manual -frustrated to tears

I've googled this and have searched for an answer but am still confused. I'd like to use my flash as a fill and set my camera on M. But metering off of the sky so it doesn't appear blown out and then recomposing for my subjects(with the sky settings) the AV keeps bouncing back & forth while recomposing. Is this a norm when recomposing? I've been told that this method is wrong, only meter off of my subjects. But I read here the following method. I quote from another post:
Learn to set exposure for the brighter part of your scene, then use fill flash to expose for the subject.
"Dont use flash on AV, or P, mode, or the camera may set a "too slow" shutter speed. Play with manual mode, point your camera at the sky, then adjust either aperture or speed to achieve a correct exposure, - then use flash to light the subject.

if you are looking at the in-camera meter, it will bounce around as it's reading the scene. If you are shooting in manual, then ignore the meter if you've done as suggested by the above instructions. Shhot, chimp, then adjust and shoot again.

Point the camera at the sky in an automatic mode to determine the settings you need to expose the sky properly, then remember these settings and enter them in manually in 'M' mode. That way you can simply adjust the flash to control subject exposure and have the background/sky remain constant.

Also remember you may need to adjust your aperature to keep the shutter speed below 250 or 200 (Dont know what camera you are using) so that the flash will still sync.

cdnshutterbug wrote in post #6293353
I've googled this and have searched for an answer but am still confused. I'd like to use my flash as a fill and set my camera on M. But metering off of the sky so it doesn't appear blown out and then recomposing for my subjects(with the sky settings) the AV keeps bouncing back & forth while recomposing. Is this a norm when recomposing?

What's an AV?

If you are referring to the in-camera light meter, then of course the reading changes as you point the camera at different subjects.

Here is the correct, step by step process:

- Put the camera in M and make sure the camera is in ettl mode.
- Point the camera at the area that you want to have correctly lit using the ambient light and adjust your aperture, shutter and ISO to get the exposure you want. You will generally get the most accurate reading if you set the camera to use a center-weighted or spot metering mode rather than evaluative.
- Compose your shot and take the picture.
- If you are getting too much or too little light on the subjects from the flash then adjust the flash exposure compensation up or down and reshoot.

press the exposure lock button (*) when you want to save your settings.

krb wrote in post #6293551
What's an AV?

If you are referring to the in-camera light meter, then of course the reading changes as you point the camera at different subjects.

Here is the correct, step by step process:

- Put the camera in M and make sure the camera is in ettl mode.
- Point the camera at the area that you want to have correctly lit using the ambient light and adjust your aperture, shutter and ISO to get the exposure you want. You will generally get the most accurate reading if you set the camera to use a center-weighted or spot metering mode rather than evaluative.
- Compose your shot and take the picture.
- If you are getting too much or too little light on the subjects from the flash then adjust the flash exposure compensation up or down and reshoot.

This is the correct way to do this with the exception of putting the camera in ETTL mode. The FLASH goes in ETTL mode and you might also consider high speed sync mode.

Remember, you are in M mode on the camera. The meter is just showing you what the proper exposure would be for the area you are pointing the camera at. If you've set your camera you can ignore the meter when you recompose.

Doh!

I really need to proofread before clicking the button.

I was ignoring in camera meter after setting everything (just letting it bounce around) when recomposing, but I was so confused because one person says do & another says don't.I really appreciate clearing this up for me. Thank you all immensely.