Help me with my flash Canon 430EX

[candidrachel]

I shoot primarily in AV mode but whenever I use my speedlight I get blurry shots so have to use P mode which gives me faster shutter speeds () which isn't ideal. Why do I get blurry shots in AV?

I've been reading this info and really. REALLY want to produce these awesome photos. I know Candleman is the flash "expert" amongs others so hopefully I'll get some advice.

Also, I am confused as to what flash sync speed is. I've read my manual for both the 40D and 550D and this is what is says:

Flash speed in AV:

0 Auto

The flash sync speed is set automatically within the range of 1/200 sec to 30sec to suit the brightness of the scene

1 1/200-1/60 sec.auto

When flash is used in aperture-priority AE (AV), this prevents a slow flash-sync speed from being set automatically in low light conditions. It is effective for preventing subject blur and camera shake. However, while the subject will be properly exposed with the flash, the background will come out dark.

2 1/200 sec fixed

The flash sync speed is fixed to 1/200 sec. This more effectively prevents subject blur and camera shake than with setting 1. However, the background may come out darker than with setting 1.

I'm sooooo confused! Having a properly exposed subject is find but I want a nice ambient background too and in order to achieve that I need to know what the flash sync speed is for my camera.

Please help Zona. Candleman, Inkista, Osmosis (sorry those are the names that automatically spring to mind regarding flash expertise!).

Here is the site with the shots I want to achieve:

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-pho...g-the-shutter/

Thanks alot!

[SusanH1970]

Rachel, can you post one of the blurry shots along with the EXIF?

[inkista]

[Ooo! Time to sing the Mighty Mouse theme song: "Here I come to save the Daaaaaaaaayyyyy!!"]

short answer: up your iso, you don't have enough light to get handholding shutter speeds for the ambient exposure you want.

Long answer. [rolls up sleeves]

Ok. This is all about what is meant by the phrase "balancing the flash against the ambient."

Remember, whenever you take a flash image, you're combining two sources of illumination, so it's like adding together two different exposures: the ambient exposure (which is your traditional non-flash iso/aperture/shutter speed light and typically controls what your background looks like), and the flash exposure (which is controlled by iso, aperture, flash power, and flash distance, and it with your ambient typically controls what your subject looks like).

Note how shutter speed was NOT in that second list. Shutter speed is your only independent control for balancing flash against ambient. Read this Strobist article on balancing flash against ambient. Also, the neilvn article on dragging the shutter (which you linked to).

Note, too, how subject distance is in the flash list. The reason that ambient usually controls the background and flash usually controls the subject is because of how rapidly light falls off. The "inverse square law" thing. Read this article by Zack Arias (actually, you should read the entire white seamless tutorial, not just that page).

Now, for the "why is 1/200s so damn magical?", read this neilvn article on high-speed sync. Short translation: your max. synch speed is the limit of how fast you can go and not get black bars at the top/bottom of your frame, or reduce your flash's effective power by going into high-speed synch mode.

With Canons, in the Av and Tv modes, the assumption in programming how flash is handled is that you're going to want to use the flash for fill. That is, that most of the illumination should come from the ambient, not the flash. In P or full Auto mode, the assumption is (as with P&S cameras) that you will want to use the flash as the main source of illumination, so most of the light should come from the flash, not the ambient. Read: EOS Flash Confusion FAQ at the EOS flash bible.

Those custom settings are basically for overriding this assumption in Av mode. You can have it slide around in the handheld arena, or keep it at 1/200s to keep the ambient/flash balance on the flash side of the equation.

But, of course, you'll have much more control over the ambient/flash balance if you shoot with the camera in M mode. Which is why I'm always urging people to hold off on starting into flash photography until they're completely happy and comfortable shooting in full manual mode and swapping stops among the three ambient settings (iso, aperture, shutter speed) in their head. Because with flash, you're going to have to throw in stops from flash power and do inverse square in your head to figure out stops from subject-to-flash distance. (Ok, it's not that math-intensive, but you do have to juggle a bit more stuff to figure out what's going on).

Yes, you can just slap a flash on and use eTTL and bounce, but it doesn't help you figure out why you're getting motion blurred shots in Av mode with your flash.

[zona5101]

can't touch that! fantasic info and links Inkista...

[inkista]

Grin. Practice, practice, practice.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by inkista

Grin. Practice, practice, practice.

I'm not worthy!

[MOmilkman]

I would have said, ...hold your camera still and tell the subject not to move. But you can do what inkista said too.

[OsmosisStudios]

Shortest answer: Shoot in manual: Choose the aperture you want, 1/60s and the iso you want: let the flash do the heavy lifting.

[candidrachel]

THANK YOU FOR THAT WONDERFUL DETAILED REPLY!! Sorry for shouting but it needs to be said Those links are AWESOME!! Where is the hug smiley?

There seems to be alot to be said for shooting in manual mode as it opens so many doors. I find it quite intimidating.

It's the schoo holidays all next week so I will have plenty of time to practice, practice and PRACTICE.

Also, my 40 x 60 reflector turned up (having been sent from the US) the other day and I had the fright of my life when it suddenly sprung open while getting it out of its bag. It was fun and games twisting and turning it round to get it back into the bag.

Once again thanks for all the replies and I'll post in critique some shots in due course.

[candidrachel]

All info is giving me brain ache!

This is slightly worrying as my 430 EX uses E-TTL metering patterns

E-TTL and E-TTL II flash metering patterns:

The camera uses its evaluative metering system to meter the flash output, based upon the preflash. When in autofocus mode most EOS bodies which do not use E-TTL II bias flash metering toward the currently selected AF point, but always in an evaluative mode pattern - they don’t use spot or partial metering patterns. When in manual focus mode it appears that at least some EOS bodies switch to centre-weighted averaging.

Note, however, that this biasing of E-TTL metering to the active point is potentially problematic, since it means that the flash metering is done in almost a spot-metering fashion. Many user complaints regarding flash metering problems in E-TTL mode appear to be linked to this issue. If the camera happens to be over a dark object, for example, flash metering can be considerably overexposed, and vice-versa. The standard answer to this problem is to use FEL and meter off something mid-toned, but this is clearly not a solution for rapid-shooting situations such as weddings and sports. Another approach is to set the camera lens to manual focus, since the body apparently switches to centre-weighted average metering in that mode, but that’s obviously not a useful answer much of the time either.

Should I switch to Manual Flash instead of E-TTL