How can we get canon to add this to the next rebel firmware

[timmyquest]

I hate the fact that i can only chose 10 seconds for my timer...i know it's differnt on better cameras, but who's going to drop $500 more just for that feature???

[msvadi]

We can write a list what we want from Canon for our DRebels ;)
I don't think we would get it, at least, before they release an upgrade for 10D.

[Curos]

i was just wondering this today :(

[yb98]

We can write a list what we want from Canon for our DRebels ;)
I don't think we would get it, at least, before they release an upgrade for 10D.


Yes, good idea !
Here is my whishes list :

. free choice of the light metering
. free choice of the auto-focus mode
. possibility of saving raw without any jpeg
. possibility of saving raw in basic modes
. displaying horizontal an vertical lines to help framing (i don't know if this is possible)
. Second curtain flash

Yacine.

[timmyquest]

displaying horizontal an vertical lines to help framing (i don't know if this is possible)

That would be in the foucs screen, not the firmware. Would be nice though.

[robertwgross]

Damn. If you guys had such an extreme dissatisfaction with the feature list of the Digital Rebel, then why did you buy it in the first place?

---Bob Gross---

[yb98]

Damn. If you guys had such an extreme dissatisfaction with the feature list of the Digital Rebel, then why did you buy it in the first place?

---Bob Gross---

because for me the image quality is the most important thing and the DRebel is the camera which gives me the best image quality for the price

the improvements in the firmware are just some good things I wish but it is not the most important criteria and I don't have any serious dissatisfaction with the Digital Rebel

Yacine.

[Doom1701e]

If you really want a longer or shorter timer and dont mind spending alittle over $100, get the fancy electronic shutter release. I think you can set a timer release from 1 second to 99min, 99 sec. I have one but havent used it for self timer yet.

[Malok]

Hey, If we are putting together a wish list, let me add my $0.02

My biggest desire is for mirror-lockup. I don't know if this is determined solely by the firmware though. If it can be made available through firmware, I would definitely be willing to pay something, just not an extra $500!

[timmyquest]

Damn. If you guys had such an extreme dissatisfaction with the feature list of the Digital Rebel, then why did you buy it in the first place?

---Bob Gross---

Because i'm not spending $500 more on a camera just so i dont have to wait 10 seconds for the timer.

:roll: :roll:

[msvadi]

Damn. If you guys had such an extreme dissatisfaction with the feature list of the Digital Rebel, then why did you buy it in the first place?

---Bob Gross---

Because you guys told us always to buy Canon ;)

I'm kidding, of course. I like the camera and I can live without FEC, ability to change metering/AF modes and etc. There are always ways around it (except for the mirror lock-up). It's just annoying that many features are in there, but Canon disabled them on purpose.

[sp00g3]

Damn. If you guys had such an extreme dissatisfaction with the feature list of the Digital Rebel, then why did you buy it in the first place?

---Bob Gross---

Because you guys told us always to buy Canon ;)

I'm kidding, of course. I like the camera and I can live without FEC, ability to change metering/AF modes and etc. There are always ways around it (except for the mirror lock-up). It's just annoying that many features are in there, but Canon disabled them on purpose.

Its how business is done. If you want those features then get a 10D.. I know its crap and that the consumer is screwed.. but what else can you do.

[Cordell]

I'm with Bob all the way on this. If you want something you simply pay for it. Don't complain later. It's not a fault of the camera, it is what is offered on the thing. If you like the features, you pay for them. If you want more or different features go buy something else. You do have a choice you know.

[Belmondo]

I've been a member of this forum long enough to remember all the brouhaha revolving around the ‘feature-challenged’ aspects of the Drebel shortly after it was introduced. There were even some petitions started asking Canon for a firmware update to make the 300D more like a 10D. Then, as now, the prevailing attitude was, “If these things were important to you, you should have bought a different camera.”

As could be expected, Canon did nothing about it, but it is safe to say they at least listened. I firmly believe that many of these features will be in the next generation Rebel, not necessarily as a result of public clamor, but in response to the threat to market share posed by the N***n D70 and other new-generation cameras.

One of the problems that I see is that people were sold on the notion that the Rebel is basically a 10D in a different wrapper. In many respects it is, but there are other significant differences than simply cosmetic. Ultimately the responsibility lies with the purchaser to know what they’re buying and why. Hopefully they will come to a forum like this to learn the differences before spending that much money on something that might not meet their demands.

[Malok]

I'm quite surprised by the comments made to "just spend more money". Those with this attitude must certainly have very well paying jobs and very gracious spouses.

I realized the limitations of the Drebel, but simply couldn't afford to get all that I needed. I'm a full time student and part-time landscape photographer. My wife and I are living off of less than $1,000 a month and somehow I need to pay for my master's degree courses with this as well. While I wanted to purchase the D10, it just wasn't an option at this time. I am not complaining that it doesn't have all the features. I went in knowing this, however as many of these issues are firmware related, I am hoping that Canon will eventually offer some of these features, even if there is an affordable fee for this upgrade.

If any of you from the "just spend more money" camp want to donate a D10, I would be thrilled! :D Take a look at my website and you will see that I would get very good use out of it!

Malok

[abel]

wont the russian firmware hack take care of most of those requests? i think theres even one for the mirror lock.

just curious.

[Lamplight]

Personally, I've never needed anything longer than a ten second timer, but that's just me. To be honest, the only thing I would change about my DRebel is that I wish it was black. The silver just looks kind of cheesy to me. :D But of course that's an extremely minor complaint and one that I'm not too concerned with. Oh, and the 10D was definitely not an option for me either, as my savings account still has not even began to recover after purchasing my camera in March. :(

[robertwgross]

One of the problems that I see is that people were sold on the notion that the Rebel is basically a 10D in a different wrapper. In many respects it is, but there are other significant differences than simply cosmetic.

Yes, and the camera store salesmen seized the opportunity and took advantage of that. They knew that they could *say* practically anything they wanted to say in order to force the deal, and they knew that the average customer trying to buy a DSLR camera would not be astute enough to know the importance or unimportance of mirror lockup and FEC and things like that.

---Bob Gross---

[Volatile]

I don't think anyone has "extreme dissatisfaction" with their dRebel, and most of us are aware of its position in the lineup. I'd even venture to guess that most of us *would* have bought a better camera if we had the money for it.

IMHO, it seems wasteful to have a capability that cannot be utilized because the software was intentionally left out. In my idyllic view of capitalism, you make the best product possible and sell it at the best price that meets balance between supply and demand.

Don't get me wrong, I love my camera, and I don't lose any sleep over any of these issues.

Bill

[robertwgross]

IMHO, it seems wasteful to have a capability that cannot be utilized because the software was intentionally left out. In my idyllic view of capitalism, you make the best product possible and sell it at the best price that meets balance between supply and demand.


You've never worked in the marketing department of a large manufacturer, have you?

More...
You've never worked for a large Japanese manufacturer, have you?

There are a lot of realities hidden here.

---Bob Gross---

[CyberDyneSystems]

The 10D by the way.. does not have the ability to alter the timer lenght either without the aid of the timer remote sold seperately for a tidy sum.

[jonnyhorizon]

i got a electronic remote RC-1 from canon for 24.00
works great...

[gcogger]

On the issue of 10D vs 300D - I bought the 300D because of its size and weight advantages over the 10D. I would have spent the extra if the 10D was smaller camera.

I also feel slightly disappointed with the features on the 300D. Yes, I knew that it didn't have user-selectable metering and focus modes when I bought it.
What I didn't know (and as far as I can see, even the manual does not tell you) is that if you use a single focus point the camera goes into 'partial' metering. Since I always use a single focus point (I know where I want to focus - I don't want the camera deciding) this makes the metering on the camera very poor.
The occasional issues with the AI focus kicking in when you focus and re-compose were also not known before purchase - see much discussion on the dpreview forum! I'm sure I've seen Canon describe the technique, so the fact that it is unreliable on the 300D is a disappointment.
I also wouln't worry about FEC, except that the camera always under-exposes when using flash.

So on the whole I'm not impressed with the way Canon have implemented the reduced feature set, but until they introduce an improved camera of similar size/weight I guess I'm stuck :-( I've looked into getting the Nikon D70 or Pentax *ist-D, but I greatly prefer the Canon image quality.

[drisley]

I also wouln't worry about FEC, except that the camera always under-exposes when using flash.



Look on google for a program called FECset.
You can use it to boost the flash output of the 300D by whatever you want.
Most find that +2/3 compensation is wonderful!
8)

[Volatile]

IMHO, it seems wasteful to have a capability that cannot be utilized because the software was intentionally left out. In my idyllic view of capitalism, you make the best product possible and sell it at the best price that meets balance between supply and demand.


You've never worked in the marketing department of a large manufacturer, have you?

More...
You've never worked for a large Japanese manufacturer, have you?

There are a lot of realities hidden here.

---Bob Gross---

I've never had a real job other than the Navy. I feel so naive...

[msvadi]

What I didn't know (and as far as I can see, even the manual does not tell you) is that if you use a single focus point the camera goes into 'partial' metering.

I believe you are wrong about this. The camera is supposed to go into partial metering only if you press "*" button.

[msvadi]

I almost never have a problem with the camera going into AI servo, because I almost always use different AF points and place them over the subject (and yes, I don't care about the rule of thirds, it is overrated ;) )

Still, I find the discussion at Dpreview quite interesting. I was not aware of that issue before I bought the camera. But, I guess, it was my fault. I did not know that it is how the Rebel class SLRs work. I was sure that I was buying much more than point-and-shoot. Still, I would not change my decision to buy a Rebel and not a 10D even if I knew. I will get a better camera one day, in the mean time, the Rebel brings me into the DSLRs world, it gives me the excellent picture quality. And there is nothing wrong with complaining about its various features or lack of features from time to time.

I copy paste the message form Dpreview bellow and here's the link to the thread http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=6898592
It's interesting reading.

<<<<<Recent forum postings implied my camera needed fixing becuase it goes into AI servo mode when I recompose the picture. I have had several emails with Canon support. The last one is inserted below. The bottom-line is my camera is normal.

1) The camera may go into AI servo during recompose, even if all instructions on page 63 of the manual for Focus Lock are followed. My take is Focus Lock should really be called 'soft' Focus Lock or 'conditional' Focus Lock - until movement is detected.

2) Phil's review stated 'Once Autofocus is locked......the camera.....is not fooled by panning'. Canon's email contradicts this statement. Panning may result in motion detected and cause the AI Servo to kick in.

3) If your camera goes into AI Servo when recomposing that is a normal camera function. Many of you said your camera will not go into AI servo while recomposing. It should do so if you pan or recompose under the right conditions. [Try recomposing by panning that brings a plant into the frame where the plant is closer than the focus point - I've noticed the plant doesn't even have to get near the single AF point you are using]

4) Canon recommends using manual focus or buying a 10D!!


The bottomline for me is during two months of owning the camera this has only been an issue once. And during the testing of Focus Lock over the week-end, the camera over-riding Focus Lock was actually the right decision (from a picture perspective). While I would like the ability to turn AI Servo off, I'd rather have the camera with AI Servo and no off button than no AI Servo feature altogether.

*************email from Canon***********************

The manual is correct (page 63 Focus Lock). However, as explained previously, it is possible that the camera will interpret your movement (recomposing) as panning

(which would be used to track a moving subject), and the AI Servo may
kick in. Again, this is not a camera malfunction; rather, it is simply
how AI focus works. If this does not match your shooting style, we
suggest that you focus manually, or shoot with a camera that does not
use AI Focus. Remember, the EOS Digital Rebel is not a professional
camera; it is designed for the amateur photographer for simple, almost
point-and-shoot operation. For more manual control, a more advanced
camera is necessary (i.e. the EOS 10D).
************************************************** *>>>>>>

[gcogger]

What I didn't know (and as far as I can see, even the manual does not tell you) is that if you use a single focus point the camera goes into 'partial' metering.

I believe you are wrong about this. The camera is supposed to go into partial metering only if you press "*" button.

It seemed to be the consensus from various threads on (mostly) dpreview that Partial metering is engaged when you select a single focus point. That could be wrong, but it would probably explain the poor metering results I get. Of course it may be me - I think I need to do some more experiments!

[gcogger]

I tried digging a little deeper, and came up with:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=7959601
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=7712567

The discussions are quite interesting.

[msvadi]

with a single AF point it is still evaluative metering, just the area around the selected AF point gets more weight. That's how I understand it. As far as I remember, it's not unique to the 300D, there was a similar discussion regarding the 10D.

[leony]

I would like a Honda Civic that comes with auto dimming mirrors, 6 speakers and a navigation system.

I don't want to pay $13,000 more for it (like the Acura RSX) simply because it doens't cost that much to add those features, and I can't afford an Acura because I have Digital Photography as a hobby.

I would pay $1500 more for my Civic if it had all those features that I want, and I'm going to write a letter to Honda asking them to add them to my Civic.

It's OK if they don't add extras to my car this time. They will listen to me and add it in next year's model, because a lot of people would buy Civics instead of Acuras if they had simmilar features.

Did I mention I am dissatisfied with my Civic? It doesn't come with ABS and Tracking control - it's very unsafe at speeds faster than 85 MPH, and it doesn't get the mileage of the other Honda Hybrid (50 miles/galon).

Maybe I can pay a Russian mechanic to put all that stuff in my Civic.... I'll even pay $500 for it.

Pun intended.

nuff said.

[RichardtheSane]

Damn, did I miss another thread suggesting Canon should enabe some features in the next firmware. Must have been too busy taking photographs to notice.... ;)

[dn7elson]

Damn, did I miss another thread suggesting Canon should enabe some features in the next firmware. Must have been too busy taking photographs to notice.... ;)

Yep. Just announced that the Black body color will be enabled on the next firmware upgrade. :lol: :lol:

Oh, my DRebel....yeah, it's still silver... :D

[msvadi]

this forum used to be much nicer not a very long time ago. What did happen?

[Tom W]

this forum used to be much nicer not a very long time ago. What did happen?

Pekka enabled the "mean" feature to match the larger forum(s). :)

[msvadi]

this forum used to be much nicer not a very long time ago. What did happen?

Pekka enabled the "mean" feature to match the larger forum(s). :)

please, oh, please, turn it off ;)
do we really want rec.photo.digital to move in here? ;)

[Tom W]

this forum used to be much nicer not a very long time ago. What did happen?

Pekka enabled the "mean" feature to match the larger forum(s). :)

please, oh, please, turn it off ;)
do we really want rec.photo.digital to move in here? ;)

I don't think so, though lately, I've been caustic to a couple of people on the forum. But I believe that they deserve it.

[msvadi]

I hate the fact that i can only chose 10 seconds for my timer...i know it's differnt on better cameras, but who's going to drop $500 more just for that feature???

well, Wasia heard you ;)
it looks like the new hack gives you 1.5 sec "timer" if you use MLU ;)
would you ask him, please, for selectable metering modes?


and, Canon guys: we will forgive you if you release NOW the official firmware upgrade with all those functions. How many more 10D's do you have to sell? ;)