Canon ST-E2 LED mod

I decided to mod my ST-E2 with brighter LEDs as it's useless to view in the daylight.

For anyone else wanting to do this, there are resistors which can be bridged to give full voltage to the standard red LEDs. This is what I did with the ratio LEDs.

That's pretty cool. I solder led's all the time, but I don't have the guts or the skills to solder on my camera gear.

What's that thing on top?

Radiopopper. Wireless Ettl trigger.

Nice work! I remember soldering smd LEDs that small on my nokia cell phone when I was in high school.

Bummer, I was hoping you'd found a way to make the ST-E2 perform better in direct sunlight - I mean besides the RP

Nice work though!

dan

dan j wrote in post #7799552
Bummer, I was hoping you'd found a way to make the ST-E2 perform better in direct sunlight - I mean besides the RP

Nice work though!

dan

Well, behind the black mask, it's still a white flash, so I suppose if you remove that and replace it with a clear plastic, it'd work better?

That might work - but not if I did it My soldering skill is lacking. Now I'm wondering if that would work. Would it confuse the ETTL?

If I ever get through my wife's to-do list I might try this

dan

Well, you can try taking the cover off and see if it increases range

Very nice. Be aware though, that overdriving LED's makes them burn out much faster - the candle that burns at both ends, so to speak.

I was hoping you'd found a way to make that AF-Assist illuminator brighter. That one really needs help.

I figure that one of today's ultra-high-power LEDs would make the AF lock on much faster - albeit at the cost of subject discomfort otherwise I would be tempted to put in a state-of-the-art red-orange Luxeon 3 into one of those

Lightstream wrote in post #7799948
Very nice. Be aware though, that overdriving LED's makes them burn out much faster - the candle that burns at both ends, so to speak.

White and purple LEDs which I put in are designed to be driven by 3V power

tangcla wrote in post #7799959
White and purple LEDs which I put in are designed to be driven by 3V power

Understood... just advising you that LEDs are best driven by a constant-current source. (I have sacrificed many to the lighting gods )

Would you have any idea how the front AF-Assist LED system is constructed?

Lightstream wrote in post #7799966
Would you have any idea how the front AF-Assist LED system is constructed?

hehe actually no, I didn't go that far in disassembly, cos I knew what I wanted to get to might have a look at it next time I take it apart...

now I have to start buying stockpiles of 2CR5 batteries

Inspired by you, I took apart my own ST-E2. I got as far as you did, then lifted out the bottom PCB to expose the LEDs underneath. They look like surface-mount devices, not 5mm LEDs, behind an optic which probably helps create the beam pattern.

Doesn't look like something I'd tackle myself though. Perhaps if there is anybody more skilled in soldering, or willing to risk destroying their ST-E2..

Lightstream wrote in post #7800436
Inspired by you, I took apart my own ST-E2. I got as far as you did, then lifted out the bottom PCB to expose the LEDs underneath. They look like surface-mount devices, not 5mm LEDs, behind an optic which probably helps create the beam pattern.

Doesn't look like something I'd tackle myself though. Perhaps if there is anybody more skilled in soldering, or willing to risk destroying their ST-E2..

Are you referring to the back panel LEDs or the AF-assist LEDs being SMD? THe back panel is SMD.

Also be aware if anyone attempts this, there is still high voltage stored in the capacitors EVEN WHEN THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED!! I've given myself a bit of a shock a few times.