EOS 5D Mark III & Speedlite 600EX-RT - Consistently Dark Pictures

[nelsonsdavis]

Flash issues-pictures look like no flash being used! As if the flashgun is not firing at full power

Need help fast - Flash issues - pictures look like there was no flash being used! As if the flashgun is not firing at full power - HELP! Okay, once upon a time, I had a 550 with a 270 EXII. Pointed it at a person 3-5 feet away in P mode and every picture looked nice and bright, never a problem. Flash forward - shooting with a 5D Mk 3 and a 600EX RT. P mode, flash in ETTL II mode....nearly every indoor picture I take with the flash is the opposite of bright.....positively dull - as if something is holding it back from firing it's full power for that shot. I've checked every single setting in camera and in flash, and can't figure out what is going on. I played around with the settings - EXT A seemed to be a wee bit better. Manually upping the flash exposure level certainly helps - but first I have to take a shot, check it, if too dark, up it, shoot again. Ridiculous. There is something obvious going on and I just can't track down what I'm doing wrong. I need to be able to move around a conference hall, quickly taking pictures, which is how I used my 550 and 270. Now with the 600 and the 5D (also happens with my 70D), I can't reliably shoot flash shoots so the subject is beautifully lighted up......who's got an easy answer for me? Thanks!

[TTMartin]

Canon's meter for the flash and for the camera. You have two destinct meterings and two seperate exposure compensations.

If you want more visable flash effect increase the 'flash exposure compensation' setting.

Also are you trying to bounce the flash now? With your 270EX you were most likely getting some direct flash on your subject even with the flash in the upper position.

[RobertTheFat]

Canon's E-TTL algorithm is extremely averse to blown highlights. In effect, it assumes that all flash is fill flash. You must set your camera to expose for the background; otherwise only the highlights of the image will be properly lit.

Using bounce flash can be a workaround, even in a fairly large room, as long as the ceilings aren't too high. The 600EX is a very powerful flash unit. If that doesn't do it, and your camera's low-light performance won't let you expose for the background, you'll probably have to set the flash to manual.

One of the great mysteries of the age is that Canon doesn't do a better job of explaining this behavior. Every user has to deal with it at some point. In this forum we see a question similar to yours every month or so.

[amfoto1]

An easy solution...

Put your camera in M (manual) mode.

In fact, Canon flash only "assumes that all flash is fill flash" in the auto exposure modes (Av, Tv and P). It seems to vary a bit depending upon the specific flash and the specific camera model, but the camera will set the exposure according to the ambient light conditions (as if there were no flash) and then will fire the flash as fill, generally at about -1.66 stop power.  You can vary that flash output with Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC).

If you shift the camera to M mode, it then treats the flash as "full" and will meter the flash output as if it were the only or primary light source. You can still adjust the ISO, aperture and shutter speed to include more or less of the ambient light (up to the flash sync speed). Be sure Auto ISO is off, too.  And be certain the flash is set to ETTL mode and you'll still get an auto exposure, even though the camera is set to M. Once again, you can use FEC to increase or decrease exposure, or to compensate for unusually bright or dark subjects.

I recommend direct flash, not bounce. If necessary, put a diffuser of some sort on the flash, but keep it pointed at your subject. Direct flash is much more reliable than bounced flash, even if the direct flash is diffused in some way. 

I also like to put the flash on a bracket, with an off-camera shoe cord. That moves the flash off to the side and higher up, reducing redeye and ugly shadows. Gives me another grip on the camera, too.

You'll need to experiment a little with your particular cameras and flashes. I've used these methods successfully with several 550EX and 580EX II, on a variety of cameras. I don't have 5DIII or 70D or 600EX, though.

Let us know how it works.

***********

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & EXPOSUREMANAGER 

[nelsonsdavis]

Thanks Alan. Someone else also suggested this. Do you think these settings would work well? ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/125 sec. Most posed shots at conferences are within 4-8 feet from me. Thanks! Nelson

[amfoto1]

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@nelsonsdavis wrote:

....Do you think these settings would work well? ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/125 sec.... Most posed shots at conferences are within 4-8 feet from me. Thanks! Nelson

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Hi Nelson,

Sorry, but I have no way of knowing what might be the correct settings. It entirely depends upon how brightly the location is lit... how much ambient light is already there before considering the flash... and how much of that available ligkt you want to include in the image along with the flash. Take a meter reading...Or just take a few test shots without flash and with the camera in any of  the auto exposure modes, to help you decide. Then switch to M mode and lock in the same settings the camera selected in the auto modes.  

WIth flash as your primary light source, the shutter speed usually is the least important factor, so long as it's at or below the flash sync speed. With the full frame cameras and portable flash, you can use up to 1/200 flash sync. The APS-C cameras are typically 1/250. Check your camera manuals to be sure.  (Note: Canon flashes have High Speed Sync or HSS capability, which allows you to use flash with shutter speeds much faster than the camera's flash sync speed. However, this significanly reduces the flash's reach. It also cannot be used at the same time as some other useful features, such as Rear Curtain Sync.)

The momentary pop of the flash itself acts like a relatively fast shutter speed. Typically equivalent to about 1/720 second, with most portable flash. So you can stil freeze movement with slower shutter speeds on the camera, so long as the flash is the primary light source. Be a little careful though... "ghosting" problems can start to happend if you use too slow shutter speed and record more of the ambient light, along with the flash.

Mostly use the camera's ISO and the aperture to control the flash. Canon flashes will calculate the range of distance the flash can accomodate and display that on the back LCD (it's a scale at the bottom of the screen on my flashes... probably similar on yours... check your flash manual).  Anywhere within that range, the flash should be able to render a correct exposure. I like to set up with it biased for a little closer (i.e. use a slightyly higher ISO and/or slightly larger aperture), because doing so will allow for plenty of light to take the shot even though the flash fires at less than full power, which in turn makes it recycle faster and may reduce chance of it overheating with repeated and frequent use.  

Once you know that the subject range is covered by the flash, you can choose to include more or less of the ambient (non-flash) bakcground light. Use a higher ISO and/or larger aperture to include more ambeint light... lower ISO and/or smaller aperture to capture less. If using a diffuser on the flash, allow a bit extra for that (because it will reduce the flash's effective output somewhat).

Shooting that close (4 to 8 feet), I'd definitely consider using a diffuser of some sort on the flash, such as a "mini softbox".... to make the light less contrasty and harsh. And I'd put the flash on a bracket to move it higher and a bit off to one side. This both reduces problems with redeye and tends to throw shadows down and behind the subject, where they aren't a problem.

Personally I often use a tall/adjustable Manfrotto 233B bracket. That's rather large and heavy, so sometomes I also use a smaller generic/no-name bracket that folds compactly. Plus I have a couple Wimberley flash brackets especially for use with lenses that have tripod mounting rings with Arca-Swiss type quick release plates on them. Flash on all these brackets is most easily done with an off-camera shoe cord (Canon OC-E2 or OC-E3 or similar).

I also use several of Canon's Compact Battery Packs (CP-E2, CP-E3, CP-E4) to help power the flashes... Each holds eight or ten additional batteries that help the flash recycle faster. (Not all Canon flashes have a port to connect these... I know the 550 and 580 models do... imagine the 600 does too... but don't think the 400, 300 or 200-series flashes do.)

Once you get your flash setup sorted out and understand what the flashes do in different modes, it's really quite easy with modern ETTL flashes!

***********

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & EXPOSUREMANAGER 
 

[Tomix01]

The same just happened to me. None of the advices below could resolve the issue. Also this issue suddenly came up one suddenly after always working perfectly before. No changes on the camera ( EOS5 Mark II) or the flashes (2 EZ 270 II) were made. I already put the flash compensation to the max which helped very little.  I´m doing intraoral fotography in manual mode at  125Speed and f22 with a sigma 105mm macro 1: 2.8. Until yesterday i had awesome results. Now everything is dull and dark. I tried a shot in automatic mode, which changed my ISO to 400 ( I use 100) and shutter speed to 60 and f 2.8. Very bright, but not what I need considering depth of field. Any help in sight? Are my flashes done?

[John_Q]

Hello Tomix01,

I would suggest contacting our phone support for help with troubleshooting this issue. If you would like to speak with a Canon representative, please contact our Technical Support Team at 1-800-652-2666, Monday through Friday between 9:00 am to 9:00 pm ET and Saturday between 9:00 am to 7:00 pm ET. 

[John_Q]

Hello nelsondavis,

I would suggest contacting our phone support for help with troubleshooting this issue. If you would like to speak with a Canon representative, please contact our Technical Support Team at 1-800-652-2666, Monday through Friday between 9:00 am to 9:00 pm ET and Saturday between 9:00 am to 7:00 pm ET. 

[nelsonsdavis]

Thanks for getting back to me....eight years after I posted my comments!

;-0

- Nelson