Beginner Flash trouble

Darkstar_Surfer

Darkstar_Surfer

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Colin
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I have a Canon EOS 350D with a EF-S 15-85 IS USM.

My son had a ten pin bowling party this morning and having had one for his brother earlier in the year I knew I would struggle with the on board flash and very dark environment. So I purchased a Neewer NW-565 E-TTL flash from Amazon which arrived yesterday with a case and diffuser included all for £50.

So I tried to take a few pictures as the kids started arriving and only about 1 in 5 was viewable the rest was as if the flash was out of sync with the camera. I tried diffuser on and off. I tried bouncing of ceiling tiles and direct. I tried automatic and the priority settings. But nothing seemed to improve anything. I then tried manual mode on the flash and got a reasonable picture but the flash then reverted back to TTL. I then had to fight with the flash to set to manual for it to set itself back to TTL some time before and some times after I took another shoot. If it set itself back before no picture if I caught it still in manual at least I could see my subject.

Is there something I am doing wrong.
 
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Anyone able to give some advice.
 
Sorry not sure if this will help, but could it be an issue with the flash. Do you have any friends who have a Canon body they could try the flash on?
 
Darkstar_Surfer said:
Anyone able to give some advice.
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Are you aware of the recycling times of the flash?
Were you watching for the ready indicator / listening for the beep?

My guess is that you were rattling off shots using a low ISO and smaller aperture, the flash can't keep up with that. Try a larger aperture (small no) and high ISO, and practice before you get to the event.
 
Darkstar_Surfer said:
I have a Canon EOS 350D with a EF-S 15-85 IS USM.

My son had a ten pin bowling party this morning and having had one for his brother earlier in the year I knew I would struggle with the on board flash and very dark environment. So I purchased a Neewer NW-565 E-TTL flash from Amazon which arrived yesterday with a case and diffuser included all for £50.

So I tried to take a few pictures as the kids started arriving and only about 1 in 5 was viewable the rest was as if the flash was out of sync with the camera. I tried diffuser on and off. I tried bouncing of ceiling tiles and direct. I tried automatic and the priority settings. But nothing seemed to improve anything. I then tried manual mode on the flash and got a reasonable picture but the flash then reverted back to TTL. I then had to fight with the flash to set to manual for it to set itself back to TTL some time before and some times after I took another shoot. If it set itself back before no picture if I caught it still in manual at least I could see my subject.

Is there something I am doing wrong.
Click to expand...

You have only done one thing wrong, and that is expecting the new flash you have not used before, to work straight out of the box almost instantaneously. A week or more or practice might have allowed a greater understanding of its limitations and capabilities.

Can you explain a bit more in respect of 'only about 1 in 5 were viewable' and 'out of sync with the camera'. Even posting examples of what you mean on here. A lot easier to determine when we can see the results.

Set the camera up in S / TV mode and dial in a shutter speed of 1/60 second. Does that make a difference?

Also as Phil V says, how long were you allowing between shots to allow the unit to recycle?
 
I was watching the cycling time as I checked each picture after I took it so plenty of time between shots. The iso was set to 1600 the heighest my 350D allows.

I will post some of the shots up later but some are just totally black.

I have done a reset on the flash and that has changed how the menus cycle but not had a chance to put back on camera and test again.

I think the flash may have been in wireless slave mode which I don't think the 350D supports.
 
Indoors, put the camera to manual and the flash to ETTL, set the shutter speed to the sync speed and the aperture to whatever you want, iso around 400.
Ignore the meter, it will read underexposed, shoot away and if needed alter the flash exposure compensation/aperture/iso
This way you are using the flash as the main light if you use any of the auto modes( A ,S P etc) the flash acts as a fill light
 
troutfisher said:
Indoors, put the camera to manual and the flash to ETTL, set the shutter speed to the sync speed and the aperture to whatever you want, iso around 400.
Ignore the meter, it will read underexposed, shoot away and if needed alter the flash exposure compensation/aperture/iso
This way you are using the flash as the main light if you use any of the auto modes( A ,S P etc) the flash acts as a fill light
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Not far off but not strictly true - Canon cameras in auto modes use the flash as fill until the light level drops very low and then the flash should take over as keylight.

BUT the algorithm is complicated and flawed, and so your advice re Manual is the best bet.

For the low down on this feature search the web for NEVEC
 
Phil V said:
Not far off but not strictly true - Canon cameras in auto modes use the flash as fill until the light level drops very low and then the flash should take over as keylight.

BUT the algorithm is complicated and flawed, and so your advice re Manual is the best bet.

For the low down on this feature search the web for NEVEC
Click to expand...

Googling NEVEC brings up all kinds of stuff about aliens and wetsuits Phil ;)

But trying a bit harder brings up this quite succinct thread on a subject that has puzzled everyone for years http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/50594983

One of posters there claims that disabling evaluative camera metering also disables NEVEC (Negative Evaluative Exposure Compensdation), and that disabling evaluative flash metering disables AFR (Auto Fill Reduction). Not tried it myself, but seems very plausible - Canon's evaluative metering is usually very accurate and reliable, but sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. Might explain a lot. I always use centre-weighted flash metering, mainly on the invariably sound advice of Canon guru Chuck Westfall :)
 
HoppyUK said:
One of posters there claims that disabling evaluative camera metering also disables NEVEC (Negative Evaluative Exposure Compensdation), and that disabling evaluative flash metering disables AFR (Auto Fill Reduction). Not tried it myself, but seems very plausible - Canon's evaluative metering is usually very accurate and reliable, but sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. Might explain a lot. I always use centre-weighted flash metering, mainly on the invariably sound advice of Canon guru Chuck Westfall :)
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Me too.
 
Sorry but not had a chance to use my camera since never mind the flash. Off on holiday tomorrow and the flash is packed so will have a play and see if I can work it out.

If I can find wi-fi I will post while I am out there otherwise I can post on my return.
 
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