Gala Dinner shooting settings?

[macobee]

Hi I am going to a gala dinner tonight and am tasked with getting some pictures taken, here is what i think of shooting at:

Canon Eos 350 D
sigma 17-70
F4
shutter speed 1/50
Iso 800
430 EX flash set at ETTL

f4 to keep speed up, 1/50m as i dont think i can handhold any slower, Iso 800 to get also some background, as the room is very large (180 persons) and flash to illuminate.

is this about right or am i off somewhere?

[tonylong]

I'd experiment a bit before you go using your flash indoors.

Try setting your camera on manual, shutter speed 1/50, but try the aperture at 5.6 to give a little more depth of field (ISO 800 is fine). Take a shot with the flash of a subject with light in the background and check it out. Try adjusting the flash exposure down a bit to give a not-so-bright flash look and test it out. The idea is to use the flash to get a sharp foreground and the exposure to get background light, so you can play with the settings to get the best effect, but I'd get some practice before the main event!

[macobee]

Ok so here are some of the pics taken, all are straight out the camera, not yet edited and cleaned up.

[macobee]

some more

[macobee]

and last