Using my 430ex flash and when not to use it

Hi All,

I was reading a blog today, and now I think I'm begining to understand why I often get confused with my flash. I have had it now for almost a year and apart from the camera itself, its the second best thing I ever invested in.

In small rooms with white not too high ceilings, its excellent. My problem is often with a group of people in a place that I'm not sure if its well lit or not and NO ambient light.

I noticed that sometimes the flash makes the pic worse, its not until I try without flash to know its making it worse (I have a small plastis difuser, the flash light is facing up and not pointed directly at the subject, often use 1/32 or 1/64 and that the only change I made). In such cases, should flash simply not be used ?

I also read that when shooting in AV mode, the camera meters on ambient light since it doesnt know flash will be fired, and I hear its best to under-expose when it meters. Thats the cause of my confusion, the issue is that I dont underexpose and try to get it in the middle, which then means that the exposure time is longer (5-8 seconds for a group portrait), I then panic and swiftly go back to Auto mode. My question is, how far should you underexpose in such situations and is it better to go manual and start with the lowest light power i.e 1/128 or 1/64 ?

Maybe, I am an annomaly but, I have no exposure problems bouncing my flash whle using a Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro to modify the light. I use the flash in ETTL and often use the camera in Programmed exposure mode (P).

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You mention 1/32 or 1/64 so thats manual flash. Are you using the flash in ETTL mode at all? Keep in mind when you take a flash photo there are 2 different exposure values to consider. The ambient levels, and the part of the subject where the flash falls. In a small white room, those may be one in the same as the flash lights everything. But in other circumtances they can be different. Take a large room for example. You would want to manipulate the camera to get the desired base exposure, before you add any flash. The easiest way is to have the camera (not flash) in M mode, and use the shutter speed and ISO to get background levels you are happy with, then turn on the flash in ETTL mode and take a shot. If the flash is too bright , then use FLASH exposure compensation to dial it down.

gonzogolf wrote in post #15079134
You mention 1/32 or 1/64 so thats manual flash. Are you using the flash in ETTL mode at all? Keep in mind when you take a flash photo there are 2 different exposure values to consider. The ambient levels, and the part of the subject where the flash falls. In a small white room, those may be one in the same as the flash lights everything. But in other circumtances they can be different. Take a large room for example. You would want to manipulate the camera to get the desired base exposure, before you add any flash. The easiest way is to have the camera (not flash) in M mode, and use the shutter speed and ISO to get background levels you are happy with, then turn on the flash in ETTL mode and take a shot. If the flash is too bright , then use FLASH exposure compensation to dial it down.

+1!

Use the Camera in Manual, set the Flash to ETTL! Works great.

Don't bother with Av unless you are shooting a "Night Portrait" or trying to "Drag the shutter". For most normal flash shots, the SS is just too long in Av. You can correct for this in the camera's custom functions, but why bother when M + ETTL works so well?

Thanks everyone, I think i still have a lot of playing around to do. I didnt also specify the following.

1) I never used ETTL as I read somewhere its better to go manual flash as you have better control. Seems to me that the manual flash is also once of the sources of my problems.

2) The idea that Gonzogolf mentioned, I will try it first as to be honest, I dont try out base shots first. As most times I take shots on impulse with little or no time to test. Also when you say a big/small room, what are we talking of here in terms of size. A hall will class as a big room definitely, but how about a living room ?

3) Lastly I am trying to understand the meaning of night portrait as used in the last post, are we talking of total darkness or perhaps no ambient light in a room ? What also happens if its a portrait of a group of people, lets say 2 people.

Thanks in advance.

I use Manual mode and ETTL most of the time. It works for me. I control ambient, flash controls - well, the flash.

I use ettl flash exposure only when the speedlight is on the camera and manual flash exposure for when the flash is off the camera. Also take note that if youre indoors and able to bounce the light rather than use direct flash, it will result in a more natural looking image but it will require using a high ISO.
As for using a flash outdoors in the dark, you would be better off using multiple off camera flash units. That is advanced lighting

platforminc wrote in post #15082215
Thanks everyone, I think i still have a lot of playing around to do. I didnt also specify the following.

1) I never used ETTL as I read somewhere its better to go manual flash as you have better control. Seems to me that the manual flash is also once of the sources of my problems.

Manual Camera mode is one of the most convenient ways to get good flash photos. Manual Flash mode is best left to the experts, or someone who wants to do a lot of 'practice' shots.

A normal sized apartment bedroom would be a 'small' room. A living room would be a 'medium' sized room. What is more important is reflective surfaces, like white ceilings. If you also have white walls, you're golden! Angle the flash up and to the side to get great results! For starters, try camera in Manual, ISO 400, if ppl are sitting around use 1/60 sec. SS. If ppl are milling about use 1/125 sec. SS and set your Aperture to f/3.5-f/5.6.

A "Night Portrait" refers to a scene which would typically look like a couple in a dark foreground with a city skyline in the background. You would usually need a tripod or some solid surface to hold the camera for this shot. Set the camera to Av Mode with the flash in ETTL and the camera will give a long exposure for the background (city skyline) while the flash will perfectly expose the couple in the foreground.

You're most welcome! Happy shooting!

Yogi Bear wrote in post #15082636
Manual Camera mode is one of the most convenient ways to get good flash photos. Manual Flash mode is best left to the experts, or someone who wants to do a lot of 'practice' shots.

A normal sized apartment bedroom would be a 'small' room. A living room would be a 'medium' sized room. What is more important is reflective surfaces, like white ceilings. If you also have white walls, you're golden! Angle the flash up and to the side to get great results! For starters, try camera in Manual, ISO 400, if ppl are sitting around use 1/60 sec. SS. If ppl are milling about use 1/125 sec. SS and set your Aperture to f/3.5-f/5.6.

A "Night Portrait" refers to a scene which would typically look like a couple in a dark foreground with a city skyline in the background. You would usually need a tripod or some solid surface to hold the camera for this shot. Set the camera to Av Mode with the flash in ETTL and the camera will give a long exposure for the background (city skyline) while the flash will perfectly expose the couple in the foreground.

You're most welcome! Happy shooting!

Thanks for the detailed response, I guess I'm just not an expert yet and should just stick with ETTL which is such a shame. I mean in the manual mode, all I ever change is the power of the flash thats it, I dont really do much with the zoom.

Also those settings you mentioned below 1/60 or 1/125 @ ISO 400, I struggle to get that those settings I can get during the day with loads of ambient light, but at around 8pm which a lot of non natural light i.e tungsten bulbs etc. Its more like 1/12 or 1/20 @ iso 400 for me.


Thanks.

platforminc wrote in post #15082724
Thanks for the detailed response, I guess I'm just not an expert yet and should just stick with ETTL which is such a shame. I mean in the manual mode, all I ever change is the power of the flash thats it, I dont really do much with the zoom.

Just leave the flash in ETTL and it will automatically adjust the flash power for you. If need be, make corrections with Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) or shoot RAW and adjust in Post.

If you are shooting people or pets indoors at night under ambient light at 1/13 or 1/20, you will possibly have motion blur due to subject movement. Up your shutter speed!

You're welcome!

Platforminc, what camera body do you have?

T3i, T4i, 60D, 7D have the flash commander which allows you to shoot Off Camera Flash (OCF) with beautiful results.

I am getting ready to purchase a 430EX. Subscribed to this thread! Learned a lot. Thanks!!

Scrumhalf wrote in post #15082853
I am getting ready to purchase a 430EX. Subscribed to this thread! Learned a lot. Thanks!!

You're welcome!

Shop CraigsList for your 430 EX Flash. That is where I found my LNIB 580 EX II for $300. Big savings there if you're patient, and flashes, generally, don't wear out (unless used by a wedding pro or something like that).

Good luck!

Yogi

Question. If my flash is set to ETTL and I angle it to the ceiling (something I like doing but in manual) does the flash adjust accordingly, as it will need a touch more power to bounce right?

Neilyb wrote in post #15082892
Question. If my flash is set to ETTL and I angle it to the ceiling (something I like doing but in manual) does the flash adjust accordingly, as it will need a touch more power to bounce right?

Yep! Automatically!