 RoxAnne E. Franklin |
How to Use the Canon 550 EX Flash I'm taking a chance here as to not look to silly, but I've put off asking this question long enough, so here goes. I have the 550 EX flash and it swivels. I also have a stroboframe with a cable to attach to my Canon Elan 7E. However, everything I read says "get the flash off the camera and to the side". With the 550 EX, would this be the same as moving the flash head, or is there a stroboframe or something out there that I can attach the flash to, to move it to the side? I don't want to use off-camera flash if I dont have to, I only have 2 hands and no helpers. If you need more information to answer my question, let me know.
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Andy |
Although I do not have a stroboframe, I can help you with your 550EX flash. First of all you keep hearing people say "move your flash off the camera and to the side". There are several reasons: to avoid red eye, eliminate shadow behind the subject and give three dimensional look to the subject. With the 550EX on your camera, you can achieve the side lighting only if there is something (a wall, for example) to bounce the light back to the subject, usually in an indoor environment. If your subject is close to a white wall, you can simply turn the head toward the wall and shoot. Your flash will adjust the intensity of the light needed. Or you can mount a reflector on a tripod or light stand if there is no wall. If there is a ceiling, bounce the light off from the ceiling. Even the subject will look much better than using direct flash (and you will notice that there is virtually no shadow behind). The 550EX came with a mini stand that you can mount on a tripod or a light stand. To trigger it, you need either a wireless transmitter (ST-E2), a connecting cord 60 or 300, an off-camera shoe cord 2 or another 550EX mounted on the camera. If you are seriously thinking to expand, I would recommend getting the wireless transmitter because it can control more 550EX or 420EX. Hope this helps. If you have more question, just post it here and I can try to answer them.
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RoxAnne E. Franklin |
Thanks so much, it did help me a lot. As far as what you mentioned about bouncing it off a white wall if the subject is close to the wall, did you mean if the subject is standing "beside" the wall or "in front of the wall"? Am I right to assume that if the subject is standing beside a white wall, the lighting would be softer as it would be bounced onto the wall and then onto the subject? And if the subject is standing in front of the wall, then should I make sure there is about 6' between the subject and the wall so as not to cast a shadow? Also, there is a "diffuser panel" on the flash, someone at the photography shop told me to use that if I'm shooting a black object and when shooting a white object. Does this make sense to you? I thought that panel was just to aid in shooting "macro" type of distances. This flash is very advanced and I've thrown myself into the manual but am still very confused. I also did some shots with it and one thing that I'm finding out is that my background tends to not get as blurred as I'd like. I've practiced different ways and it just isn't sinking into my brain. Do you have one of these? Your help is so much appreciated, I have so much to learn. Thanks.
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Andy |
Let me try to answer your questions one by one. "Bouncing light from the wall", I mean bouncing light from the wall beside the subject. But the wall cannot be too far away from the subject, up to six feet maximum perhaps. The light bounced from the wall is softer too. It's the shadow on the other side of the subject which is not exposed to the light that gives the overall picture a three dimension look. The diffuser is used for lens wider than 28mm, if it's pointing at the subject directly. For close up direct shots, you can press the flash head down a notch below the normal position. For macro shots, you need a different type of flash (the MT-34EX or the MR-14EX Macro Ring Lite, which can also use as the master unit to trigger other 550EX or 420EX). Now onto the background, I am assuming you set your camera at the green mode. For Canon's EOS system, the default exposure with the flash on camera is 1/90 at f5.6. Depending on the distance between the subject and the background, if you use a short focal length lens, the depth-of-field area is quite large. You can either move the subject away from the background, or use a longer focal length lens and move yourself back (if you are using bounce light, you may have to adjust the flash head's angle). Another option is to set your camera on 'A' mode, which is aperture priority mode, and set the aperture to the maximum. Here are the problems, when the aperture is wide open, the shutter speed will be set faster automatically to compensate, thus the blackground may be total black out (not enough time to capture the ambient light). Second, your camera's max sync speed is 1/125 and if the speed required is faster than 1/125, your camera will show an error. Fortunately, you have the 550EX that you can set it to high sync speed mode by pressing "+" and "-" buttons, then either one until the ~H symbol shows on your flash. Another solution with a longer focal length lens is to put your flash on a tripod and use a wireless transmitter. Thus you can move freely with the flash stationed in a fixed location and you don't have to worry about the "Av" mode or high speed sync. I have two of the 550EX for portrait use. I also have the ST-E2 transmitter. So far I have used all the features of the 550EX except the stroboscopic flash. I hope I explained it clearly.
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RoxAnne E. Franklin |
Wow, You are awesome! Thanks so much for your help. You explained everything to me in terms I could understand, you are the first one to do that. Everyone at the camera shop sounded like they were speaking a foreign language to me. Thanks again Andy. I'm going to try all the things that you mentioned and then I'll get back to you to let you know the results. Thanks again.
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John C. Schwentner |
For andy...I would love to know where to find one of the mini stands for the 550 580 etc. I have had no luck at all. Only thing left is to call canon I guess, unless youknow a source
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Andy |
Hi John, Personally I don't use the mini stand that often. That is only for emergency use. I mounted the flash on the camera directly, or on Canon's extension cord when mounted on the flash bracket, or use one of the flash/umbrella bracket on a light stand for studio shot triggered wirelessly. I don't know if Canon carrys that part. If you let me know how you intend to use the mini stand, maybe I can help you find a solution. Hope this helps.
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John C. Schwentner |
Not doing rocket equations, just wireless remote flash and I need the mini stand for another 420 ex I won on ebay thats coming without it.
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Andy |
In this case I will get a flash shoe adapter and a mini tablepod. Those you can get new for a small amount of money. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=106959&is=REG&addedTroughType=search http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=53721&is=REG&addedTroughType=search or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=119417&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
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John C. Schwentner |
Thanks Andy, but I already have all that other junk. Thats why I want the mini stand so I dont have to set it all up. canon has them, but they are on backorder, oh well, thanks for yur input
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John C. Schwentner |
Andy this is an old thread now, but I wonder if youre still there, and doyou know whats on the end of a common light stand? I want to just put the 580 ex with the ministand and the others on light stands, but I dont know if the light stands come with a male end for the tripod socket 1/4-20
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Andy |
Hi John, the Manfrotto light stands I used has the male screw at the end that you can put the ministand on. I think the others has that too. HTH.
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John C. Schwentner |
thanks andy, I have been getinginto it. I see that bogen (I think same company) has it, and some Manfrotto, but a lot of them just come with a 5/8 end stud. BTW I also use the st-2 with three flashes, and it is a great tool, but can be confusing. I believe Ihave been successful in turning up the volume on the slaves by turning up the + on the 580 at the flash. It did seem to increase even in the auto and slave mode. do you think thats true or was I dreaming? Im not sure about doing in on the camera, I think they call it whitebalance exposure bracketing, but it doesnt sound like just exposure increase.
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Andy |
Hi John, I am not familiar with the new 580EX flash's whitebalance bracketing. I am still shooting film and use 420/550EX. I know that the 550EX as a master can control 3 groups of flashes but the ST-E2 can only control 2 groups. If I use the ST-E2 and want to have the third group with different ratio that the other 2, I can use the 550EX (in your case the 580EX) to set to either group A or B and manually add compensation with the +/- button. I am not sure if this is what you are looking for.
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John C. Schwentner |
Yeah Andy, it seems like I can add + or - at the flash head and still use it as slave I think the st-2, while only having a and b, teats c as a b. In other words, I think when you have flashes set to c on the flash, the st-2 will see it as a b. thats the way I read it anyway. Dont know what advantge it would have, I cant see one
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John C. Schwentner |
andy let me ask you if you know, I have three 580 exes all on light stands. Im using the wireless transmitter. I have read where it is not possible to control the light out put of the slaves when in slave mode? Is this correct? Are they just full auto in slave mode?
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Andy |
John, it should be automatically if the flashes are all in ETTL mode. The 550EX and 580EX can also be used in manual mode and you can control the output of light. But I am not sure the A:B ratio on the transmitter still apply to the flash (I think not because the flash mode will orverride the camera's setting). So if A:B is 2:1 on the transmitter and the flashes are both in manual mode and output in 1/1, they will both output the same amount of light (full burst). I could be wrong though.
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John C. Schwentner |
they are really confusing to figure out. I know they work full auto, and actually they are a 420 550 and 580. In auto on st-2 they all fire ttl auto yes. I dont believe they can be changed in ettl on slave setting. I know they can all fire in manual, but then Im wondering if that is where the ratios come into play. Or will the ratios work in auto etl? wow!
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