Help me with TTL, please.

I am considering purchasing an Elan 7 (not the N, E or NE version) film camera. I think the Elan 7 is TTL only, and it comes with a Sunpack 5000AF TTL flash. I have tried to use TTL on my current digitals with no luck. I have: 60D, 6D, 430EX II and 580EX II. Is TTL just imcompatable with digital? I am getting exposures all over the place. Way too much flash all the way to way too little flash.

The way I understand TTL is: I set the aperture on the flash, and the same aperture on the camera, and the hardware figures out exactly how much flash to use. I have used lots of film cameras in the past and that is all I had to do. Perhaps I am expecting my digital cameras to do the impossible here. Oh, I am quite familiar with manual flash. That is where I started. My buddy Matthew got a lot more famous than I ever did.

TTL is for film cameras only. ETTL and ETTL-2 are the digital protocols.

Here is way more than you ever wanted to know- but has all the answers you need, as well.

http://photonotes.org/​articles/eos-flash/

Thank you. Knowing TTL is for film is enough. A gripped Elan 7 with flash for $25 is too good to pass up. Well, if it works that is. Thanks again.

You can use the 5000AF on the camera in 'A' mode. Set your camera's aperture and ISO on the flash. The flash uses the small photo sensor just above the AF assist lamp to squelch the light when it determines the exposure is correct. If you need exposure compensation, simply change the aperture or ISO on the camera. Any questions, give me a holler.

oldvultureface wrote in post #17323521
You can use the 5000AF on the camera in 'A' mode. Set your camera's aperture and ISO on the flash. The flash uses the small photo sensor just above the AF assist lamp to squelch the light when it determines the exposure is correct. If you need exposure compensation, simply change the aperture or ISO on the camera. Any questions, give me a holler.

Yeah, that is the way I remember all my 'auto' flashes working, when I used film. That was about 200 years ago, I think. I just couldn't make TTL work on my 6D. I am old enough to remember getting my first 'auto' flash in the late '70s. What a boon! I don't have to do flash calculations in my head anymore. On a good day, I can still amaze the youngsters with near instant manual flash settings. Ah, the good old days. Really, I much prefer digital. Instead of managing all the manual settings I get to concentrate on how bad of a photographer I really am. "

Oh, and thanks for the generous offer of assistance. I may rely on you, yet.

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17323574
Yeah, that is the way I remember all my 'auto' flashes working, when I used film. That was about 200 years ago, I think.

Sounds like you've already been there.

If you're lacking a manual, a PDF is available at http://www.butkus.org …sh/sunpak_flash​_units.htm near the bottom of the page.

oldvultureface wrote in post #17323664
Sounds like you've already been there.

If you're lacking a manual, a PDF is available at http://www.butkus.org …sh/sunpak_flash​_units.htm near the bottom of the page.

Hey, you don't by chance live in Valparaiso, do you? My wife just graduated from VU in August. I'm just down US 30, outside of Bourbon.

Close. About 25 miles SSW of Valpo. My youngest with dog and husband (in that order?) does live in Valparaiso. We used to fly in to Plymouth back in the 70's and walk over to the Holiday Inn for breakfast.

Funny! My first wife's father was a single-engine VFR pilot. We used to fly to Plymouth (we lived in South Bend then) and go to Holiday Inn for dinner. That was in the late '70s. Plymouth is dying. We do our shopping and stuff in Warsaw these days.

Edit: Oh, yes. Dog(s) certainly come before husbands in my house.

Qlayer2 wrote in post #17323258
TTL is for film cameras only. ETTL and ETTL-2 are the digital protocols.

Here is way more than you ever wanted to know- but has all the answers you need, as well.

http://photonotes.org/​articles/eos-flash/

Not quite

E-TTL II only is for Type A-II Canon cameras using EX Speedlites, which includes newer EOS digital cameras and the following film cameras:

EOS 30V Date | Elan 7NE
EOS 33V | Elan 7N
EOS 300X | Rebel T2

E-TTL is for Type A Canon cameras using EX Speedlites, which includes older DSLR's (300D and 10D vintage) and the following film cameras:

EOS IV
EOS 3
EOS 30 | Elan 7E
EOS 33 | Elan 7
EOS 300 | Rebel 2000
EOS 300V | Rebel Ti
EOS 3000V | Rebel GH
EOS 50 | Elan II
EOS 50E | Elan IIE
EOS 500N | Rebel G

(APS film) EOS IX
(APS film) EOS IX7 | IX Lite


I have an Elan II that came out in 1995 and 420EX that came out in 2000, both pre-dating the first Canon only DSLR, the 1D, which came out in 2001. My Elan II with 420EX certainly shoots in E-TTL (see page 82 of the Elan II manual: http://downloads.canon​.com …ra/EOS_Elan_II_​manual.pdf ).

The 380EX was released with the Elan II in 1995.


So TTL is only for film ... but E-TTL and E-TTL aren't just for digital

GeoKras1989 wrote in post #17323279
Thank you. Knowing TTL is for film is enough. A gripped Elan 7 with flash for $25 is too good to pass up. Well, if it works that is. Thanks again.

I'd just use your 430EX II or 580EX II with the Elan 7. You'll get E-TTL that way and a lot better results.

Here's the manual for the Elan 7/Elan 7 Date (see page 73): http://downloads.canon​.com …era/EOS_Elan_7_​manual.pdf

Bob_A wrote in post #17324039
I'd just use your 430EX II or 580EX II with the Elan 7. You'll get E-TTL that way and a lot better results.

Here's the manual for the Elan 7/Elan 7 Date (see page 73): http://downloads.canon​.com …era/EOS_Elan_7_​manual.pdf

Thanks.