Beginner Flashgun problem

lucy901123

lucy901123

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Lucy
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Hi, I have a canon 1000d. Iv had it for several years now. Time for an upgrade soon. However, my issue is when I use the flashgun on top. I'm new to using one of these. When I use it I notice I get a harsh black strip across the bottom of my picture. When I turn the camera portrait, the harsh black strip is on the side of the picture. Which ever way I turn the camera. The black strip always appears to be towards the bottom on the camera. Any idea what's causing this? Iv tried several shutter speeds ranging from 1/200 down to 1/15 and each one is still the same.
I read a post that the len's could be a problem?
 
It will more than likely be the lens itself that is causing the shadow, if you have a hood fitted to the lens then removing it might help

The onboard flash is't really much cop anyway on most DSLR's, best bet is to buy a dedicated speedlight
 
I haven't got a lens hood. The on board flash is rubbish which is why I brought the attachment speedlight thing (what ever its called) - for someone who has been doing photography for years, im absolutely useless with the names of everything! Lol
 
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This still sounds like, as Rich has noted, the lens casting a shadow. Were the photos where this problems occurs take with a wide angle lens(or kit lens at the widest end of its range) and with the subject close to the camera?

Post a couple of shots up here with the EXIF data.

Dave
 
rpsmith79 said:
If you are using a speedlight then i suspect you have too high a shutter speed, yopu need to look into Flash Sync Speeds, here is a link to help explain it better than i can

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2...ash-modes-do-and-how-to-use-them-cheat-sheet/
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^ that

If it's a solid black bar it's more likely to be the shutter speed than a lens shadow.

Try a slower shutter speed (1/180 or slower) and see if it goes away. There should be a menu option to default to the synch speed whenever the camera detects flash is active.
 
Thank you all for your response. I will upload a photo as soon as they are on the computer.
 
Tringa said:
This still sounds like, as Rich has noted, the lens casting a shadow. Were the photos where this problems occurs take with a wide angle lens(or kit lens at the widest end of its range) and with the subject close to the camera?

Post a couple of shots up here with the EXIF data.

Dave
Click to expand...

Hi dave, I did use my kit lens and also 50mm prime lens. My subject was quite near as I was in a small room
 
What make and model number is the flash and are you using it off camera
 
That's a shutter synch problem, but there's no exif data to get the shutter speed from. If teh shutter speed is within the synch limits then it may be a communication problem between the camera and the flash.
 
if you look at the posted shot it shows a light back ground and the dark strip is part of a room not covered by the back drop so it will be dark . So how was the shot set up and what we're the settings
 
@lucy901123 This is a flash sync problem. Pure and simple. Keep your shutter speed below 1/200th of a second and you will not see this.

Ignore all this crap about your lens, and lens hoods etc... they're talking b******s.
 
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Ah forums, you've gotta love em.
As above it's a flash sync problem. It's an easy fix.

But to 'fix' that photo properly needs some understanding of light. Forget the white background, get your flash off your camera (remote triggers) and in a softbox and you can improve that shot about 100 fold.
 
^This
 
I can accept a sync problem but I would have expected to the black line at the bottom. Again this depends on how the camera was held and if the shot has been cropped.
 
wave01 said:
I can accept a sync problem but I would have expected to the black line at the bottom. Again this depends on how the camera was held and if the shot has been cropped.
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The black line is 'at the bottom' the camera is in portrait orientation. ;)
 
wave01 said:
How strange it's on the right hand side on my device
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Because the camera has been rotated 90-degrees to the left to take the shot.

The stripe will always be on the bottom of the image from the perspective of the camera. The shutter does no rotate to the vertical when the camera is rotated to portrait orientation.
 
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wave01 said:
How strange it's on the right hand side on my device
Click to expand...


Seriously? It's a vertical focal plane shutter, like almost all SLRs have had since the 1970s. The image was taken in portrait format, so the camera was rotated 90 degrees.

View attachment 43959

There.... it's at the bottom now :)
 
Now that's what two bottles of red wine does for your perception and why you shouldn't answer things in forums
 
Lucy,
You stated you were using SS's between 1/15 and 1/200 and it's the same in all of them.... all of those should be acceptable sync speeds for your camera and the different speeds should make a noticeable difference in the result. So I have to suspect some other issue is causing the flash to delay.

It could be an incompatibility issue... that *should* clear up if you put the camera/flash into manual modes.
It could be a loose contact... make sure everything is aligned and tight. It might also work better with a different form of connection (TTL/PC cable, remotes).
It could be dirty contacts... you can clean them with a pencil eraser.

Other than those things, I can't think of an obvious cause.
 
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Another possible reason is she's on rear curtain sync, and it's a faulty shutter and the second curtain is sticking, or the first curtain never actually clears the film plane. The latter would put a black area on even available light shots though.

One way or the other... that's a shadow of the shutter curtain.


My money is still on user error in some form.
 
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First curtain not clearing would also put the bar at the opposite side... and any type of shutter issue should affect daylight images as well.

But yeah, that's the shutter and somethings not right...
 
It would help if the OP posted what make and model of flash that was being used, and the mode it was being used in, if its a TTL flash could be a faulty Flash Gun.
 
What I would like to see is a flash shot with the on board flash then same subject the external flash
 
dizidav said:
It would help if the OP posted what make and model of flash that was being used, and the mode it was being used in, if its a TTL flash could be a faulty Flash Gun.
Click to expand...


Odd that the problem occurs with all shutter speeds though. I can't imagine what fault would cause that.
 
the on board flash does not cause the problem, definitely only when i use the external flash. like i said im new to using it so i dont have a clue what curtain sync is or what mode it is...lol. (you see, im currently transitioning from a hobby photographer to attempting to learn how to become professional. obviously this was just a test shot)
 
sk66 said:
Only thing I can think of is a slight communication delay/offset combined w/ RCS?
Click to expand...


Entirely possible I suppose... would be highly unusual though, but stranger things have happened.
 
lucy901123 said:
the on board flash does not cause the problem, definitely only when i use the external flash. like i said im new to using it so i dont have a clue what curtain sync is or what mode it is...lol. (you see, im currently transitioning from a hobby photographer to attempting to learn how to become professional. obviously this was just a test shot)
Click to expand...

Lucy,

Sounds like a communication problem between camera and external flash unit. Try the 'cleaning the contacts' suggestion, failing that it is something more fundamental.
 
ok, ill try that, il re-try the sync speeds too. and try in a larger area. i need everyone to talk to me in laymans terms lol. im just learning all the terms :p
 
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