FAQ - EOS Flash - ** READ THIS FIRST **

Scottbergerphoto,
Thank you so much for the links you provided here. This is invaluable.

Nice one... thanks!

Didn't see anything here on which flashes are safe to use with the EOS cameras. Here's a list I just came across of flashes and their trigger voltages for anyone interested. http://www.botzilla.co​m/photo/strobeVolts.ht​ml

You'll have to provide an email address to sign in. It's worth it as there's a lot of good info on this site.
ShootSmarter Tutorials & Info.

Jim Tweedie on Digital Wedding, Portrait, On-Cam Flash

Thanks to ShortBusCandid8 for this link:
High Speed Shutter vs. Ordinary Flash Sync

Another "help me what do I do thread" (Settings for flash indoors - Good advice from Gavin)

Standardize a flash on "M" : Photographing the White Party


Just found a great link to Strobist - "Less Gear • More Brain • Better Light":
David (?), a working photographer promotes more effective use of small, shoe-mount flashes with pics & examples:
http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …/welcome-to-strobist.html

20D + 580EX Underexposure

I found this thread to be very interesting:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=80413
Anyone that just went from a P&S to a DSLR should read it I think...

Home Made Safe Sync

Hello

Found this link on web, it allows almost any flashgun to be used on EOS camera's ( i say almost any flashgun because i don't own every model ! ). It is a small circuit that is easily built resulting in a trigger voltage of less than 6v. It fully isolates flash voltage from hotshoe contacts and i have used it for a good while now. I built mine into a canon hotshoe/pc cord adapter and it is a very neat and cheap unit. I use it on a Canon 350D. Hope it is of use.

http://www.carlmcmilla​n.com …/Optoisolated_A​dapter.GIF

How to fix a loose Hot Shoe

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=88641

Reforming a Flash Capacitor

From Bloo Dog:
"Turn the unit on and leave it on for a minute or so, then shut it off for a minute. Don't discharge the flash. Turn it back on with the modeling light on for about fifteen minutes. Turn off the modeling flash and let it cool, but allow the power pack/monolight to remain on. Don't discharge it for twenty-30 minutes. This will help to reform the capacitors if the unit(s) have been sitting for awhile. After about a half hour, turn the modeling light back on and begin test firing the unit. The modeling light will heat the unit up and will reveal any breaks which have developed in the wiring. It will cause the flash to fire on its own. If the unit doesn't flash on its own and if the output is good, you've got a good used unit."
Thanks Bloo Dog.

From Bob Gross:
"Virtually 100% of flash units use a big electrolytic capacitor to hold the high voltage going to the flash tube. With many of these, if you let the electrolytic capacitor sit there unused for a long period of time (weeks?), then it gets "funky" for lack of a better term. It may still work, but there also may be some minor problems and inconsistencies. This is especially true if it was stored in a hot environment.

So, if you are handling a flash unit that may possibly have such a problem, then you need to operate it carefully, and leave the high voltage on the capacitor (leave the Ready light on for a while). Maybe fire it and let it cycle a few times. Then, if it still operates normally, then it is probably good.

If you want to get the worst possible performance, then leave the flash unit stored with the batteries in it, and in a hot area, and leave it there untouched for five years. It would be a miracle if it worked at all."
Thanks Bob.

Which Flash Diffuser Works Best?

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=90446

Warm Cards / Custom White Balance

This is a test of the commercially available Warm Cards ( www.warmcards.com ). They are designed to fool the camera or in your Raw conversion (as I used them) to create warmer light and skin tones. You can use them to set a custom White Balance instead of a white card or include them in one of your pictures and click on it with the eye dropper in ACR. They come in 4 strengths: Warm 1/2, Warm 1, Warm 2, and Warm 3. There is also a green one to deal with fluorescent light. I shot this test with 3 550EX's a 20D, Canon 24-70 f/2.8, wireless ETTL2. No adjustments were made to Levels or Hue/Saturation.
The pictures shown were shot Raw and WB set in ACR by clicking on the displayed card with the WB Eye Dropper.
http://www.pbase.com/s​cottbergerphoto/warm_c​ards

Using Multiple Speedlights Wirelessly

http://www.photography​-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=95285
http://www.photography​-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=92411
http://www.photography​-on-the.net …?t=96081&highli​ght=ratios
http://www.photography​-on-the.net …?t=87673&highli​ght=ratios
https://photography-on-the.net …ad.php?t=46778&​highlight=

Guys, from what I understand on the flash bible, am I right to say that the shutter speed does not really matter wrt to proper exposure when it comes to external flash, so long it's 1/60 or faster? or more importantly, it's the aperture settings that has a more consequential impact on the exposure?

What you're thinking, that the aperture is more important, is correct, but the way you expressed it leaves room for error. It also depends on the brightness of the ambient light at slow shutter speeds. For instance, 1/60 @ f/16 outdoors in sunlight will be overexposed at any ISO. Indoors, lights in the frame & even people may blur at slow shutter speeds.

The shutter speed, when using flash is your primary means of controlling the exposure of ambient light. The flash exposure is affected not by the shutter speed because the flash is so fast(1/1000-1/10,0000), but by the aperture.

Canon Flash Manuals

http://www3.canon.de/p​ro/bda/fot/bli/