Need help with wedding formals and flash overexposure

[kpowell121]

Hi, I am new to this forum but I have to say so far...you are all great at advice so I am asking for some help here. Ok, so I am only a year into shooting weddings and it's going great. However, I do have one issue. After the ceremony we shoot the formals in the front of the church (boring, but everyone wants those) anyway...I have them in position and I typically take 3 shots to insure eyes closing etc. First shot, great exposure, 2nd shot WAY over exposed, so bright it's ridiculous, 3rd shot, great exposure again! So what the heck. I am using a Canon 40D with the Speedlight. Manual settings vary. 200 ISO. So WHY is my flash so hot on the 2nd shot and the other two shots are fine? I am beating my head against the way to figure this out! My next wedding is August 1st and I am hoping to resolve this before then. I feel like I need the flash since it's usually so dark in the churches and lighting is weird, plus these are the ones they usually blow up larger so I am looking for no grain. Thanks in advance for your help!

Kpowell

[tim]

That's pretty weird. Are you running the flashes in ETTL? Are you reframing the shot? I don't know the answer to this one.

Perhaps you should spend the 30 seconds or so it'd take to work with manual flash.

[RobKirkwood]

Does it always happen predictably like this (i.e. 2nd shot out of 3), or was this just an example of random massive overexposure?

With 20D/30D/40D/5D and 580ex mkl we would get a massive over-exposure from the flashgun every once in a while - but it was a random thing that happened rarely for no apparent reason, and was impossible to recreate in a controlled way.

We also had problems from time to time with the camera hotshoe working loose on 5D and 20D/30D, which could cause communication problems with the speedlite - but far as I can recall, the 40D had body moulding around the hotshoe which prevented this being such a problem?

So, like Tim says, weird - especially if it's as predictable as 2nd shot out of 3 ...if it was under-exposure on the 2nd, that's easy, it's lack of recycle time for the flash.

Rob

[tim]

Overexposure is often because of a loose hotshoe, but it's not consistent like this. Sand the contacts a tiny bit, and tighten the screws under the little plate.

[kpowell121]

Thanks, I believe it does have something to do with the hotshoe. Because it happens when I turn vertical and zoom in for a closer shot, so maybe the flash is pulling away from the shoe and not connecting correctly. I will try to tighten it down more. I did find out that the Canon Speedlight has this problem on another forum yesterday. Too bad it's a hassle. Thanks for the help though! KP

[tim]

Read this

http://www.conraderb.com/flashrepair/

[FZ1]

Try bracketing? (if there is not a problem with the flash/shoe)

[jerrybsmith]

I was frustrated with the same thing happening to me. I even sent my flash and camera to Canon for repair and the problem persisted. I found several posts that indicated the problem was a loose shoe on the flash and one even went into detail how to tighten it up. It's tricky because you have to take the flash apart and there are several small springs but I did it anyway and no problems since then. I can't remember the link so you will have to search for it. Sorry

[tim]

I was frustrated with the same thing happening to me. I even sent my flash and camera to Canon for repair and the problem persisted. I found several posts that indicated the problem was a loose shoe on the flash and one even went into detail how to tighten it up. It's tricky because you have to take the flash apart and there are several small springs but I did it anyway and no problems since then. I can't remember the link so you will have to search for it. Sorry

I posted the link two posts up.