help using flash

[spoolin_photography]

hello every one

I am going to be doing some night drag racing photos on the weekend and i need to know how to set the camera up with the 580ex on my 20D, so that i can shoot in AI Servo so i can shoot continuous shots, as I am unsure of how to set the camera up in manual mode with an external flash to get the right exposure settings

Cheers
Shane

[dhbailey]

I don't think you can use a flash with continuous shooting -- the recycle time of the flash unit gets in the way.

Unless by continuous you mean individual shots (shutter activations) instead of burst-mode shooting. In that case (individual shots) you will still be restricted by the flash's recycle time but you can do it.

There won't be any single set of adjustments, since so much will depend on distance to subject (constantly changing in a race, I would imagine), ambient light (aren't those things brightly lit?) and the lens you will be shooting with.

My advice -- experiment. Don't expect your first race to be all terrific shots, but with some practice you'll get a feel for what will work best. I'd suggest simply starting with a fast lens, a high ISO (800 or 1600) and forget the flash.