ETTL: 1dm2 vs 5d vs 40d

OK, so my 20D & 580EX are really starting to get on my nerves WRT getting the exposure right in tight quarters. It seems I really have to ride FEC quite a bit to get proper exposures, particularly on the dance floor at close distances. I have both the demb flip-it and gary fong lightsphere and neither really seem to give me consistency shooting receptions on the dance floor.

So, I am wondering if any of the above bodies is a little more forgiving. I am definitely in the market for a second body, and have been going back and forth between them as I shoot a wide variety of subjects. I have to shoot JPEG for my agency, so the RAW option is out and need a bady with perhaps better metering or a little better DR.

thanks!

it might not always be a option
but i swear by my hand held light meter,its another good way to check your levels

photoroebucks wrote in post #4164433
it might not always be a option
but i swear by my hand held light meter,its another good way to check your levels

Well, the bigger problem is that I don't have much time on the dance floor. It's hard to shoot, chimp & adjust, and shoot again in the heat on the dance floor.

mmm, that makes it tough,still a flash meter is a great way to test,even if you cant use it all the time
you just have to practise ,practise, practise and get uesd to what your setup is doing so your ready to capture it right when it happens.
I dont know if the body is going to make that much difference but maybe others who have a variety of models can tell you that.
personally i do use ettl for some candids,but whenever possible i prefer manual power,at least then you know its consitant.but thats just what works for me

ETTL is ETTL. I don't believe that any of the bodies really do it any differently. My 5D, 30D, and 20D all do ETTL about the same for me. If you're having trouble with TTL, I think the best approach is to use manual flash and know your distances... it'll be more predictable.

timbop wrote in post #4164412
OK, so my 20D & 580EX are really starting to get on my nerves WRT getting the exposure right in tight quarters. It seems I really have to ride FEC quite a bit to get proper exposures, particularly on the dance floor at close distances. I have both the demb flip-it and gary fong lightsphere and neither really seem to give me consistency shooting receptions on the dance floor.

So, I am wondering if any of the above bodies is a little more forgiving. I am definitely in the market for a second body, and have been going back and forth between them as I shoot a wide variety of subjects. I have to shoot JPEG for my agency, so the RAW option is out and need a bady with perhaps better metering or a little better DR.

thanks!

This is interesting to me!

Making the most use of ambient light in a fast-moving nightclub situation -- are you allowed to use "professional" lighting?

i've seen pictures -- of pros with a bar of strobes so that you can get nuances of lighting -- is that the key? Enquiring minds want to know!!

Tony

I'm trying to learn manual too. Just gotta have a meter, and/or take a few test shots and then pray. Well, that's what I do.

tonylong wrote in post #4168492
This is interesting to me!

Making the most use of ambient light in a fast-moving nightclub situation -- are you allowed to use "professional" lighting?

i've seen pictures -- of pros with a bar of strobes so that you can get nuances of lighting -- is that the key? Enquiring minds want to know!!

Tony

Actually, my life is a lot less interesting than that. I am a second wedding photog, and last saturday the lighting was horrible and I had a heck of a time getting consistent exposure. I had swings of +1 to -2/3 FEC. There were minispots shooting light all over the floor, so even when shooting the same couple 10 or 15 seconds apart the light changed a lot as they moved in/out of a spot. The spots were also hitting their faces but not their dark clothes, which made it even worse. I tried to stop down to overpower the spots, but in general I have a problem with close quarters.

As for cameras being the same WRT ETTL, I am not sure that is true. Wcastleman did a comparison a long time ago, and IIRC his conclusion was that the 1dm2 seemed to handle mixed light/dark fg/bg different than his other body.

Anyway, I was hoping for somebody with the 40D and maybe 5d/1dm2 would be able to comment.