Back to basics....

DDCSD wrote in post #5458857
Use ETTL, unless you really know what you are doing. The flash emits a pre-flash and the camera reads it, setting the flash exposure (not exactly, but this is basically what happens). It senses this whether you are bouncing the flash or shooting straight on.

Here is a great site on using on-camera ETTL flash.
http://planetneil.com …h-photography-techniques/

Thanks for the link. I just opened it to bookmark it. It looks really a promising read!!

I'm comfortable in shooting in "M" (in flash) mode and figure out how much light output is required. It's the ETTL that I'm actually not comfortable with. I'd venture to guess that most folks shoot in "M" mode when shooting vertically up for bouncing rather than ETTL....

aia21 wrote in post #5459288
I forgot to say I always also use +1/3 FEC and I have all my settings saved on the C1 custom setting so I know I just need to turn the mode dial to C1, turn on the 580EX II, and I can fire away and get great results most of the time.

What a great tip...I just set up my camera that same way. I put different flash settings into each custom setting.
Now I'm all set up!! Gotta go shoot some flash pics.

I personally only shoot in ETTL and I am very happy with the results produced with ETTL with my 580EX II. But note I had to dial in +1/3 FEC otherwise images were almost always a touch under exposed. With +1/3 FEC I very seldom get a slight over exposure but most of the time I get the flash exposure being perfect.

If I had to program the flash power before a shot / use a light meter to measure the flash, etc, then I would probably miss >99% of my shots. But it depends on what you shoot. I shoot my kids mostly which run around like crazy so there is not time for changing settings, AI servo mode plus half pressed shutter and in the perfect moment I just press the shutter and hope for to catch the best smile/looks/etc.

Best regards,

Anton

aia21 wrote in post #5459500
I personally only shoot in ETTL and I am very happy with the results produced with ETTL with my 580EX II. But note I had to dial in +1/3 FEC otherwise images were almost always a touch under exposed. With +1/3 FEC I very seldom get a slight over exposure but most of the time I get the flash exposure being perfect.

If I had to program the flash power before a shot / use a light meter to measure the flash, etc, then I would probably miss >99% of my shots. But it depends on what you shoot. I shoot my kids mostly which run around like crazy so there is not time for changing settings, AI servo mode plus half pressed shutter and in the perfect moment I just press the shutter and hope for to catch the best smile/looks/etc.

Best regards,

Anton

Are you talking about using the flash straight at the subject or bouncing off the ceiling with the flash set vertically or almost vertically?

I almost always have the flash set vertically, i.e. pointing straight at the ceiling.

I also pull out the white card on my 580 EX II and also I sometimes pull out the wide panel especially when the ceiling is not as low as I would like. That causes the flash head to zoom straight to the front of the flash and to send light in literally all directions including forwards so I tend to get some shadows that way but sometimes the results are best that way.

But note that I do set the flash straight on target when the ceiling is not white. For example I was shooting in a village hall a couple of weeks ago that had a black ceiling. Bouncing off that would have been useless so I used the flash straight on.

However I use the flash, I always use ETTL with +1/3 FEC (unless I notice the pictures are not coming out right then I change it but +1/3 FEC works >90% of the time for me).

Best regards,

Anton

I should add that everything I have said in this thread has been in relation to using flash as the main light. Using flash as fill rather than main light is a completely different ball game and I use completely different settings in that case (Av mode, ISO and aperture as needed to get desired exposure without flash, about -1 to -2 FEC for gentle fill light). In any case I still use ETTL.

Best regards,

Anton

As a proponent of the flash bracket here's a test for you to try. Put your flash on the camera and set it to bounce portrait mode. Now rotate the camera to landscape mode. Where is your flash pointing? If you don't have any time constraints in setting up the next shot you are fine. Or you could just shoot everything wide in landscape and crop after the fact....

What Anton said.

I am fairly comfortable with using manual flash also, however, I use ETTL 95%+ of the time. In any situation that I cannot control, I use ETTL and like Anton, unless it is not possible, my flash head is pointed up, and usually behind me and left or right also. If I'm doing actual portrait-type stuff or things where my flash and subject will be in the same position, I'll use manual on in the flash.

The camera is always in M though.