Settings help needed...

[Simon Turkin]

I just unwrapped my 430 ex II and my 50 1.8 to practice up for tonights basketball game I am shooting for our high schools award winning newspaper. When I was shooting I like to have my 1.8 wide open but with the flash the shots were coming out way too bright (in my house which is mostly white paint)...

For tonight I have full access to every where in the gym but I need to know should I power down my flash and do I do that on my camera or decrease the zoom on my flash.

I need help asap thanks a ton!!!!!!!!!!!

[chris270]

I just unwrapped my 430 ex II and my 50 1.8 to practice up for tonights basketball game I am shooting for our high schools award winning newspaper. When I was shooting I like to have my 1.8 wide open but with the flash the shots were coming out way too bright (in my house which is mostly white paint)...

For tonight I have full access to every where in the gym but I need to know should I power down my flash and do I do that on my camera or decrease the zoom on my flash.

I need help asap thanks a ton!!!!!!!!!!!

Get there early and practice your flash settings. Personally on camera flash does not look good, if no way of using it remotely(off camera) then I would go ambient at f/1.8 or 2.0.
With the flash probably start at f/2.8, 1/250 500iso and ETTL (flash). Bad or bright results you can go manual on the flash and change the power to 1/2 or 1/4. Change iso and and aperture for background brightness. Once again practice is key.

[Simon Turkin]

thanks

[northpointphoto]

Like I said in the thread in the "Sports Talk" section....

Get there early and take some test shots and figure out what works.

I would start with your camera set at 1/250 at f2.8. As far as the flash goes I would start by setting it on manual at 1/2 power (for recycling time) and try nuking it off the wall behind the base line. From there adjust your ISO to the appropriate setting to get good exposure. As far as WB goes i normally set mine in kelvin and start around 5000.

[40Dude6aedyk]

I like northpointphoto's suggestion of bouncing off a close wall behind you. So manual exposure: 1/250SS, f/1.8 to 2.2, manual flash at 1/2 and adjust your ISO to get the exposure you desire. This should work whether you bounce the flash off any object or use direct flash. Remember: manual everything and adjust ISO to get the exposure you want.

Also shoot in raw mode, AF-servo, center-point focus, ..., etc.

Also no reason not to try some no-flash, ambient exposures as well, same settings, and once again adjust ISO to get the exposure you want.

[TopGear1Ds]

see my reply in your other thread..

*double posting = no-no*

[Simon Turkin]

see my reply in your other thread..

*double posting = no-no*

its just that i needed an asap response Ill take it down tomorrow but as you know the sports section doesnt get alot of trafic so I tried to max the views

[namasste]

I'll diverge a bit, or at least offer another view...since you can only sync at 1/250s anyway, I would not sacrifice the DOF to shoot at 1.8. There's no real benefit if you are shooting the flashes (IIRC, you are going to be shoe mounted, not remote). Give yourself a break and shoot f3.5 as a starting point. I mentioned this yesterday but that allows you to quickly stop down a tocuh if the action gets close so you don't blow them out and give some room to open up as the action moves away. Bokeh is a non factor with taht lens and flash combined in a gym so why make life any tougher by shooting a razor thin DOF? Your ISO should be low anough anyway if you plan on keeping ghosting down. Just my two cents but I think 1.8 is all wrong in this scenario.

[namasste]

its just that i needed an asap response Ill take it down tomorrow but as you know the sports section doesnt get alot of trafic so I tried to max the viewsI'll also comment on this..whether you need to or not isn't relevant, rules are rules and apply to all of us.

[40Dude6aedyk]

... Give yourself a break and shoot f3.5 as a starting point. ...

I am glad you posted this. I agree with this and after my post to this thread, I had a reservation about aperture, but didn't get a chance to correct myself and you did it beautifully. I have gotten to where prefer f/3.2 to anything wider for basketball.

It's always a trade-off between high ISO+noise and aperture+OOF/DOF for me. It kind of depends on the mood I am in. I have to check myself sometimes and make sure I try a few things at each game.