5d Flash

[verloren]

I'm teetering on the brink of a purchase, but I'm wondering about the action of the internal flash. My impression is that the flash is manually activated, i.e. whatever mode you're in you have to manually flip the flash open for it to work. Is this correct? (I've tried searching the forum but couldn't find the answer)

If that is true, how do you find it in action? I actually think of it as a plus, as I much prefer ambient light shots unless circumstances demand otherwise. But my wife, who will also use the camera, wants the full auto experience. Obviously a manual flash could cause problems with that.

Cheers, Paul

 

[HenkH]

I'm teetering on the brink of a purchase, but I'm wondering about
the action of the internal flash. My impression is that the flash
is manually activated, i.e. whatever mode you're in you have to
manually flip the flash open for it to work. Is this correct?
(I've tried searching the forum but couldn't find the answer)

Yes, and I like it that way (in other cameras one of the first things I usually do is to disable the automatic flash).

If that is true, how do you find it in action? I actually think of
it as a plus, as I much prefer ambient light shots unless
circumstances demand otherwise. But my wife, who will also use the
camera, wants the full auto experience. Obviously a manual flash
could cause problems with that.

The viewfinder gives an indication when the camera thinks you're unable to make a 'good' shot. Just tell your wife to pop-up the flash when this symbol is shown.

 

[IKB]

I haven't needed to use it yet. The noise at high iso is so low and the antishake allows long hand held shutter speeds. I have been able to take the images that I want using existing light levels (there are limits to this of course).

 

[verloren]

Thanks for the responses - it's about what I'd thought, and the ability to take ambient light pics because of the AS is its big selling point for me.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Pix Doc]

My answer to your wife would be:
When you take photos indoors turn the camera on and pop the flash up.
Whatever happens with the lighting the camera will pretty much take care of it.
Pix
--
You Can Create Art With an Oatmeal Box with a Pinhole in it.

Olympus-E-300 HLD-3 14-54 11-22 50-200 50-macro FL50 Minolta 7D Fuji-F10

 

[Videoguy]

Does the 5D flash often cause people to have closed eyes in their pictures the way the 7D does?

 

[RickD]

The nice thing about having to raise it manually is the option not to. That being said, using it as a fill flash often makes portraits nicer, even in good light and is really easy. As someone noted in another thread, double flash is common to all TTL flashes, and eye blinking can occur. I find with 5D and internal flash or 3600 this is usually not a problem, particularly if ambient lighting is good and you are using it more as a fill flash rather than the sole source of lighting in a dark room.
--
RickD

 

[Videoguy]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on a 5D purchase and have a question about the fill flash.

Is there a setting for fill flash? Or is that automatic when using TTL flash? So to get a full flash when there is ambient lighting, you would use manual mode?

The nice thing about having to raise it manually is the option not
to. That being said, using it as a fill flash often makes portraits
nicer, even in good light and is really easy. As someone noted in
another thread, double flash is common to all TTL flashes, and eye
blinking can occur. I find with 5D and internal flash or 3600 this
is usually not a problem, particularly if ambient lighting is good
and you are using it more as a fill flash rather than the sole
source of lighting in a dark room.
--
RickD

 

[tme]

When u raise the flash, u are by default in fill-flash mode. How much flash u get depends on three things: 1) the flash mode that u selected, 2) the flash exposure compensation and 3) the ambient lighting and what u choose to expose...

The great thing about digital photography is that u can shoot and re-shoot till u get the flash exposure right. I usually now shoot fully manual under low light. Expose for the ambient light with the flash off in A mode. Switch to M mode and set the settings in A mode. Then switch on the flash and turn it to manual, and dial down the power until I get a satisfactory shot. I keep that setting and adjust the flash exposure by dialing in compensation using the flash exposure compensation... btw I use a 7D and a 5600HS flash. The princple remains the same for the 5D and built-in flash.

 

[Ged]

Is there a setting for fill flash? Or is that automatic when using
TTL flash? So to get a full flash when there is ambient lighting,
you would use manual mode?

As noted, the default is fill flash, and it can easily be adjusted. Above all, I love how easy it is to get slow sync - just press AEL and you get a slow sync shot. I tend to keep my flash in Rear Curtain all the time, and use slow sync for most of my flash shots where exposure times are long.

Tweak one menu setting, and ordinary exposure compensation is decoupled from flash exposure. That is, if you adjust normal exposure compensation, the flash will not be affected. This is great for controlling the level of background exposure when using slow sync, without having to tweak the flash exposure every time.

I am thinking about getting a 3600 to get HSS, but sofar I have resisted the temptation. Unfortunately, the dark time of the year is upon us, so I feel a 3600 on its way to us.

 

[AllanMarcus]

I'm also thinking of getting a 3600. So that I'm clear, the 3600 has an AF Illuminator, right? For short distances (

eliminating the preflash would be one of my main reasons for getting the 3600 (plus the bounce and power).
--

Thanks,

Allan Marcus
Maxxum 5D
Mac OS X

 

[Videoguy]

I asked the same thing, and it was mentioned in a couple threads that you still get preflash when using TTL flash metering capability on the DSLR cameras due to how the metering works. It flashes the first time to take a reading before fireing the required flash for the actual picture.

I'm also thinking of getting a 3600. So that I'm clear, the 3600
has an AF Illuminator, right? For short distances (
should eliminate the focus preflash, right? Will it eliminate
preflash in general?

eliminating the preflash would be one of my main reasons for
getting the 3600 (plus the bounce and power).
--

Thanks,

Allan Marcus
Maxxum 5D
Mac OS X

 

[AllanMarcus]

is it one quick preflash, or the long series of quick flashes the camera does to help focus?
--

Thanks,

Allan Marcus
Maxxum 5D
Mac OS X

 

[Videoguy]

The focus assist flash is a series of quick flashes, sometimes referred to as a flutter flash.

The preflash for exposure metering is right before the final flash. There is an obvious double flash on the 5D due to this preflash. You will get this with the 3600HD and 5600HS flashes also. A Metz 54MZ4 or Auto Thyristor Type flash would provide alternatives to avoid preflash, but you have to make sacrifices also. Plenty of details in other threads.