Little help with Rebel/550EX

I got the new 550EX today, along with a couple of lenses. I have a quick question about using the flash in dim light. I've read the manual a few days ago, but i'll read it again and it will probably answer my question, but if anyone could give me a head's up it'd be very handy. I'm using a Rebel/300D with the firmware hack.

Basically I almost always shoot in Av mode. I figured i'd just put the flash on, make sure it's on ETTL mode, and push the shutter button. The probem is the camera doesn't seem to know that the flash is there, and if it meters that needs to use a 10 second exposure, it goes right ahead and does that even though the flash has gone and it has enough light to make the picture already.

Any tips on how to make it do full auto with reasonable shutter speeds? I will read my manual, tonight... now I just wanna play

Go to "M". I have this flash with my 10D and I pretty much just leave it on M when shooting indoors. I got an Omni Bounce and bounce off the ceiling (you could use a white card taped to back of flash to direct some more light forward too). I usually set the camera to 1/60 on F8 (sweet spot it seems on my 28-125). It's amazing that for the most part the flash will push enough light for me. When it doesn't (say I get farther away) I just tap up the ISO to the next level. When running around taking picture of my daughter in the house I just leave the shutter speed and AV alone and just change the ISO depending on distance. Weird, I know...but it works pretty good. I just keep an eye on the histogram to make sure I'm getting that a good info on that top stop to make sure it's not too underexposed. I do this because one, I need the shutter speed because I got a moving target, and two because I found with my lens I just can't get very sharp images unless I'm dead on with the DOF and with full auto it always opens up the aperture wide open and AV mode gages for ambient light.

So don't worry, shoot full manual and you'll be amazed at how much that flash will make the exposure correct.

Thanks Todd, that does indeed work! I have an omnibounce too, the flash/50mm/100mm/omni are all new today so have to learn how to operate them, let alone how to take good photos with them.

It seems strange there isn't provision for metering off a preflash on the camera, or even just an estimate metering off the ambient light. I would have thought between the camera and the flash it'd be smart enough to guess at a reasonable exposure time. A "full external for dummies taking photos in the dark" mode, as it were

There is allot I wish my camera could do for me....but looking on the bright side, it forces me to learn the exposure triangle (speed/aperture/iso). Too bad the camera doesn't auto the iso for you based on if you have the other two on a fixed setting and also take into account how much the flash will compensate for you....but it doesn't. Maybe next year, lol. I just watch the histogram and make adjustments and keep in mind that my camera catches half the data in the lightest stop. I was amazed at how much sharper images I got after I started staying away from being "wide open" on the aperture. Someday I'll have to fix this by getting some good glass, but his works for me now.

I did a little test a while back ago with apatures and where I can get some sharpness out of the lens I have. I've really got so many more keepers now it's amazing.

Thanks for the tips, most useful, and learning that triangle's a good thing. Right now I just use Av which works fine.

I noticed the same thing with my lenses, stop them down for better performance. I did the same sort of thing today - see this trhaed. I'll add to it on the weekend, adding more data at the fast F range, and adding the kit lens and my tamron 28-75.

It's time for bed now, and my light bedtime reading is.... photoshop raw workflow... or maybe photoshop CS for photographers. Problem is i'm interested so it keeps me awake instead of putting me to sleep! Where's that book on oracle...

tim wrote:
I got the new 550EX today, along with a couple of lenses. I have a quick question about using the flash in dim light. I've read the manual a few days ago, but i'll read it again and it will probably answer my question, but if anyone could give me a head's up it'd be very handy. I'm using a Rebel/300D with the firmware hack.

Basically I almost always shoot in Av mode. I figured i'd just put the flash on, make sure it's on ETTL mode, and push the shutter button. The probem is the camera doesn't seem to know that the flash is there, and if it meters that needs to use a 10 second exposure, it goes right ahead and does that even though the flash has gone and it has enough light to make the picture already.

Any tips on how to make it do full auto with reasonable shutter speeds? I will read my manual, tonight... now I just wanna play

Your camera is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It's metering for the ambient light. The flash is controlled by the ETTL. In P mode, the camera limits the lowest shutter speed to 1/60 sec. with flash. There is no such limit in M, Tv or Av. That's a good thing! That way you can set your camera on a tripod and capture a beautiful sky at dusk, harbor lights, or a cityscape and use the flash to capture someone in the foreground, who of course is standing very still!
If you aren't concerned about ambient light capture, use P Mode. If you are, then select M mode and decide how much ambient light you want vs. how fast a shutter speed you need. Remember, the camera settings for shutter and aperture are mainly controlling the ambient light exposure and the flash is doing the rest. Be sure to keep your shutter speed less then the max sync speed of the camera, and don't get too small on your aperture or your flash won't be effective.
Max Distance of Flash = Guide Number/ f stop. The GN of the 550EX is 55 meters.
Scott

The thing with using the flash in av mode is the camera will still meter and choose the shutter opening as if the flash is not there and then fire it at the end of the curtain. I had made that same mistake on one of my first outings with it too. For now I am using it in P mode just till I get more used to it, and practice with it more.

I use Av but ONLY because I have my Custom Function set to Shutter Speed 1/250 Flash Sync in Av mode. So basically, whenever I turn my flash on, the camera defaults and locks the shutter speed at 250 and Im free to move the aperture to my liking. This makes flash photography less frustrating for me and it works well.
From what I've read, in regular flash photography, the shutter speed doesnt really pay much into how much light will be let in from the flash. Your main gears are ISO and Aperture. But I stand completely corrected as I am far from a flash pro.

If you don't care about the ambient light and are satisfied to have only the flash light your image, then shutter speed is not important as long as it's less then the max sync speed. This results in a lit foreground/subject and a black background. If on the other hand you want your flash to add to the light that's already present (ambient), then shutter speed is very important. By slowing the shutter speed, you capture that moonlight, citylight,etc. and the flash lights your subject.
Scott

Thanks for all the great tips everyone

interesting, I am having issues with the 550 and my 1ds

Having a 1ds probably indicates you know a little more about photography than most people though What settings do you use for taking flash photos at night?

Tim

Another thing I noticed about the 550EX & the DRebel is that the DRebel seems to always underexpose... there's a couple of threads on this, but I've managed to get great shots by just dialing in an FEC of about 1 or so on the 550.

I generally use M and manually set aperture and speed to my liking, and also rely on the histogram to guide me. I am by no means a pro, but sometimes the mood you want to capture isnt' really the glaring image from the flash, rather the soft lighting of a room in your house.

Thanks rkoshy, i'll have a play with manual and the flash.

This camera isn't one you just give to someone to take a quick snap with, is it?! At least not with the external flash on it.

Tim,

Tried that already.... at my sisters wedding... got about 200 or so **USELESS** pictures of my family

So.... "NO"