External flash settings

[kevinfoto]

What camera settings should I have on my external flash when shooting at night?
What should flash be on? I have 580 ex canon speed lite ..

 

[MLeeK]

Oh, Kevin... that is as complicated as the basics of exposure and composition.... It's not something we can just say THIS is what you do. It's all a matter of metering, deciding what you need to create the image you want to create and then using the speedlight to do that.
There's a big difference between different things you may be shooting too... That's a really really really vague question. Kind of like giving your address as Earth.
Strobist is a phenomenal resource for learning to use your external flash in a million different ways.
http://neilvn.com/tangents/ is another great resource

 

[table1349]

Start here and read the whole damn thing: Flash Photography with Canon EOS Cameras - Part I.

Yes it is long, and yes it is a bit dry, but it is one of the best resources on EOS flash use.