Do the pro's ETTL?

3rdPlanetPhotography

Hello again everyone. I'm driving the 20d and Sigma 500 DG flash unit. I know how to use the camera in full manual mode (which I prefer) however I haven't bothered to learn the manual mode of the flash.

IYO, do you think it's worth the time or would you normally use the flash in ETTL mode while shooting manual on the camera?

:scratch

erich6

I'm not a pro but I can't imagine why use the manual mode on the flash when it's mounted on your camera. Seems like with FEC and the camera's manual mode you have all the control you need.

The only thing I can think of is if you want to shoot at a different focal length and get the flash to illuminate as if you were at another....

Erich

pathfinder

I generally shoot in Av mode with the 580ex on board for flash in ETTL.

Gives good exposure for the foreground and the background. I shift to manual mode for more typical "flash" photography.

Shay Stephens

Single flash on the camera, I would say most people use TTL (or it's variations) or some form of auto flash. If you move to multiple or off camera flash, then manual starts to be more reliable and predictable.


And manual flash control without a flash meter is not very effecient.

3rdPlanetPhotography

Thanks
Excellent... yanno we are always in search of the "Right" way!

chrisjlee

kc7dji wrote:

Hello again everyone. I'm driving the 20d and Sigma 500 DG flash unit. I know how to use the camera in full manual mode (which I prefer) however I haven't bothered to learn the manual mode of the flash.

IYO, do you think it's worth the time or would you normally use the flash in ETTL mode while shooting manual on the camera?

that manual is a pain in the butt. I tried reading it a couple times and it still didn't make any sense. it's very unintuitive.

mercphoto

I took photo classes for most of 2005 given by one of Austin's top portrait photographers and he was always full-manual. Manual focus, manual exposure, and manual flash. But to do this you really need a meter.

Here is an example of what he would do. You have a person, outdoors, for a portrait. He would scan the background for the important elements. Maybe the sky, maybe some tree. Something in the background that he wanted to insure was properly exposed. He would take a reading on that. Now he would start firing the flash and take meter readings on the subject at a mid-tone, usually the cheek, and ajust the flash until the reading matched what he was concerned with in the background. If you take the photo with that flash setting then your subject is correctly exposed in relation to the key background elements.

Obviously a lot of work but his results were stunning. And it does something which the camera is not capable of doing, and that is determing what is truly important in the scene to expose correctly.

I can't see using a flash in manual without a light meter. If you don't use a meter then you are just guessing, and at that point you are much better off using TTL.

Blurmore

If I'm using FOC I'm in manual mode on the camera. So far as ETTL goes, one thing I have noticed that really screws up evaluative ETTL is hot reflections. It seems that the programming of evaluative ETTL says 'Do NOT under and circumstances allow any part of the photo to be over exposed' this seems fine untill you are working around mirrors or windows. Reception halls LOVE mirrors...makes the place look bigger or some rot. So if you are shooting toward a mirror and get bitten by a hot reflection you subject comes out seriously under exposed, BUT the hot spot is not blown out completely...Who cares about the hot spot? Well when it means the B&G are not illuminated properly I do. What I have found is that changing the CF to Average instead of evaluative seems to reduce this tendency. When working a 3 light set-up like I use for receptions it becomes more pronounced, so I prefer Average ETTL when there is any possibility of reflection.

Malaxos1

mercphoto wrote:

I took photo classes for most of 2005 given by one of Austin's top portrait photographers and he was always full-manual. Manual focus, manual exposure, and manual flash. But to do this you really need a meter.

Here is an example of what he would do. You have a person, outdoors, for a portrait. He would scan the background for the important elements. Maybe the sky, maybe some tree. Something in the background that he wanted to insure was properly exposed. He would take a reading on that. Now he would start firing the flash and take meter readings on the subject at a mid-tone, usually the cheek, and ajust the flash until the reading matched what he was concerned with in the background. If you take the photo with that flash setting then your subject is correctly exposed in relation to the key background elements.

Obviously a lot of work but his results were stunning. And it does something which the camera is not capable of doing, and that is determing what is truly important in the scene to expose correctly.

I can't see using a flash in manual without a light meter. If you don't use a meter then you are just guessing, and at that point you are much better off using TTL.

It's not 100% true about the light meter. I use manual flash often enough and always shoot in manual node as well. I had a very nice Sekonic light meter and eventually sold it. About a year or so later I went to a conference and the main speaker showed how important it was to shoot with a light meter when using flash or even strobes. Guess what I did? I wen out and got another light meter. However, it just sits in my bag. The reason is that I can get close by eye and then if it shows up too hot I can adjust the FEC and fire again. It does work. Hey for instance I have a system of shooting with my strobes that works most times. I know that if I have my lights setup so far away from my backdrop and have the subject sit in a sertain spot, my exposure will almost be identical fwith previous shoots.

mercphoto

Malaxos1 wrote:

It's not 100% true about the light meter... The reason is that I can get close by eye and then if it shows up too hot I can adjust the FEC and fire again. It does work. Hey for instance I have a system of shooting with my strobes that works most times. I know that if I have my lights setup so far away from my backdrop and have the subject sit in a sertain spot, my exposure will almost be identical fwith previous shoots.

Notice your environment is controlled -- indoor, subjects at pre-determined distance to flash and background, etc. Also notice you have to chimp and, possibly, adjust FEC and go again. The example I gave was an uncontrolled outdoor environment. The guy can't chimp because he uses film. And using a light meter correctly he can get the shot correctly exposed on the first attempt, every time. And that is what a light meter gets you.

Doesn't stop me from using TTL instead of a meter, however. :shrug.