Control on-board flash 1000D Rebel XS

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/18/2009 09:38:46 AM · #1

Just wondering, I was reading this link.

Someone was talking about lowering the strength of the on-board flash and using it to trigger an off-camera flash such as the 430EX, etc... Is it possible to tone down the flash on the 1000D or is that one of the features that didn't come with this entry-level DSLR?

Also I take it the Rebel XS doesn't have the IR on-board trigger either and I would need to get a wireless radio trigger or the one made by Canon to sit in the hotshoe?

I don't have a flash yet but I'm just trying to learn before I get there.

mikeee

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

03/18/2009 11:31:24 AM · #2

Originally posted by drewhosick:

Is it possible to tone down the flash on the 1000D?

Yes, in MENU there's a setting to Exposure Compensate for the on-board flash. I can't remember exactly where, but it's detailed in the manual. The 1000D has neither IR nor wireless flash activation, but there are various aftermarket options that do not cost the earth (i.e. they are not the official Canon one).

You'll notice a big difference using a 'proper' flash rather than the on-board one.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/18/2009 12:43:18 PM · #3

Originally posted by mikeee:

Originally posted by drewhosick:
Is it possible to tone down the flash on the 1000D?

Yes, in MENU there's a setting to Exposure Compensate for the on-board flash. I can't remember exactly where, but it's detailed in the manual. The 1000D has neither IR nor wireless flash activation, but there are various aftermarket options that do not cost the earth (i.e. they are not the official Canon one).

You'll notice a big difference using a 'proper' flash rather than the on-board one.

But the Exposure compensate, does that actually tone down the on-board flash or just change the exposure of a shot?

Kaveran

Canon EOS-50D

03/18/2009 03:46:14 PM · #4

Originally posted by drewhosick:

Originally posted by mikeee:

Originally posted by drewhosick:
Is it possible to tone down the flash on the 1000D?

Yes, in MENU there's a setting to Exposure Compensate for the on-board flash. I can't remember exactly where, but it's detailed in the manual. The 1000D has neither IR nor wireless flash activation, but there are various aftermarket options that do not cost the earth (i.e. they are not the official Canon one).

You'll notice a big difference using a 'proper' flash rather than the on-board one.

But the Exposure compensate, does that actually tone down the on-board flash or just change the exposure of a shot?

Canon is pretty proud of the fact that with their TTL system you can adjust general exposure and flash exposure separately.

Page 78 of the manual talks about exposure compensation, this is the overall exposure of the image.

Page 79 talks about FLASH exposure compensation. This directly relates to the flash power and lighting of the subject. The system is supposed to try and balance flash with ambient but results vary based on the scene. If you find in any given scene the background is properly exposed but subject is dark you should be able to add flash compensation to bring the exposure of the subject up, reverse holds true if suject is getting too much light.

Just note that if the Auto lighting Optimizer is enabled the exposure and flash exposure compensation may not work as intended.

03/20/2009 05:29:10 AM · #5

Speaking of off camera flashes. My dad had an old Konica-Minolta camera that I was talking about in another thread. I was speaking about lenses but there's also a flash in the bag. It's a Black's CB64 Multi-Dedicated flash. Is there a way to slave it to my onboard flash or do these older flashes not have that capability?

03/20/2009 07:23:50 AM · #6

Originally posted by Kaveran:

Page 79 talks about FLASH exposure compensation. This directly relates to the flash power and lighting of the subject. The system is supposed to try and balance flash with ambient but results vary based on the scene. If you find in any given scene the background is properly exposed but subject is dark you should be able to add flash compensation to bring the exposure of the subject up, reverse holds true if suject is getting too much light.

Just note that if the Auto lighting Optimizer is enabled the exposure and flash exposure compensation may not work as intended.

How is this different from just stopping down if your subject is too bright and increasing shutter length if your background is too dark?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/20/2009 07:28:41 AM · #7

Originally posted by drewhosick:

What you want is an optical slave trigger. There are various options out there which are more or less expensive depending upon the features they possess.
Do not attach it to your hotshoe before determining the voltage of the flash or you may fry your camera. See thread here about voltage

Also, for boatloads of lighting info, check out Strobist

Message edited by author 2009-03-20 07:34:35.

Kaveran

Canon EOS-50D

03/20/2009 08:40:07 AM · #8

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Originally posted by Kaveran:

Page 79 talks about FLASH exposure compensation. This directly relates to the flash power and lighting of the subject. The system is supposed to try and balance flash with ambient but results vary based on the scene. If you find in any given scene the background is properly exposed but subject is dark you should be able to add flash compensation to bring the exposure of the subject up, reverse holds true if suject is getting too much light.

Just note that if the Auto lighting Optimizer is enabled the exposure and flash exposure compensation may not work as intended.

How is this different from just stopping down if your subject is too bright and increasing shutter length if your background is too dark?

Because there are usually consequences to changing shutter speed and aperture. What if you want to keep a nice bokeh and lose some of that stopping down to dim the subject?

Why not keep the shutter speed and aperture you want and adjust flash compensation to control exposure of the subject? Sure, there are times when you can drag the shutter or change aperture but its always nice to have options.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/20/2009 08:56:58 AM · #9

I did a really crappy job of asking a question there...
I meant, what does it ACTUALLY do to make this possible? For some reason I missed the part where you said that it relates to flash power and I was wondering to myself if it just changed flash power like on my D300 or if it manipulated aperture/shutter ratios.
My mistake for bad reading.

Kaveran

Canon EOS-50D

03/20/2009 09:13:46 AM · #10

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

The flash will use TTL to determine the strength of the flash. Camera setting changes will depend on what mode you are shooting you in and the camera and flash work together to get proper exposure.

Flash compensation adjusts the flash output (up or down) from where the camera thinks it should be for proper exposure. However, we all know that shooting in one of the program modes means we often get less than desired exposure results.

03/20/2009 09:35:34 AM · #11

I'm familiar with flash compensation. Maybe when I read it the first time, my mind combined flash compensation for the 1000D with "Auto Lighting Optimizer" which I hadn't ever heard of. It's been a long 12 hour night shift, and I'm pretty well mentally worthless now. Ha. Thanks for all the patient responses though.