XSi and 430EX aren't talking

or at least it seems that way.

For example, with the 430EX on the shoe and turned on, I tried a shot in Av. The camera still took a 3 second shutter speed. If I do the same thing with the internal flash in Av, the camera will adjust the shutter.

Does anyone know what's up here? The 430 talks to my S5 IS just fine.

Thanks.

In AV, you set the aperture and the camera sets the SS according to the ambient light, regardless of whether or not you have a flash attached or not. It makes the flash act as "fill" and attempts to get the proper exposure for the image without taking the flash into consideration. I do not know what it does on the S series.

If you want to make your flash the main source of light, put your camera in M and set for an underexposure of 1-2 stops. If bouncing the flash, set it to around +1. This will mostly eliminate the ambient light and make the flash your main source of light.

Here is an amazing resource on flash photography, read it more than once. Too much info there for one read.

http://planetneil.com …h-photography-techniques/

DDCSD wrote in post #5940044
Here is an amazing resource on flash photography, read it more than once. Too much info there for one read.

http://planetneil.com …h-photography-techniques/

Sweet, thanks. Just got a 580 I'm still figuring out.

Might be a dumb question, but it happens...

Does your flash fire at all? Both the 430EX and internal? If not, might be that the flash is disabled and you have to change that in the menu.

Thanks DDC. On first look that's a tremendous resource.

Noob - the flash fires but there's no shutter adjustment for the flash.

Maybe I'm missing it, but I still don't know if the 430 and 350D are talking.

johngalt_ny wrote in post #5942325
Noob - the flash fires but there's no shutter adjustment for the flash.

Maybe I'm missing it, but I still don't know if the 430 and 350D are talking.

If the flash fires, they are talking.

Perhaps you missed it in the discussion, but what your camera is doing is normal. In Av mode the camera exposes for ambient. It will give you the same shutter speed whether you have a flash on it or not.

Both Av and Tv modes do not account for flash. Both assume the flash is for fill and expose for ambient.

If you want to use the flash as primary light, then you need to use M or P modes, and of the two M is more predictable.

P will use the flash as fill in good light and as main light in low light.

You're right Jeffrey. Don't know where my head was but I missed it. Got it now.

Thanks to all for the responses and thanks again DDC for the website.