On site lighting w/strobes and manual settings on a Canon 7D

I am not sure if i have this question in the correct area or not.

How do i know what to set my camera on (in manual settings) to be sure that my lighting is correct, when i am using off camera strobes?
Does this make sense?
How to I know, how much light is contributed to the settings?
I am a bit confused as to know where i should be with this.

I had a friend tell me what my settings should be when i am shooting inside my studio
w/my strobes. (what power they should be at and what my camera should be set at)
HOWEVER, when i go on location and i am using my strobes, how do i figure out where/what i should be set at??

Everything i have learned w/my photography is self taught, so i have never gone to school for it, so i am looking for some assistance. It would be greatly appreciated!
THANK YOU!

Is my question not worded correctly??
i haven't gotten any suggestions or information that will guide me.
HELP!

I will expand a bit.

I am shooting manual, because that is what i have been 'told' is the best mode to shoot in.
Until about a yr or so ago, i only shot auto. Had no idea how to use the other settings.
I have been trying to expand my abilities, but i am unsure how to relate the the amount of light being transmitted from my strobes into the camera to be sure that my settings are correct.
A friend of mine told me that if i am in studio to set my strobes on 1/4 power and my camera ( in manual) on F11 and 1/125
my photos are as sharp as a tack if i am in this situation and i hknow what my settings should be. HOWEVER, taken out of that setting, i am unsure what i should be set at.
NOT sure how to find that out either.

I could use some help.
thank you

denise69 wrote in post #11024651
Is my question not worded correctly??
i haven't gotten any suggestions or information that will guide me.
HELP!

You've waited an hour? Relax, have another coffee, it's Sunday morning, someone will chime in!

I figured someone would, i just really wasn't sure if i was making myself understandable.
If i came across impatient, I wasn't trying to! sorry.


I really just wasn't sure if i explained what i was thinking in my head.

Wallace River wrote in post #11024661
You've waited an hour? Relax, have another coffee, it's Sunday morning, someone will chime in!

I'm not totally sure what you are asking, but if you want to use your strobes outside, you can just fiddle with them and chimp off the lcd on the back of the camera or you could get a lightmeter....say you wanted to not blowout the sky, you could meter the sky with your camera, then meter the strobe with the meter...or just try at 1/2 power and take a shot, and adjust until it looks right. HTH!
Oh, also, the shutter speed determines the surrounding, the ap controls the light on your subject....hopefully someone will chime in that can explain it better though!!

You want a light meter, set the light meter to flash mode. Point the light meter to the direction of your camera and not direction of the light.

what kind of strobes?

What time of day, what conditions, and what is your setup? I shoot a 7D, my lights are AB 800's and I try to shoot early morning or dusk. I start with my light at 1/4 power my ISO at 100, my f stop at 8 and my sync at 160th and chimp. For me this is a good starting point. I can always adjust from here. I have 2 stops either way with my lights and 2 stops either way with my f stop. Also plenty of room with my sync to add or kill ambient light. Night shooting I'll play with the ISO some.
Here are two examples from a shoot yesterday...

This shot is f9, 1/160, iso 100, 1/4 power at about 5:00ish

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Let me ask, if you not using strobes, how do you know what settings to use?

Time to read up some more basics. Look here at the stickies, strobist etc.

When I first used studio strobes I bought a Flash Meter.

From the models position I pointed it towards the camera. fired off the strobes and took the reading to get setting.

Camera in manual, set aperture/f-stop/ISO and you should be good to go.

A meter will take the frustration out of you otherwise its alot of testing playing with settings thats is what manual is all about manhg

I have a polaris light meter, i am not a huge user of it, sounds like i should be.
Maybe that is where i need to be.
Instead of guess work.
THANKS everyone!!!!!!

i am using interfit strobes

I am using Interfit Stellar X 300 X's 3
I also have 2 580 EX II Canon Flash as well.

I have not used the flash and the strobes at the same time however.

denise69 wrote in post #11025507
i am using interfit strobes

jaycky wrote in post #11025243
A meter will take the frustration out of you otherwise its alot of testing playing with settings thats is what manual is all about manhg

I took out the meter out of my bag and i am trying to figure it out, hopefully take out the huge amount of frustrations i am dealing with!
thanks!