Weird ? about Canon 580exII

[JayClark79]

I know this might come as a odd question buy how do you get all 3 AF assist beams to light up?? I know with spot focusing just 1 lights up... and with multi point AF 2 lights light up.... How do i get the third to light up?

 

[Big Mike]

I may be wrong, but I think there is only one AF assist light, but it projects a pattern that covers the basic shape/area of the AF points.

 

[Overread]

Hmm There are two lights I think a vertical and a horizontal - I think you might be able to activation only one set of those, but it might be buried in the 580EX2's custom functions menu.

Also bare in mind that the AF assist lights don't work for continuous AF (so servo and AI servo) and only for single shot AF.

 

[JayClark79]

Ok the Vertical and horizontal make sence since the top light light only comes on with the multi AF point... and the bottom light comes on with Single AF point selected.. I ask because I watched a video on dombowers.com on autofocusing in low light and his Nikon 900 had 3 AF assist lamps.... and the canon 580exII looks to have 3 hmmmm?

 

[Big Mike]

I'm just thinking out loud here...but if the 580EX does indeed have 3 AF lights, the last one may be for cameras with more AF points than yours. The flash may know this, and thus only light up the AF areas that are relevant to your camera.

 

[JayClark79]

LOL you could be very correct.... anyone with a 7D + wanna try this?