Flashgun Help

[HebburnMackem]

I've finally got around to playing with my new flashgun, but need help with exposure.

I have the Canon 550D + Speedlite YN565EX, both TTL II

I like to shoot in aperture priority quite a lot, so when I focus on a dark subject, the camera wants to expose for 1 - 3 seconds, which is far longer than needed when I have the flash.

Do I have to go Manual when using a flashgun (to set exposure duration).. Or is there something I'm missing.

Because they are both TTL II / ETTL, I was expecting this not to be an issue.

ta

[UaeExile]

Originally Posted by HebburnMackem

I've finally got around to playing with my new flashgun, but need help with exposure.

I have the Canon 550D + Speedlite YN565EX, both TTL II

I like to shoot in aperture priority quite a lot, so when I focus on a dark subject, the camera wants to expose for 1 - 3 seconds, which is far longer than needed when I have the flash.

Do I have to go Manual when using a flashgun (to set exposure duration).. Or is there something I'm missing.

Because they are both TTL II / ETTL, I was expecting this not to be an issue.

ta

Just get used to shooting in manual. Problem solved

[HebburnMackem]

Originally Posted by UaeExile

Just get used to shooting in manual. Problem solved

I use manual mode all the time *when needed*

So is what you are saying that to use flashguns you need to be in manual?

So whats the point in TTL/ETTL if you have to set everything up manually?

Found this:

7) I tried to take a flash photo and the camera wanted a really slow shutter speed. Why?

This occurred because you are trying to take a flash photo in low-light conditions and the camera is in Av (aperture priority) mode or the night PIC (icon) mode if your camera has it.

In Av, night and Tv (shutter speed priority) modes the camera meters for ambient (existing) light and fills in the foreground subject using the flash. It does not assume that the primary light source is the flash, and therefore the shutter speed it sets is the same as it would set if you weren’t using flash at all.

In low light this results in slow shutter photography. If the shutter speed is very long you will, therefore, need a tripod to avoid motion blur during the exposure.

Alternatively you can switch to full auto (green rectangle) or Program (P) mode, which automatically expose for the flash-illuminated subject and not the background. These modes try to ensure that the shutter speed is high enough to let you handhold the camera without a tripod. The drawback of P and basic modes is that photos taken in dimly lit areas usually end up with black or poorly lit backgrounds.