380EX Speedlite and 20D

[olivia]

I have the 380 flash from my old film days. Now that I have my 20D, I am finding that this flash (which is supposed to be compatible) doesn't really seem to work properly. The shutter is so slow that it is hopeless to think of getting an inside shot without a tripod, which is not always practical in some of my casual shots with the grandchildrens' activities.

Do I need to do a special setting on the 20D to accept this external flash..... or is the fact that Canon discontinued this flash a clue that I should upgrade? They still have the 220, but the 380 is gone from the Canon line.

[Ballen Photo]

I have the 380 flash from my old film days. Now that I have my 20D, I am finding that this flash (which is supposed to be compatible) doesn't really seem to work properly. The shutter is so slow that it is hopeless to think of getting an inside shot without a tripod, which is not always practical in some of my casual shots with the grandchildrens' activities.

Do I need to do a special setting on the 20D to accept this external flash..... or is the fact that Canon discontinued this flash a clue that I should upgrade? They still have the 220, but the 380 is gone from the Canon line.
Hi Olivia, Just curious, What mode are you using for these shots? (I'm betting program). Have you tried TV mode? You can set your shutter to the desired speed you want within sync speeds. ;)
-Bruce

[olivia]

Yes, I'm using AE or P. If I use TV, it will override what the flash wants to do?

Do I have to change something in the menu to accept an external flash? I imagine this is in the manual, which I have read several times, but I don't think I found this covered.

[Toogy]

Just for kicks, try putting the camera in manual mode and set your aperture to F5.6 and your Shutter to 1/80 sec.
And then try a pic and see what it looks like.
That will determine if the flash is working correctly.

[olivia]

Well that worked just fine. I tried it in a couple of rooms with different light and they were all okay. Flash fired quickly as it should.

What are the other settings doing that is keeping the flash from firing properly?

I'm glad to know how to make it work, but I don't understand why.

[PacAce]

Yes, I'm using AE or P. If I use TV, it will override what the flash wants to do?

Do I have to change something in the menu to accept an external flash? I imagine this is in the manual, which I have read several times, but I don't think I found this covered.
Unless there's something wrong with the camera or it's not recognizing the flash, in P mode, the camera should automatically switch to 1/60 minimum for shutter speed and not go any slower than that. Does the lightning icon show up in the viewfinder when you turn on the flash and use it in P mode?

[Ballen Photo]

Well that worked just fine. I tried it in a couple of rooms with different light and they were all okay. Flash fired quickly as it should.

What are the other settings doing that is keeping the flash from firing properly?

I'm glad to know how to make it work, but I don't understand why.
Program mode meters the shot as if there were no flash, which is good if you're shooting from a tripod, and want to allow ambient light into the mix while using the flash for fill.
In full manual as toogy suggested, YOU tell the camera what you want it to do.
In TV, you control the shutter speed, so you can set the speed fast enough to eliminate camera shake or blur, but the camera will determine the aperture. ;)
-Bruce

[PacAce]

Program mode meters the shot as if there were no flash, which is good if you're shooting from a tripod, and want to allow ambient light into the mix while using the flash for fill.
In full manual as toogy suggested, YOU tell the camera what you want it to do.
In TV, you control the shutter speed, so you can set the speed fast enough to eliminate camera shake or blur, but the camera will determine the aperture. ;)
-Bruce
Bruce, by "Program mode" are you referring to the Av mode? Because in P mode, which is what I consider as Program mode, the camera does take the flash into consideration when setting the exposure. In other words, in P mode, the shutter speed will never drop below 1/60th of a second.

[Ballen Photo]

Bruce, by "Program mode" are you referring to the Av mode? Because in P mode, which is what I consider as Program mode, the camera does take the flash into consideration when setting the exposure. In other words, in P mode, the shutter speed will never drop below 1/60th of a second.
OOPS! You're right. I was thinking AV. :oops: Thanks for pointing that out. ;)
-Bruce

[olivia]

Thanks, guys for your help. You just saved me from buying a new flash prematurely.

[robertwgross]

I'm glad to know how to make it work, but I don't understand why.

First of all, remember the maximum sync speed for your camera, and don't try to push beyond that unless you are using a flash with high speed sync mode active.

As a general rule, the camera may sense that the flash unit is attached, but it is not going to do too much to change the non-flash exposure, at least when you view settings in advance.

---Bob Gross---