Flash!

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Cookie
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Flash!

Post by Cookie »

I am trying to understand my flash, which I have had for years but not used and I am looking for some advice form all you good photographers out there.
Can I change the ISO levels when using flash, or what is the best ISO level to set the camera at?

Ta guys, in anticipation of any replies.

Glenys
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Re: Flash!

Post by yachtsman1 »

Hi Glenys
What is your camera & flash model?
Regards Eric
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Re: Flash!

Post by PhilipHowe »

As per questions by Eric, above.

It does depend on what flash you have and in what mode it is in.

If your flash has a fully automatic mode (ETTL on Canon, don't know the name for Nikon), then you can set your camera up in manual, whatever aperture and iso you require, however (I'll assume you are not using high sync flash to keep it simple), you should set your shutter speed to 1/125.

Also, what are you trying to photograph.

If I take a portrait, even in complete daylight, I will set my camera up to expose for the background, on manual, usually ISO200, f4 or f8, 1/125 sec and adjust the aperture to get that background just how I want it.

Then, I switch the flash on in ETTL mode and switch to spot metering. Now, when I click the shutter, the background is exactly as I exposed for, but my subject is correctly exposed.
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Re: Flash!

Post by Cookie »

Thank you for the replies.

I have the Canon 5D mk1 and a 580 EX mk 1

We have been asked by JIm's great niece to take her wedding photos, She knows we are not professional wedding photographers, and we are going to Wales to see her next week to discuss things with her further.

I have had my flash for years since I got the camera but have never learnt to use it, now I feel I have to learn. I may well need it especially if it is dull, dark, and raining, and we have to find some interesting places indoors to take some shots.
My thought was if I am indoors and it is dark and I was thinking I may need an ISO of say 400 or 800, will I need that high an ISO if I have my flash on.
I was scared to fiddle with it before, now I have to and am starting to be a little less scared of it.

Glenys
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Re: Flash!

Post by Paul Jones »

Cookie wrote: We have been asked by JIm's great niece to take her wedding photos...

I have had my flash for years since I got the camera but have never learnt to use it...

Hi Glenys

I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to using flashguns / speedlights, but I get by when needed.
The photographs in this thread were all lit with a Nikon SB-800 speedlight: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1930


Here are a few resources that I have found useful in researching the subject:

Have a good read through Neil Van Niekerk's website and flash tutorials:
http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photog ... ing-flash/


Neil Van Niekerk has also written a book on flash techniques (where he includes several examples from weddings):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/On-Camera-Techn ... t_ep_dpt_1


Have a read through Neil Turner's website and tutorials:
http://www.dg28.com/technique/index.htm


And lastly, the one that most people using speedlights refer to, David Hobby aka 'Strobist':
http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/02/ ... obist.html


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Re: Flash!

Post by Cookie »

Thanks Paul, I will have a rummage through the sites.

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Re: Flash!

Post by paulinefisher »

Hi Glenys
I have a book (unread) that was given to me;
Wedding Photography A guide to Posing by David Pearce. Not exactly relevant to your question but possibly useful to browse through? If you wish I will drop it off at the club next time I'm there. Just let me know. It is a fairly recent (2010) so not at all dated from what I can see.

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Pauline
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Re: Flash!

Post by PhilipHowe »

Glenys, I have the same camera and speedlite. If you would like me to 'show you what I know', I'll do so. I also have an off camera cord and stofen diffuser you are more than welcome to use.
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Re: Flash!

Post by oakeycoke »

Hi Glenys,

Got Paul to put this on the links page some years back:
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/
There's everything and more all Canon EOS specific there re flash.

This Canon USA site http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resource ... egoryId=12 will explain fill flash for you.

Basically you can go manual with the camera and manual with the flash, or auto both, or manual on camera and auto flash and some other combinations, ie. Av mode and auto flash (fill flash).

Its not like studio flash where you manually set f/8 at 1/250 or similar on your camera and keep those settings and move the studio flash around. The ettl11 system pre-flashes and sets the amount of light (duration) to get a good exposure based on a number of factors, it reads the distance, f/stop focus point etc, consults the Canon algorithms for the camera and flash combination and does this in about 1/1000 of a second before firing the main flash. (unless you have very attuned eyes you only see one flash unless 2nd curtain sync is set, but thats another story)

Personally in your situation at a wedding i'd leave the 580 Mk1 in off mode (bottom switch) with ETTL set with the mode switch, (ie auto) and it should then fill flash almost everything to get a good exposure. Remember that the flash and the camera have 2 different exposures, it doesn't need to be dark or raining, in bright sunlight your camera will give you dark faces because of all the light, the 580 will throw out enough light to lighten the face, the fill flash link above explains this.

As always there are complications, the flash sync speed being one and also a lot of white or black in the subject and mirrors can confuse the flash and you get the first two in abundance at weddings. Dont forget that if your flash is mounted on camera, the moment you go into portrait mode then you'll get a shadow on the side of the subject from the flash, a flash bracket helps here, its hard work adjusting your camera and holding the flash manually at a wedding. Weddings are pretty dynamic and fast moving at times, so you may be going from iso 1600 in church to 100 outside and shutter speed 1/60 in to 1/500 or similar outside all within a few seconds. The 1/500 will take you outside the 5D flash sync speed so you'll need to set the High Speed Sync on the flash (page 17 of your manual)

Was going to suggest auto mode on camera, but not sure if the 5D has that and P mode can restrict some settings, so its Av mode, camera exposes for itself and auto for the flash, when outside. This will work inside, but you may get slow shutter speeds, causing a slightly blurred and sharp image (yeah contradiction in terms, blurred cos the camera shutter is slow and sharp from the flash - remember 2 exposures)

So Camera settings, Av outside or where there is adequate light and manual inside, up the iso to 400/800 and shutter around 1/60 to 1/125ish when inside, thus the flash will give the main exposure but the camera should also expose some of the background if its not to dark.Ideally you shouldn't be able to detect the flash in the real world, but flash is better than no picture at all. If the ceilings white point the flash vertical and pull the little white tab out of the top to project a small amount of light onto the face to get that twinkle in the couples eyes.

Simples!!!!

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Re: Flash!

Post by Cookie »

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has replied it is a great help.

That photonotes site looks to have plenty of reading on it Phil and your notes are very useful, thank you.

Paul some interesting sites, and I have managed to get hold of some of the David Hobby DVD stuff.

Thank you Pauline for the offer of the book. I think I am ok at the moment, I have one book which I did get a year or two ago, and Brian has dug out a load of magazines that have wedding articles in, that I am going through just now.

Phil H, thank you for your offer too, I will hold on to that thought for the time being, I have started daring myself to play around with the settings and change things. I have also found out that the batteries or/and charger I had was not working and that is one reason the charge was not holding for any length of time. New charger and batteries has given me a bit more confidence too as they work.

Wow! 1600 ISO, I have never tried it above 400...... See what a wimp I am. I have heard so many tales about it being so grainy that I have not tried it..... That will be something else to try next....... :-O

Next I will try draping a white sheet over my tripod and practice taking shots of white, and see what happens.

Thank you all again.

Glenys
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Re: Flash!

Post by PhilipHowe »

Not particularly an advertisment, but I always use duracell batteries in my flash guns, as I've had problems with rechargeables.

I go to B&M bargains and get 12x Duracell AA batteries for £4.49. That's piece of mind for less than a fiver...

I agree with all that Phil says above by the way.
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