Once more E-TTL quetion. Easy one.

Ok, i've been shooting for a while with a 40D + 430ex.

I usually use bounce flash from ceilings or walls and think that i understand a bit how it's working. Results are also quite ok..

But, today i was reading the manual ( for fun LOL ) and once again started to wonder if i am using the flash correctly.

Long story short, when using direct or bounce flash do i need to press the * button in order for the ETTL to work as well as it can? Obviously it works even without pressing it because it nail the exposure quite well even without pressing it before taking the pic.

So, when should i be using the * button?

I am still a newb, but I have found that I only use it when the backlight is significantly brighter than the front lighting. I meter off the backlighting, lockit down and then focus on the subject. It helps the flash to fill without overpowering the backlight.

I don't know if what I am doing is correct, just that it seems to work for me (trial and error...)

Thanks, i have to test that out

( yeah.. you're a newbie with 1000 posts and a 3 year membership i think you can start to trust yourself at this point LOL )

johnz wrote in post #5808532
Thanks, i have to test that out

( yeah.. you're a newbie with 1000 posts and a 3 year membership i think you can start to trust yourself at this point LOL )

Nah.. I joined a while ago, but put the cameras away for 2 years, (got discouraged, I guess).

I got asked to shoot at an event, doing candids etc and found that I had more fun doing that than almost anything else I had done during my hiatus so I am back in the saddle again.

I press the * button to focus my 20D...

No, you do not need to press the * button to make ETTL work. The * button, when not assigned to something else via custom functions, is the FEL (Flash Exposure Lock) button.

Basically the * button allows you to meter with the flash, recompose, shoot. As long as you do it in 16 seconds, the time it retains the measurement.

I bought my first DSLR in less than a year ago, before that i was shooting with an S3 is. Few months ago i told my girlfriend that if i am not happy with most of my images in one year, i will sell all me SLR stuff and by a p&s again.
This can be a little frustrating hobby sometimes.. But thank god i've gotten a few encouraging results too so i still keep trying. But looking at all these fabulous images here and then looking at my own has made me question my "vision and skill" for quite a few times..

Great to hear that you've found the fun in photography again

Titus213 wrote in post #5808577
I press the * button to focus my 20D...

No, you do not need to press the * button to make ETTL work. The * button, when not assigned to something else via custom functions, is the FEL (Flash Exposure Lock) button.

Basically the * button allows you to meter with the flash, recompose, shoot. As long as you do it in 16 seconds, the time it retains the measurement.

Ah, i see. I am not a fan of changing the af-points so i do most of my photos by locking the focus and then recomposing, so this button could help to get the ETTL to work in these cases if i would also lock the flash before recomposing. Did i get it =?

I'm actually not sure if you got it....

The * button will fire the evaluative flash to measure the scene and determine how much flash will be needed when the picture is taken. It allows you to point at something other than the center of the scene to get the flash measurement. It locks that measurement for use by the camera in the next 16 seconds after pressing *. You can then recompose for focus by holding the shutter half way down, and if desired, recompose again to take the picture at which point the flash measurement will be utilized.

And I will admit it's a whole bunch harder to explain than it actually is to do....

But if, with the flash on, you just point the camera and press the shutter button you get ETTL flash exposure too. The * button is not necessary for ETTL.

johnz wrote in post #5808580
looking at all these fabulous images here and then looking at my own has made me question my "vision and skill" for quite a few times..

Sounds like you have the normal photographer gene.

You are your own worst critic.


I think your photos look great.

I like this one....

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Titus213 wrote in post #5809107
I'm actually not sure if you got it....
It allows you to point at something other than the center of the scene to get the flash measurement.

Hmm. I think i did get it, or then i am still not getting it.

I understand this so, that you must point the center focus point to your subject and then press * to get it to "remember" that flash exposure from the subject and after this i can lock focus, recompose and take pic.

When i don't press * button the E-TTL is not measuring the flash exposure from the subject, assuming that i have recomposed after locking focus, instead it's measuring from where ever i am pointing the camera after the re-compose?

I tested this with my 40D's own flash. When i didn't use the * button it overexposed the target a little compared to the shot that was taken with the * button. My "target" was quite close and if i didn't lock the flash before taking the pic it seemed like it tried to get the backround ( which was in the center after re-composing ) to be exposed correctly and not the target which was the point of focus. So it ended up overexposing the front of the image where the target was.

I think i do get it.. damned if i don't.

The first is taken with * button, and the other is taken without. The brown jacket was the target ( sorry, didn't feel like off the couch for the tes ) . Not a big difference, but expected one..

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daduls wrote in post #5809175
Sounds like you have the normal photographer gene.

You are your own worst critic.


I think your photos look great.

I like this one....

That might be true But atleast it drives me to get better.. My strongest worry about my photography is not really the exposure, or technical success. I usually know what went wrong in my images technically, but what troubles me is the Art side of photography, being able to express with my images and to pass some intent or feeling with them. That is just beyond me, and it has made me wonder if i lack something that a good photog should have. Ok.. this got a little too philofical

Thanks for the encouragement, that is always needed!

That image is the favourite of quite a few of my friends, for obvious reasons ( and they have nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the model. )

You've got it.

Your site is pretty neat. And Susanna is a beauty.

Titus213 wrote in post #5809292
You've got it.

Your site is pretty neat. And Susanna is a beauty.

Thank you very much, appreciate the comments

Yes she is, i only wish that i would've been more careful with focusing when taking those pics. Messed it up a bit.. but luckily the beauty of the model hides my mistakes quite nicely

johnz wrote in post #5808580
I bought my first DSLR in less than a year ago, before that i was shooting with an S3 is. Few months ago i told my girlfriend that if i am not happy with most of my images in one year, i will sell all me SLR stuff and by a p&s again.
This can be a little frustrating hobby sometimes.. But thank god i've gotten a few encouraging results too so i still keep trying. But looking at all these fabulous images here and then looking at my own has made me question my "vision and skill" for quite a few times..

Great to hear that you've found the fun in photography again

The thing about shooting with a DSLR (outside of full auto where a DSLR is really just a nice P&S) as opposed to a nice point and shoot is that while it is possible to get some shots you would never get with a P&S, it is also alot easier to make shots that are worse than what you would get with a P&S.

Remember that a P&S is designed to take the best picture possible with the least amount of work. It will almost never give you a bad picture (so long as there is enough light available.) But it also will not allow you to do the more creative things that really set your pictures apart from everyone else's (don't tell me about advanced P&S cams shooting full manual, I am talking P&S used the way most are used ... meaning just point and shoot)

Until you really learn what you are doing and get used to it, you will get alot more bad shots with the DSLR than what you got with the P&S...but the good shots you get will be MUCH better than anything you ever got before. just keep at it.