550EX inconsistency with 10D

[michaelhacker]

Hello all; I am new to this group so please, be gentle...

I am attempting to integrate my 10D into my existing photo jobs, but I am having a terrible time with results with the 550EX together with the 10D. During indoor shooting, with NO changes in lighting conditions, my exposures vary drastically. In otherwords, one frame will have a nice pop, and a good exposure, and the next might be drastically under exposed. And yes, I gave it time to recycle. I don't understand. Have any of you experienced this terrible flash output inconsistency? And if so, how have you solved it? I am pulling what little hair I have left, out.

Cheers

-MH

[Peter_AUS]

What have you got the 550EX set to with the switches.

[Sebastian]

Hello all; I am new to this group so please, be gentle...

I am attempting to integrate my 10D into my existing photo jobs, but I am having a terrible time with results with the 550EX together with the 10D. During indoor shooting, with NO changes in lighting conditions, my exposures vary drastically. In otherwords, one frame will have a nice pop, and a good exposure, and the next might be drastically under exposed. And yes, I gave it time to recycle. I don't understand. Have any of you experienced this terrible flash output inconsistency? And if so, how have you solved it? I am pulling what little hair I have left, out.

Cheers

-MH

This may be as simple as not having your selected focus point on the subject. E-TTL works by metering off the current focus point, keep that point on your subject and you should be OK. If you can't, use FEL to pre-fire the metering flash, recompose, and shoot.

[Sean Dempsey]

Try this:

go to your custom fuctions, and go to function 14, the Auto Reduction of Flash Fill. Disable that.

That set, the camera will not mess with flash exposure compensation, you can now set it with the 550ex and it should be consistent each time.

If this doesn't make any changes, I am stumped. But for me, when I disable that in the camera, and then set my flash exposure compensator where I want it, I get good results.

[michaelhacker]

Thanks Sean, but I have already done that. I have heard to just trash the 550EX and switch to metz. I like Metz, I use them with my Mamiya's and results are fine.

-MH

[michaelhacker]

Thanks Peter;

All is set to program with the flash on ETTL. I have also tried manual.. ie; camera at a 30th sec, and f11. Flash indicates f stop correctly, but results still wildly off.

-MH

[Sebastian]

Thanks Sean, but I have already done that. I have heard to just trash the 550EX and switch to metz. I like Metz, I use them with my Mamiya's and results are fine.

-MH

Try what I suggested before you ditch the 550. Once you get the hang of how it works, and why it does what it does, you will get excellent results. I get excellent results with the setup. Try it, you'll like it... ;)