Intermittent overexposed shots [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

Chosenbydestiny

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 22:39

I have this weird issue when I'm shooting at the club where I work that I didn't have before... or was I just lucky the first 3 weekends?

The equipment is as follows: Canon XSi with off shoe cord connected to stroboframe flash bracket connected to canon 580EX II flash.

I have everything on manual... and I'm using a custom white balance with spot metering. Shooting jpegs because the club likes to upload the shots before the guests get home.

Just recently, I started getting these intermittent overexposed shots. Sometimes 4-5 in a row, especially if I do continuous mode. Every other shot I have is exposed just perfect, and then randomly I get the overexposed shots that seem to be almost white images. And I didn't shoot any differently than I did the other days, nor was it a different environment. I look at my flash after setting it to -2/3 power and it resets back to 0 every now and then for some reason... Which still doesn't explain the ridiculously overexposed near white images because at +0 it wouldn't overexpose to that magnitude. Do you think I may have accidentally enabled a setting where it would cause these intermittent overexposed shots somewhere?

Curtis N

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 22:45

It's probably an electrical connectivity issue. Remove and reconnect the cord to the hotshoe, and the flash to the cord. Maybe clean all the contacts with a pencil eraser. Make sure everything is secure.

Chosenbydestiny

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 22:56

It's probably an electrical connectivity issue. Remove and reconnect the cord to the hotshoe, and the flash to the cord. Maybe clean all the contacts with a pencil eraser. Make sure everything is secure.

Thanks Curtis, you seem to always have the answers, heh. I'll try this again with clean contacts tonight.

DDCSD

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 23:08

Mind posting an example of a good shot fromt he evening, along with one that didn't go right?

Chosenbydestiny

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 23:38

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/chosenbydestiny/IMG_0220.jpg <- bad

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/chosenbydestiny/IMG_0318.jpg <- good

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/chosenbydestiny/IMG_0124.jpg <- good

All same settings, or at least very very close between 1/10th and 1/13th shutter, with f/stop of 3.5 and 4.

Do you think it's the spot metering that makes it do that? Or could it even be the fact I'm using 2nd curtain? The only thing I've done to try and fix the issue so far before Curtis mentioned his answer was turning the flash and camera off and back on.

PacAce

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 23:47

I agree with Curtis. It's most probably the contacts. I bet your flash is switch between ETTL mode and TTL mode. When it goes into TTL mode, it'll fire at full power. If the problem is not due to dirty contacts, check to see if the hot shoe is lifting off of the camera body (the screws holding it down may be coming loose).

Chosenbydestiny

9th of August 2008 (Sat), 23:57

I agree with Curtis. It's most probably the contacts. I bet your flash is switch between ETTL mode and TTL mode. When it goes into TTL mode, it'll fire at full power. If the problem is not due to dirty contacts, check to see if the hot shoe is lifting off of the camera body (the screws holding it down may be coming loose).

Actually, I forgot to mention that, sorry. =P I did see it in TTL mode once and was wondering why the hell it was in it.

PacAce

10th of August 2008 (Sun), 00:24

Check out this thread for what to do if it is your hot shoe being loose:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=541425

DDCSD

10th of August 2008 (Sun), 00:55

Yup, just follow what Curtis and Leo say. Nothing explains that bad of an overexposure, other than a bad connection. Otherwise, send the camera in.

DDCSD

10th of August 2008 (Sun), 00:56

Is that MC Hammer in No 2? ;)

tim

10th of August 2008 (Sun), 02:13

Also if you're shooting ISO3200 with a wide aperture and direct flash the flash can't turn down low enough and blows out the subjects. Don't think that's what happened as the background is just about blown too.

Chosenbydestiny

10th of August 2008 (Sun), 05:01

I'm shooting at 800 or 1600.

BTW, I found out what it was... Thank goodness it wasn't my flash or my camera. It was my off-shoe cord.... =(

Alas, after shooting tonight, I didn't get that bad of a difference from being without it I suppose.

And I don't know if that's MC Hammer, but it sure does look like him.