Hi,

 

I have a Canon EOS 300D and a 580EX flash gun.  I am learning how to use the camera in manual mode, but am struggling to master the flashgun in manual mode.

What I want to be able to do is get the right exposure when using the flash facing the person I am photographing, like the press. 

Do i still line up the line in the camera viewfinder?  I really am struggling!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Jaime

 

 

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Slightly out of focus!

Hi Jaime

I am in the same position as you, somebody posted these links on the forum in another post which I found useful.

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

Simon

Hi Simon,

Thanks very much,

Jaime

 

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Slightly out of focus!

I have jsut got my 580 EX II and was amazed at the size of the manual. Not sure which is worse, the camera manual or the flash manual!

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Is this any help Canon Flash

Webby

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Fairly helpful - thanks. Still reading the manual and experimenting!

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jaime sommers:

Hi,

I have a Canon EOS 300D and a 580EX flash gun.  I am learning how to use the camera in manual mode, but am struggling to master the flashgun in manual mode.

What I want to be able to do is get the right exposure when using the flash facing the person I am photographing, like the press. 

Jaime

Sorry to tell you this Jaime but I doubt very much the press would use manual on there flash guns as it would take to long in the split second they have to grab the picture becuase they they would have to calculate the distance to the subject then divide it by the guide number of the flash gun to find the aperture to set!

In these circumstances flash TTL with exposure compensation is the way to go.

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Paul
My glass is 4/3rds full :)

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ajb963:

I have jsut got my 580 EX II and was amazed at the size of the manual. Not sure which is worse, the camera manual or the flash manual!

I've not even looked at my manual yet - must do soon as I know it does stuff that I don't know about!

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Mark

Digital Photo Group
My Website

Ne nuntium necare

This is based on Nikons, but I imagine Canons will be broadly similar.
I can get halfway decent results by setting the camera to manual (don't panic) and the flash to TTL.
Set the shutter speed to your max flash sync speed (it'll be in the manual - if not, try 1/125) and the aperture to whatever value gives the distance range you're working with (shown on the screen on Nikon guns)

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I was under the impression that the flashgun when set to manual was for when you want to use a light meter? IE you treat it the same as a studio light. Isn't that what the increments down from full power are for?

For any other circumstances than a controlled set up shot use the flash in E-TTL mode and adjust the flash with either + - compensation. For example, for a lot of portraits you always try and spot meter on the skin tones and over expose by +1 stop. I assume that you can do that be either setting the camera to over expose by the 1 stop or haveing your camera at correct exposure but setting you flash to +1.

Or I could be talking bollx lol

I also had problems using flash yesterday. I was at my daughter's confirmation and used the on camera flash. I didn't bring my flash gun as I thought using a high iso or the camera's flash would be o.k. However, using the flash with the iso set to 200 resulted in underexposed images. I brought them back using the 'D-Lighting' facility on the camera. I realize now I should have increased the flash compensation or could I have just increased the iso with flash? It's really bloody frustrating! I was using the kit lens (18-55) with VR. Consequently the biggest aperature was 5.6 at 55mm Would using a 50mm prime lens (1.4 or 1.8) have helped?

Nick 

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Nick,

yours is a difficult question to answer quickly. Assuming you were in a largish and not very bright church your on-camera flash (or indeed a separate flashgun) would not have enough power to light the whole scene. You might be able to light just the main subject if they were relatively close but then you'd get a dark background.

A fairly standard technique used by pros for a natural effect at such events is to use quite high ISOs (6-800+) and relatively open apertures so the background is properly exposed, and then to use additional fill-in flash to make the subject stand out.

Look at the sections on exposure and flash techniques on the link below: this gives you much more detail on how to achieve natural looking flash and lots of practical tips.

http://planetneil.com/tangents/

 

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Thanks for that Eileen. I had a look on that site and found it interesting. The people using their compacts must have had rubbish results! That was my first time in doing photography in those conditions. My respect for wedding photographers has increased even more!

Thanks again

Nick

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It's all about understanding then application. Once you get it you'll wonder how it ever got you so confused lol.

And by the way....never, ever, ever, EVER use your on camera flash, especially if you have a flash gun. And if you have off camera flash then never leave home without it.

I saw a good book in WHSmiths the other day that I had a little gander at. Somehting like "how to take pro shots" by Scott Kelby. non technical but very good for stuff like dragging thr shutter and +- flash compensation. Take a look at it as from what I read it was well written and easy to understand.

Silverdale1971:

And by the way....never, ever, ever, EVER use your on camera flash, especially if you have a flash gun.

What never ever?

Damn - I'm going to have to modify my technique.



(Absolutes are ALWAYS wrong.)

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