Help Please! (dark photos with flash)

Hey everyone, I am having some sort of problem here and I don't know what is going on. I am using a Canon 350d (digital Rebel Xt) and a Speedlite 430ex Extended Flash. This problem just started on Saturday. When I use my extended flash, or even my on board flash the photos come out very very dark, as if I used no flash at all. I have tried shooting in all different modes, turning up the flash compensation etc. I reset all of the settings on the body and the flash so I dont think it could be an issure with that. I leave for Europe in two weeks and I can't have my camera acting like this! Here are some examples, including exif data.

Ok, I took three pictures... one with the extended flash, one with the on board, and one with no flash at all. Here they are:

Have you set the flash exposure compensation on the 430EX to a ' - ' setting by accident? It looks terribly underexposed.
Kenny

nippon24 wrote in post #2394128
Have you set the flash exposure compensation on the 430EX to a ' - ' setting by accident? It looks terribly underexposed.
Kenny

I dont even know how to set that on my flash. I put all of the settings back to default on the flash and the body. How would I change the exposure compensation on the flash?

Read the manual first.You will find many answers to your question

Could be that you are using a 12-24mm lens. The flash will only work with focal lengths from 24mm up unless you have the wide panel down.

I aint an expert just an idea I had and thought it may help. May not tho

Neil

da_nige wrote in post #2394316
Could be that you are using a 12-24mm lens. The flash will only work with focal lengths from 24mm up unless you have the wide panel down.

I aint an expert just an idea I had and thought it may help. May not tho

Neil

Yeah, I thought that might be the problem too. The flash will work down to 14mm with the panel down and I took these pictures at 16mm. I also tried taking pictures with my 50mm and they come out equally as ****ty.

Also, I dont know if this might be another problem or part of the same issue. About 2/5 of the time when I push the button on the side of the body to open the flash it just clicks and wont open. My camera then throws error code 05

Sublimejoe wrote in post #2394111
When I use my extended flash, or even my on board flash the photos come out very very dark, as if I used no flash at all.

I don't think that's quite right. The photo you've posted that was taken with the onboard flash (#2 of 3) looks as I'd expect.

The camera has taken the shutter speed down from 1/3th (no flash) to 1/60th (flash) and used the on-board flash as a fill-in. The corners of the picture are dark because the flash doesn't cover them as effectively as the centre, and the overall exposure may be a bit dark because the metering has been confused by the bright reflections from the computer and the glossy picture on the noticeboard.

So not a perfect picture, but about what I'd expect from the onboard flash given the conditions.

The problem seems to be confined to your 430ex. It doesn't seem to have fired at all. can you confirm that it did not in fact fire? Can you do anything to make it fire?

StewartR wrote in post #2398579
I don't think that's quite right. The photo you've posted that was taken with the onboard flash (#2 of 3) looks as I'd expect.

The camera has taken the shutter speed down from 1/3th (no flash) to 1/60th (flash) and used the on-board flash as a fill-in. The corners of the picture are dark because the flash doesn't cover them as effectively as the centre, and the overall exposure may be a bit dark because the metering has been confused by the bright reflections from the computer and the glossy picture on the noticeboard.

So not a perfect picture, but about what I'd expect from the onboard flash given the conditions.

The problem seems to be confined to your 430ex. It doesn't seem to have fired at all. can you confirm that it did not in fact fire? Can you do anything to make it fire?

As you will notice in my Exif data, the extended flash did in fact fire. I just took the pictures in my office as an example, I have been experiencing the same problems in any setting that I use my camera in.

I used my 430ex on a friends 20d and it works perfect. The problem seems to be leaning more towards an issue with the body rather than the flash. :/

StewartR wrote in post #2398579
The problem seems to be confined to your 430ex. It doesn't seem to have fired at all. can you confirm that it did not in fact fire? Can you do anything to make it fire?

Sublimejoe wrote in post #2398689
As you will notice in my Exif data, the extended flash did in fact fire.

Yes, I knoe the EXIF data says the flash fired, but the picture looks like it didn't. I can conceive of faults where the camera thinks the flash has fired, but the flash hasn't actually fired. Hence the question.

So what does actually happen? Try taking a couple of photos, using the onboard flash and the 430ex, but with your eye away from the viewfinder so that you can see how much light they each put out. Are they comparable?

StewartR wrote in post #2398725
Yes, I knoe the EXIF data says the flash fired, but the picture looks like it didn't. I can conceive of faults where the camera thinks the flash has fired, but the flash hasn't actually fired. Hence the question.

So what does actually happen? Try taking a couple of photos, using the onboard flash and the 430ex, but with your eye away from the viewfinder so that you can see how much light they each put out. Are they comparable?

I was wondering that yesterday too actually. When I took those pictures I was shooting from the hip so I could see that the flash is going off. THe 430 is just as bright as ever, ive used it to blind a few people in my office over the last few days. Same goes for the onboard, same as its always been. I tried changing the settings between 1st and 2nd shutter sync but there isnt a noticible difference.

I have posted it up for sale as is on the classifieds. It is under warranty so if someone buys it they have a couple options. They could either use it the way it is or send it into canon and get it fixed for free.

I agree with SterwartR that even though the exif does say the 430EX fired, it looks like it didn't, or if it did , the flash was very weak. Check that the flash is properly seated in the hot shoe and that you have a fresh set of batteries in it then try again.

Yeah, it would appear that way. Like I said though, I tried it on my bosses 20d and it works perfect. Also, Error Code 05 is showing on the body. Anyone have any idea what that may be?

As for the lighting, there are a few key things that could be causing this:
1. Your ISO is set at 100 or 200
2. You are using an aperture that is too small
3. Weak batteries

Since you are shooting in Auto, #2 is out. That leaves #1 and #3. (I checked your EXIF data for your ISO settings... ISO100 is too fast. I'm actually surprised the on-board flash did as well as it did, considering your ISO setting. Remember, you are shooting indoors! ISO200 or 400 would probably be a better choice - and you would be able to move from F4 to F8 or even F11 (maybe)).

Error Code 05 refers to a flash obstruction - possibly dirt or debris on the contact points. However, that is not related to the low light in the images you posted.

Still though, even at ISO 100 the picture should not come out that dark with the 430ex. I shoot mostly in clubs and smaller venues and I have never had this problem before. I put brand new Lithium batteries in the flash and no change. Ya know what I mean?

cdesperado wrote in post #2398957
As for the lighting, there are a few key things that could be causing this:
1. Your ISO is set at 100 or 200
2. You are using an aperture that is too small
3. Weak batteries

Since you are shooting in Auto, #2 is out. That leaves #1 and #3. (I checked your EXIF data for your ISO settings... ISO100 is too fast. I'm actually surprised the on-board flash did as well as it did, considering your ISO setting. Remember, you are shooting indoors! ISO200 or 400 would probably be a better choice - and you would be able to move from F4 to F8 or even F11 (maybe)).

Error Code 05 refers to a flash obstruction - possibly dirt or debris on the contact points. However, that is not related to the low light in the images you posted.

This info is bogus ... I use my 420EX indoors all the time and I'm always shooting at ISO 100.

Bill