Exposure Compensation - flash or camera?

I have a 5D with a 580EXII. I can control exposure compensation from the camera, or from the flash. Is there a preference for one over the other? Does one override the other? If I FEC up one stop from the camera and down one stop on the flash, do they cancel each other out?

Do a test. Electrons are cheap. I would have to look or do a test myself. Except when I know the flash will override it, I do most of my adjustments on the camera just because it is more familiar to me.

Read your manual. The flash's manual states that it overrides any FEC that you program into your camera, therefore whatever FEC you put into your flash will be the actual FEC you dial in.

If it makes you feel better, you can just dial 0 FEC into your camera, and just let your flash be the FEC controller.

I've generally found it easier to adjust FEC on the camera (20D) - you can do it without moving your hands from shooting position. I leave the FEC at 0 on the flash.

Same here..... less complicated and less prone to making a mistake.

Hi Danny - the majority of my flash work tends to be wedding and social event. Because I have my 5D running MANUAL mode when I use my 580ex, I always control flash FEC + or - from the flash. From the way I shoot my brides (white gowns) and grooms (black tux) this seems to work best for my processing flow.

Plus, if I did it from the camera I'd probably forget to change the setting back . - Stu

sapearl wrote in post #6768860
Hi Danny - the majority of my flash work tends to be wedding and social event. Because I have my 5D running MANUAL mode when I use my 580ex, I always control flash FEC + or - from the flash. From the way I shoot my brides (white gowns) and grooms (black tux) this seems to work best for my processing flow.

Plus, if I did it from the camera I'd probably forget to change the setting back . - Stu

Does FEC automatically revert to 0 on the flash?

Good question Dave - I change it around so much and double check settings that I've never paid attention. Now you've got me curious and I'll have to experiment .

Titus213 wrote in post #6769263
Does FEC automatically revert to 0 on the flash?

The FEC stays on the flash even after switch to master/slave mode, one of the reasons I like to do adjustment from the camera.

I leave my flashes set to FEC 0 and control everything the camera body, that way I don't have to move my hands from the camera or my eye from the viewfinder. It's just faster.

FEC on the camera is a pain in the ass on pretty much anything that isn't a prosumer body (Rebel series, XXD series, and 5D/II), so I do it on the flash. On the rebels it requires menu access, and on the 1 Series it requires a button press on the left as well as dial spinning on the right. Not sure if they changed that with the 1D III though.

I also use the camera body to control FEC - I just find it easier than groping around on the back of a flash fitted to a body.