E-410/e-510

[Riley]

as some of those shift lens are $1000 anyway
you could actually get another body and take 2 images simultaneously
would be an interesting view of street action
20Mp 8x3 images from Olympus !

[laichoon]

I bought the E510 last week and found that if I have the built-in flash out of its socket, the red-eye reduction flashes are fired no matter what mode I set the flash to (auto, red-eye reduction, off, slow, etc). This is rather annoying as it takes a couple of seconds and sometimes I do want to use the built-in flash without red-eye reduction. I ended up having to disable the auto-pop-up function and using an external flash. Has anyone encountered the same problem, or is my camera mal-functioning?

[Riley]

finding you query very difficult to interpret
but
could it be that the focus assist part of the flash is kicking in
de-activate it in menus

[kgosden]

I agree it sounds like the focus assist, but there is not enough detail. I am also guessing the camera is in full Auto mode. I never use this mode, but I believe that it overrides most user options.

[IMSassafras]

I bought the E510 last week and found that if I have the built-in flash out of its socket, the red-eye reduction flashes are fired no matter what mode I set the flash to (auto, red-eye reduction, off, slow, etc). This is rather annoying as it takes a couple of seconds and sometimes I do want to use the built-in flash without red-eye reduction. I ended up having to disable the auto-pop-up function and using an external flash. Has anyone encountered the same problem, or is my camera mal-functioning?

Laichoon,

I purchased the E-510 yesterday. I was able to play with it a little after charging the battery for 4 1/2 hours (grumble). I too experienced the same red-eye reduction feature when the flash automatically popped up. After reading your message, I played with the flash and every time the red-eye reduction would flash as well. It took a little reading of the manual to figure it out, but this is what you have to do...

Turn your mode dial to M (Manual Mode). If you want to use the flash, then pop-up the flash manually. If not, then make sure the flash is down. That's it!!!

I wish all questions were this easy.


Warmly,
Sassafras

[kgosden]

Manual mode is not the answer. In manual mode he will need to set both the shutter speed and aperture, the camera will set neither, that is why it is called manual mode. Of the 4 non-scene modes ONLY A (auto) will always popup the flash. Even with AF illumination set to ON (it is under the 1st wrench menu) it will only popup the flash in Auto mode. However, in other modes, P(rogram), A(perture) and M(anual) it will use the AF illuminator of the flash only if the flash is manually raised. I just verified this on my E-510.

[Riley]

will it try to focus assist anyway though, in low light

[laichoon]

Sorry I wasn't clear in my description; I was trying to keep it short. As kgosden wrote, in auto mode the camera will popup the flash, although this can be disabled by setting the "auto pop up" to "off" (page 79 of the manual). In other modes such as P(rogram), the user has to pop up the flash manually. My problem, however, is that, whenever the flash is up (whether automatically or manually), it will fire a series of pre-flashes lasting 2-3s when the shutter release button is depressed. This happens regardless of the flash mode. There are a total of 11 different modes the built-in flash can be set to: auto, auto with red-eye reduction, fill-in flash, flash-off, slow sync with red-eye reduction, slow sync (first curtain), slow sync (2nd curtain), etc. I thought the series of flashes (which occurs with an audible rattling sound) is for red-eye reduction, not focus assist, but perhaps I am wrong? Other cameras I have used emit a single pre-burst for red-eye reduction. The E510 is the first camera I have used that keeps the flash blinking for so long. If the flashing that comes with the rattling is for red-eye reduction (rather than focus assist), I would have expected it to occur only if I set the flash mode to either "red-eye reduction" or "slow sync with red-eye reduction", and not the other modes, including "flash-off". I want to be able to use the built-in flash for flash photography without the 3s delay caused by the pre-flashes. For instance, I want to take a picture of a moving subject in a dimly-lit room, and by the time the shutter actually releases 3s later, the subject is no longer in the same pose. For now, I am using an external flash, but I really would like to use the built-in flash, if I can bypass the long 3s pre-flashes. Is it possible that the unit I have is defective, or that the firmware has to be updated?

[kgosden]

So have you tried to disable the AF illumination? The behavior you describe is clearly the AF illumination. When I disable it on my E-510 and manually raise the flash I only get flash for exposure. AF illumination occurs even when flash for exposure is off.

[laichoon]

Yes, you are absolutely right. After I disabled the AF illuminator, the rattling and long delay went away. Thanks so much !!