Using my flash?

[nakedyak]

Allright, i feel silly asking this, but I think its time to learn how to use my flash. I have a Promaster 7500 DX Digital. Its pretty nice, but it has a ton of settings and stuff, and i dont know what they all do. Could someone explain maybe what stuff like "TTL" "multi" and "model" mean, and what does changing the frequency mean? and a lot of other stuff. THanks

 

[Big Mike]

I don't know that make or model...maybe a picture of it would help. Also, what camera are you using it on?

I have an old Braun Vario-zoom flash that I use with my 20D. I like to use the camera in manual mode when I'm using the flash. I start with the aperture setting on the flash (mine is either F4, F8 or fully manual)...so lets say F4. Then I set the camera to F4. I set the ISO on the flash to match the ISO setting on the camera.

If I need to adjust the exposure recored from the flash; I can make an adjustment to the ISO speed (camera or flash), adjustment to the F-stop setting (camera or flash).

Then I set the shutter speed. Now, shutter speed will not really affect the exposure made by the flash. All you have to do is to set it at or slower than the camera's maximum flash sync speed. (I think it's 1/250 or 1/200 on my camera).

Although, shutter speed does not affect the exposure from the flash, it does affect the exposure from the ambient light. For example, if you have someone standing outside, with dim lighting. If the shutter speed is 1/250, very little of the background would be exposed...so you get a bright subject (from the flash) and nothing else. But if you set the shutter speed to 1/30 or 1/8...it might give enough ambient exposure to the background.

Normally, that is too short of a shutter speed to hand hold (without blur) or to freeze any movement by the subject...however, the flash burst will be very fast and will freeze the subject. Then again, you might blur the background with too short of a speed...so a tripod is a good idea if you want a lot of ambient exposure.

Am I making any sense? :?

 

[nakedyak]

Yeah, I guess all of that makes sense. I don't think the settings or options on your flash are the same as mine though. I have never seen any f stop number on my flash, nor ISO number. I'm sure i can adjust it, but right now i'm not sure how. I'm using it with a Canon 10D or Digital Rebel, and the sync is 1/200th. Here is a picture of it