300D : Using flash in 'M' mode

Let me see if I have this straight (early in the morning, not woken up properly yet).

Having recently started shooting entirely in 'M' mode with RAW files I have also wondered about the 350Ds built in flash.

So when using 'M' I should set the metering to work on the whole scene (forget what that mode is called now) and pop up the flash and the camera will meter for the whole scene while the flash meters for my main subject?

/me is confused

Excellent advice. I'm including another link, in addition to the previous recommendation.. which helped me understand more of what was happening!

Flash 102

Using the built in flash doesn't change anything I said. It's the same as having a 420EX (no manual controls) on your camera. You have two options:
1. Camera on Manual Mode, or Tv, or Av, and flash on ETTL.
2. Camera on P Mode and flash on ETTL.
The camera metering and flash metering are independent. The Manual exposure settings don't regulate flash output.

Advocate, The camera is metering the overall scene. The camera meter doesn't control the flash. The flash due to its limited range and the way ETTL/2 is designed is for exposing the subject. Use your camera meter and aperture/shutter selection to properly expose the background. The flash is for exposing the subject.

It's probably also worthwhile to point out that in M mode, while the camera will meter and give exposure indications it will not automatically set them which can be a nasty surprise for the newcomer. M mode can be extremely useful in some situations but one does need to understand some exposure theory to be successful and productive when using it.

Bruce

Sorry for such a long wait on the reply guys and insufficient information in the original post. I am using the 300D with the lense that it came with and the built-in flash. I was under the assumption that in Manual mode, with the absence of enough light, and the flash popped the exposure meter would compensate for the low light, the fact that the flash was up and calculate the correct exposure. I guess that isn't the case. Thanks for all the information

Bruce,

Having just started to use 'M' mode I'm finding it very useful to know that for example if I'm shooting on a very sunny day I can adjust my settings so that the exposure meter on the camera (350D) is a couple of steps below what the camera says is fine and I get a shot without too many blown highlights. Is this what you mean?

I'm just learning to use this camera and have never used a 'normal' SLR before. Any links to sites explaining exposure theory would be useful if you have any

TIA

Alistair

In M Mode (Manual Mode),there are no programs running to set your exposure for you. The camera meter is telling you what it reads as the settings to get your image to look 18% grey. That is called the Standard Exposure. You then have to compare that reading to the elements in your scene to get the Correct Exposure. If your scene averages out to 18% Grey, the Standard and Correct Exposures are the same. If your subject is white or black, the Standard and Correct Exposures are different. In M Mode, you have to take the camera reading and translate that into camera action. You can choose to use, ignore, or modify the camera meter reading. In one of the P/Auto Modes, that is done for you.

Try this:
1.Put your camera in P Mode or Auto.
2.Take 3 pictures: a white piece of paper, a grey piece of paper or grey card, and a black piece of paper. Make sure the paper fills the viewfinder and that you have adequate lighting.
3. Look at the three pictures. Do they all look the same?
4. Then put your camera in M Mode and retake the pictures, except make the following changes:
-add 2 stops exposure to the white card (slower shutter speed or wider aperture)
-remove 2 stops exposure to the black card (faster shutter speed or smaller aperture)
5. What happened?