Ancient history? Canon EOS 650 question

[twysted_prism]

Hi there,

After a couple of years of digital photography I got curious to try 35mm SLR and so got a cheap, old Canon EOS 650 body earlier this week. Yesterday I got a Sigma 28-200 Canon AF fit zoom lens to go with it. It fits nicely, it's a shame that it doesn't seem to work nicely.

I am yet to take a photograph. I'm sticking with the fully automatic mode because I know that it *should* work but I can't get the shutter speed high enough to take a picture; the warning noise keeps sounding. Admittedly I got an ISO 100 film which is a little slow for light conditions at this time of year but even with manually setting the speed to 400/800 I still get this problem. On the two occassions that I got the speed up to 1/60 and even 1/125 (by pointing the camera at a blue sky with broken white clouds with the sun just out of frame!) it *still* refused to take a shot; it didn't even seem to want to focus. There is life there, the motors whirr and the frame goes into and then back out of focus but nothing else seems to happen. Certainly, nothing happens when I fully depress the button.

Now, my question is this: before I take the lebs back to the shop is there something that I might be doing (or not doing) that might be causing the problems?

[Lionheart]

There have been more than a few folks here who have had compatibility problems with EOS cameras and Sigma zooms, including myself. Oddly enough, I've never had a problem with Sigma prime lenses, just their super zooms. On the other hand the 650 is at least 15 years old, if not older, and the best way to test whether it's the camera or the lens is to go to your local camera shop and try a Canon EF lens on it and see what it does, then if that works invest in a cheap EF 50mm f1.8 and give it a workout using slide film to make sure that the camera's metering is working. I learned my basics with an EOS 630, EF 50mm f1.8, and lots of Fujichrome 50 and Kodachrome 25 and 64 over 15 years ago. They are good solid, well built cameras, and I wish I still had mine, although I wonder if it would still be in working condition today. When I gave it away 11 years ago, it had probably seen at least 400 rolls of film run through it.
Well, good luck.
Leon

[Michael Fanelli]

Hi there,
I am yet to take a photograph. I'm sticking with the fully automatic mode because I know that it *should* work but I can't get the shutter speed high enough to take a picture;

This is part of the problem. If you want a specific shutter speed you have to be able to set the shutter speed. Auto mode doesn't have a clue what you are looking for. Set the camera to Tv mode, set the shutter speed you are looking for, and see what aperture the camera is looking for.

Admittedly I got an ISO 100 film which is a little slow for light conditions at this time of year but even with manually setting the speed to 400/800 I still get this problem.

You can't set ISO film to higher ISOs unless you are willing to pay for special processing. Pushing 100 to 800 is very extreme for most films. Unlike digital, you are locked into one film speed.

On the two occassions that I got the speed up to 1/60 and even 1/125 (by pointing the camera at a blue sky with broken white clouds with the sun just out of frame!) it *still* refused to take a shot;

What is the aperture set to? Sunny 16 (pointing your camera at a blue sky) says that you should get an exposure of about 1/125 at f/16. Most lenses only go down to f/22, some f/32.

itdidn't even seem to want to focus. There is life there, the motors whirr and the frame goes into and then back out of focus but nothing else seems to happen. Certainly, nothing happens when I fully depress the button.

Only two reasons I can think of. There is not enough light for AF to work or the lens and/or camera has an AF problem.

[JK_Photo]

If you're pointing your lens at a solid blue sky it will probably not be able to lock focus. There is not enough contrast in a blue sky to allow autofocus to snag onto something. It will just hunt back and forth.

[twysted_prism]

Thanks folks; I've had little chance to act on your suggestions but should be able to get down to one of my two local camera shops tomorrow morning; I'll see if they can get any action from the camera with a 50mm as suggested. Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how I get on

[twysted_prism]

It turned out to be a fault in the lens so, with new second hand lens, I shot a roll of film today and am now considering getting the necessary things to develop it as they all seem relatively inexpensive ... :-)