Why set ISO 400 with flash?

[tomstorey]

I have seen these settings recommended a few times and wonder why ISO 400?
Manual Mode, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/60th, FEC +2/3, and Canon Speedlite flash on ETTL.
Tom

[Ronald S. Jr.]

What's wrong with ISO 400? Your flash only has a certain range of power output. 400 makes it sit in the middle. No constant full or near full power flashes, draining your batteries like crazy. If you lower your ISO, your flash has to work harder.

It's just making the most of what you've got.

[StealthLude]

I usually shoot at a higher ISO when using my speedlights. (ISO 200, 400, even 800) It just helps save battery and the flashes does not have to work as hard.

It also increased the effective range of your flash. Take it outside and try and shoot some trees at night that are far away with a tele lens at ISO 100, then try the same thing with ISO 1600. Make sure you use the FEL button...

While playing around with this, i realized now valuable higher iso can be to your speedlights peformance.

[Curtis N]

I usually use ISO 400 for bounced flash. This allows me to stop down the lens for more DOF and still have enough power.

As mentioned, it also improves recycle time. Faster recycling can sometimes mean the difference between getting the shot or not.

[forkball]

How about better background ambient lighting? Hell, I've shot indoor wedding receptions at 800 and 1600 with flash for that purpose. I of course prefer to srobe the room when I can, but it's not always an option.

[coreypolis]

yeah, you really can't just look up generic settins and have any luck with them. Its entirely dpendent on ambient lighting, flash/ambient mix, etc That would be several stop under exposed for most weddings, but would be way over exposed outdoors in sunlight

[chris clements]

No one recommends settings 'a few times' in isolation - it would depend on the specific circumstances of each shot
And why shouldn't you juggle ISO in flash shooting, just as you would in daylight photography?

[Lotto]

I use iso400 when I want more ambient light as part of the flash shot. With typical house lighting, I like to start with iso400, f4.5, 1/30.

[tomstorey]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with ISO 400, I just wondered why I had seen it recommended a few times.
I know there cannot be any hard and fast rule about any exposure.