[shuttertalk]

If I'm not mistaken, most of the DSLRs (Canon 300D, 20D etc. anyway) will automatically pop up the flash in low light and fire off repeated flash bursts to assist the AF system. Some people may appreciate the disco strobe effect, but for me, it's just plain annoying! Attaching a flashgun will solve the issue (the flashgun as an infrared AF assist lamp) - but I'm wondering why they can't build one into the camera? Not everyone carries a flashgun everywhere...

I borrowed a friend's film EOS 3000 (we're talking consumer grade SLR here, probably around 1990 vintage) and it had a IR assist lamp built in. Focusing in low light was so much quicker and easier, compared to the modern counterparts.


Am I missing something here? I wonder why the feature has been dropped in the consumer models?

[Rufus]

Is it, perhaps, heavy on batteries? Too big to fit in? Something else??

Plus, where is our wonderful "price comparison" thread? I was enjoying that!

[StudioJ]

I hate the inbuilt AF assist lamp plus its next to useless!

[adam]

It only pops up the flash if you have it on the redundant green rectangle
Also, if you pop it up manually by pushing the flash button, and then you try get it to focus in low light, it'll use the flash to AF assist.

When I've got the EF-500 on, it'll use a red light in the flash to do it

[shuttertalk]

Rufus: Lol, price comparison thread went to digital heaven.

On the EOS3000 the AF assist lamp is built into the popup flash, so very tiny.

J ... are we talking about the same thing? I'm not talking about those fake-o flashlight things on compact digicams...

[slejhamer]

You know, I sometimes forget that my camera has a built-in flash ... I guess I'll agree with J's comment, especially for people photography. On the other hand, it could be interesting to program it to fire for AF but not fire for the exposure - this might help with macro AF, generally a problem.

And Adam's right - the flash only pops up automatically if you are in Auto mode.

[teddyfingers]

On my d70 it has a AF assist lamp on it separate from the flash. I turned it off. People would think it was the flash.

Teddy

[StudioJ]

Yeah I mean the poxy strobe like effect but even still now I use the old G when I go to parties and it has the white light next to the lens.

[shuttertalk]

Annoying isn't it?

Believe it or not, they used to have a IR AF assist on their cameras, until some genius thought that the strobe effect would be a cooler replacement!

[Peted]

My Sony V1 has a laser low light focusing system that is really cool, puts a criss cross pattern on the item you are photographing.

My Ds uses the flash strobe, my 400FTZ flash uses an AF assist light.

I think the Sony laser is by far the best.

[shuttertalk]

Wow, really? I would have thought the AF assist light would be better... well you learn something new every day!

[Peted]

It is an AF assist light it is just that it uses a laser and that means it works at a greater distance and is more accurate.

The V1 also has night shot framing, it uses infared and focuses like some camcorders and then fires the flash for the shot, you can also take infared photos like this.