Camera and flash settings

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luxikon
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:31 am

Camera and flash settings

Post by luxikon »

Hi,
I would like to take pictures of living microorganisms.
I've got a Canon EOS1100D on my Leitz Diavert trinotube, and a Canon Speedlite 430 EXII attached via switching mirror device.
As an absolute beginner I've got difficulties to find out the right combination of camera and flash settings.
I would be very pleased to get some advice.
Thanks
Klaus

Pau
Site Admin
Posts: 6038
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:57 am
Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

Hi Klaus,

my settings recommendation:

- Put the camera in M mode and select 1/200s. shutter speed
- At the camera menu "Custom functions" set the Flash sync. mode to 1/200sec (fixed). In this case the camera also will fire at 1/200 even if AV mode.
- You can use the flash either in E-TTL or M mode. You can tune the flash exposure compensation at the camera menu or at its Q menu
I much prefer M if you want good repeatability or if you want to avoid the pre-flash that could disturb the subject . In this case you'll need to take test shots before.
E-TTL is fine if you are changing magnification or subjects and you want to take single shots with no LV.
- Avoid "high speed" flash setting: it will allow for higher shutter speeds but the actual flash exposure will end much longer.

Not only for flash:
- Tether the camera to the computer via USB with Canon Utilities: it allows to control some important functions including flash power, to fire the shutter, to save Live View at the computer screen, to view test images and to directly download the images to the HD
- Shot RAW format (.cr2 files): they need to be processed but provide much more room to fine tune the image.

Would be nice to see your microscope flash adaptation.
Here I linked lots of examples: https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=26185
Last edited by Pau on Fri May 15, 2020 6:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Pau

luxikon
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:31 am

Post by luxikon »

Hi Pau,

though I could not find the Flash sync. mode (to 1/200sec) on my camera, the rest of your recommended settings worked fine.
What and where is the Q menu?
Pictures of my flash adaption will come when I know how to upload them.

Klaus

Pau
Site Admin
Posts: 6038
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:57 am
Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

Hi again.

I use a different camera (EOS 7D) although the menu structure is very similar.

Download the 1100D manual from Canon site (English version) as I did and you have
Q = Quick control: pages 40-41
Flash shutter sync speed: pages 168-169; 245; but mainly page 218

Anyway some of the settings can be redundant: If you set both camera and flash to manual and the camera shutter to 1/200 you don't need the Q control menu or to set the sync speed.

Hope that this was useful

About uploading pictures, take a look at: https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?p=10#10
Pau

luxikon
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:31 am

Post by luxikon »

Hi,

"Anyway some of the settings can be redundant: If you set both camera and flash to manual and the camera shutter to 1/200 you don't need the Q control menu or to set the sync speed."
That's what I actually did and it worked as I said.

Thanks for the manual information.

Klaus

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