For studio work, absolutely. A light meter would be a great tool to use. I kind of see your point, especially if you're doing a lot of dynamic shots. For me, a flash meter is barely noticeable and saves a lot of time. If I were able to chimp directly via the viewfinder like with a mirrorless I might rely on chimping more often.
Ya, I have been mirrorless for 3 plus years. I'm almost always using a single light, so it just been easier for me to dial things in based off what I see. For me, one of the advantages of using a flash meter is being able to walk through a scene, setting up lights or measuring other sources without having to go back to your camera location to take an exposure.
If you know what ratios you want, you can get your exposures very close without snapping a frame. Of course for you, since you typically are only using one light, a flash meter may not be as efficient. But when you're dealing with multiple sources or getting back to camera location to check each light is a pain, a meter can be much quicker.
Time is money! Love the article, by the way. I need to use TTL more for events. Even when I use 2 lights, I can change everything I need from the trigger unless I need to physically move a light.
I don't know, maybe if I tried one I'd like it? Finally someone mentioned the flash meter. Simple as that you can meter each of your flashes. Use TTL when warranted, use Manual when the situation requires it. Manual or automatic, they are both just tools to get you where you need to be. When shooting manual use a Flash Light Meter such as the Lumu Power 2 which can plug right into your iPhone so you don't have to guess and keep "dialing in" the light until you get it right.
The biggest drawback when shooting TTL in events is recycle time. Regardless which speedlight you are using, it takes much longer for the speedlight to recycle and you will miss shots. Shooting in manual will require you to do more post editing but you will be able to shoot rapidly.
Lord how do you you guys shoot with TTL? Exposure be all over the place! Too many factors can throw it off to me. I've tried in all metering modes and never had a consistent run. Just too much editing to do after for me to use. I've asked many pros and they feel the same. If someone can give me some suggestions on improving TTL I'm all ears! Thanks for the helpful article. I was wondering if there is an auto setting or flash system which can adjust its output based on distance alone.
I run into some problems using ttl in a wedding reception with on camera flash, where the flash undesirably compensates for light or dark colored clothing. This is also a problem when the bridesmaids are walking down the isle and the flash meters for the lightness of their clothing and then the bride, dressed in white, risks underexposure. Is there a flash that can use the center focus point information or IR or some type of distance meter to automatically tell the flash to compensate based on distance only?
In these scenarios, distance is my only variable for a proper exposure. Home Topics Lighting. TTL Vs. Manual Flash Because manual flash is basically set it and forget it, this setting works best when you know exactly where your light will be, where your subject will be, and what your camera settings will be. The only method to control a TTL enabled flash is to use the flash exposure compensation function on the flash or through your camera settings.
If the settings change, so will the output to compensate automatically. When you half-press our shutter release button on your camera to focus, your camera not only focuses, but it also takes a metering of the scene and its exposure.
The camera then measures the pre-flash with the ambient light level to calculate the power needed from the actual flash to make a correct exposure. This pre flash happens really quickly, only micro-seconds before the main flash, and thus cannot be seen by the human eye. Based on the model of your flash, this pre-flash can be an actual white light flash or an infrared one.
Using a TTL enabled flash is extremely helpful in situations when you are moving around a lot, shooting in different or changing lighting settings, etc. One of the drawbacks which accompany the use of a TTL flash is less control and less precision over the lighting.
If you get an incorrect exposure while using a flash in TTL mode, it is really difficult for you to know the power setting which was used for that shot. If you have recently purchased your first digital camera and plan to buy an external flash, then you have two options.
Either go for a manual flash, as it will urge you to learn more about how to control and adjust the lighting in various situations. If the subject is closer to or farther from the flash, they will be exposed differently and ETTL systems can adjust for this.
Similarly, if you are bouncing the flash off of a wall or the ceiling, the amount of light getting to the subject can change from shot to shot. This is not a problem with ETTL. Because of the advantages of ETTL, almost all modern flashes use it. While TTL flashes will determine and set their power from shot to shot, manual flashes require the user to set the output power and will keep that setting until the user changes it.
Generally speaking, this is notated as a fraction of the maximum power output. This means that any automatic exposure mode on the camera will force the exposure to what it considers properly exposed with no consideration for the light coming from the flash.
If you are using a manual flash, you will almost certainly want to be shooting in the manual exposure mode, or at a minimum using the exposure compensation feature.
Because of their rapid adaptability, ETTL flashes should be used any time the flash power has to be quickly and repeatedly changed.
Perhaps the best example is photographing wedding receptions or other events where you are moving around, bouncing flashes off of a variety of surfaces, and constantly changing the distance between you and the subject. On the other hand, if your approach is to start with no light and systematically dial in a variety of flashes to achieve precisely your desired effect, you need to take full manual control. These shooting conditions are incredibly common when in a studio. Manual flashes can also be ideal for shooting outdoor portraits when you have time to set up and refine the ratio of exposure between ambient light and your flash.
Of course, there are other advantages and disadvantages to both manual and TTL flashes. If budget is a concern, manual flashes can be incredibly affordable compared to some TTL flashes. Its main concern is exposing the subject evenly. This is where TTL really becomes somewhat useless for most photographers. I would argue your money is much can be better spent on other equipment. I want control. No, I want dramatic lighting with a shadow here and a highlight there.
The problem with TTL is that it is often difficult to produce repeatable results. Every time that TTL flash sends its signal back the camera, it opens the possibility for the settings to change. Ambient light, clouds, shadows, anything can change the metering. Yes, occasionally. I need to run and gun candid shots all night.
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