550d built in flash speeds

[andydo]

does anyone know if the built in flash has adjustable speeds and if so where abouts the settings are

cheers

[Jediboy]

Does this help??

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Ca...i/design.shtml

[andydo]

doesnt really tell you about different speeds just exposure compensation and shutter sync curtains 1 and 2 whatever they are

[greenwing]

I don't have a clue about Canons. In the Nikon system, you get the shutter speed the camera decides in A or P mode. In S (Tv to you) or M, you get the shutter speed you select. In anything but M, the camera tries to make a good ambient light exposure, and then fires the flash.

What I'm saying, really, is to use Tv or M.

Chris

[andydo]

chris im trying to do what was described in last weekends comp by using the flash speed not shutter speed as it gives a clearer shot , it probably cant be done on mine
cheers for help anyway

[LaPistola]

I think you need a flash gun. The only on-camera flash control you have is flash exposure comp, metering and curtain.

To get to this you have two ways. Menu way. Menu > Flash Control (in one of the spanner menus(3rd on my 50D) ) > Built-in flash func. setting > Flash exp. comp then use the back dial to adjust.

Other way (not sure if this is true to the 550D as it don't have an LCD top screen but you press the ISO button while looking though the view finder then turn the back dial to adjust. It uses the same exposure correcting scale.

1st Curtain flash means the flash will fire when the shutter opens, 2nd curtain means the flash will fire just before the shutter closes. Its used when trying to illuminate a subject thats moving thats your tracking. so the last piece of light the shutter sees is the "action frozen" subject. There maybe other uses.

[andydo]

thats what im after then the 2nd curtain cheers

[LaPistola]

By all means try it but I don't think the 2nd curtain is what you need as I bet your firing at fast shutters. I assume your trying to get either a reflection in a drop or no flash shots in a plop. I would say if your using on-camera flash then turning down the flash exposure would help more then 2nd curtain. 2nd curtain is used typically with slow shutters. However you never know so trying it would be a good idea.

[greenwing]

Originally Posted by andydo

chris im trying to do what was described in last weekends comp by using the flash speed not shutter speed as it gives a clearer shot , it probably cant be done on mine
cheers for help anyway

Phew.. I'd like to help, but I don't know where you start.

I don't know what was described, and I'm not going to go looking...

Defining Flash speed is tricky, but I think you mean 'shutter speed for use with flash'. If that's what you mean, it's really quite easy.

Chris

[andydo]

this is 1 of harrys quotes: I did mention somewhere that the art in getting this type of photo is to use flash set at low level power (around 1/32-1/64 power as this freezes the action not the shutter speed). Shutter speed for the watersplash was 1sec.

this is what i want to try but i didnt know anything at all about flash speeds (not even that there was different speeds lol) ive just realised its power aswell not speed