Unusual happening with 40d today

While out shooting pictures of a Green Heron this morning I noticed that while I had the camera in the info mode and touched the shutter button my shutter speed would read something like 1/1600 and a friend next to me camera was showing like 1/60 and we couldn't figure out what was happening why I was showing this unusual high shutter speed over his body. Then we put our hand over the eye piece and pressed the shutter button and the shutter speed then dropped down to 1/60 sec also.
Now why would the sensor be picking up light thru the eye piece?

I like to add his body would not show this type of shutter speed while the eye piece wasn't covered like mine was.

Because the meter is in the pentaprism and can see back through the viewfinder. This is why Canon gave you that little rubber bit to cover the viewfinder in you box. You are supposed to put that on for shots that you meter when your eye is not pressed to the viewfinder....like on a tripod.

If the sun had been shining RIGHT in it possibly.

1 series bodies have a shutter on the eyepiece for bulb exposures etc. Light can enter there.

That's all I got.

Isn't that supposed to be that way on the rebel xt they provide a little rubber cap to cover the eyepiece for when you are doing timershots where your eye is not at the camera.

edit oops you guys beat me to the punch:o

JeffreyG wrote in post #3894293
Because the meter is in the pentaprism and can see back through the viewfinder. This is why Canon gave you that little rubber bit to cover the viewfinder in you box. You are supposed to put that on for shots that you meter when your eye is not pressed to the viewfinder....like on a tripod.

I got short changed as I don't see no cover for my eye piece in my box.

May be you pressed the * button by mistake that locked the exposure while you were pointing at the sky or bright subject.

Gliderparentntn,
It can and sometimes has happened on all my Canon DSLR's. The eye piece cover is attached to the Canon strap that comes with your camera. It looks like a little rubber rectangle.

I never use the rubber cover unless its night shots, never had a problem in daylight even with the sun from behind, if your on a tripod & suspect this then a hand over the eyepiece is usually enough, ive certainly never seen this effect the shutter speed as much as you saw, might have been something else?

Nick_C,
Well it happens, try going into a dark room and take the meter reading set your aperture and shutter and then shine a flash light into the eye piece and you will see the meter bounce all the way to the right. Now imagine what sunlight can do...

Yes it even happens on a 5D

John_B wrote in post #3894359
Nick_C,
Well it happens, try going into a dark room and take the meter reading set your aperture and shutter and then shine a flash light into the eye piece and you will see the meter bounce all the way to the right. Now imagine what sunlight can do...

Yes it even happens on a 5D

Yes I know, I didnt say it doesnt happen, ive seen it, but I cant say that ive ever had it effect the shutter speed as much as the OP saw, 1/60th or 1/1600th ?? but maybe light levels are brighter over there or it was an extreme case, or maybe he just had a specular highlight in his shot from something nearby which fooled the metering

Gliderparentntn wrote in post #3894308
I got short changed as I don't see no cover for my eye piece in my box.

It's on the strap of my 30D; not sure about the 400D though.

You need to be looking through the viewfinder so light doesn't enter and throw meter off. 30d had a rubber piece that would slide on strap that could cover viewfinder if you want or just hold hand over it.

We were side by side pointing at the same Heron, I'm unsure if he had his Mk 1 at the time or his D 60 mounted up when we were comparing. Anyhow thanks for the input I thought maybe something was wrong where mine was showing this and his wasn't.

cosworth wrote in post #3894297
If the sun had been shining RIGHT in it possibly.

No, if that that much light entered through the viewfinder, it would probably result in the image being almost completely dark. My experience is that the image will be underexposed for any type of outdoor lighting conditions if I do not cover the viewfinder when using a tripod.

Gliderparentntn wrote in post #3894308
I got short changed as I don't see no cover for my eye piece in my box.

It is NOT in the box (at least not anymore) -- it comes already threaded onto the neck strap. For some unknown reason they install it upside down and on the wrong strap (as far as my preferences are concerned, but they forgot to consult me about it).

First I have heard about this problem. On a tripod I often stand back and release the shutter

It's no wonder I take a lot of crxxp pictures