Anything special I can do to avoid washing someone's face off with a 580ex flash?

This is a stupid question.

I have the 270ex flash that I use all the time, but tomorrow is a special event and i had to borrow a 580ex. The flash is a tank and it's more than capable, but I'm mainly wondering how to both get enough light at a subject without washing his face out and overpowering him and the people around him. I've used this baby before, I love the power and the mega-bounce I get off of it but I've had instances where the latter happens and ruins a shot (then again, I would shoot in JPEG like a doofus, not anymore) and I'm wondering if there's a way to find a good midpoint?

I've been toying with it, but I realize most of the buttons are for master and off camera control so I'll just be leaving it on ETTL. Anything else I should know? And anything I can do to have a balance between fill light and good flash brightness? Or is FEC gonna be it?

Bounce that thang! Also, try to get the exposure settings as close as possible so the flash isn't working so hard to light the scene. Change to spot metering if the background is very dark so the camera isn't blasting full power to fill an area it simply can't fill. Just a few thoughts.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #13956955
Bounce that thang! Also, try to get the exposure settings as close as possible so the flash isn't working so hard to light the scene. Change to spot metering if the background is very dark so the camera isn't blasting full power to fill an area it simply can't fill. Just a few thoughts.

If your not using a modifier you better ^^^^^^

Scatterbrained wrote in post #13956955
Bounce that thang! Also, try to get the exposure settings as close as possible so the flash isn't working so hard to light the scene. Change to spot metering if the background is very dark so the camera isn't blasting full power to fill an area it simply can't fill. Just a few thoughts.

Yes to everything! Flash is always bounced to the ceiling with an index card, but the place is dark so my speeds hangs around 1/20 to 1/8ish most of the time.

On the 270 I have I always use an index card, but with this 580 I borrowed I won't have anything save for what comes with it.

THE Phreak wrote in post #13956982
Yes to everything! Flash is always bounced to the ceiling with an index card, but the place is dark so my speeds hangs around 1/20 to 1/8ish most of the time.

On the 270 I have I always use an index card, but with this 580 I borrowed I won't have anything save for what comes with it.

What kind of iso and aperture are you running that your shutter speeds are that low? Also, if they are that low use spot or partial metering so the camera isn't trying to raise the exposure of the entire scene.

All you really need you can get at a craft store.......
Go to this page and start reading: http://neilvn.com …hniques/4-bouncing-flash/

The only speedlight flash modifier I really use is the Rogue Flashbender (small). You can replicate this with some craft foam and a rubber band in a pinch.

As far as bouncing off of the ceilings, I prefer either to bounce off of a wall or into the space behind me to soften up the light.

Just Say No To Tupperware!

Usually set it at ISO-800 or if i'm feeling ballsy I go to 1000, nothing more or the noise will eat my photos. Rented a 28 1.8 so I'll be coasting at about 2.2 for sharpness.

If you are using flash, you should use it in P mode or in M mode. Never use flash indoor in Av or Tv mode. In Av or Tv mode Canon assumes you are using the flash for fill only, like outdoors in bright sunlight. In Av or Tv the exposure is adjusted based on ambient light.

I usually use M mode indoors. Pick a f-stop based on depth of field you want. The f-stop will control the ambient light you let into the picture. If you want no ambient light uses the fastest shutter speed you can synch on your camera. Use slower shutter speeds to bring up the ambient light.

If you are using bounce flash, which you should be indoors anytime you have ceilings or walls you can bounce off from, you may have to use higher ISO to get correct exposure. It depends on the ceiling height, color and distances.

If you have the flash in E-TTL, you should be able to use FEC to adjust the flash to your taste. You may have to up the ISO some in big rooms.

THE Phreak wrote in post #13957056
Usually set it at ISO-800 or if i'm feeling ballsy I go to 1000, nothing more or the noise will eat my photos. Rented a 28 1.8 so I'll be coasting at about 2.2 for sharpness.

High ISO will effect the flash exposure as well. If you're indoors just bounce the flash (Notice a trend yet?) and adjust your iso only if you need to. At F2.2 you should get more then enough light to run a good shutter speed as well.... But I guess it depends on what you plan on shooting. I'm guessing with that lens it won't be sports. If you shoot manual and see that you're getting too much flash you can either adjust your flash out put or stop your aperture down to let less of it in.

mikeca42 wrote in post #13957065
If you are using bounce flash, which you should be indoors anytime you have ceilings or walls you can bounce off from, you may have to use higher ISO to get correct exposure. It depends on the ceiling height, color and distances.

This is an important thing to consider as well, adjust your iso if you NEED too.

This is direct flash on a bracket. I will shoot that way if I have nothing to bounce of. In the situation I set a high ISO and a slower shutter speed to let more ambient light in. Not my preferred method but will do it. Not sure how much a significant difference a modifier would have made for this image.

^^^ Still looks great with being direct flash, you can only really tell because of the eye.

mikeca42 wrote in post #13957065
If you are using flash, you should use it in P mode or in M mode. Never use flash indoor in Av or Tv mode. In Av or Tv mode Canon assumes you are using the flash for fill only, like outdoors in bright sunlight. In Av or Tv the exposure is adjusted based on ambient light.

I don't know where you get this from but it is false. I use Av mode quite a bit when I'm shooting with flash in ETTL. The whole point of the pre flash in ETTL is for the camera to be able to determine how much light it will need to provide to create the desired exposure. It makes no assumptions at to what you are doing with the flash i.e. main vs fill.

If you shoot with flash in Av mode the camera will pick a slow shutter speed to properly expose the photo as if no flash is being used. In that case the flash will act as "fill" .

The only exception to this is if you are using custom functions that will limit the shutter speed in Av mode. Then the flash will usually become the main light source, but it depends on many other factors as well. (ambient lighting, default shutter speed, ISO, etc)

Scatterbrained wrote in post #13961302
I don't know where you get this from but it is false. I use Av mode quite a bit when I'm shooting with flash in ETTL. The whole point of the pre flash in ETTL is for the camera to be able to determine how much light it will need to provide to create the desired exposure. It makes no assumptions at to what you are doing with the flash i.e. main vs fill.

He probably gets this from this forum. It is a fairly well agreed to statement.
I think most people here understand how eTTL works. Like Mike stated it is not a good idea to use AV indoors in lower light unless you enjoy trying to hold the camera at extremely slow shutter speeds.

msowsun wrote in post #13961453
If you shoot with flash in Av mode the camera will pick a slow shutter speed to properly expose the photo as if no flash is being used. In that case the flash will act as "fill" .

The only exception to this is if you are using custom functions that will limit the shutter speed in Av mode. Then the flash will usually become the main light source, but it depends on many other factors as well. (ambient lighting, default shutter speed, ISO, etc)

dedsen wrote in post #13961480
He probably gets this from this forum. It is a fairly well agreed to statement.
I think most people here understand how eTTL works. Like Mike stated it is not a good idea to use AV indoors in lower light unless you enjoy trying to hold the camera at extremely slow shutter speeds.

I use AV with ETTL quite often. I have my custom function set to "1/60 - 1/200 auto" and have had no issues. Naturally you'll have to monitor your iso and be mindful that you aren't running such slow settings that you're overworking the flash; but to say never to shoot in Av is ridiculous. I certainly wouldn't be running around in P mode just because I wanted to use ETTL. Absolutist statements like that do nothing to help further anyones knowledge and can in fact hinder.
I think it's more important to learn the concepts of balancing flash and ambient and bouncing flash effectively to create dynamic light. This can be done just as well in Av as in M, the only difference being that you are riding the EC and iso settings in Av the way you are working the regular settings in M. Telling someone that they can't, or should never, is a cop out.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #13956955
Change to spot metering if the background is very dark so the camera isn't blasting full power to fill an area it simply can't fill. Just a few thoughts.

You are a genius! Why didn't I think of that ?
I use spot metering all the time for stage stuff, why not for flash too
You now have me kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner