Rebel T6 Flash

[TightGit]

Good afternoon.

I've just bought a Canon 1300D (I believe also known as Rebel T6) and, being a complete novice at photography, I'm using it in Auto Mode.

I'm finding that the flash pops up and fires, even in bright sunlight.

This seems all wrong to me but, as I said, I'm not an expert.

Is this correct, please, or have I got a faulty camera?

Many thanks for any advice.

Peter.

[John_SD]

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@TightGit wrote:

Yes, I realise this is a quality camera and that i should be learning how to use it properly, but at my advanced years my eyesight and mental capacity will not allow me to use it to its full potential.

I just want to point and shoot!

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A phone camera or a Canon PowerShot is what you want. 

[TightGit]

Thanks for your interest.

Do either of your suggestions include the following?

(1) A viewfinder I can look through, as my eyesight prevents me from seeing a LCD on the back without putting on my reading glasses.

(2) Ability to add telephoto lens (at least 200mm) for when I go on African safari.

[Waddizzle]

I have bad eyes, too.  I am very short sighted.  It is a major hurdle at times.  I need reading glasses to best see the LCD, but I need my distance glasses that I use for driving in order to see the viewfinder display clearly.  I can still see the LCD well enough with the driving glasses to use the menus, but not for really critical focusing using Live View.

1)  There is a viewfinder already built into the camera.  In order to use it, you must turn off the Llive View display.  You have a choice of using the viewfinder, or Live View.  Using the viewfinder is far less of a drain on the battery.

2)  Canon offers one of the widest selection of lenses for DSLRs in the industry.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes

I like to visit the Refurbished Department.  But, it can frequently be "out of stock" on the most popular items for weeks at a time.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes/refurbished-lenses

Depending upon the type of wildlife, and the size of the animals, and your distance to them, I think a focal length of 200mm could be far too short.  A 200mm focal length falls into the telephoto category, between 100mm and 300mm.

Most wildlife photographers prefer focal lengths in the super telephoto range, which generally 300mm and longer.  In fact, most use focal lengths in the 600-800mm range.

[TightGit]

Thanks, Waddizzle.

I'm aware that the 1300D has those features (which is why I bought it) but I was really querying whether the suggested phone cameras or PowerShot have them (I suspect not).

In any case, given that my 1300D seems to be faulty, I'm getting a replacement from Amazon, so hoping for better luck with the next one.

[Waddizzle]

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@TightGit wrote:

Thanks, Waddizzle.

I'm aware that the 1300D has those features (which is why I bought it) but I was really querying whether the suggested phone cameras or PowerShot have them (I suspect not).

In any case, given that my 1300D seems to be faulty, I'm getting a replacement from Amazon, so hoping for better luck with the next one.

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The PowerShot Series of cameras fall into a category known as "Point & Shoot" cameras.  There are a few different types of P&S camera lines within the PowerShot Series, too.  The majority of cameras in the highly competitive P&S market do not include a viewfinder, but some of the upscale models do offer an optional viewfinder.

[TCampbell]

You would normally _not_ use the flash for a landscape because the subject is much too far away for the flash to do anything.

But you _should_ use the flash for a close subject - such as a person/portrait - outside during the day.  The flash helps fill in the harsh shadows and results in a much better image.  

In full auto-mode the camera decides when it wants the flash and pops it up.  But in most other modes you get to decide.

For example, if you shoot in "P" mode (Program mode) the camera will generally use the same settings that it would use in Auto mode... EXCEPT in P mode you can actually override things (in A mode you cannot) and P mode will not automatically raise the pop-up flash.  If you raise the flash (by pressing the button with the little lightning bolt on the top of the camera) then it will use the flash because you requested it.  If you keep the flash lowered then it will not raise or fire the flash.)

[Waddizzle]

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@TightGit wrote:

Good afternoon.

I've just bought a Canon 1300D (I believe also known as Rebel T6) and, being a complete novice at photography, I'm using it in Auto Mode.

I'm finding that the flash pops up and fires, even in bright sunlight.

This seems all wrong to me but, as I said, I'm not an expert.

Is this correct, please, or have I got a faulty camera?

Many thanks for any advice.

Peter.

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Judging from what you have said, I don't think there is anything wrong with your camera.  If you are using Full Auto shooting mode, which is the Green [A] setting on the mode dial on top of the camera, then camera can behave as you describe under the right circumstances.

I love to shoot outdoors, mainly because I love the outdoors.  Depending upon the location, many outdoor shots may contain large dark areas within the visible frame in the viewfinder.  The camera has different shooting modes, focus modes, and metering modes.  So, the camera will behave differently when you change settings, even in fully automatic Green [A] mode.

In Full Auto, the camera will use all available AF, auto focus points, which are the little squares in the viewfinder, to find something to focus on.  It will usually choose what winds up being the nearest thing to the camera.  Frequently, the closest thing to the camera when you're shooting outdoors may be darker than the background.  This is called "backlit" scenes.

The above shot is an example of what I am talking about.

If I were using a camera like yours, the camera may have focused on the steps, instead of the gazebo near the center of the frame.  It may have also tried to raise a built-in flash in a vain attempt to illuminate the steps with "fill flash".  I say vain attempt, because your onboard flash has a very short reach, less than 10 feet. 

As it turns out, I did not have a built-in flash, and the above shot is the result.  I used another technique to "light up" the stairs known as HDR photography.  But, that's a story for another day.

Again, there is nothing wrong with your camera.  It has different shooting modes, which you change with the dial on the top of the camera.  It has different light metering modes, which I very rarely change from the default "evaluative metering" setting.  It has different AF, auto focus, modes, too.  All of those settings are set automatically for you in Green [A] shooting mode.

If in doubt about anything, ask lots of questions.  There are folks around here who would be glad to answer anything you might want to know..

[TightGit]

Waddizzle,

Sorry I haven't thanked you before for your comments, but I've been waiting over the weekend hoping that kvbarkley would report back.

In his abscence, I wonder if any other Rebel T6 owners would lower themselves and try the auto mode when nobody is looking!

A reminder that I'm asking if it's possible to take a picture in auto without the flash popping up as mine does it everytime.

Thank you.

[kvbarkley]

Sorry, I did not get a chance.

Note, though that I have a T6S, not a T6.

[TightGit]

Thanks and sorry to chase you up !

I'm in the UK and have a 1300D, so I'm not sure what the difference is.