Speed lite 430ex II help

sworks · 17 Nov 2015

I've never used a flash on my 1d and it's something I want to try out, I haven't taken any photos for a while so I've been loaned a 430ex II to have a play with before I decide to purchase a flash. There probably isn't a definitive answer but for general indoor basic stuff should the shutter sync be set to Hi-speed rather than 1st or 2nd curtain?
Thanks

Phil V · 17 Nov 2015

sworks said:
I've never used a flash on my 1d and it's something I want to try out, I haven't taken any photos for a while so I've been loaned a 430ex II to have a play with before I decide to purchase a flash. There probably isn't a definitive answer but for general indoor basic stuff should the shutter sync be set to Hi-speed rather than 1st or 2nd curtain?
Thanks

To help you sort this in your head.

When shooting with flash, you should consider 2 separate exposures, one for the ambient, the other for the flash. High speed sync is generally used when using flash as fill in bright sun (the high shutter speed required to allow shallow DoF.

Indoors, your ambient is low, so you don't want a fast shutter speed (in fact you might use a really slow one), then you want to work out your flash to ambient ratio.

But more importantly, you need to think about the direction of the light, you don't want to light your subject with a point source from above the lens, bounce it off a wall or ceiling or reflector to create a more attractive light source.

Kenny Girvan · 18 Nov 2015

Hi,

They are a great flash, mine has been super reliable and consistent. 1st or 2nd curtain is only really of use for 'special effects' type flash shots eg longish exposure shots at night of a runner to get a trail effect. High speed is for when you need a shuuter speed higher than the normal synch speed of the camera 1/200, 1/250.

For normal use just leave as default and either use ETTL for ease of use, or manual if you want to experiment. You should play about with camera settings eg what mode (program, tv, aperture etc) and what shutter speed/ISO/aperture depending on what effects you are going for. There are loads of websites etc for advice.

For ease of use, stick the camera on program, the flash on ettl and bounce it off a ceiling or wall. Will give you decent photos the majority of the time!!

sworks · 18 Nov 2015

Thanks for the help Phil, it's much appreciated. Thanks for your input too Kenny, so if ettl is selected does it override the setting for 1st 2nd and high speed sync?

Phil V · 19 Nov 2015

sworks said:
Thanks for the help Phil, it's much appreciated. Thanks for your input too Kenny, so if ettl is selected does it override the setting for 1st 2nd and high speed sync?

You can use ETTL with either.

But I think you're misunderstanding the terms. Unless you set 2nd curtain sync, 1st curtain is set by default.

This means that the flash fires as soon as the first shutter curtain has got to the edge of the sensor, so the sensor is ready for exposure.

HSS is used for shutter speeds faster than max sync, but oddly it works by pulsing the flash to prolong the flash burn time so the flash is lit through the the shutter curtain movement, it lowers the effective power of the flash though.

2nd curtain is used only for when you want to freeze an object with flash, but have a movement trail behind it (lit by ambient) the best example would be a snooker ball.

sworks · 19 Nov 2015

Thanks Phil, understand better now, and I've been watching some YouTube videos. When looking on the camera in the flash setting it was set to high speed sync and I wasn't sure which was the best setting for it to be on out of the three. I'm hoping to have a play this weekend so I will set it to first curtain. Thanks for the help it's much appreciated

Deadlock · 20 Nov 2015

Hi,
There's a lot of good info here so only a couple of points to add.
"general indoor basic" = first or second curtain is fine with ttl.
For more advanced, think about when one is better than another and make the choice based on your preference for the given situation and what you are trying to achieve.
I.e. We are familiar with seeing in comics and cartoons, superheroes running or flying in one direction with some lines or a blurry trail behind them. This is second curtain sync. If you tried taking first curtain, the blur would be in front of them and would just look wrong.
Consider this when you have a running child indoors in low light and wish to lower the shutter speed to capture more ambient light to retain the atmosphere.

Another point to consider over basic functionality is the directionality of light. Although the 430 is a good, robust and reliable flash, it does not have the full range of rotation, thus preventing you from taking certain shots. This is one of the ways how canon differentiates their range of flashes from entry (fixed forward) to mid (limited movement) to pro ( full range of movement)

Kenny Girvan · 20 Nov 2015

Hi, just a quick add to this discussion.

I was shooting a small event today, indoors and using my 430. Because I was moving about and changing views, positions etc. I used the camera on program and flash on ettl. I changed the flash angle a few times to get some bounce light of ceilings and walls. Almost all were keepers. If I'm shooting more creative eg outdoors, then I'll be in manual/av/tv and maybe use second curtain and HSS at times for different effects.

I find the 430 to be excellent but could do with a bit more power at times, also not that great for multiple flash setups. I'm considering a couple of Yongnuo 600ex which as far as I can see is a much cheaper version of the canon 600 and also compatible with the latest multiple radio type setup. Anyone got experience of these?

Cheers,

Kenny

sworks · 20 Nov 2015

Thanks for all the help guys it's much appreciated