canon 600d + Manual mode light meter

samhail

Hey all, Anyone have any idea about this camera on one in its range...
When i set it to Manual mode and i want to check out the light meter on it nothing happens.
If i click the shutter button for a moment then the light meter will activate... but will only stay on for about 3 seconds.

Ive searched the manual and online and the settings (even anything that said anything like 2,3, or 4 seconds without any luck.

Any one have any suggestions.

What i would like is that once it is in that mode and the screen on for it to always have the light meter on maybe, or more than 3s ? (like the 50d)

Promac

The camera will only meter when you half-depress the shutter button and when you let it go it'll stop metering after a couple of seconds to save battery.

When you say you want it to stay on - do you mean the LCD display on the back? One of the buttons around the screen will cycle different displays on the LCD - something like Settings and Meter/Histogram/Off.

samhail

Nah - i dont want the metering to go off after a couple of seconds... I'm sure there should an option to let me choose, right ?

Promac

I've never seen an option like that on any canon cameras. It would use up too much battery power to have it constantly metering. It's not like the old film SLRs where the little battery was only powering the meter. You could always get an external meter and use that.

samhail

Yeah, i cant seem to find any mention either.
Though the 50d does that that option as soon as you turn it on. (Was on this course and the instructor had one that i got to have a look at).
Ill keep an eye out

5uspect

Yeah you can set the timer on the 7D also in the second menu iirc. Maybe they've buried it somewhere in the custom functions?

ThOnda

Maybe something like this would help? It works well for me.
You don't have to be around the camera all the time, it is small, cheap-ish, accurate and gives you good understanding of light.