Manual mode + flash??

cdnjeepin · May 16, 2008

So as long as I have enough light I usually shoot in Manual mode, but if I start to run out of light I tend to switch to auto and auto flash.

If I want to stay shooting in Manual, how do I know what my Aperture and shutter settings should be?

JimmyO · May 16, 2008

What camera and flash?

RKW3 · May 16, 2008

Trial and error I guess. If your using the built-in flash your camera may meter for it, so that's a good place to start.

Socrates · May 16, 2008

cdnjeepin said:
So as long as I have enough light I usually shoot in Manual mode, but if I start to run out of light I tend to switch to auto and auto flash.

If I want to stay shooting in Manual, how do I know what my Aperture and shutter settings should be?

Shutter is the fastest sync speed that your camera supports. Aperture must be calculated from the flash guide number.

Rhys · May 16, 2008

I use manual mode and let the flash work out the exposure but generally add a stop on the flash power so it is told to over-expose. In actual fact the flash underexposes by 1-2 stops which I then fix in DPP.

Tiberius47 · May 17, 2008

Socrates said:
Shutter is the fastest sync speed that your camera supports. Aperture must be calculated from the flash guide number.

If you don't want to see the background, or if the background is being lit by flash as well, that's fine, but otherwise the easiest way to do it is to use the flash in manual mode.

Have a read of the manual flash tutorial in my signature.

WDodd · May 17, 2008

Here is a link to a video that explains pretty well how to use your flash.

There are a bunch of other videos that continue the lessons too if you want.

Also, the strobist (blogspot.strobist.com I think) is a great place to learn lighting with flash.

usayit · May 17, 2008

I use a hand held ambient/flashmeter...

- Meter background - set aperture and shutter. Make sure your shutter doesn't go beyond the fastest syncspeed
- Use a flashmeter and test fire the flash. Adjust the flash's power until the meter's aperture reading matches the aperture you set in the previous step.

Now everything is balanced.

To adjust exposure of background, adjust the shutter setting (not faster than fastest sync). To adjust exposure of foreground's exposure by the flash, adjust the power of the flash. Changing the aperture will effect exposure of both. As your subject distance increases, you might want to increase flash output or open up the aperture a stop.

An interesting effect when photographing dim areas with background lighting.. nightclubs for example:
- Set your camera for flash 2nd curtain
- Set your aperture (letsay f/5.6) and meter to determine shutter. The shutter setting will most likely be very slow for handheld. Thats ok... Increase the shutter by a stop or two to intentionally underexpose.
- Set the flash to properly expose the subject at that aperture

The flash will freeze and expose main subject. Motion and background blur will also be captured.