Post-KMSC Report

[apchoo]

Well, I got my 7D & 5600HS(D) back from KMSC Sydney, today. Very fast turnaround, I must say. I posted via registered mail last Wed, KMSC confirmed receipt on Friday, KMSC sent back via overnight courier on following Wed (yesterday) and I received it today (Thur). I was without my 7D for 8 days.

I requested the following jobs to be done.

1. Recalibrate my 7D and 5600HS for consistent and correct flash exposures.
2. Fix exposure metering in "M" mode with using flash.
3. Install Type L focusing screen.

As TME suspected, #2 wasn't done---I confirmed that I got my old body back. Communication via email with KMSC Sydney was terrific, but the lady couldn't tell me exactly what was done for #2---the technician apparently wrote "it has been adjusted to factory specifications" . Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of having KMSC in Melb and be able to speak personally to the technician, etc., and besides, it was hard enough already to go a week without my 7D. So I hoped "factory specifications" meant exposure metering working in M mode ... but that's not the case .

To more important things ... flash exposure with 5600HS now works consistently on my 7D. Not only that, the flash exposures are spot on !!! No more unexposure. I tested direct, bounced and wireless flash, and even with my LS2PJ. Spot on everytime .

And I like the Type L focusing screen. Like Don said, the grid lines are very fine and unobstrusive. The 4 corners of the wide focus area are still there but they're not the thick lines they used to be; instead they're thin like the grid.

Total cost was the registered post to Sydney and AUD71.50 for Type L FS (parts & labour). Looking at the invoice, the FS costs AUD16.50 and the labour was AUD55.00 . If only we could change the FS ourselves ...

For those of you who are experiencing grief with their 5600HS exposures, take it from me, endure the short period when your 7D is "in the shop" and you'll be glad you did!

[Drudkh]

Congrats to you on getting the 7D & 5600HS to work correctly.

[TME]

Well done!

[Agetan]

Well, you could send your camera to me and I can pop it down to KMSC (progear) for you...

They are very nice to deal with... I might need to bring my camera in too... don't know if they will fix back focus when use with non-KM lenses or not... anyone?

I got the L screen from KM Singapore.. much cheaper... I think it was S$60 or less... takes 30minutes...

Hart

Originally Posted by apchoo Well, I got my 7D & 5600HS(D) back from KMSC Sydney, today. Very fast turnaround, I must say. I posted via registered mail last Wed, KMSC confirmed receipt on Friday, KMSC sent back via overnight courier on following Wed (yesterday) and I received it today (Thur). I was without my 7D for 8 days. I requested the following jobs to be done. Recalibrate my 7D and 5600HS for consistent and correct flash exposures. Fix exposure metering in "M" mode with using flash. Install Type L focusing screen. As TME suspected, #2 wasn't done---I confirmed that I got my old body back. Communication via email with KMSC Sydney was terrific, but the lady couldn't tell me exactly what was done for #2---the technician apparently wrote "it has been adjusted to factory specifications" . Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of having KMSC in Melb and be able to speak personally to the technician, etc., and besides, it was hard enough already to go a week without my 7D. So I hoped "factory specifications" meant exposure metering working in M mode ... but that's not the case . To more important things ... flash exposure with 5600HS now works consistently on my 7D. Not only that, the flash exposures are spot on !!! No more unexposure. I tested direct, bounced and wireless flash, and even with my LS2PJ. Spot on everytime . And I like the Type L focusing screen. Like Don said, the grid lines are very fine and unobstrusive. The 4 corners of the wide focus area are still there but they're not the thick lines they used to be; instead they're thin like the grid. Total cost was the registered post to Sydney and AUD71.50 for Type L FS (parts & labour). Looking at the invoice, the FS costs AUD16.50 and the labour was AUD55.00 . If only we could change the FS ourselves ... For those of you who are experiencing grief with their 5600HS exposures, take it from me, endure the short period when your 7D is "in the shop" and you'll be glad you did!

[apchoo]

Originally Posted by Agetan Well, you could send your camera to me and I can pop it down to KMSC (progear) for you... They are very nice to deal with... I might need to bring my camera in too... don't know if they will fix back focus when use with non-KM lenses or not... anyone? I got the L screen from KM Singapore.. much cheaper... I think it was S$60 or less... takes 30minutes... Hart

Thanks, Hart, but if I send my gear to you, I have to pay for postage to and fro . When I sent to KMSC/Progear, they paid for return postage (by courier !) Agree with you ... they're terrific to deal with even from a distance ... only thing is I get no opportunity to talk face to face with technician ... would dearly love to understand the issue with non-metering with flash in "M" mode. Maybe you can enquire when you pop in to fix your BF prob.

S$60 for L screen, AUD900 for airfare, ... hmmm

[Agetan]

Originally Posted by apchoo Thanks, Hart, but if I send my gear to you, I have to pay for postage to and fro . When I sent to KMSC/Progear, they paid for return postage (by courier !) Agree with you ... they're terrific to deal with even from a distance ... only thing is I get no opportunity to talk face to face with technician ... would dearly love to understand the issue with non-metering with flash in "M" mode. Maybe you can enquire when you pop in to fix your BF prob. S$60 for L screen, AUD900 for airfare, ... hmmm

Well, you were back in Sin right? so it was worthwhile to get it done there...

Anyway... yeah true about the postage...

What is the problem with your "M" mode? Do you mean that when you set aperture and shutter on "M" mode and when you turn your flash on, the exposure will be correct all the time despite you change aperture or shutter? if that is the case, it will be perfectly normal if you are using TTL flash metering.... because then the flash will adjust its power to give enough exposure and your exposure in "M" mode will determine the ambient lighting which will be recorded as background. (If the exposure is under, the flash will correctly expose the subject, but the background will be black)


Hart

[apchoo]

Originally Posted by Agetan Well, you were back in Sin right? so it was worthwhile to get it done there... Anyway... yeah true about the postage... What is the problem with your "M" mode? Do you mean that when you set aperture and shutter on "M" mode and when you turn your flash on, the exposure will be correct all the time despite you change aperture or shutter? if that is the case, it will be perfectly normal if you are using TTL flash metering.... because then the flash will adjust its power to give enough exposure and your exposure in "M" mode will determine the ambient lighting which will be recorded as background. (If the exposure is under, the flash will correctly expose the subject, but the background will be black) Hart

Didn't consider getting a Type L then ... but if I had bought everything I had wanted while I was in SG, I would have no $$$ left for the rest of my hols .

Hmmm ... actually you may be right about the exposure metering+flash in "M" mode. Without flash, the exposure metering shows where the exposure is (under/spot-on/over). If flash is enabled, then in theory, the exposure should correct all the time (within limits of flash guide no.) so the metering should always lock at 0EV. I need to think about that some more ... maybe there isn't really an issue after all ...

[TME]

Nope that is not correct. If the camera is on manual and the flash on TTL. The exposure meter scale should show if the ambient light is underexposed or overexposed or spot. It should move along as u change the aperture in A mode or as u change the shutter speed in S mode. The flash will just fill in the subject if any.

The problem is this: In manual mode for camera and TTL for flash where applicable.

If I meter a low light scene without the flash on and it tells me that my correct exposure is 1/30s at f/5.6. My subject will be shadowed and so I turn on the flash at TTL and then my shot will be perfectly balanced.

But if now I leave the flash on and I move to another brighter location (or dimmer if u want). Now 1/30 s at f/5.6 will overexpose the ambient light. My metering scale should show the ambient light to be xxx number of stops over. However with most 7D bodies, the metering scale remains at 0EV. This means that my picture will be overexposed by that xxx number of stops without me knowing.

The same applies even during the day if u using manual mode to meter and with flash for fill. The metering scale should move to tell u if your current setting is over or under or spot on. Otherwise I have no idea at all if my settings are correct or not short of using an external light meter.

[Agetan]

Originally Posted by TME Nope that is not correct. If the camera is on manual and the flash on TTL. The exposure meter scale should show if the ambient light is underexposed or overexposed or spot. It should move along as u change the aperture in A mode or as u change the shutter speed in S mode. The flash will just fill in the subject if any. The problem is this: In manual mode for camera and TTL for flash where applicable. If I meter a low light scene without the flash on and it tells me that my correct exposure is 1/30s at f/5.6. My subject will be shadowed and so I turn on the flash at TTL and then my shot will be perfectly balanced. But if now I leave the flash on and I move to another brighter location (or dimmer if u want). Now 1/30 s at f/5.6 will overexpose the ambient light. My metering scale should show the ambient light to be xxx number of stops over. However with most 7D bodies, the metering scale remains at 0EV. This means that my picture will be overexposed by that xxx number of stops without me knowing. The same applies even during the day if u using manual mode to meter and with flash for fill. The metering scale should move to tell u if your current setting is over or under or spot on. Otherwise I have no idea at all if my settings are correct or not short of using an external light meter.

======== we are talking in "M" mode ========

What you are describing is right.... it just the camera's interface... I do turn the flash off if I am in the different lighting area to get the ambient light reading from the camera. then after I set the setting, I will put the flash back on... quick and easy...

There are at most 3 or 4 settings at any given area... why not program it when you get there? take a reading from area 1 and set everything up and store in Memory 1, do the same thing for area 2 and store in Memory 2 and area 3 in memory 3 and remember the last one...

Once you know that, just simply shoot like a point and shoot... its easy enough once you get a hang of it...

well, at least this is what I do...

Hart

[TME]

Actually that is a glitch and not a camera design... cos the Dynax 7's metering scale works with the flash on. Also the 7D's rivals all also have working metering scales in manual mode with the flash on. It handicaps your shooting speed when u are shooting across a vast dynamic range like outdoors under bright sunny condition... I had no problems with the Dynax 7 when I was holidaying cos all I needed to do was to trust my camera's meter (which was excellent) and then start shooting with flash for fill even under very bright condition. Before I had a body change, I had to switch off the flash and then switch it back on. Most importantly why I say it is a glitch is because my current body (KMSC changed for me) has the metering scale working. So it means that it is a technical problem with the board and not part of the 7D's design.

[Agetan]

Originally Posted by TME Actually that is a glitch and not a camera design... cos the Dynax 7's metering scale works with the flash on. Also the 7D's rivals all also have working metering scales in manual mode with the flash on. It handicaps your shooting speed when u are shooting across a vast dynamic range like outdoors under bright sunny condition... I had no problems with the Dynax 7 when I was holidaying cos all I needed to do was to trust my camera's meter (which was excellent) and then start shooting with flash for fill even under very bright condition. Before I had a body change, I had to switch off the flash and then switch it back on. Most importantly why I say it is a glitch is because my current body (KMSC changed for me) has the metering scale working. So it means that it is a technical problem with the board and not part of the 7D's design.

Got ya!!

Hart