare occurrence causes an Err 06 Self Cleaning Sensor malfunction to appear on the camera's LCD monitor and LCD data panel, even when the Self Cleaning Sensor Unit is operating normally. This message may appear depending on the timing of when the camera is switch to the ON position.
3. Fixes a malfunction that prevents correct colors from being printed when direct printing. RAW images captured using the camera's custom Picture Styles (Emerald, etc.), which have been downloaded from Canon's Web site and registered under User Def. 2 or User Def. 3.
4. Modifies the level of subject brightness that causes the AF-assist beam to fire when using an external Speedlite.
5. Enables an external flash connected to the camera's synchro terminal to fire even when the camera's built-in flash is popped up.

Isn't it just the way? The most interesting one here is the last in the list. Why so interesting? Well, from our reading of this, you can use the built-in flash for AF assist and yet still trigger studio lights or others with a PC sync cord. 

To download this latest v1.1.1 firmware, click here. 

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Getting the correct exposure when using a remote release cable

It's another one of these what is that bit for kind of articles. EOS cameras can all be triggered using cable releases or in some cases infra-red remote releases. Usually this is done when the camera is on a tripod or located in a difficult to reach location. This odd location can cause problems since the light from the environment can enter the viewfinder from the rear - where you would normally be looking - and this can cause the exposure meter to meter erroneously. To prevent this kind of error you need to use something to block the light entering the viewfinder.

Canon has two solutions, the EOS-1D series solution with an eyepiece blind, and the other method of a piece of rubber on the camera neck strap. Since yesterday looked at EOS-1D models then today it's EOS 450D's turn. Though this also applies to the EOS 1000D, 40D, 50D and 5D Mark II. 

First up you need to remove the eyepiece rubber frame so that your camera looks similar to this one. 

The next part is to locate the rubber cover on the strap, it's always now that you realise you left that bit on the standard strap when you replaced it with an Optec one!

Here the cover is fitted over the eyepiece and will block stray light entering the viewfinder and messing up the exposure.

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WiFi grips gotcha

If you are thinking to get one of the WiFi 'grips' for your Canon EOS camera don't get caught out with this supremely annoying gotcha.

Canon Wireless File Transmitters WFT-E1, WFT-E3 and WFT-E4 need to have a battery installed to work and the battery is not supplied in the box with the WiFi grip.

Yes you read that right, you spend all that money on a WiFi grip only to find you need to put a battery in it. Even better is that the battery in the WiFi grip cannot power the camera and the grip. So if you plan on getting a WFT-E1, WFT-E2 or WFT-E3 don't forget to get the additional battery or else you can have camera operation and no WiFi - OR - WiFi operation and no camera.

WFT-E1 for the older EOS-1D Mark II, EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D Mark II N, EOS 5D, EOS 20D, EOS 30D needs a BP-511A battery (and charger if you're using an EOS-1D model; double doh!)

WFT-E3
for the EOS 40D and EOS 50D (firmware update to v2.0 needed) needs a BP-511A battery. You can use the charger that comes with the camera to charge this battery

WFT-E4 for the EOS 5D Mark II needs an LP-E6 battery. You can use the charger that comes with the camera to charge this battery. Though since the LP-E6 is new and exclusive to the EOS 5D Mark II they could be in pretty short supply now that EOS 5D Mark IIs seem to be hitting the stores.

Lucky people with an EOS-1D Mark III or EOS-1Ds Mark III and the WFT-E2 sleep safe since the camera does provide power to this one.

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