EOS Documentation Project

EOS 600 / 630

by Jeroen Schouten

Contents

• Overview
• Operation

  Quick Start  What is on the command dial?  P-Mode  Exposure Compensation  Multiple Exposures  What's under the Hood?  AEB  DoF 

• Special features

  Custom Functions  The 630 and cable releases 

• Non Picture Taking Operations

  Changing the batteries  Changing the Grip  Changing/Loading Film  Changing the Camera Back 

• Selected Technical Specs

  Flash X-sync  Incompatibilities  A word about the backlit LCD 

• Credits

  Special Thanks to... 

• Revision History
• Comments

Overview

The 630 is the last camera out of the 600 series (other then the name might suggest, the 630 came after the 650). It was marketed at the time as a semi-pro level camera (600 in some geographical areas). In features it's comparable to the current Rebel while its build quality is more along the lines of the Elan and more high end cameras. (it has the metal lens mount)

The 630 has a 5fps motor, interchangeable screens and backs. It is a rugged, heavy little monster that "takes a licking and keeps on ticking". Case in point, the one I currently own was used by a pro wedding photographer as a back -up body for more than 10 years and still works like it was purchased yesterday. It looks aweful, but hey.... Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The 630 is a "B" style body. This means that only (A)TTL flash (and not E-TTL) can be used and that while a non dedicated lens is on the body the aperture can be set to a value other than 1.0 (Why you shouldn't do that can be read in the article by NK Guy about using EOS cameras with manual lenses).

The 630 (sorry Canon) has by far the most awkward user interface of all EOS cameras. Since it is no longer produced and only available second hand, most folks lack a manual and some operations are so counter-intuitive that I decided it was time to write this document. For all it's awkwardness it is still a lovely camera. Trust me, you will learn to like it!

Operation

Quick Start

To start taking photographs with the 630, make sure a fresh battery is correctly inserted and the camera contains unexposed film. Turn the command dial (left on camera body) to "[]". The camera will be in P-mode. Select a desired P-mode by pressing and holding down the "mode-selector" (top- left on the camera) while turning the input dial until the desired P-mode (1 through 7) displays in the camera's LCD. Make sure the focus selector on the lens is set to "AF" (Dedicated Canon lenses ONLY) and start making photographs. In low light set the camera to P6 and attach a flash.

What is on the command dial?

The command dial (found on the left side of the body) has the following settings:

• L
  
• [](poor attempt to "type" a green rectangle)
  
• A
  
• ((o))
  

"L"The L setting on the dial is the on/off switch. When the dial is set to "L " the camera is OFF. As with most EOS cameras, I believe the L setting does not actually stop the battery from sending "juice" to the camera, instead it locks the shutter-release so no pictures can be taken.

"[]"The green rectangle sets the camera to "full automatic" mode. Depending on which P program (see below) is chosen, the camera makes certain assumptions about the kind of picture to be taken and adjusts aperture/shutter speed accordingly

"A"Full access to all functions and camera-modes (P, Tv, Av, M and DEP)

"((o))"Turns the camera into an electronic organ, it operates just like the "A" setting only this time with beeps for "in focus" (when AF is engaged on the lens) and a camera shake warning in P-mode. Very annoying!

P-Mode

I tend to refer to the P settings of the camera as the "dummy-settings". In P mode the camera makes assumptions about what type picture the user wants to take and sets the aperture/shutter speed based on a pre-programmed model. P is short for PIC which is short for Programmed Image Control.

With the command dial set to "[]", P is the only shooting mode that will work. While the command dial is set to the green rectangle there are 7 "P-modes". These 7 modes can be accessed by holding down the mode-selector (button on top-left of the camera closest to the front of the body). The 7 different modes are:

TITLE: AF MODE: WINDING MODE: METERING BIAS: 1 Standard Lock * 1 Shot Normal Metering Bias 2 Snapshot Servo ** Continuous Normal Metering Bias 3 Landscape Lock 1 Shot Slow Shutters & Small Apertures 4 Sports Servo Continuous Fast Shutters & Large Apertures 5 Portrait Lock Continuous Fast Shutters & Large Apertures 6 Close up Lock 1 Shot Slow Shutters & Small Apertures -- Partial Metering 7 Interiors/Low Light Lock 1 Shot Fast Shutters & Large Apertures -- Slow Shutter w/Flash

*) As long as the shutter release is pressed halfway the camera will retain AF (focus once and keep it there)
**) The camera will continuously try to focus

Sometimes when selecting a certain P-mode, the P will blink in the camera's LCD display. The only thing the canon manual has to say about this is to press the mode-selector and turn the input dial (the thumb wheel close to the shutter-button) to the left until the blinking stops. Well yeah that's all fine and dandy but that effectively sets the camera to a different P-mode... DUH!

When the command dial is set to "A" the P-mode of the camera works entirely different. There will be only one (1) P-mode, which functions as a program-shift mode of sorts. Setting this mode the camera will try to select a correct aperture/shutter combination which can then be shifted using the input-dial. Per canon manual: The shift function can not be used in flash photography

Exposure Compensation

This one is very simple. The Exposure Compensation button allows you to compensate exposure in .5 stop increments either up or down. Press the "EXP.COMP" button and turn the input dial to the desired setting. Both viewfinder and LCD display will display a +/- sign to warn you of the exposure compensation.

Multiple Exposures

Pressing both the EXP.COMP and mode-selector button will allow you to set the number of exposures to take on one (1) frame by turning the input dial.

What's under the Hood?

The 630 has a "flap" on the back. Opening it reveals some interesting stuff! To be precise, four small, colored buttons of the "dead-flesh" kind. Dead-flesh being the kind of rubbery button that is often found on television-remotes, calculators and as the joystick on the IBM Thinkpad computers.

1. The left-most recessed button is for mid-roll film rewind
   
2. The yellow button ("AF") is for selecting auto focus modes
   
3. The blue ("S-C-(timer)") button is to select shooting modes (single, continuous or self-timer)
   
4. Another black (right-most) button is used to check the battery.

There are more functions that can be accessed by combining the buttons (holding them down at the same time)

1) "AF" & "S-C-(timer)" allow to set the ISO value of the film. !!!WARNING!!! This is NOT, I repeat, NOT the same as overriding the ISO setting the camera gets from the DX coding on the film canister. THE 630 will ALWAYS set the ISO according to the DX code (if available) UNLESS you set custom function 3!!!! More about that in the section special features.
2) "S-C-(timer)" & "battery" Give access to the 630's custom functions (see below)
3) "AF" & "battery" set the AEB (Automatic Exposure Bracketing) covered in the special features section.

AEB

Auto Exposure Bracketing allows you to take 3 pictures (with just one click of the shutter) at predefined brackets. The 630 will take 1 picture x stops closed from correct exposure (metered values, 1 picture with correct exposure (metered values) and 1 x stops opened from correct exposure (metered values) where x is a value set by the user in .5 stop increments.

To use this function, open the "flap" on the back of the body and simultaneously press the yellow "AF" button and the black "battery" button (you don't have to keep them pressed). Use the input dial (again that is the thumbwheel on the top of the camera above the LCD) to select an appropriate value (in stops). Press the shutter button halfway to set the bracket value.

This readies the camera to use AEB (a little icon will come on in the LCD to warn that the AEB function is set). Be aware that the AEB function is NOT reset after the picture is taken.

AEB is only available with lenses that are dedicated for the EOS system.

DoF

The DOF preview button by the lens mount is used to view the image through the viewfinder as it would appear after the lens is stopped down. EOS camera's meter with the aperture wide open, regardless of which aperture is selected on the camera. To view how the aperture affects the DOF (Depth Of Field), push this button. The DOF preview only works with EOS dedicated lenses.

Special features

Custom Functions

The 630 has 7 custom functions. These are:

1) Cancel the auto film rewind - The camera will no longer automatically rewind the film when the end of the film is reached. Of very limited use if you ask me.

2) Leave the film leader out. Handy if you do your own film developing, much easier to get the film out of the canister this way.

3) Override DX setting for film speed. Custom functions are not reset after film is changed (unlike setting the film-speed "on the dial") so REMEMBER that if you set CF 3 you WILL HAVE TO set the film speed manually EVERY TIME!

4) Engage AF by pushing the partial meter button. Moves the activation of the auto focus to the partial meter button (under the LCD) instead of by pressing the shutter halfway.

5) Switch the "M" settings. In "M"-mode (Manual) the shutter speed is set by turning the input dial and the aperture is set by turning the input dial while pressing either the M-button (by the lens mount) or the LCD illumination button. Setting CF 5 reverses this, which makes a lot more sense to people, like me, who mostly shoot in aperture priority (Av).

6) Turn off the beeps - With the command dial set to "((o))" the camera signals the user with beeps when: a) Auto focus is achieved, and b) When the shutter speed falls below 1/focal-length (only in P-mode). Engaging custom function 6 turns off the beeping, while in "((o))", for the so called "camera shake"-warning (shutter speed below 1/focal length).

7) Allow manual focus after auto focus with USM lenses. I don't own any USM lenses so I can't tell you very much about this. I have been told that this is only the case with some "old" USM lenses. Newer USM lenses take care of being able to manual focus after AF by themselves and don't need this custom function to operate properly.

To set the custom function, do the following:

• Open the "flap" on the back of your 630
  
• Press the blue "S-C-(timer)" button and "battery" button together
  
• By using the input dial, select the custom function you want to set (1 through 7)
  
• Use the partial meter button to turn the CF on or OFF. When on the CF will have a horizontal bar displayed
  
• Set by pressing the shutter halfway

And that's all there is to the custom functions.

The 630 and cable releases

The standard grip (GR 30) for the 630 does not have a connector for an electronic cable release. To use a cable release you must first obtain a grip (GR 20) that does have this feature (Changing the grip is explained in the next section) or use a contraption that some camera-stores sell that let you use a standard (non-electronic) cable release by means of Velcro-ing the cable relase over the shutter release button. Be advised that only way to effectively use a B(ulb) shutter speed is by means of an electronic cable release. Use the RS60E3 cable release (Or make your own -- This is reportedly very simple, but I've never done it).

Non Picture Taking Operations

Changing the batteries

The EOS 630 operates on 1 (one) 2CR5 battery. To change the battery, remove the grip.

To check the battery level, open the "flap" on the back of the camera and push the "battery" button. The LCD on top of the camera will display up to 3 horizontal bars. 1 = Low 2 = Half 3 = Maximum power.

Changing the Grip

The grip can be taken off the camera and replaced with another (GR 20 for the cable release, GR 10 for the large grip) by unscrewing the big screw on the side of the grip. Use an american quarter or large flat-head screwdriver (but a quarter carries around easier) to undo the screw, then slide the grip to the right until it comes off.

Changing/Loading Film

The back of the camera opens by using the slide/lever and safety-button on the left of the camera. While holding down the safety-button, slide the slide/lever until the back "pops" open. Take the exposed roll of film out. Insert a new roll of film. Pull the leader of the film out until it lines up with the orange mark on the right side. Make sure the command dial is set to any setting other then "L". Close the camera. The film will advance to frame #1.

Changing the Camera Back

The 630 can use interchangeable camera backs. Other than the standard back, the "Quartz Date E" and the Technical Back E" can be used. I don't own any of these so I can only say that they "E" backs allow for certain date and technical information to be superimposed over the photograph. The official 630 manual warns about the following issues:

• The QDE decreases film winding speed
  
• The QDE can not imprint the frame counter number correctly in continuous exposure mode
  
• The TBE can't be used with shutter speeds over 1/2000 (Not a problem with the 630, it's max shutter speed is 1/2000)
  
• In P-mode 6 (partial metering) the data imprinted by the TBE will be that of evaluative metering.
  
• The TBE requires film of ISO 100 or faster for correct functioning
  

Changing backs is simple. After opening the camera, there is a little lever/switch on the hinge-side of the camera back. Pushing this will cause the back to come detached from the camera.

Selected Technical Specs

Flash X-sync

The maximum shutter speed that can be used while an electronic flash is on the camera is 1/125 sec. DO NOT try to set a higher shutter speed as your photograph will become partially underexposed.

Incompatibilities

Bob Atkins warns in his FAQ about incompatibilities between the 630 and the following equipment:

• Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 - More info can be found on Bob's website
  
• EF25 Extension Tube - Also on Bob's website, here
  

A word about the backlit LCD

Credits

Special Thanks to...

Julian Loke, Jim Strutz and Nick Roberts for their proof-reading and invaluable comments on technical accuracy of this manual. Everybody that commented on this document and suggested (implied or not) changes and improvements.

Revision History

v0.4c2003Nov22 jul: added ELfix link, reformat via template
v0.4b2002Oct21 jul: minor spelling
v0.4 2002oct20 jeroen: minor spelling
v0.3 2002Sep20 jeroen: updated cf3 lcd
v0.2b2002Sep02 jul: minor reformat
v0.2 2002Apr07 jeroen
v0.1 2002Apr05 jeroen

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