Problem with 300d and studio lights

[jackhag]

List,
Last weekend I did a wedding. When photographing the formals I used my 300d for the first time. I used a studio light and a flash meter with the setting at SS200, F11 and set the camera on manual with the setting at SS180 F11. All of the photos were greatly underexposed, even on the camera screen. Fortunately, I also use film on another camera and got them developed and all of them were right on! Is the manual setting on the 300d that screwed up or am I doing something wrong. Film speed in both camera was 400 asa.

Jack

[SkipD]

How were you triggering the studio light(s)? Cable connection, on-camera flash and slaves, etc.?

If you were using the on-camera flash to trip the other lights, your problem is obvious. I won't go into the details of why until we know your triggering method.

[kawter2]

I had the same problem with my 10D. I set my exposure compensation to add 1.5 stops and that did it for me. You may need to do the same thing.




There is no exposure compensation for M mode :D

[griff2]

There is no exposure compensation for M mode
I think Bloo Dog means he adjusted the aperture/shutter speed in M to give the extra 1.5 stops.

[jackhag]

In reply to the previous question, I was using my on camera flash to trigger the strobe.

Jack

[SkipD]

In reply to the previous question, I was using my on camera flash to trigger the strobe.The problem is simple, then. Your on-camera flash does a two-step. By that, I mean that there is a pre-flash for the camera to determine the flash exposure. Then comes the main flash and the shutter opening in sync with the main flash. Your outboard flash is probably triggering on the pre-flash and has already popped and is dark when the shutter opens. Because you are using a meter and setting the camera manually for the outboard flash, the exposure is wrong for the on-camera flash only.

There are two solutions.

The best solution is to get an adapter for the hot shoe that lets you connect a cable from the studio flash to the camera via the adapter. That way, the camera trips the studio flash unit directly. You need to be careful, though, as the flash unit might have a trigger voltage that is too high (in excess of 6 volts DC) for the camera. If this is the case, you can get an adapter such as the Wein Safe-Sync that has internal circuitry to present a low voltage to the camera even if the flash unit has up to 250 volts on its sync terminals.

The other way is to get a special slave unit that responds to the second (main) flash from the on-camera flash. A Wein Digital Peanut is an example of this type of device.

A good test of correct sync operation - point the camera at the studio flash and take a shot. You should see the studio flash unit lit in the photo. If it isn't, then what you need to work on is getting the studio flash to trigger when the camera's shutter is open (using the methods above).

You will need full manual mode to use the studio flash, as the camera cannot determine or control the flash exposure from it.

[kawter2]

In reply to the previous question, I was using my on camera flash to trigger the strobe.

Jack


Then most likely you were getting inconsistant exposure because the strobes were being triggered twice and not able to recharge fast enough. ETTL fires a "pre-flash" before the shutter opens to meter ETTLflash levels. that is fireing your strobes as well as the Main flash POP


but im thinking that that causes underexposure.. humnnn thinking because this has happened to me before,,,, but i cant recall at the moment

[kawter2]

Then most likely you were getting inconsistant exposure because the strobes were being triggered twice and not able to recharge fast enough. ETTL fires a "pre-flash" before the shutter opens to meter ETTLflash levels. that is fireing your strobes as well as the Main flash POP


but im thinking that that causes underexposure.. humnnn thinking because this has happened to me before,,,, but i cant recall at the moment


DUHH!!! you did say it was underexposed.. sorry I though i read that it was getting blown out. Follow skip's great advice

[jackhag]

How will a peanut just respond to the second on-camera flash and not the first one?

[RichardtheSane]

How will a peanut just respond to the second on-camera flash and not the first one?

The first one is a much lower output that the second one, and it ia also the same every time. The peanut probably knows this... :)

[SkipD]

The "Digital Peanut" has circuitry in it to count the flashes it sees. When the count gets to two in a certain amount of time, it turns on the switch that fires the flash.

[Jim Arnold]

The best solution is to get an adapter for the hot shoe that lets you connect a cable from the studio flash to the camera via the adapter. That way, the camera trips the studio flash unit directly. You need to be careful, though, as the flash unit might have a trigger voltage that is too high (in excess of 6 volts DC) for the camera. If this is the case, you can get an adapter such as the Wein Safe-Sync that has internal circuitry to present a low voltage to the camera even if the flash unit has up to 250 volts on its sync terminals.

The other way is to get a special slave unit that responds to the second (main) flash from the on-camera flash. A Wein Digital Peanut is an example of this type of device.
]l mode to use the studio flash, as the camera cannot determine or control the flash exposure from it.

A Better Solution: Get a Radio Slave such as Pocket Wizard. It will protect your Camera and work flawlessly as long as you keep good batteries in it. Oh if the 300D is anything like the 1D then you will find that the Wein Safe Sync will not work. When I bought my 1D I had redo everything I did, discarding my Safe Sync devices since they failed to fire my Normans or Monolights. When I started using the Pocket Wizards I had no problem firing the flashes.

[RDKirk]

Or not something as expensive as a Pocket Wizard, but one of the radio slaves sold on eBay by joesphotoauctions. Those are starting to be sold by a number of other dealers, such as B&H, Speedotron, Adorama, Paramount Cords, and Porter's Camera Store.

[jackhag]

After reading this list I went down my basement, set up my studio lights and took some great pictures of my TV set. First using the EX flash and if underexposed as I expected. Then I put the EX flash on manual and as in the first case, the flash triggered the studio lights but the exposure worked good. Then I put my EZ flash on the Digital Rebel and set the flash to manual and behold, it flashed and also gave a good exposure. No peanut slaves, pocket wizards or anything else needed, just a manual setting on my flash.

[Jon]

No peanut slaves, pocket wizards or anything else needed, just a manual setting on my flash.From your initial post, I think we all inferred you were using the pop-up flash, not an external flash unit. If we'd realized you were using a 550EX or 580EX, we could have taken that into account. If you're relying on the pop-up or a 220EX/420EX, it's auto or nothing, and you'd need one of the suggested tools.