New to using a flash

Actually I am not new, but still virgin. I have never used a flash and I don't know anything about how they work. Do I have to figure the light metering on my own when a flash is involved or will the camera know the flash is there and do it for me? Whats a good flash that will last me 3-5 years or more? Are there extra settings on a flash to deal with? Does the instruction manual explain the flash and how it works?

What kind of flash do you have/want? The Canon 580EX is the latest, greatest model Canon, recommended, next in line would be the 430EX.

If you're using ETTL you don't need a light (flash) meter.

Read the EOS flash stickies at the top of this forum. That will give you an excellent basis for working with Canon's ETTL II flash exposure system.

Than ask plenty of questions, the more specific they are, the better info you'll receive.

If you get yourself an E-TTL II compatible flash, there is less guesswork involved. The flash will expose the subject properly, and you use your camera's settings to expose the background as you desire. The only real issues are with odd situations...highly reflective or bright materials/objects in a scene will fool the flash and cause underexposure. One example is a bride's gown. It's white, possibly sparkly, and the camera will think it's too bright and lower the output to compensate, giving a dark exposure.

You can compensate for these types of scenarios with Flash Exposure Compensation if your flash or camera has the functionality. I prefer the functionality to be on the flash itself, regardless of whether the camera can do it because it's easier to access on the flash vs the menu system of the camera.

A very good EOS E-TTL Flash Tutorial can be found here.

Whatever flash you get, I recommend one where you have control over Flash Exposure Compensation and a bounce/tilt/swivel head so you can bounce off of ceilings and walls for more pleasant lighting.

Your alternatives (in no particular order):
1. Get a flash with its own Photosensor and Auto mode. It may be 2-contact hot shoe or dedicated to Canon hotshoe or even PC-cord connected to camera. You set the ISO in the flash and also aperture which matches the chosen aperture of the lens and simply point and shoot. Many flash units do this, some (like Metz) superbly.
2. Get a flash with no sensor and only manual mode. You use Guide Number for flash to compute aperture based upon subject distance read from lens (Aperture = Guide Number / Distance to Subject) Photographers did this 30 years ago.
3. Get a Canon ETTL flash unit, but the flash on ETTL mode and set the camera to P or M when flash is the main source of light for the photo. Set the camera to Av only when you want to use the flash as a fill light source, using ambient light as the key source of light.
Note that Solution 3 has had hundreds of photographers frustrated at a)unpredictability of ETTL, b) consistent underexposure when using the ETTL flash, c) inability to bounce flash rather than direct flash when using flash as main source of light, and d) many other ailments related to flash exposure accuracy. They are not insurmountable, but they are nowhere as easy to get accurate results as with Solution 1!

I have no problems with your "Solution 3". It's all in knowing how E-TTL works.

i don't even know what ETTL is, let alone how it works. Do they teach this in college photography classes?

I doubt anyone will teach it, it's a technology from one company that's constantly evolving and changing. Read this.

sarah, cdi-ink posted a link to flash tutorial. i highly recommend it. i'm brand new to flashes too (420ex now on my 10d) and that was the best reading on flashes i've ever done.

this is the link again: http://photonotes.org/​articles/eos-flash/

-steve

Hi,
Check your local photo supply store. Sometimes they will offer classes on flash (which helps them to sell flash). Our local store is doing one next weekend and I'm planning to go since I'm ready to buy the speedlight. Some colleges will do a course on lighting in general. Class will teach you how to use various types of lighting.. studio, sunshine, flash, night time photography, etc.. it's a catch-all class but will have a segment dedicated to flash... We have a class here in Arizona, so perhaps your local community college will offer a similar course. Look for class listings under ART.

Well I know all the classes I have to take for my degree and there is not a class specfically for lighting. My degree plan is in order. I have 5 more classes to finish my current Associates in Electronics and then I am going to do photogra[hy.

Check the first few stickies on this forum - learning a good deal about flashes takes as much time as learning to use the camera

The 20D is pretty good at sorting out exposure on a matching flash unit. I use the 430es with a stoffel time box diffuser over the head which does away with harsh shadows and provided excellent fill-in. Softens harsh shadows on bright days and makes dull days reasonable. It will also light small objects but EXPERIMENT. I am still learning after 55 years, starting at 10 with plate and rollfilm.
Use different settings on a willing subject, both M - P and AV as well as ISO settings. You can tweak colour (that's real ENGLISH) in editing RAW.

Have a look at some odds and ends at
http://www.photoforum.​com …gallery&cmd=use​r&user=860

But keep on taking photos - "it don't cost owt" if you don't print them.