Studio lighting and built in flash wont stop!

[Tulsa]

Alright, there has to be a simple answer here...

I just got my studio setup. 3 strobes with soft boxes and a backdrop and stand. I am shooting my first couple shots and I cannot get the darn built in flash to not fire, I just want the strobes to fire, I assume there is a setting in the camera, but I cannot figure it out, I am shooting a canon 50d.

 

[Dominantly]

You talking about something like a type of Commander Mode? With my NIKON when using C.M. the camera fires a menial pulse to communicate with the strobes, no way around it without using a different method of firing your strobes.

 

[Tulsa]

I am using a sync chord to one of the strobes, so the built in shouldnt be needed. I guess I could attach my flash and point it backwards if thats needed to trigger the strobes?

 

[Dominantly]

I have no idea how the Canon system works, I only noticed it said "wireless multi flash support" for the 50d, so I thought it may be triggered with the pop up like it is with Nikons.

 

[Tulsa]

ok thanks, maybe a Canon guy will chime in. Its going to be tricky shooting inside with these strobes... I dont know if I have enough room for it all!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

... if you're using a sync cord, why is your pop up flash even up? The camera's in Manual, right?

if you're using mono lights, than they most likely have an optical receiver in them, which the pop up flash isn't needed, it'd just go off eachother.

I just don't even understand why you even have the pop up flash up unless you're shooting in auto where the flash goes up on its own.

 

[Tulsa]

I believe I was portrait mode, I have not shot in M, I guess I need to start.

 

[Misfitlimp]

WOW! thats all I gotta say

 

[Tulsa]

WOW! thats all I gotta say

??
I usually shoot in AV for landscapes, It has always worked great, since I am just starting with portraits, AV does not work well, so whats your problem?

 

[IgsEMT]

I usually shoot in AV for landscapes, It has always worked great, since I am just starting with portraits, AV does not work well, so whats your problem?

I'll take a stab at a "problem" #1 if you're using your strobe lights you should be shooting in manual. If you're shooting in any modes other then that, especially idiot-proof setups your exposure will probably be off, AND HERE IS WHY:
Imagine you're in Av, you set you ISO 200, f/8 and camera adjusts the shutter speed - lets say 1/60 (if you're fortunate enough in-doors). BUT all that what camera see and doesn't know about your external lights that you'll be using - so you'll probably burn out your subjects. Then as you play with zoom, again camera will readjust the shutter speed to let's say 1/15 and again you'll have beautiful WHITE dot rather then subjects. So that's why you should be shooting with strobes in manual UNLESS you have means to use either camera or some other remote and adjust power outages on external units (aka Nikon CLS)
#2 on your 50D when you plug in the PC cord and plug that into ONE strobe, you have to position other units so built-in eye sees the flash (either direct or indirect/bounced) and fires accordingly - the light with the cord will be so called master.
#3 - going back to original point - what the hell are you doing shooting in portrait mode!? Its same as idiot-green and once again - camera will NOT know that you're shooting with strobes thus will popup your built-in flash.

With all that in mind, step one is (and I can't emphasize it enough) LEARN YOUR EQUIPMENT only after will you be more efficient and proficient in your skill.
Good Luck

 

[Misfitlimp]

I usually shoot in AV for landscapes, It has always worked great, since I am just starting with portraits, AV does not work well, so whats your problem?

I'll take a stab at a "problem" #1 if you're using your strobe lights you should be shooting in manual. If you're shooting in any modes other then that, especially idiot-proof setups your exposure will probably be off, AND HERE IS WHY:
Imagine you're in Av, you set you ISO 200, f/8 and camera adjusts the shutter speed - lets say 1/60 (if you're fortunate enough in-doors). BUT all that what camera see and doesn't know about your external lights that you'll be using - so you'll probably burn out your subjects. Then as you play with zoom, again camera will readjust the shutter speed to let's say 1/15 and again you'll have beautiful WHITE dot rather then subjects. So that's why you should be shooting with strobes in manual UNLESS you have means to use either camera or some other remote and adjust power outages on external units (aka Nikon CLS)
#2 on your 50D when you plug in the PC cord and plug that into ONE strobe, you have to position other units so built-in eye sees the flash (either direct or indirect/bounced) and fires accordingly - the light with the cord will be so called master.
#3 - going back to original point - what the hell are you doing shooting in portrait mode!? Its same as idiot-green and once again - camera will NOT know that you're shooting with strobes thus will popup your built-in flash.

With all that in mind, step one is (and I can't emphasize it enough) LEARN YOUR EQUIPMENT only after will you be more efficient and proficient in your skill.
Good Luck

thank you.

 

[IgsEMT]

thank you.

LOL
:lmao:

 

[fokker]

I'd like to chime in here but I think the question has been answered pretty well. This situation calls for manual mode.

 

[LBPhotog]

Guys, you are all forgetting one key element here ... even if his pop-up flash is going off with 3 strobes it's probably not influencing the exposure very much, if even at all ... when those strobes fire the light from the built in flash is going to be so overpowered that it's barely even a factor ...

I am going to agree that manual mode is the best mode to be shooting your camera in under strobes. All one needs to do it to test your exposure with a flash meter and dial the results into your exposure on the camera ....

I do want to say, that big, bold, underlined RED letters are very distracting and sound very rude ... not sure why you felt that you had to do that ... the point of knowing your equipment is an important one; but, your message was delivered in such a way that it will probably be overlooked ...

 

[Dao]

Yes, pretty much you need to start using manual mode. Your camera is not going to know how much light you are going to have right after you press the trigger.

That's what I will do.

- Set your camera in Manual mode.
- Set the aperture and shutter speed. Since you do not have a meter to meter the flash output, so you just need to do a guess work. Maybe F/8, 1/200 to start.
- Take a shot and adjust the setting accordingly. Remember not to set the shutter speed faster than the your camera flash sync speed. (Mine is 1/250)



(Note: If you use a auto mode, the camera will pop the pop-up flash if ambient light is not enough.)