Canon Speedlite problems

[man from UNCLE]

Anyone else had problems with these flashes? I'm on my third speedlite and I tend to use it in continuous mode (if that's what you call it). Eats batteries and can't seem to re-charge at the same speed as my cameras - 1DS mk2 and 5D. The results when they work are fabulous, but it's very hit and miss when they're actually going to fire. Any ideas anyone?

[Simpo Two]

man from UNCLE said:

Anyone else had problems with these flashes? I'm on my third speedlite and I tend to use it in continuous mode (if that's what you call it). Eats batteries and can't seem to re-charge at the same speed as my cameras - 1DS mk2 and 5D. The results when they work are fabulous, but it's very hit and miss when they're actually going to fire. Any ideas anyone?

Well I'm Nikon but here are some general thoughts...

1) AFAIK a flash doesn't have 'continuous' mode - perhaps you mean you're using burst mode on the camera, eg 3-5fps. In this case the flash often can't always recharge in time for the next shot, especially if it's using a lot of power each time.

2) Eats batteries - perhaps you're using it in Manual and it's giving full blast every time?

Either of the above can cause the unit to overheat. Some flash guns have thermal protection, others don't.

3) Recharge time - possibly camera uses Li-Ion batteries, flash uses AA rechargeable MiMH? Latter take a few hours to recharge.

[SamHH]

I have a Speedlite flash and I'm not familiar with a 'continuous' mode on the flash; are you referring to the drive mode on the camera? As for battery life I use 2600mAh NiMH batteries and they've not run flat after 250 or so firings (the specifications claim 200-1400 firings with alkaline batteries). What batteries do you use and how old are they? When you say "it's very hit and miss when they're actually going to fire", do you mean that sometimes you press the shutter release but the flash doesn't fire? If so, my first suspicion would be that there is a fault with the flash. Alternatively it could be what Simpo Two suggests: that the flash simply hasn't had time to recharge. The flash probably has a light on the control panel that will illuminate when it is ready to fire. Has it been like that since new and did your previous flashes have the same problem?

Edited by SamHH on Saturday 1st November 20:09

[ruaricoles]

SamHH said:

I have a Speedlite flash and I'm not familiar with a 'continuous' mode on the flash;

Perhaps high speed sync mode??? (Which fires the flash multiple times to cope with fast shutter speeds, if I understand correctly)

Ruari

[man from UNCLE]

Thanks all, and sorry not to have replied earlier - I wasn't expecting quick replies last night.

It's High Speed Sync mode as suggested by Ruari that is the problem. The cameras shoot at 5fps and I don't think the flash can keep up. The batteries are rechargable 2200 mah. Whaty I do find annoying with these speedlights is that there's no Battery indicator on them.

The batteries did feel quite hot when I changed them, but I do have a nagging suspicion it's a flash fault as it should be able to cope with a burst like that I would have thought.

Higher-powered batteries maybe?

Edited by man from UNCLE on Sunday 2nd November 08:19

[Simpo Two]

man from UNCLE said:

Thanks all, and sorry not to have replied earlier - I wasn't expecting quick replies last night.

It's High Speed Sync mode as suggested by Ruari that is the problem. The cameras shoot at 5fps and I don't think the flash can keep up. The batteries are rechargable 2200 mah. Whaty I do find annoying with these speedlights is that there's no Battery indicator on them.

The batteries did feel quite hot when I changed them, but I do have a nagging suspicion it's a flash fault as it should be able to cope with a burst like that I would have thought.

Higher-powered batteries maybe?

(speaking from the Nikon POV again but they seem very similar so far) High Speed Synch is to allow shutter faster speeds (over 1/250th). It's not to do with frames per second; you can easily get 5fps at 1/250th! Indeed running HSS whe not needed just reduces power.

So, what shutter speed do you actually need to take yoru photos? Maybe yu can use the flash in normal mode and stop burning them out?!

[man from UNCLE]

ISO 500, F4.5 1/80th

Maybe as you say, I don't HSS.

[SamHH]

man from UNCLE said:

ISO 500, F4.5 1/80th

Maybe as you say, I don't HSS.

High speed synch isn't required for a shutter speed of 1/80th of a second. On Speedlites with a electronic display high speed synch should be denoted with an icon of a lightning bolt and an 'H'. This icon will probably also be displayed in the camera's viewfinder.

If you're shooting lots of frames at the rate of 5 per second, I suspect that the problem is not to do with the shutter speed or the use of high speed synch. Rather, it might be that the flash simply can't recharge (a.k.a. recycle) fast enough. This situation might be worsened if your batteries are old, which could also be why they aren't lasting as long as you'd wish.

Edited by SamHH on Sunday 2nd November 11:13

[man from UNCLE]

Thank you all -much appreciated. I shall check and experiment with different batteries and turn the HSS off.

[Simpo Two]

Looks like we fixed it

ATEOTD a strap on flash is never going to keep up with a camera on burst mode. Even my studio flash heads (plugged into the mains) will only get 2 out of 3 shots when at 3fps.

If you really have to shoot at 5fps then I fear you'll have to use ambient light. Constant flashing at that speed will also weed out the epileptics from the crowd... they'll fall over and the migraine sufferers will leave...

Or be a sniper and not a machine gunner?

[man from UNCLE]

Guys, thanks a lot.
Seems the problem is indeed the HSS that's burning out the flashes and draining the batteries.
I didn't realise I could get a decent burst without using it.
Cheers, Kim

[Ed_P]

Like in all aspects of photography, you get the most consistent results when you understand the equipment and settings, through experience and practice. For me (and others I suspect), the use of Speedlite and off-camera flash seemed a bit of a dark art (no pun intended). I've found (in circumstances where there is time to set up properly), that the following approach works for me.

Turn camera to Manual. Meter the scene and adjust exposure using aperture and shutter settings. I try to imagine the camera taking two separate shots; the "non-flash" ambient background and the flash-assisted foreground or subject. I'm setting the "background" here and need a shutter speed of around 1/30th or less, up to the camera's X-sync speed (1/200th on my 5D). Depending on ambient light levels, I aim for a point between -2 and 0 exposure compensation. Adjust ISO settings as required. ISO 400 should be fine on most DSLRs. Take a test shot and review. Adjust as necessary. The benefit of Manual mode is that the aperture and shutter speeds are in effect "locked" and the camera's metering system will not keep adjusting them. That's the "background" lighting sorted.

Now turn on the flash and take a test shot. The flash can be on or off-camera, diffused, bounced, whatever. Look at the preview and histogram. Adjust Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) as required. On my camera it's just a matter of pressing the FEC button and adjusting the rear Control Dial. The E-TTL system on the Speedlite will now (generally) take care of things and you have a "default" setup for the current lighting conditions. If you're in a studio (where you're controlling everything), you can even turn the Speedlite to Manual and use it like a studio strobe.

If your subject is not mid-frame, don't forget Flash Exposure (FE) Lock. Aim at the subject and press the FE Lock <*> button. The Speedlite will fire a test-flash and store the settings. Recompose and shoot!

If all this is just too much, using the <P>rogram mode can give good results. This mode sets the shutter to a range between 1/60th and the camera's X-sync speed. In low ambient light settings, the background can be very dark or black though, but it is a useful mode for hand-held shots.

For fill-in flash in bright conditions, where the shutter speed is faster than the camera's X-sync speed, wide-aperture portraits for example (the original subject of this thread), High-Speed Sync can be used. The Speedlite emits a rapid pulse of lower-intensity flashes.

My advice? Practice on you own, using all the settings that are available. Don't wait till you are shooting your friend's wedding! I know my approach won't suit everybody and would love to hear other's advice.

Ed ...

[tog]

Due to the way it works, high speed sync uses a LOT of power. The faster the shutter speed, the less the effective range of the flash. There should be a table in the manual telling you the light loss.