# Understanding External Flash



## achua00 (Nov 8, 2011)

I recently bought a 580EX II Speedlite.  The user manual is like foreign language.  Can anyone tell me which steps come first....once the settings on the camera and flash have been made and a practice shot has been taken, what do I do if I want to make a change?  For example if I take a practice shot and the image comes out all blown out and I want to tone down the brightness do I adjust settings on the flash first or on the camera first.  Would I go and reduce the ISO or mess with the external flash and adjust the output of light?  

Thank you!


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## Village Idiot (Nov 8, 2011)

achua00 said:


> I recently bought a 580EX II Speedlite.  The user manual is like foreign language.  Can anyone tell me which steps come first....once the settings on the camera and flash have been made and a practice shot has been taken, what do I do if I want to make a change?  For example if I take a practice shot and the image comes out all blown out and I want to tone down the brightness do I adjust settings on the flash first or on the camera first.  Would I go and reduce the ISO or mess with the external flash and adjust the output of light?
> 
> Thank you!



Oh boy, that's a big one.

Is the camera in manual mode, TV, AV, or full auto? Is the flash in manual or in E-TTL mode? Is the flash pointing at the subject or bouncing off a ceiling?

If the flash is in E-TTL, you can tweak the FEC. If it's manual you can turn the power down. You can also close the aperture up (make it a large number) to let less light in or turn your ISO down if it's cranked up. It's not really a this or that situation but more about what you're shooting, what modes you're using, and what effect you want. Closing the aperture down will give you a wider DOF. Lowering the ISO, less noise. Adjusting the settings so that the flash power is lower can allow ambient to bleed into your flash exposure and possibly cause your overall exposure to have a conflicting white balance from the color casts of different types of light sources.


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## Big Mike (Nov 8, 2011)

What mode(s) are you in?  

To start off, I'd suggest putting the flash into E-TTL mode.  That is basically 'auto flash' mode.  The flash will use a pre-flash to determine how much flash power is needed, taking into consideration the lens aperture and the ISO.  

In that mode, it's unlikely that you will get images that a way too bright or way too dark (because of the flash)...but the results may not be what you like.  So after you take the test shot, you can change the FEC (flash exposure compensation) on the camera.  

What mode do you use on the camera?


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## Derrel (Nov 8, 2011)

NEW BOOK for Canon Strobist Shooters is a post I just did about 5 minutes ago...it was written by Syl Arena, America's foremost authority on all things Canon flash...

Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites: Digital Photography Review

Just under 400 pages, 20 chapters, lotsa' photos...


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## Village Idiot (Nov 8, 2011)

Derrel said:


> NEW BOOK for Canon Strobist Shooters is a post I just did about 5 minutes ago...it was written by Syl Arena, America's foremost authority on all things Canon flash...
> 
> Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites: Digital Photography Review
> 
> Just under 400 pages, 20 chapters, lotsa' photos...



Selling books now? What's with the spam?


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## OrionsByte (Nov 8, 2011)

Apart from what others have already said, I would add that whether you adjust the camera settings or flash settings first would depend on which is more important to you.  If you know the aperture you've chosen on your camera is exactly what you need to get the depth-of-field you need, for instance, then it stands to reason that you'd want to adjust the flash to match the aperture rather than changing the aperture to match the flash.

I'd recommend heading over to the Strobist blog and checking out his Lighting 101 and Lighting 102 series.  He tends to teach manual flash techniques over TTL techniques, but there is a _lot_ of good information on there that should help you out.  Off-camera flash is a whole new world of photography.


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## KmH (Nov 8, 2011)

Village Idiot said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > NEW BOOK for Canon Strobist Shooters is a post I just did about 5 minutes ago...it was written by Syl Arena, America's foremost authority on all things Canon flash...
> ...


Why not! That's essentially what the OP is asking for. Someone to write them a book.


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## Derrel (Nov 8, 2011)

Village Idiot said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > NEW BOOK for Canon Strobist Shooters is a post I just did about 5 minutes ago...it was written by Syl Arena, America's foremost authority on all things Canon flash...
> ...



It's a link to a brand new book about Canon speedlight flash use, and it was released November 6, 2011. I'm just linking to a REVIEW of the book, douchebag. The same way you love to refer people to Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson. Seriously Village Idiot, get back to work at your government-issued computer terminal and stop wasting taxpayer dollars as you troll thru this forum in order to take cheap shots at me on almost every post I make. Stop sucking off the public teat while you get your jollies on the interwebs acting like a stalker...do your fricking government JOB!!!


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## Kerbouchard (Nov 8, 2011)

One of my favorite resources when it comes to off-camera flash or speedlights is the Planet Neil Blog...  Here's a good article that answers your question, http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/2-flash-ambient-light/ but be sure to look at the column on the right.  Tons of great articles.


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## Derrel (Nov 8, 2011)

For Canon users Syl Arena's blog is a very good resource.PixSylated - Honestly Biased Insights on Photography by Syl Arena

The Planet Neil site that Kerbouchard refers to above is also an excellent resource. I think Neil's tutorials are excellent for people who want a more theoretical, and "explaining" type of instruction, while Syl's blog is a bit more for those who have a really burning desire to get into the nitty-gritty of Canon speedlight shooting and specific equipment.


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## Village Idiot (Nov 8, 2011)

Derrel said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > Derrel said:
> ...



I rarely refer people to Understanding Exposure. And furthermore, you're up my ass in pretty much every single thread that I post in. I'm flattered that you care that much about what I post.

Now, maybe if you cared more about helping people out that insulting people and post count, you'd actually ask about what they were shooting and what they were trying to accomplish rather than throwing out links to a book that could probably end up being pretty useless to the OP.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Nov 8, 2011)

Kerbouchard said:


> One of my favorite resources when it comes to off-camera flash or speedlights is the Planet Neil Blog...  Here's a good article that answers your question, http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/2-flash-ambient-light/ but be sure to look at the column on the right.  Tons of great articles.



Thanks and bookmarked


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## KmH (Nov 8, 2011)

Neil Van Niekerk has also taken the time to put it all in book form too:

For on camera flash - On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography 

For off camera flash - Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers


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## pgriz (Nov 8, 2011)

Derrel, Keith, Kerbouchard - thanks for the links.  Lots of reading to do.  And then, of course, practice and see how good my reading comprehension is.  But it's definitely worth reading expert opinion.  Saves at least a couple of cycles of trial and error.  Even "illuminates" the subject at times (sorry, couldn't resist   ).


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## Rawshooter (Nov 9, 2011)

.. found this little diddy with a quick google

  --->  




~ Don


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## achua00 (Nov 28, 2011)

I have been shooting using manual mode.  Big Mike...is it better to change the FEC on the camera or why not on the actual external flash?   Thanks to all that responded and for the books/websites for me to read


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## Destin (Nov 28, 2011)

achua00 said:


> I have been shooting using manual mode.  Big Mike...is it better to change the FEC on the camera or why not on the actual external flash?   Thanks to all that responded and for the books/websites for me to read



I'm a Nikon guy, so this may be wrong, but I believe it to hold true for canon also:

The FEC can ONLY be changed on the flash itself when used on camera. The EC (exposure comp) on the camera changes the whole exposure (both ambient and flash) while the FEC adjustment on the speedlight only changes the output power of the flash, and does not affect the ambient exposure (shutter speed, aperture, iso). 

Another good resource for all things flash, is Strobist - It's 99.99% about using the flash off camera, however there is still a ton of useful info there for learning proper flash exposure, blending it with ambient, using gels, etc etc.)

As far as books, it leans toward the nikon side in the technical realm, but most of what is in "The Hot Shoe Diaries" by Joe Mcnally (famous Nat Geo/LIFE photographer) applies to both brands. Once again, it's about off camera flash, but you'll want to venture into that eventually, and in the mean time, it has a ton of useful nuggets of information that will help you out with learning on camera flash.


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## SCraig (Nov 28, 2011)

Destin said:


> I'm a Nikon guy, so this may be wrong, but I believe it to hold true for canon also:
> 
> The FEC can ONLY be changed on the flash itself when used on camera. The EC (exposure comp) on the camera changes the whole exposure (both ambient and flash) while the FEC adjustment on the speedlight only changes the output power of the flash, and does not affect the ambient exposure (shutter speed, aperture, iso).


On Nikon you can change the flash exposure compensation on the camera, at least I can on my D90.  Two places, 1 in the flash section of the shooting menu, and one using camera controls.  Open the pop-up flash or put a flash on the hot shoe.  Push and hold the button that pops-up the flash, and you can change the FEC as well as the flash mode using the control wheels.


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## achua00 (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks guys!


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