Canon flash use survey

DougL

So, how do you use your Canon 430/580 flash to photograph people indoors in low-light conditions.

Do you:

1). Use "P" mode and let the camera decide the shutter speed and aperture?

2). Use "TV" to lock in a shutter speed?

3). Use "AV" despite the risk of blurring due to slow shutter speed and ambient light?

4). Use Manual mode to manually set your shutter speed and aperture? If so, what's your default shutter/f-stop combo?

I'm using Manual these days because it drives me crazy when "P" mode insists on using f/2.8. Aperture priority appears to insist on exposing for the background, which results in very slow shutter speeds.

pullandbang

Either manual with the shutter speed set to 250 or 180 or Tv with ditto.

Ricky91t

Manual all the time.

AnimalRights

Erm if shooting a gig I use TV mode at about 200(set from the camera itself)
Another time I had to shoot outdoors in sunny weather I made the mistake of using AV and all the pictures were wayyyy over exposed!
I know very little about flash and this thread hopefully I will learn something from it.
I own the 430EX II btw.

Fajitas!

Usually TV, manual in some situations.

AnimalRights

Fajitas! wrote: »

Usually TV, manual in some situations.

I feel human now.

Freddie59

Manual. between 1/30 & 1/60 shutter, with f/2.8 - f/4.0.

5uspect

Mostly TV between 1/100 and 1/250s. Manual sometimes. I also like to play with second curtain sync and very low speeds.

Effects

AnimalRights wrote: »

Erm if shooting a gig I use TV mode at about 200(set from the camera itself)
Another time I had to shoot outdoors in sunny weather I made the mistake of using AV and all the pictures were wayyyy over exposed!
I know very little about flash and this thread hopefully I will learn something from it.
I own the 430EX II btw.

Just make your aperture smaller.

.Longshanks.

I could count on one hand the number of times I've used the flash on the camera because I bought it to be used off camera.
I usually stick to AV or P when on the camera, but off camera I use manual mode all time

oshead

Always manual.

Buckz

I leave manual set at F8 1/200 for use with Flash- but there is a custom function on the 5d (3 I think) which defaults the shutter speed to 1/200 in Aperture Priority when the flash is used- one advantage of this is that it works as normal Av if the flash doesn't fire.

Borderfox

Av/Tv/Manual (1/160th f2.8-f8)

Have a look at some of the links here http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=138907

swingking

Manual mode, 160th second, F8 , and rear-curtain sync

DougL

Buckz wrote: »

I leave manual set at F8 1/200 for use with Flash- but there is a custom function on the 5d (3 I think) which defaults the shutter speed to 1/200 in Aperture Priority when the flash is used- one advantage of this is that it works as normal Av if the flash doesn't fire.

I didn't realise the 5D had that option. That's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I wonder if it uses the same algorithm P mode uses to detect whether to expose for the background or just fill-flash.

DougL

A lot of people seem to be using high shutter speeds close to the x-synch speed. For those of you that do, what's the thinking behind that? I always assumed 1/60 or 1/80 was sufficient in dim indoor light due to the flash stopping movement. Obviously that doesn't apply to shooting fill-flash in daylight.

kelly1

I always use manual, adjusting the shutter speed to get in as much ambient light as I need.

Borderfox

Sagastipean wrote: »

A lot of people seem to be using high shutter speeds close to the x-synch speed. For those of you that do, what's the thinking behind that? I always assumed 1/60 or 1/80 was sufficient in dim indoor light due to the flash stopping movement. Obviously that doesn't apply to shooting fill-flash in daylight.

I shoot 1/160th-1/200th to dial out any ambient light that is there and to only use the flash as the main light.