Flash Photography with a Canon Eos 450D & 430ex

Freddie59

Does anyone know if a book like 'Understanding Exposure' is available for flash photography. No matter how I try I cannot seem to get things right with the above combination.

The Bryan Peterson book really enabled me to get to grips with manual settings, but the flash is a different ball game. If I bounce at, say, a 45 degree angle I don't seem to properly illuminate the subject. Using a Stofen diffuser doesn't help at all.

Using it it AV, where the shutter speed is forced to 1/200. TV allows varying the shutter speed up to 1/4000, but coverage is still a major problem.

Coming from a Fuji S5000 which always delivered flawlessly internally it can be incredibly frustrating.

Help!:)

Fajitas!

Don't use 1/200 nor AV, use TV between 1/15 to 1/100 to balance the flash with natural light.

Are you using on or off camera flash?

ThOnda

If you like to read, there is always uncle Google to ask him a question ;-)
It would be too hard and too long to type it here all over.

Freddie59

Fajitas! wrote: »

Don't use 1/200 nor AV, use TV between 1/15 to 1/100 to balance the flash with natural light.

Are you using on or off camera flash?

Wouldn't the slow speeds cause blur? On-camera flash.

Freddie59

ThOnda wrote: »

If you like to read, there is always uncle Google to ask him a question ;-)
It would be too hard and too long to type it here all over.

Thanks ThOnda. Tried that but the amount of information is staggering. Usually get sorted here.;):)

Fajitas!

Freddie59 wrote: »

Wouldn't the slow speeds cause blur? On-camera flash.

Nope, you're using your flash to freeze the action, so the slower shutter won't matter as much. At most, your subject will be perfect, and the background will have some motion blur.

ThOnda

I'd second that. Besically measure the light to get at least some reading of your built-in meter. If you could get above -2EV, your pictures will be much better.

mikeanywhere

I love using flash and have an omnibounce with very little issues

I shoot manual when using flash as that way I can guarantee the results the way I want them rather than what the camera things they should be!!

Fajitas!

Yep, I'm a big fan of the omnibounce too, though, I'll leave the camera in ETTL, underexposing the camera by a stop, and the flash from a stop, to a stop and two thirds - Mainly because I'm going to be going from light situation to light situation, and it's one less thing to have to think about!

Freddie59

Fajitas! wrote: »

Yep, I'm a big fan of the omnibounce too, though, I'll leave the camera in ETTL, underexposing the camera by a stop, and the flash from a stop, to a stop and two thirds - Mainly because I'm going to be going from light situation to light situation, and it's one less thing to have to think about!

Thanks for all the advice folks. Now, please excuse my ignorance as a novice, but a couple of questions:

1. Stop = f-stop?

2. I do leave the Flash in ETTL.

3. -2 EV = the linear scale in the viewfinder of the Eos 450D?

Apologies in advance, but still learning.:)

Fajitas!

No problems, you're asking the right questions!

Stop = a stop of light, whether you adjust the amount of light through the aperture, shutter speed or ISO, it's up to you.

Personally, I leave the flash in ETTL, others will tell you to keep it in manual, ETTL works best for me, especially if I'm going from different parts of a venue with different light - I don't have to worry about the flash being too strong or weak, generally.

For the exposure value, I'll do half on the scale of the camera, and half on the scale of the flash.

Freddie59

Fajitas! wrote: »

No problems, you're asking the right questions!

Stop = a stop of light, whether you adjust the amount of light through the aperture, shutter speed or ISO, it's up to you.

Personally, I leave the flash in ETTL, others will tell you to keep it in manual, ETTL works best for me, especially if I'm going from different parts of a venue with different light - I don't have to worry about the flash being too strong or weak, generally.

For the exposure value, I'll do half on the scale of the camera, and half on the scale of the flash.

Nice one Fajitas. Thanks for that.:)

How do you adjust the scale on the Flash?

Fajitas!

In ETTL, press the button in the middle of the wheel and spin left!

mikeanywhere

Fajitas! wrote: »

In ETTL, press the button in the middle of the wheel and spin left!

Or push the flash button on the camera to make the adjustments if your model has it

Fajitas!

Isn't that only 1 series bodies?

I think OP has a 450D?

mikeanywhere

Like I said if the camera has it

Gambler

Don't know if this applies here (still learning myself!) but I've got the Rebel XTi which I think is a very similar model and that has a menu option to set pictures using the flash to under\over expose. Would this be a good place to set those settings?

Gambler

Looks like it is! I've really avoided using flash in low light areas because I hated the way it made people look all "shiny" but I just played with the settings to "under expose" by and f-stop when using flash and took a couple of test pictures and the difference is amazing!

Now I can't wait to try them out in a real life situation

Freddie59

Gambler wrote: »

Looks like it is! I've really avoided using flash in low light areas because I hated the way it made people look all "shiny" but I just played with the settings to "under expose" by and f-stop when using flash and took a couple of test pictures and the difference is amazing!

Now I can't wait to try them out in a real life situation

I've got the opposite! While looking at, and editing, the photos in Zoom BrowserEx (IN raw), I've discovered that if I increase the FEC to 0.6 the photos are absolutely spot on.:D

Thanks to everyone for all the help! Another lesson learned.:)

Cheers,

Freddie.

corkandproud

While all the flash experts are in the room....

I mostly take "presentation" pictures in pubs and golf clubs.

Does anyone know a failsafe manual combination for this type of shot.

Invariably I go in late, turn on the camera and flash and shoot. Result: harsh light on subject and a pitch black background

Fajitas!

Bring down your shutter speed, so you're getting a balance between the flash and the ambient lighting!