ETTL II with reflective surfaces

[sweat100]

I happened to be shooting in a ballroom full of glass windows. I faced a very big problem when using the light sphere with my flash (580ex). Sometimes the reflection of the light sphere during flashing firing causes the flash to cut abruptly thus under exposing the whole picture. Does anyone knows how to overcome this problem. Change some camera or flash settings? The solution I can think of is to really arrange the people nice nice such that the reflection of the light sphere does not hit the glass windows when the flash fires. But well... It is not that easy to do that esp when you have many tables to shoot and you are doing it alone. :cry:

 

[drumma]

arrange it nicely.. if not, manual mode?

 

[sweat100]

arrange it nicely.. if not, manual mode?

Btw, what if I set the ETTL 2 to average rather than evaluative? I tried, the consistensy is not always there but got improve. Is the average like centre weighted? Anyone used this method? Setting at manual, do people do that often? This is because, sometime i cant gauge what power to set to. My friend using nikon system and he showed me his pics, he doesnt seem to have this problem even with reflection. Is iTTL so much better than ETTL?

 

[sehsuan]

Use direct flash with the 580EX. Problem solved.

 

[headlesschook]

Try using the the FEL. Lock on your subject's face, away from the reflection. Also works when the subjects are wearing either black or light clothes.

 

[drumma]

Btw, what if I set the ETTL 2 to average rather than evaluative? I tried, the consistensy is not always there but got improve. Is the average like centre weighted? Anyone used this method? Setting at manual, do people do that often? This is because, sometime i cant gauge what power to set to. My friend using nikon system and he showed me his pics, he doesnt seem to have this problem even with reflection. Is iTTL so much better than ETTL?

haha! so cheem. i'm on evaluative most of the time. during such conditions, either manual mode or move them away. direct flash also works.

 

[Denosha]

My E-TTL 2 is always set to Average instead of Evaluative on my 20D. No problems with exposure using my 580EX+LSPJ II even with reflective surfaces around under ball-room conditions. I read somewhere that the "Average" setting is actually more consistent. Can't remember who said that and where.

 

[sweat100]

My E-TTL 2 is always set to Average instead of Evaluative on my 20D. No problems with exposure using my 580EX+LSPJ II even with reflective surfaces around under ball-room conditions. I read somewhere that the "Average" setting is actually more consistent. Can't remember who said that and where.

Thanks everyone. I see... Then next time i will set it to average. As for direct the same problem will also surface as the reflection of the flash head. I try out next time when i set to average.

 

[djork]

arrange it nicely.. if not, manual mode?

yeah i agree on the manual mode too.