Camera people - Can I ask a bunch of silly Q's please?

Sinafey

We've had a 7D for a while, but I don't really know what I'm doing with it and all of our pictures with it are in the house.  It's so heavy and awkward, I have a hard time carrying it with me while chasing down DD.

When you bring your full sized camera out do you just leave it on the strap around your neck?  It bounces off of my chest and stomach, hits DD in the face, and generally makes everybody miserable.  The strap also tries to decapitate me sometimes, do you have a padded one?

Additionally, while we do have a big, ugly camera bag I'd love to find something smaller to tote it around in.  Room for the camera w/ the big lens (18-55 or something like that??) and little 50mm would be nice.  In a perfect world it would also have room for a few basic essentials (like my phone and CCs) so I could occasionally ditch my purse.

And for the super dumbest question ever: I can't figure out how in the world to turn the flash on!   From what I can see all of the settings show it should come on but it doesn't, ever.  Hasn't for months now.  Is my camera busted?  Is there some secret "override all other flash settings" function somewhere that I've missed?  The manual hasn't provided the answer.

misjenn

I usually drape it across my chest (like a side satchel) if I am moving around. My strap is also a little padded in the back. There are several cute camera strap covers that have extra padding. You can also adjust the length and maybe that will fit you better?

I just ordered a bag from Epiphanie that will fit most of my essential lenses and looks like a purse. The Lola bag is super cute, but are also about $150+. I also have a Click Elite backpack for major shoots. 

Turning on your flash. Is it an external flash or just the one on your camera?

Sinafey

misjenn:

Turning on your flash. Is it an external flash or just the one on your camera?

It's just the one on the camera.

 

Thanks for the link to Epiphanie, those look great!  I may have just found my big xmas gift

s-a-r-a-h

We have this camera bag and love it. We keep another lens in this case that attaches to the side of our camera bag.

Missjenn, holy cow those are beautiful camera bags!

misjenn

I know nothing about Canon's but there should be a button on the front near the pop up flash that you can use to make it come up. Also check on the menu to make sure that the flash is on?

ditzydi_2000

If the price for a Kelly Moore bag is a little much for you, I'd check out Jo Totes.

https://jototes.com/index.html  I've got the Rose bag in black.  My only complaint is that even just carrying just my D3000, 35mm and speedlight it's pretty heavy and after a while it starts to dig into my shoulder.  I'm probably going to look into something to add some padding onto there.  

If we're just running out to the park and I dont' feel like lugging the camera bag around.  I just wrap my camera with the 35 attached, wrap it up in a Zing neoprene sleeve and throw it over my shoulder like a cross body bag as opposed to around my neck.  

Have you tried to run your camera over to Precision about your flash issues?  I'm sure they'd be able to help you figure out the issue. 

kiarox2002

Are you shooting in manual or automatic?  In manual mode, there's a little button on the side with the flash arrow symbol.  I think you hold it down to make it flash.  (I do everything I can to avoid using a flash though.)

I have this camera bag

https://cheekylime.com/

and I love it.  I actually wish it was a bit smaller though.  I was hoping it would be more purse sized. 

Sinafey

Thanks so much for all of your camera bag recs, some of them look great!

I am shooting in manual (when I'm feeling adventurous, anyway), and I can see the Flash symbol but there's also a +/- next to it (and on the button, too) that the camera's manual doesn't mention, so maybe that's the issue?  It never pops up at all.  It never even occured to me to bring it to a camera store (facepalm!), maybe I'll do that this evening.

amyliisa

Sinafey:

Thanks so much for all of your camera bag recs, some of them look great!

I am shooting in manual (when I'm feeling adventurous, anyway), and I can see the Flash symbol but there's also a +/- next to it (and on the button, too) that the camera's manual doesn't mention, so maybe that's the issue?  It never pops up at all.  It never even occured to me to bring it to a camera store (facepalm!), maybe I'll do that this evening.

If you're shooting in manual mode, then you need to manually engage the flash - manual mode is essentially about figuring out the correct balance of shutter speed, aperture and ISO, making optimum use of the ambient lighting to expose your photo.  In other words, in manual mode, your camera is trying to use all the available natural light to expose the photo without resorting to the flash.  If you need more light and want to engage the flash, there is a button on the top of the camera body, on the left side of the flash - it should have the flash arrow.  If you push that button, your flash should pop up, and then it will fire when you shoot your photo. 

Granted, this is how it works on my Nikon - I don't know anything about Canons, but I'm sure it can't be too different.

If you switch to Auto mode, does your flash fire automatically?  It should, as long as you're indoors or in low light.

Sinafey

amyliisa:

Sinafey:

Thanks so much for all of your camera bag recs, some of them look great!

I am shooting in manual (when I'm feeling adventurous, anyway), and I can see the Flash symbol but there's also a +/- next to it (and on the button, too) that the camera's manual doesn't mention, so maybe that's the issue?  It never pops up at all.  It never even occured to me to bring it to a camera store (facepalm!), maybe I'll do that this evening.

If you're shooting in manual mode, then you need to manually engage the flash - manual mode is essentially about figuring out the correct balance of shutter speed, aperture and ISO, making optimum use of the ambient lighting to expose your photo.  In other words, in manual mode, your camera is trying to use all the available natural light to expose the photo without resorting to the flash.  If you need more light and want to engage the flash, there is a button on the top of the camera body, on the left side of the flash - it should have the flash arrow.  If you push that button, your flash should pop up, and then it will fire when you shoot your photo. 

Granted, this is how it works on my Nikon - I don't know anything about Canons, but I'm sure it can't be too different.

If you switch to Auto mode, does your flash fire automatically?  It should, as long as you're indoors or in low light.

Yeah, I've pressed the button a million times and also verified that it's enabled in the settings menu.  It won't pop up at all, regardless of mode or lighting.  The more I mess with it the more sure I am that it's just physically broken or something  

MrsMillerTime

Sinafey:

Yeah, I've pressed the button a million times and also verified that it's enabled in the settings menu.  It won't pop up at all, regardless of mode or lighting.  The more I mess with it the more sure I am that it's just physically broken or something  

Yup.  It definitely sounds like something is wrong with your flash.