> Please help me to understand how my speedlite works. The manual says
> when I use flash even in TV or AV mode I have to set the desired value
> and check the display. If the shutter speed or aperature blinking, I
> have to change the value I set before till the display blinking stops.
> My problem is that the blinking is stops (TV) at very slow shutter
> speed, in spite of that the flash is on the camera.
> Although my pictures are usually "well" exposured I should know how
> could I change the AV bigger without get a blinking shutter speed. I set
> green dot.
> I hope you can understand my problem.
> What should be the right way to use it?
> If my qouestion is a bit silly please send answers to my address.
> Thanks
>
> Gabor
An EOS with a speedlight in P mode will expose for the flash only. I
won't even talk about the green rectangle mode... This gives you the classic
overlit subjects, dark backgrounds and harsh shadows everyone has come to
hate about point and shoot cameras and amateur flash photos in general. Of
course this only happens when the scene is poorly lit, and falls below a
hand holdable shutter speed of camera.
Therefore, to avoid this we have to do certain things.
First of all, Av mode or Manual mode is what you want for this stuff.
Open up your lens wide open. Use a faster film. Whatever it takes to get
your shutter speed handholdable. Turn up the roomlights. Use a tripod. (ya
right :-)
What happens is your EOS is exposing for the background to get a nice
even lighting, and using the flash to enhance the subjects rather than blow
them out with too much light. This gives you a nice looking flash photo, as
if no flash was used. This is a good thing. In a very dark room, you are out
of luck really. There's no magic lens or film that can expose for a room
that's very dark.
In these cases, I usually put the camera on P mode, and take what I get
from it. The alternatives really boil down to getting an extra source of
light onto the background of your scene. A small slave strobe can do this,
but it's a little more than you might want to do if you're grabbing shots at
a party for instance. If you're shooting something you really care about
like a portrait, then you have to go to the hassles of this extra lighting.
However, I'd suggest you choose a better lit background to start with.
Really, these problems happen at places where we can't control the light or
put in extra strobes.
What I do is to use an off Camera Show Cord 2 to get my flash away from
straight on, and I use a diffuser over it. I also bounce when possible.
Sometimes you can't bounce. In these cases, try and get your flash to light
into your subjects' faces. That is, watch where your nose shadows will fall
and try and get the flash into those eye sockets. Have them turn their heads
slightly instead of straight on. Even with a dark background, if a face is
well lit, it can make a huge difference. So, get the flash off the camera
for more control!
Another thing you can do is put your camera on a tripod, and let your
shutter speed come down low, and of course tell your subjects to hold still
:-) Superia 800 film has done more for my flash photos than anything else. I
can shoot handheld at mid apertures in normally lit rooms. Try it.
Jim Davis (380EX owner)
*
****
*******
***********************************************************
* For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see:
* http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm
***********************************************************
