70d bounce flash

Its underexposing quite a bit on ettl. The pics look better without a flash...I think I've read about this before, is there a solution? My brother just bought a 70d and I let him try my flash, and I noticed underexposure immediately.

What metering mode do you have set on the camera and what part of the scene is being metered? It may be something with your technique but if you provided a sample image we could more easily tell. I'm sure it can be easily remedied - I've done this myself in the past (using a 5d though)

Evaluative and ettl. Ive never had a problem like this on my 60d or t3i...
I can assure you its not technique. Maybe a setting I'm missing, but the pictures look like a flash is not being used at all

Frodge wrote in post #17742172
Evaluative and ettl. Ive never had a problem like this on my 60d or t3i...
I can assure you its not technique. Maybe a setting I'm missing, but the pictures look like a flash is not being used at all

What shutter speed/aperture and ISO - perhaps you are trying to illuminate too large an area? I too use evaluative. If there are brighter reflective objects in the scene the camera could be metering those, be tricked into thinking the scene is brighter than it is, and the flash then reduces power output. I'm only suggesting this because I've done this exact same thing .

It always under exposed for me when bouncing. Like any of the metering, you have to learn the cameras idiosyncrasies and then compensate.

I agree with the original post. Something is different about the 70D and bounce flash. I used a 70D and 18-55 STM the other day. Indoors, incandescent light, Av, 430EX II, 1/250, f/8, ISO 800, flash at 45 degrees and using a flash mounted reflector. I got a lot of underexposed shots, so I bumped up FEC to 2/3. No help. I bumped ISO to 1600. No help. The 70D 430EX II combination does not behave the same way my 6D does.

I did notice that the wide shots encompassing most of a room were more properly exposed than zoomed in shots of individuals and/or couples. Very odd.

Are you shooting in (camera) manual mode or are you using one of the automatic settings?

When I'm shooting dark wedding receptions or other dim venues I typically set the camera in manual. The onboard meter is pretty useless under these conditions. I manually select a slower shutter speed and wider aperture and let the ETTL fill in the rest.

I'm using the settings I listed in the post you responded to. The goal was to overpower ambient, not blend it. My house is an eclectic mixture of mixed fluorescent and incandescent light, combined with my wife's flair for colored lampshades. There is no way to blend this nightmare. My 6D and 17-40 and 24-105 have done the job nicely in the past. I thought I'd give the 70D a run, since I had it out for STM video anyway, which was a total fail. I think windpig is right. I just need to figure out what works with the 70D. It did not behave like my 6D, but it was consistent.

It acts almost as if your shooting high I so and no flash. The pics look like garbage.

What are your settings?

Its almost as if the camera wants to override the flash. Basically it knows there is a flash and it pulls down exposure excessively

E

Frodge wrote in post #17742238
It acts almost as if your shooting high I so and no flash. The pics look like garbage.

That is exactly what I got. Dark, looks like WB is off, very noisy. Garbage is the proper term.

sapearl wrote in post #17742213
When I'm shooting dark wedding receptions or other dim venues I typically set the camera in manual. The onboard meter is pretty useless under these conditions. I manually select a slower shutter speed and wider aperture and let the ETTL fill in the rest.

This is what I do as well...I find manual mode (and maybe letting camera just decide ETTL) is the most reliable setting. What flash are you using OP? If you're bouncing off the ceiling, there may not be enough light output getting to your subject (this can also be effected by battery power and/or modifiers used). If you bump your flash exposure compensation up and nothing changes: then you know the flash isn't able to give enough light for your settings.

davesrose wrote in post #17742249
This is what I do as well...I find manual mode (and maybe letting camera just decide ETTL) is the most reliable setting. What flash are you using OP? If you're bouncing off the ceiling, there may not be enough light output getting to your subject (this can also be effected by battery power and/or modifiers used). If you bump your flash exposure compensation up and nothing changes: then you know the flash isn't able to give enough light for your settings.

My settings: Av @ 1/250 w/flash, ISO 1600, and f/8 is essentially manual mode, but not really. Perhaps the different mode does make a difference in how flash is metered. I will go back and try the 6D in Av, and the 70D in manual. If the results fip-flop, I believe we have an answer.

To the helpers who are pitching in who haven't used a 70D - it's the 70D. It does this when using diffusers or bouncing the flash. Canon has never fixed the issue, and it's maddengly inconsistent - one shot will be great and the next 5 are way under.... Generally the work around is to up the flash EC by about 2/3, but that runs the risk of occasionally massive over exposure when it does meter correctly. I have no idea why it does this.