FLASH PICS AV MODE

i think im done TRYING to shooting flash pics in AV MODE. everytime i try it,the failure rate per shot is way higher. IVE GOT TO BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. when i go straight manual, set the f stops by my light meter,usually im anywhere from 80-200 on the shutter speed and i click away. VERY LITTLE PROBLEMS in M mode. for some reason i have one heck of a time shooting flash in AV mode,especially in ettl mode on flash.

does someone have a secret or set up process. or am i applying it wrong. when would you want to shoot flash in av mode ?? only problem im having in manual mode is closed eyes from clients:p.

Av mode is really only appropriate for fill flash. It can also be used with the flash as the main light if you dial in more than 1 stop of negative exposure compensation.

Used straight up, AV will continue to select a shutter speed that will properly expose the ambient condition. If you intend the flash to be the prime light, this means that ambient instead dominates the shot. In low light this causes motion blur and ghosting.

As Jeffrey has said in Av the flash is only for fill, shoot manual if you want control of what's happening.

slowdad wrote in post #6089702
I'VE GOT TO BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

You're probably right about that. But you need to be more descriptive about what's wrong with the shots, or better yet, upload a few with EXIF info. "Failure rate" doesn't give us anything to go on.

tim wrote in post #6089795
As Jeffrey has said in Av the flash is only for fill, shoot manual if you want control of what's happening.

E-TTL flash works the same way in Av, Tv or Manual mode. But I would recommend Tv mode if you want some sort of auto exposure for the ambient, since you don't have much useable range of shutter speeds without resorting to high speed sync. Manual mode usually works better, but you need to think about the ambient exposure in a very deliberate way, regardless which mode you choose.

My post was a simplification. Treat flash in Av most as only for fill as that's about all it's good for, use manual if you want control

What others said.

By using Aperture Priority mode you're still letting the camera do the thinking. To best use and control flash you need to shoot in manual mode. This gives you all the control and more importantly it gives you consistent results.

ok here goes
both shots off the camera,,,no processing

1st in m mode

The main thing I see is white balance. Exposure looks fine. I can't remember if there is a difference in the way Av and Manual interpret white balance, but I expect it is related to the different ways they see the warm late afternoon light, which is when these look like they were shot. If the Av mode was trying to make the shot look normal without the flash, then it is possible that the added flash could be rendered too cool to look normal. The bits of sunlight in the manual photo sure look warmer to me than the more neutral looking sunlight of the Av photo.

Slowdad,
Tell us what it is about that shot you don't like.