MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

Many cameras have an AF-assist lamp but a quick reading of the manual for your Canon 5D Mark IV implies that the controls for the AF-assist lamp only pertain to when a Speedlite is mounted on your camera. And the manual page with the Front-Of-Camera controls and features does not show an AF-assist lamp.

Were any of the phone cameras in use employing their built in flash? That would explain the confusion along with the fact that your camera being the nicest one at the event meant you must have been in charge.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

First, the waitress complained, then the waiter, and finally the manager! Good thing they did not call the police, the fire department and the paramedics. In NYC, the SWAT Team used to have a tank!

Nowadays smoking is prohibited in restaurants (I agree with that). Soon they will ban taking, laughing and eventually EATING because that may bring about belching (UGH!) and thereby disturb the othere patrons. I suppose some folks don't remember when families went to restaurants to celebrate special occasions a there might be some revelry, levity and even some picture taking.

An occasional flash should not disturb anyone but some shooters operate their cameras like machine guns and strobing flash can induce epileptic seizures in people who suffer from that ailment. How many pictures did you take- anyway? In a dimly lighted room, even a small flash can seem very bright, especially if the folks at the other table were on DRUGS and had dilated pupils. Vegans can drop drugs and drink booze as long as it is plant-based- I think? If they were on LSD they could see multi-colored flashes even if there was no photo gear in use. OR they might be some new medical/psychological issues like "Imagenaty Flash Syndrom (AKA Edgerton's Disease) or Photographer-Phobia, brought on by malnutrition from a strictly Vegan diet! Of course, all of the is MOOT because you did NOT have a flash!!!

Since this all happened in Williamsburg, it reminds me of an old "story": It was a rush hour on the BMT Broadway-Elevated- Jamaica Line. The cars were packed with passengers and there was hardly any standing room. An elderly Orthodox Jewish man was seated on the train with a large box on the seat next to him. At the Marcy Avenue Station, a burly construction worker boarded the train and politely asked the old gent if he could remove the box as he had worked hard all day, standing on his feet and urgently needed to rest. The old man was deeply involved in prayer and did not respond, chanting in Hebrew with a small prayer book in hand. The man repeated his request several times to no avail and became agitated. By the time the train pulled in the Myrtle Avenue Station, the big guy was cursing and ranting; "If you don't remove that *&*F&*%$h%!!#! box, I'm gonna throw it right out of the window"!!! Just past the Broadway station he did just that and heaved the box out of an open window onto the tracks and then it crashed the street below, landing on a garbage truck that was passing by! The old fellow, looked up, never interrupting the rhythm of his chant and said: "IT'S NOT MY BOX"!

Perhaps you were blamed for someone else's flash?

Hippies, Yuppies, Hipsters, Milineums, X-Generation, ME-generation folks, and grumpy old photographers all have their ways. Perhaps it is ageism that causes folks to pick on one and another? Who knows? In some cultures, prayer must not be interrupted and perhaps in others, it is eating that is sacred!

Nowadays, some folks ALMOST equate cameras with firearms, if you pulled out a gun, it might cause less of a panic than pulling out a camera! Nowadays everybody's "privacy" is being violated. Hey, maybe the guy at the next table was out on a date with his girlfriend and was cheating on his wife and did not want to show up in the background of one of your pictures! It may end up, God forbid, on Facebook! Maybe they thought you were shooting a video and there were some folks sharing classified investigative information with the Ukrainians or the Russians! It seems that's a big deal in restaurants theses days!

Although I have significantly limited my red meat intake, when in Williamsburg, I prefer to eat at Peter Luger's Restaurant and get me the World's greatest thick juicy steak! Or, go on the cheap and find a street vendor with some Fried Plankton (Cuchifritos) and have some coconut ices for desert!

Vegan dishes can be somewhat tasty with enough hot sauce but oftentimes they usually taste like hospital fare or straw! I guess you can't use flash in a hospital room if the O2 is running!

Listen, you gotta have a sense of humor and not let all theses nutty folks get you down. My approach would have been to give the waiter a short seminar on available light photography in lieu of a tip!

dyximan

I grew up with a person like the op, And people like him when taking a look in the mirror would see nothing but perfection. And who believe that the entire world could be wrong and they are right. that it is indeed flat much like their EEG.

garrickw Loc: Wyoming Mn.

Try manual focus like we did before auto focus came out you won't have any problems

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Why do so many folks around this forum NEED to launch personal attack weh the disagree with an OP or others? Why can't some of y'all just state your argument, opinion or take on any particular matter, complaint, or question and just keep all the SNOT in your noses! After all, what good comes of theses nasty responses?

I don't lie to make generalized statements lie "people are stupid", however, What it comes to photography, for many laymen, non-photographers, there is a ton if ignorance of the craft and the related gear. I hear all this nonsense about long-white lenses cannot professionalism, big camera as somehow more invasive than little ones, the flash will cause blindness and even worse really dopey misconceptions.

Some folks think that simply photographing children playing in the park is tantamount to petafiella or child pornography! One seemingly otherwise normal and intelligent person asked me if I had an X-Ray camera that could see through clothing. I explained that if there was such a thing as a handheld X-Ray camera it wouldn't only see through clothing, it would photograh your bones! AND THERE'S NO SUCH THING! Someone else thought that my big lens can "see" through walls. This kind of silliness in the brains of people in authority goes beyond annoying and becomes dangerous.

Others think that the photographer's job description includes, besides various acts of voyeurism and invading privacy, is disrupting sacred ceremonies at weddings, damaging property with tripod legs, visiting museums and galleries to "fade" the paintings and damage the artifacts with flash, violate copyright laws, and make nuisances of themselves at a variety of public events.

As a professional photographer, even working on assignments that I have been hired for, having all the paperwork, passes, and credentials in hand and just going about my work, I sometimes run into folks who decide to overstep their authority and give me grief for any one or more of the above-misconceived reasons. iI can usually and diplomatically work my way around these issues.

When I am "off duty", I always ask permission to shoot or use flash at some locations. If I can't, I just forget about it and enjoy the occasion and go home. Sometimes, hobbyists DO become overzealous as if the were on an investigative photo-journalistic assignment and their job depends on their performance. It ain't worth the aggravation and the confrontation if it can't be settled calmly.

I just wish people around here would cool their jets and refrain form nasty personal attacks- it's kinda disgusting!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

"there is a ton if ignorance of the craft and the related gear."
I would not go so far as ignorance. There is no interest in photography. You call them ignorant because they don't share your tunnel vision regarding photography/ pictures. Their interests are in different arenas.
With the personal attack thing, would you be referencing anyone from Chicago?

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Come on....smile!! It doesn't hurt.

BebuLamar

I lived over 30 years in Illinois but of course doing so made me a Illinoisan and not a Chicagoan.

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

I asked a legitimate question, I believe. But you were quite right to insert yourself as being the one that is obnoxious now. Thank you.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Not to worry. You are quite welcome.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

This is one of the definitions of "Ignorance":

lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about a particular thing.
"they were ignorant of astronomy".

This does not mean folks are
"stupid"- the just don't know about the technicalits of photography and many have serious misconceptions.

I am referring to NON photographers at any level.

I am originally from New York City. When it comes to rude behavior, that place holds the championship. The Midwesterners are amateurs.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

I don't know if it rude which seems to mean something to some people, it's a different belief.Have you ever been to Boston? Rude is always on the menu. I didn't use. "ignorance" There is a guy from the windy city that uses ignorant and stupid a lot. Thin skinned to boot.

Adamborz

My Canon 5D Mark III (OP’s is mark 4) only has flash assist if a speed light or radio trigger is attached.

I probably would have put my DSLR away to not cause a scene, but I don’t understand the other patron’s issue either. Unless there was a sign saying no photos, probably lots of other patrons using their phones with flash...

Some people just look for reasons to be offended!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

My goodness! Masochism and growing up with difficult folks. There are amateur photograhers and amateur psychologists onboard. Sigmund Freud would be proud of some of y'all.

I like to assume that most folks are nice and well adjusted and don't go aroud looking for trouble or reasons to complain. Everyone has bad days and bad experiences from time to time or feel that the have been treated unfairly- everyone reacts in the own way and have differet coping mechanisms.

I like the old saying that "Complaints are like belly buttons, everybody has one"!

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

Yuppies and millennials are 20 years apart
Lol