Canon flash question

"Dave" wrote in message

 > I have a Canon EOS Elan IIe, which is very similar to your camera. The
only
 > difference should be the eye-controlled focus-point feature.
 >
 > I don't believe my Elan IIe will work in ETTL mode.
 >
It will and it does. The Canon EOS 50E / Elan II E was the first EOS to
include E-TTL. It certainly works just fine on both my EOS 50E and Elan II E
 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question 

"Dave" wrote in message

 > I have a Canon EOS Elan IIe, which is very similar to your camera. The
only
 > difference should be the eye-controlled focus-point feature.
 >
 > I don't believe my Elan IIe will work in ETTL mode.

The Elan II/IIe most definitely uses E-TTL.
The Elan II/IIe was the first Canon body designed for E-TTL (I think).
 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question 

My guess is that your flashmeter is being triggered by the ETTL pre-flash
(normally invisible to us mere mortals!). Hence why your reading doesn't
change.
Try setting your camera to delayed action, with the 10 second delay, and reset
/turn on your flash meter after the pre-flash which fires before the mirror goes
up, but before the main flash which fires when the lens aperture has been
stopped down.

Hope this helps - I assume you've read the manual. If not, you're not likely to
make full use of the 550EX. It's a superb gun.
--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm" target="_blank">www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm</a>


"Don" wrote in message

 > I have been testing my Eos Elan II with a 550ex flash and a Sekonic L508
 > meter and am confused as to the readouts that I am getting.
 >
 > Here is what I have done.
 > Camera set at 1/60 F8 Iso 100 on manual
 > Flash is set for ETTL
 > Meter set for ISO 100
 > Camera/flash at 8 feet from the flash meter
 > room size about 12x12 feet white walls with only one single household light
 > in the room for normal room lighting purposes only.
 >
 > I get a reading of F2.6 after triggering shutter
 >
 > When changing flash compensation on flash head the Meter reading on the
 > flash meter does not change with either + or - compensation after
 > additioonal triggering of shutter.
 >
 > Is this normal? Should not the flash meter read different readouts?
 >
 > Now when I set both the camera and flash on manual mode, at the above
 > camera/flash settings I get a reading of
 > F8.9 and as I decrease output the meter also changes in aperature as it
 > should from F8 to F1.4
 >
 > I hope I made it clear for someone to answer as I find all this flash
 > business very confusing. I have 2 550ex flash heads and they both indicate
 > similar readouts on the flash meter.
 >
 > Don
 >
 >
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question 

Any questions on using flash with Canon EOS camera bodies will almost
certainly be answered at
<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/" target="_blank">http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/</a> - make a cup of coffee and settle
in for a long read!



"Don" wrote in message

 > I have been testing my Eos Elan II with a 550ex flash and a Sekonic L508
 > meter and am confused as to the readouts that I am getting.
 >
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question 

With any photography there are four basic variables that will determine what
your exposure (par) should be.

1. Your shutter speed.
2. Your lens aperture.
3. Film speed or CCD gain (ISO)
4. The light source.

Your initially chosen settings (as per your post) are all manual with the
exception of the speedlite which you have set to E-TTL. E-TTL is effectively
"program" mode for speedlites, meaning that if the other three variables are
set to be constant, the speedlite will vary it's output to ensure a correct
exposure (par, or 18% grey). This variance will be based on the light to
subject distance and the ambient light in the room.

Had you set your 550EX to manual mode and taken a reading with your
flashmeter, you would get aperture readings consistant with the non-varying
light coming out of the 550EX. By using E-TTL mode you are telling the 550EX
that it has to vary its output based on the information it receives via your
chosen camera settings to achieve par.

If you set the 550EX to manual it will output the same amount of light with
every burst. You would then have to vary one of the other three variables to
achieve par.

Just remember that a variation in any of the four variables will affect at
least one of the remaining three. Whichever of the three you decide to
adjust to accommodate the change in the other variable is entirely up to
you. It can be shutter speed, aperture, ISO or the light (when shooting
indoors with E-TTL).

If you decide to use E-TTL with manual settings on your camera you will not
be able to use a flashmeter. It will give you readings based on the
pre-flashes E-TTL uses to determine what par should be.

--
"I smile mostly everywhere. Well, there's some people might disagree. But
hey, I'm playin' with the Stones, man. You know, I mean why shouldn't I
smile?"
- Keith Richards

<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.imageunlimited.co.za" target="_blank">www.imageunlimited.co.za</a>
..
"Don" wrote in message

 > I have been testing my Eos Elan II with a 550ex flash and a Sekonic L508
 > meter and am confused as to the readouts that I am getting.
 >
 > Here is what I have done.
 > Camera set at 1/60 F8 Iso 100 on manual
 > Flash is set for ETTL
 > Meter set for ISO 100
 > Camera/flash at 8 feet from the flash meter
 > room size about 12x12 feet white walls with only one single household
light
 > in the room for normal room lighting purposes only.
 >
 > I get a reading of F2.6 after triggering shutter
 >
 > When changing flash compensation on flash head the Meter reading on the
 > flash meter does not change with either + or - compensation after
 > additioonal triggering of shutter.
 >
 > Is this normal? Should not the flash meter read different readouts?
 >
 > Now when I set both the camera and flash on manual mode, at the above
 > camera/flash settings I get a reading of
 > F8.9 and as I decrease output the meter also changes in aperature as it
 > should from F8 to F1.4
 >
 > I hope I made it clear for someone to answer as I find all this flash
 > business very confusing. I have 2 550ex flash heads and they both indicate
 > similar readouts on the flash meter.
 >
 > Don
 >
 >
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question 

Thanks very much. I've learned something new!

"Tony Parkinson" wrote in message



  > > I have a Canon EOS Elan IIe, which is very similar to your camera. The
 > only
  > > difference should be the eye-controlled focus-point feature.
  > >
  > > I don't believe my Elan IIe will work in ETTL mode.
  > >
 > It will and it does. The Canon EOS 50E / Elan II E was the first EOS to
 > include E-TTL. It certainly works just fine on both my EOS 50E and Elan II
E
 >
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question 

Robert Coe wrote:

> : Âûêëàäûâàéòå è âû ñâîè !!
>
> Very well said.

A little too much accent for my ears.


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 >> Stay informed about: Canon flash question