Comments on: 08 – flash exposure comp

By: John M Roberts

John M Roberts — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:24:52 +0000

Just a short follow-up. I wish there was a custom function to link pressing half way down on the shutter button to include flash exposure evaluation and lock it with the focus. That would be so much more efficient.

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:47:03 +0000

John … Flash Exposure Lock / Flash Value Lock is one of those things where I clearly see that it would be useful, but I don’t use it. Going by the camera’s preview and adjusting the FEC accordingly, is just how I use TTL flash.

The example where you use FEL to measure the flash for off-center subjects is definitely a scenario where using FEL would give you superior and more consistent results. (I may have to re-evaluate how I shoot, come to think of it.)

Neil vN

By: John M Roberts

John M Roberts — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:33:49 +0000

Hey Neil, regarding the use of on camera flash with off center or way off center subjects. I’ve scanned the use of flash exposure lock “FEL” and was unable to find any mention of it on your site. Do you ever find the use of it or does the FEC adjustment always cover that for you?

An example: I was shooting from a kayak at dusk with some faint glow in the background sky. Another kayaker was placed off center. I’m shooting in manual with TTL flash. Being basically dark out my flash was blasting all it had for the subject was not close-up and off center. I dialed down the FEC all the way but that was not enough. Is FEL the only practical solution here other than manual settings on the flash? At the time I was using a Canon Rebel, center weighted metering, with center focus activated to which I locked on the subject then recomposed. Would setting to evaluative meter or in the case of my D700 which I mainly use, set to the matrix setting help in this situation?

Your advice, as always, is greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
John R

By: Allen

Allen — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:33:43 +0000

Hi Neil, I’ve just read a recently updated (August 2011) article on Luminous Landscapes, written by Michael Reichmann about exposing-to-the-right. It suggests that you should still use this technique (ETTR) even when the scene is dark in tone. Only when shooting in RAW though.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/optimizing_exposure.shtml

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:56:56 +0000

TJ … the FEC on the D700 is on the left of the prism if you’re holding the camera.
It’s marked with a lightning bolt.

Neil vN

By: TJ

TJ — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:30:17 +0000

Hi Neil,

First of all i want to thank you for your 2 book, i get enough of knowledge from it, and i am loving it.

Can i ask a silly question here? Where is the Flash Exposure Compensation button on Nikon D700.

Your reader,
TJ

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:28:18 +0000

Jeff … you have a camera and a flash and a diffuser cup …. and willing friends and family. Test this out for yourself and you’ll see then how the contradictions play out.

I could tell you one thing, and try to argue my point and show images …. but ultimately, this is easy enough to figure out for yourself. Then you’ll know without having to rely on others’ opinion … which is contradictory.

Oh, and remember to keep your flash’s distance scale in mind, as well as your necessary flash exposure compensation.

Neil vN

By: jeff

jeff — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:12:24 +0000

I own a 430ex flash for my canon 550d. I also own an omnibounce diffuser. I have read in a number of wedding photography books that using the diffuser outdoors set at a 45 degree angle is worthless and that I should be removing the diffuser and pointing the flash directly at my subjects yet on viewing a dvd recently of Denis Reggie (one of the world’s best wedding photographers) He was taking shots outside at a wedding with what looked like an omnibounce diffuser set at an angle of 45 degrees. Now which is right. It’s just confuses people when they come across contradictary ways to use flash outdoors. Please help.

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 15 May 2011 15:36:13 +0000

Took me some time before I really figured out what you meant with ‘biasing the Nikon camera’s meter in M-mode’, until I was doing some testing few nights ago. I was shooting a white wall in P-mode to see the effect of bright objects on the camera’s meter, with a flash in TTL mode as the main source of light. Indeed I had to use exposure compensation to get the wall nearly white in the image.

Then I switched to M-mode, with FEC set to 0.0, and the same aperture and shutter speed as the image in P-mode. I was ready to use the FEC dial to again make my white wall appear white in the image, but was startled at first to see that the flash already pumped out enough power to make it so. The P-mode’s exposure compensation directly influenced the output of the flash, without even touching the FEC. Aha… now I get it. Dangerous stuff, if you’re unaware.

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Sun, 08 May 2011 05:46:14 +0000

Off-camera flash, or ask them to remove their glasses.

Neil vN