Shutter Speed Problem - Indoor Dog Show

I don't know what happened, but I took several indoor "action" pics today using the automatic "sports" mode, and it shot them at too slow a shutter speed. I was also using my 550 ex flash.

What caused it to shoot at such a slow speed? Was it the indoor lighting giving it an incorrect reading?

Do I need to shoot in TV and step up the shutter speed?

Help!!! I am shooting again tomorrow morning.

Jewel

I don't have a 10D, but doesn't using flash force a shutter speed of 1/200 sec max?
So you'd have two "exposures", the flash duration itself which is probably shorter than 1/1,000 sec + the rest of the 1/200 sec exposure which contributes the blurred action.

I would crank your iso setting up and not use the flash from that distance. Then you can use a higher shutter speed

If you were shooting in Av mode, then the camera may be setting shutter speed without taking flash into account. You will need to put the camera in Tv mode (or M Mode) and set the shutter speed.

The 10D is properly exposing the whole scene in the setting you have it. It is setting the shutter speed for the backround and the flash for the foreground. So if you want the whole scene properly exposed you'll have to get a tripod.

an other option:

You can get another speedlite and attempt to iluminate the backround. Either way you want to go fully manual. Don't worry TTL Flash takes a lot of the work away. You didn't mention what lens you were using but go to a shutter speed that will minimize blur caused by hand motion (If 100mm then 1/160 or 1/200 shutter speed) and fully open up your aperature. The shot will be blur free but you may get a darker backround. The additional speedlite can help better illuminate the backround. Either way you should be blur free.

Good luck!

-Clos

Oh don't forget to set your speedlite for High-sync. that way it will go over a 1/200 shutter speed.

-Clos

It seems you have quite a bit of ambiant light which is causing sort of a double exposure. Exposure one is from the ambient light and the shutter sync speed, probably 1/200 which is giving a bit of a blur to the image; Exposure 2 is from the flash, which may not be firing at full output, which isn't completely overcoming the amibient light to "freeze" the action like it should. (flashes fire very quickly (short exposure) which makes them good for freezeing the action.

If you want to shoot with the flash I would make sure the shutter speed is locked to 1/200 I think it is a custom function option. I would then shoot AV and stop it down a bit (F8 or F16 to start maybe), this will darken the available light exposure that is blurring your image, and cause the flash to fire quite a bit brighter and "stop" the action. However this may not be what you want as the flash pictures tend to be harsh with dark shadows.

If you want to shoot available light, I would turn up the ASA a bit, maybe 400. Probably shoot AV mode again with the lens near wide open, this will blur the background out for you, let in the most light possible while giving the highest shutterspeed possible for the available light. If it (the shutter speed) is still not high enough for your lens speed you will have to increase the ASA/iso more and live with the "grain" or go back to the flash mode. (Long ago in Highschool I used to shoot basketball games and needed to push Tri-Ex film to ASA1600 and I used to use a f1.4 lens. Though I can't remember what exact settings I used with that setup. Just be aware you will get some "noise" as you turn up the ISO.

If possible I would get there early and try a few tests using both methods.
Be sure to check your metering and focus modes with either option.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tips. I will definitely incorporate them. I hope it goes better today and will post some pics if it does!

Jewel

Using the 550EX on the 10D forces a shutter speed of 1/200 sec.

In program mode and basic modes (e.g. sports), you cannot change that.

Only in Av, Tv and M mode you can use FP flash mode (high speed syncronisation). This FP mode you have to set in the 550EX menu by pressing the "+" and "-" buttons at the same time.

(see also EOS 10D user manual under the topic "Flash shot with Speedlite 550EX" starting on page 102)

I know it's probably too late, but for future use, try setting to AV, turn the fill flash 'off' auto and preset to 1/200sec, then turn 'on' auto reduction of fill flash. This may solve your problem and let you keep ambient light balanced with the strobe.

choose TV mode and set a desired speed, select the flash mode to central earea and shoot RAW, you can also increase the ISO setting. then if your pictures come out underexposed, postprocessing is there to help but at least shapeness will be ok.
if you do not shoot very close shots, think about braketing +/- 1 to 2.
regards
Khalid

Hello Jewel,

I was curious as to how your second day went? Anything to post?

My 2nd day didn't go much better, but thank you for asking. I will post a few pictures later. I am still evaluating / trying to figure out why I couldn't get a proper setting. I tried a ton of different settings and none seemed to give me good results.

BTW - I was using a tripod both days and also the lense I was using was a 28-105 mm Canon ultrasonic.

I really think alot of it had to do with the lighting and how it was reflecting off the floor.

Jewel