EOS 1D mkII N and Speedlite 580EX

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Does anyone know how to setup the camera and flash so that the flash will operate at 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32 on shutter priority. I need the flash to "fill in" only and am struggling to find it in either manual :thinking:
 
On the back of the 580EX press the MODE button until M (Manual) is displayed. You will see 1/1 displayed (which represents full power output)

Press the button in the centre of the large command dial which sets the symbol 1/1 flashing. Now turn the command dial to the left and you can reduce power to 1/2, 1/4 and so on... all the way down to 1/128.
 
Nothing wrong with doing it that way but this camera and lens combo is about as dedicated as it gets and should handle fill flash for you quite comfortably.

Set the MODE to TTL and the camera is very capable of balancing the flash with ambient light to give you a good fill. I personally use it like that but first take a test shot under any given light situation. Usually the result is pretty good but if anything I sometimes have to reduce the flash power a little. To do that press the MODE button and you still get 1/1 displayed for full power. Press the button in the centre of the command dial and 1/1 starts flashing, but now when you turn the dial you can decrease power in 1/3 stop increments. Once you have a result to your taste, you're good to go as long as the prevailing light and your working distance doesn't change drastically. :)

A quick play and some test shots will make it all clearer.
 
CT said:
On the back of the 580EX press the MODE button until M (Manual) is displayed. You will see 1/1 displayed (which represents full power output)

Press the button in the centre of the large command dial which sets the symbol 1/1 flashing. Now turn the command dial to the left and you can reduce power to 1/2, 1/4 and so on... all the way down to 1/128.

Cheers CT, I've done this and this works in manual and aperture priority modes but in shutter priority (Tv) this doesn't seem to work :crying:
 
CT said:
Nothing wrong with doing it that way but this camera and lens combo is about as dedicated as it gets and should handle fill flash for you quite comfortably.

Set the MODE to TTL and the camera is very capable of balancing the flash with ambient light to give you a good fill. I personally use it like that but first take a test shot under any given light situation. Usually the result is pretty good but if anything I sometimes have to reduce the flash power a little. To do that press the MODE button and you still get 1/1 displayed for full power. Press the button in the centre of the command dial and 1/1 starts flashing, but now when you turn the dial you can decrease power in 1/3 stop increments. Once you have a result to your taste, you're good to go as long as the prevailing light and your working distance doesn't change drastically. :)

A quick play and some test shots will make it all clearer.

Hang On - I'll try this:)
 
What shutter speed are you using? :)

Don't forget that if you select a shutter speed above what the ambient light allows (assuming you're in a room at home) the camera/flash will just whack out power to match that speed, assuming that flash is your main source of illumination.
 
I have the 580EX.
I'll PM you my address so you can send me the 1d for a month.
It will probably take me that long to come up with a solution.
To make things easier...send me the lenses you intend to use.

Your set up really is my dream and I don't know if I'll ever acheive it.

Sorry I couldn't give a sensible answer to your problem but I'm half way down a bottle of (medicinal purposes) bottle of Grants ( I have a really bad cold as I've been diving in rivers retreiving lenses) and I tend to wander off into 1d mode.

As CT and R pointed out...the 2 ways you can acheive this is to use either manual mode or reduce the exposure setting in ETTL mode.

The Speedlites tend to under-expose by up to 1 stop but this is an exception to the rule...test shots are always the order of the day with this wild beast.
 
I could just help you with that bottle of Grants Bachsy. :puke:
 
Rhodo's gone. Don't forget to use 2nd curtain sync if it's action stuff you'll be doing. :)
 
Some good ideas there - I've given up and taken up the 1664 "hick" :puke: :nuts:

CT I need to try this in day light (y)
 
rhodopsin said:
CT I need to try this in day light (y)

Dead right. Just to prove to yourself that it works though, set TV on the camera and ETTL on the flash. Meter for the ambient room light, say it's 1/25th or less with the lens wide open. Set that shutter speed whatever it is and the flash will balance nicely with the ambient room lighting. To get an even nicer result bounce the flash off the ceiling.
 
Stupid boy Pike. I'll send you home in a minute. :D
 
is it just me, or did CT criticise his own post and suggest a different way of doing it?
 
leoedin said:
is it just me, or did CT criticise his own post and suggest a different way of doing it?

In what respect? :)
 
The EOS 1D mkII N won't shoot in "Tv" mode with the 580EX flash set to 1/2 or lower :thinking:

The camera thinks the aperture needs to be set at 32 and "flashes." The aperture can't be altered :(

For the flash to be used for fill in the camera has to be in any other mode other than Tv (y)
 
rhodopsin said:
The EOS 1D mkII N won't shoot in "Tv" mode with the 580EX flash set to 1/2 or lower :thinking:

The camera thinks the aperture needs to be set at 32 and "flashes." The aperture can't be altered :(

Hmmm that seems to be the case, I just tried it.
For the flash to be used for fill in the camera has to be in any other mode other than Tv (y)

Not if you don't shoot in Manual Mode. By far the best way to use the flash for fill is to shoot in ETTL Mode, reducing the output as I described above, and that works regardless of the mode you're in. :)
 
sorry to bump an old thread but I tried a couple of 2nd curtain shots with the 580 and 1D at the week end. Using Tv mode settings between 1/100 and 1/30, set 2nd curtain on flash but the "movement" is in front of the bike. DO you need to change the setting on the camera as well? I assumed the flash would over rule the cam for that??

I know there's a manual but I can't bear the thought of damaging it :bonk:
 
It has to be set on both Doddy It's a custom function on the camera.
 
Custom Function 15(1)

Normal (1st Curtain Sync) is 15(0)
 
CT said:
It has to be set on both Doddy It's a custom function on the camera.
Ta, that'll teach me to make assumptions. :bang: Nice unit though, control dials a lot easier to work than the sigma's buttons and a really nice quality of light from it as well :)
 
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