EOS 3 with 430ez

Hi, I just got a used EOS 3 from eBay and I have a few questions. The Canon website says the EOS 3 is compatible with ATTL flashes, but when I hooked up my 430ez, it no longer did a preflash. The zoom wasn't zooming with the lens and every flash seemed like it was at full power (or at least very close). I know some people use their 540ez flash with their EOS 3. Is the 540ez the only ez flash that works with the EOS 3? Should I start saving up for an ex flash? Thanks for any info.

If it matters, the 430ez works perfectly on my Rebel Ti. One more thing, the EOS 3 is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a stop underexposing when compared to my Rebel Ti. Is this because of different metering systems, or did I get one of the bad EOS 3s? Thanks again.

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Originally Posted by TEMPESTboy

Hi, I just got a used EOS 3 from eBay and I have a few questions. The Canon website says the EOS 3 is compatible with ATTL flashes, but when I hooked up my 430ez, it no longer did a preflash. The zoom wasn't zooming with the lens and every flash seemed like it was at full power (or at least very close). I know some people use their 540ez flash with their EOS 3. Is the 540ez the only ez flash that works with the EOS 3? Should I start saving up for an ex flash? Thanks for any info.

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I believe the camera is compatible with attl flashes, but it does not pre-flash except when bouncing flash , and does not use focus point weighted reading, and does not take into account ambient lighting. With attl flashes, I think it reverts to a more primitive 3 zone ttl or off the film plane attl metering system. If the flash does not zoom with the lens, check to make sure it's not in manual zoom mode, and check the postion of the flash head (if it is depressed below the normal position, the zoom function does not work). Also check to make sure the flash is properly seated on the hot shoe. Barring all that, I think maybe you've got some fried circuitry, either in the camera, or in the flash. Hope that helps. It's been awhile since I've shot film, and the last attl flash I had was the 430ez, and I used that on the A2. The last film camera I had was the EOS-1V (got stolen 2 years ago) and I used three 550EX flashes with that setup, not the 430ez.
Wish I could help more, but that's all I can come up with.

I can't remember if the ez flashes had a pop-out wide angle diffuser like the 550ex, but if it does, the zoom function is disabled when the diffuser is in use, at least it is on my 550 ex flashes.

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Originally Posted by TEMPESTboy

If it matters, the 430ez works perfectly on my Rebel Ti. One more thing, the EOS 3 is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a stop underexposing when compared to my Rebel Ti. Is this because of different metering systems, or did I get one of the bad EOS 3s? Thanks again.

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If the flash works fine on the Rebel, then my guess is that your eos-3 is fried. I hope you didn't pay too much for your ebay prize. I had an eos-3 that came with a package on ebay that included a 400 f5.6L USM, 1.4xII TC, and a cheesy wheesy 28-70 tamron (my second one of this model) but I never got the chance to test it before I gave it as a present to my patient coordinator's son to replace his Rebel Ti.

It works now! (At least for now). It was weird before though, the AF assist light wouldn't even light up. It would just fire at full power when I pushed the shutter. I attached my 200e (don't ask why I have all these old flashes), and the AF assist light was working and the flash was working. Then I put my 430ez back on (oh ya, the 430ez doesn't have a wide angle diffuser) and things seemed to be working fine again. I mainly tried it in P mode, and noticed that it hardly went up to it's full sync speed (1/200s). Is this common on the pro cameras? My eBay package came with the 135 f2 L lens. I wanted the lens and thought: "why not pay a few hundred more for a solid body (with power booster)." So I bought it. I've still gotta process some of my slides to see if it has the underexposure problem. Thanks so much for the help Lionheart.

Sweet lens. I have this, and it is fast becoming my favorite prime lens when taking pics around my children. btw, invest in one or two ex series flashes. If it works on the eos-3 like it did on my 1v (it should, the eos-3 was the test bed for the ex flashes), you'll find yourself shooting some of the most flashless flash photos you've ever laid eyes on. Unfortunately, the ex flashes are pretty hit and miss on the digi slr bodies.