Digital light meter and flash photography question...?
I use a Canon 20D with a Speedlite 430ex II (I'm still trying to learn how to use the flash). Also, I prefer to shoot in manual mode. The problem I'm finding is that when shooting in a dark area, the camera's light meter always reads that it's too dark (which is why I'm using the flash). How can I know that the image will be properly exposed without any sort of meter? Sorry if the answer is obvious, but it's the one thing that's keeping me from understanding how to correctly use my flash. Thanks in advance!
There are advantages in using Manual Mode for flash photography. Your flash can be used in TTL mode. TTL works by emitting a pre-flash, reading the resulting light reflecting off the subject and using that value to alter the duration of the flash thereby controlling the light. TTL is very good at 'fill in' flash, anything else can be a 'mind bending' exercise, there are some things a TTL finds very difficult to do, a totally black background 'floating head' shot for instance, like this one.
The advantages of using Manual everything with a flash shot is you can control the ambient and flash components independently. The problem is getting the exposure right. Digital has given us the opportunity of just 'chimping' it. Taking a shot and adjusting, take another and so on.
Manual flash works like this;
ISO and aperture effect both the ambient and the flash components.
Flash power and flash to subject distance effects just the flash component.
Shutter speed effects just the ambient component. The duration of the flash is so short (faster than 1/1000th of a second at full power to 1/50,000th of a second at 1/256th power is normal) that slower shutter speeds don't have any effect on the flash component.
You can take the guesswork out of this procedure with a flash meter. You trigger the flash with the meter from the subjects position pointing back at the camera, an incident light reading. This measures the light falling onto your subject and will always give an accurate exposure, accurate to 1/10th of a stop.
You set the meter with the ISO and shutter speed you will be using, fire the flash and the meter will give you the aperture including 1/10ths.
Note) The fastest shutter speed you can use with a DSLR with it's focal plane shutter is called the X speed and varies with manufacturer, anything from 1/160th to 1/250th of a second, it will be in the cameras spec. This is the fastest speed you can use when all the sensor is exposed, faster than this and some of the frame will have a darker band across it usually at the bottom of the frame, this is the part of the sensor that doesn't see the flash.
Chris
Tips for Buying & Using a Camera : How to Read a Hand-Held Light Meter
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