IR AF assist for Canon?

[TiCoyote]

I'm shooting a lot at night in low light. The 50D has trouble focusing without the strobe. The strobe is distracting, wastes the battery, and I do not always want flash. I know that the 580 EX II has a built-in infrared AF assist beam.

Is there an inexpensive product that simply provides this beam for focusing?

 

[Big Mike]

I don't think it's Infrared....It's just plain old visible red.

The 580EX, the 430EX and the wireless transmitter ST-E2 all have an AF assist beam.

You could get creative and use something like a laser pointer or a video light, to help you focus.

 

[TiCoyote]

What about an LED flashlight?

 

[Big Mike]

Ya, that would work, as long as it's powerful to illuminate your subject enough for the AF to see them. So a flashlight that can adjust to a narrow beam would be best.

 

[TiCoyote]

Would a laser pointer really provide a big enough area for the camera to see and focus?

 

[Big Mike]

I've never tried it, but I've heard of people doing it. It might even help if you had a laser pointer with tips that changed the shape to something bigger. I used to have one that had 4 or 5 different tips...just silly things like a heart, a dollar sign etc.

 

[Scatterbrained]

Disable the flash from firing and use it's AF beam.
edit, I read the first post and thought you had an external flash . Doh.