Fill Flash on 50 D

dlplumer

Can anyone explain how to set up the 50d to shoot fill flash?

Thanks

Dan

ziggy53

dlplumer wrote:

Can anyone explain how to set up the 50d to shoot fill flash?

Thanks

Dan

The answer will vary with lighting conditions and lighting goals. Please describe some lighting scenarios you might consider and whether you want to use the on-camera flash or an external flash.

dlplumer

ziggy53 wrote:

The answer will vary with lighting conditions and lighting goals. Please describe some lighting scenarios you might consider and whether you want to use the on-camera flash or an external flash.

Outdoor/daylight portraits

Candid Arts

What I've done a couple times (with not the greatest results as I'm fairly new to Flash Photography) is in the Menu, under C. Fn I:Exposure > 7 > Flash sync. speed in Av mode set to 0:Auto. This will fire the flash w/o affecting the shutter speed and aperture for exposure. That that way the camera will act as if there is no flash and expose the photo properly for the background, yet the flash with fire lighting the foreground. Another thing you'll want to do as well is in the Menu > Flash Control, If you're using the built in flash or ext. flash, go to the corresponding menu. From there select Shutter sync.> 2nd Curtain. This way the photo will expose the background properly and just as the shutter is closing, light up the foreground.

I hope this makes sense, works, is the (or at least a) right way to do this as it's what I've done in the past. I had to play around with and w/o a diffuser, as well as pivoting the angle of the flash head around to see what works best, but I got a result that I was satisfied with for the purpose of the shot.



Basic

Camera Canon EOS 50D
Exposure Time 0.4s (4/10)
Aperture f/3.5 ISO100
Focal Length 10mm (16mm in 35mm)

Detailed

Flashflash fired, compulsory flash mode
Exposure Program Aperture priority
Exposure Bias0 EV
Exposure Mode auto
White Balance auto


Oh and this was about 4pm and 0 degrees roughly...

ziggy53

dlplumer wrote:

Outdoor/daylight portraits

For these conditions an external flash may be required depending on the ambient contribution of light.

Best results in full Manual mode. I would shoot with an external flash used as direct flash, a lens that allows distance information so full E-TTL II, and then set the FEC to -1/3 or -2/3. If the ambient is too bright to allow the flash sync speed without over-exposure I might also have to switch to HSS/FP mode and use a faster shutter speed to attenuate the daylight contribution.

Watch the histogram and adjust as required.

dlplumer

Right now I only have a pop up flash. I thought there was a fill flash setting, but apparently there is not. I do do what Candid Arts suggested: shoot in Apert priority, but I thought I read somewhere that there was a way to fill automatically?

cmason

dlplumer wrote:

Right now I only have a pop up flash. I thought there was a fill flash setting, but apparently there is not. I do do what Candid Arts suggested: shoot in Apert priority, but I thought I read somewhere that there was a way to fill automatically?

Tv and Av do fill automatically. They meter available, and use the flash for fill.

pathfinder

Yup - fill flash is easy in the EOS system.

Camera in Av will set the shutter speed for proper exposure for the background, flash in ETTL will properly expose the subject with flash. BE AWARE - Av mode can choose shutter speeds of 1 fulll second, so if the shutter speed will be very long, use a tripod ( very dark background ) Also, in bright light, you MAY need a shutter speed higher than 1/200th ( max flash synch speed ) and the flash WILL limit your shutter speed to 1/200th ( even if you know you need 1/1000th ) UNLESS you turn on High Speed Synch on the flash to allow synching at high shutter speeds/


When this happens you get a very over exposed picture that you want to blame on the flash - but the problem becomes apparent when you realize the indicated shutter speed in the viewfinder was 1/1000 or higher, and the actual shutter speed in the exif data is 1/200th.

Shooting in Manual Mode with the EOS flash in ETTL gives you the most control as YOU set the aperture and shutter speed for the background exposure, and the flash exposes for the subject.

Tee Why

If you shoot in Av or Tv mode, the flash will act as a fill in and let the ambient light control the metering.

I'd recommend using the Av mode.

In P or M mode, the flash becomes the main source of exposure.

dlplumer

cmason wrote:

Tv and Av do fill automatically. They meter available, and use the flash for fill.

Yes of course (duh). Now should I generally reduce AE comp and use Safety shift?

divamum

Does the 50d have a dedicated flash exposure compensation setting? If so, you can adjust that downwards to reduce the amount of flash output and balance ambient to flash exactly as you wish.

Candid Arts

divamum wrote:

Does the 50d have a dedicated flash exposure compensation setting? If so, you can adjust that downwards to reduce the amount of flash output and balance ambient to flash exactly as you wish.

Yes it does. So do that as well.

dlplumer

pathfinder wrote:

Yup - fill flash is easy in the EOS system.

Camera in Av will set the shutter speed for proper exposure for the background, flash in ETTL will properly expose the subject with flash. BE AWARE - Av mode can choose shutter speeds of 1 fulll second, so if the shutter speed will be very long, use a tripod ( very dark background ) Also, in bright light, you MAY need a shutter speed higher than 1/200th ( max flash synch speed ) and the flash WILL limit your shutter speed to 1/200th ( even if you know you need 1/1000th ) UNLESS you turn on High Speed Synch on the flash to allow synching at high shutter speeds/


When this happens you get a very over exposed picture that you want to blame on the flash - but the problem becomes apparent when you realize the indicated shutter speed in the viewfinder was 1/1000 or higher, and the actual shutter speed in the exif data is 1/200th.

Shooting in Manual Mode with the EOS flash in ETTL gives you the most control as YOU set the aperture and shutter speed for the background exposure, and the flash exposes for the subject.

Yes, I just did this, but since I was looking for a high key effect I was happy with the 1/250 vs. 1/1000. But as you say, in the future I will have to set for high speed synching.

Fill flash 1/250 iso 200 Cool Pro Mist Filter

dlplumer

Thanks Ziggy, Tee, Candid, Pathfinder, Cmason, and Diva. Very helpful as always

Tee Why

The pop up flash does not have a high speed sync.
The max speed is 1/250. So it is of limited use in bright lights/outdoors if the shutter speed needs to be greater than 1/250.

dlplumer

Tee Why wrote:

The pop up flash does not have a high speed sync.
The max speed is 1/250. So it is of limited use in bright lights/outdoors if the shutter speed needs to be greater than 1/250.

Found that out Tee. Does the 580 EX II have high speed synch

pathfinder

550ex, 430ex, 580ex, 580ex II all have HSS.

I don't really use the built in flash very much because of those kinds of limitations.

Tee Why

All of the current flashlights have them.

dlplumer

Thanks again Path and Tee. Looks like after I purchase a 50 1.4 that my next purchase will be the 580 ex ii.

Dan

Tee Why

Unless you really need that extra reach, ability to plug it into a power pack, or as a master unit, consider the 430EX II, it's much cheaper.

pathfinder

The 430ex is cheaper, smaller, and almost as powerful. Handy for all those reasons. That is why it was my first Canon flash.

But it cannot function as a master flash and control a second unit off camera. Nor will it allow attachment of an external battery pack. These don't seem like deal breakers, when you buy your first flash.

It is only later that one realizes that they really wish they had bought that 580ex in the first place. DAMHIK

dlplumer

pathfinder wrote:

The 430ex is cheaper, smaller, and almost as powerful. Handy for all those reasons. That is why it was my first Canon flash.

But it cannot function as a master flash and control a second unit off camera. Nor will it allow attachment of an external battery pack. These don't seem like deal breakers, when you buy your first flash.

It is only later that one realizes that they really wish they had bought that 580ex in the first place. DAMHIK

So I should buy the 580 ex ii, yes?

Candid Arts

dlplumer wrote:

So I should buy the 580 ex ii, yes?

Yes. It'll do everything you want it to do now, plus a bunch more in the future.

pathfinder

Unless you are certain you will never use more than one flash, and have no interest in off camera flash lighting, I think you are much better off with the 580ex II. Or even a used 580ex or a 550ex.

Candid Arts

pathfinder wrote:

Unless you are certain you will never use more than one flash, and have no interest in off camera flash lighting, I think you are much better off with the 580ex II. Or even a used 580ex or a 550ex.

Not only that, but it's the only one that offers what's called strobosophic (I think that's it...I don't remember) feature. It sends flashes out at a certain frequency (# of flashes/second), how many total flashes and at what output power. General rule for this is if you have a 6 second shutter speed, and you want 6 flashes/second, you'd set it to 36 flashes. It's something kind of fun to play with, but I don't know any professional uses for it, but then again I haven't been in flash for too long and don't know much about it yet.