camera settings for flash

i am buying a flash for my canon xt. its the deluxe super model with ttl capabilities. i also ordered a better beamer for shooting birds with a zoom lens. can i still shoot in AV mode with this setup? will the flash fire automatically or do i need to set something? will i have to ajdust the exposures to compensate for the flash or will the camera do that automatically? any help on this would be appreciated. i dont have a clue on how any of this would work.

I've been playing with flash for months. I shoot in M mode when shooting flash because any of the auto modes (P, Tv, Av) are just too confusing, with the flash adjusting exposure AND the camera adjusting exposure.

I set the camera to M and set the exposure I want for the ambient part of the image. The flash, in ETT-L does it's thing and gives me the rest of the exposure.

+1 for shooting in manual and letting ettl do it's thing

scorpio_e wrote in post #5922021
+1 for shooting in manual and letting ettl do it's thing

by going +1 wont that reduce my shutter speeds? i would have thought the opposite by going negative to get higher shutter speeds to smooth out hand shake.

mrbass111 wrote in post #5928394
by going +1 wont that reduce my shutter speeds? i would have thought the opposite by going negative to get higher shutter speeds to smooth out hand shake.

I think he was agreeing with the previous poster with the +1 comment. Not FEC comp. Of course I have been know to be wrong...

mrbass111 wrote in post #5928394
by going +1 wont that reduce my shutter speeds? i would have thought the opposite by going negative to get higher shutter speeds to smooth out hand shake.

i think he means he agrees, not +1 to the exposure settings...

cricketboy75 wrote in post #5928432
i think he means he agrees, not +1 to the exposure settings...

for my situation. hand held, shooting birds in the woods. i guess i should use M rather than AV? and if i do shoot M what shutter speed, f stop, iso would be a good starting point?

mrbass111 wrote in post #5928474
for my situation. hand held, shooting birds in the woods. i guess i should use M rather than AV? and if i do shoot M what shutter speed, f stop, iso would be a good starting point?

how far away would the birds be?

cricketboy75 wrote in post #5928482
how far away would the birds be?

generally any where from 15 to 30 feet. but some could be closer or farther. chasing warblers in the woods you really never know were they will land.

mrbass111 wrote in post #5928504
generally any where from 15 to 30 feet. but some could be closer or farther. chasing warblers in the woods you really never know were they will land.

that's not too far away. just let the camera handle the flash. as for the camera settings, try f/5.6, 1/60 sec and iso 400, and then adjust from there. i might be wrong though. i don't use flash that much. only when i really need too...

Mike McCusker wrote in post #5928430
I think he was agreeing with the previous poster with the +1 comment. Not FEC comp. Of course I have been know to be wrong...

Your correct. I was agreeing with the previous poster.

mrbass111 wrote in post #5928474
for my situation. hand held, shooting birds in the woods. i guess i should use M rather than AV? and if i do shoot M what shutter speed, f stop, iso would be a good starting point?

cricketboy75 wrote in post #5928563
that's not too far away. just let the camera handle the flash. as for the camera settings, try f/5.6, 1/60 sec and iso 400, and then adjust from there. i might be wrong though. i don't use flash that much. only when i really need too...

So, are you saying the flash will compensate for the camera movement resulting from hand holding the Bigma at 1/60?

runninmann wrote in post #5928915
So, are you saying the flash will compensate for the camera movement resulting from hand holding the Bigma at 1/60?

thats what i was thinking. i need about 400 shutter speed. but am not sure how to get the results i want useing the flash. or do i just set it on M iso 400 f 8 1/400 and go with that.