 Justin G. |
Help w/ my flash & sunset portraits I shoot Canon Elan 7E and I have yet to buy a real flash. I realy want to save up for the 580EX, but its pricey. Anyways, I am currently stuck using that little pop -up flash built in the camera for fill-in flash with some portraits. Does anybody know an average range they shoot at and some manual settings I should try with it. I'm wanting to shoot my wife against a sunset. Any advice on how strong or weak the pop up flash is and some settings I might try. I'm asking because I read somewhere that a good place to start shooting weddings is (can't remember exactly but..) f/5.6 @ 1/60 and set the flash on auto. Can I do something similiar with only the pop up flash (temporarily). Thanks. .justin.
|
|
|
|
||
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
meter off the sky at sync speed, then increase 1& 1/2 stops. Use flash comp at 1/2 stop. Pop ups are usually pretty good with exposure levels as long as you're in the distance range. So you could use auto if you wanted. But you'd still need to increase exposure for the sunset, and leave the camera to decide the flash power.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Justin G. |
I'm not sure if my camera has flash comp. I personally have never heard of it. So lets say I do this will it work? ... I put camera on Av and lets go with lets say f/5.6-8.0, somewhere around there. I meter for the sunset, and with the flash up, it should calculate everything and fire the flash at the right levels it needs to be, right? Sorry that I really didn't understand what you meant. The sync speed got me and I don't think I have flash comp. Thanks. .justin.
|
|
|
|
||
|
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Actually I think you do. There a button somewhere that has a +/- next to the crooked arrow that stands for flash? Flash comp adjust the flash power like exposure comp. You can put it on Av, but if the shutter speed ends up being higher the 200, you'll have to change the apeture until the shutter speed is 200 or lower. Or you can use Tv and set the shutter speed at 180 or 200. Raising the flash and shooting will work, but the sunset may not look as good as you expect if you don't increase exposure some. And adjusting the flash will keep a balance with lighting a silouette and maintaining the background.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Justin G. |
I've seen that button on my sister's camera but it doens't sound familiar on mine, but i'm going to check first before I go assuming. oh oh oh ok, sync sped is the fastest speed the flash syncs to..ok. mines 125. so I should put it on 125 and overexpose by 1 1/2 stops. and i'll look for the flash button guy. does all that sound right?
|
|
|
|
||
|
Kerry L. Walker |
Justin, whatever you do, don't start shooting weddings with a pop-up flash. Too many chances to get red-eye, plus it is not powerful enough for group shots. Check out the Canon dedicated flashe from Metz or Sunpack (I use a Metz). They may not have quite all the features of the 580 but they will be much less expensive. For the shot you want to shoot of your lovely wife, take Gregory's advice. He knows his stuff.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Justin G. |
Oh Kerry I'm smarter than that!!! just playing, but yeah I would never even contemplate shooting a wedding wiht a pop up flash. I'm currently enrolling for a grant here in town where i'm asking for 2 lenses and 2 580EX's and a ST-E2 transmitter for them. but I was just wondering about the sunsets because I use my wife as a test model, I shoot so many rolls of film on her and I was wondering just how to get a lovely sunset in her background w/o making her a silhoutte. Hey Gregory I found the flash comp button. Well I didn't think I had it but its not actually a button its just down in the menu functions, so I had to look around on the different menus and find it! But I found it so i'm going to try doing exactly what you said! Thanks so much as always. .justin.
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||