Orange blinking light

[EdJarman]

Hello all,

 i have a EOS T6. I recently purchased a 30d for the 28-135 lens. I got it fairly cheap so i don't expect it to be perfect. But one of the problems i keep having is the orang flashing light in various light conditions. I now know it means slow shutter speed. In manual mode that makes sense and i have kinda started to figure it out. but it happens all the time in auto mode as well. When i get it in auto mode i have switched to manual mode, and changed the shutter speed so it will take a picture and then immediately go back to auto mode and now it works. I have other lenses and i have only had this problem if i forget to turn auto focus off when taking pictures of the stars at night. Is there a trick i am missing?

[ebiggs1]

If it can’t AF it won’t fire.  That’s why we use manual for Astro work.

[EdJarman]

 So it seems after kvbarkley corrected me on what light i was seeing things started to make more sense. Thank you kv. most of the trouble, but not all, was me being an idiot and holding the focus ring on the lens barrel! now the lens works a lot better but sometimes it still won't focus quite right. it is an older lens and i will have to deal with it but still not a bad deal!

[Tronhard]

I  would recommend downloading the manual for the 30D and going through it.  I do that for any camera that I purchase and I have been shooting for 40 years!  That way things like the flashing light will not be misinterpreted.

I am curious why you are holding the lens barrel when doing astro photography, unless you are shooting the moon with a long telephoto.  Normally, one does astro with the camera on a tripod, what method are you using?

[ebiggs1]

"... me being an idiot and holding the focus ring on the lens barrel!"

Yes that is a bad thing. Don't do it.