Metering mode with strobes?
- Thread starter kat.hayes
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IIRC your strobe was manual? If so, if your camera is on manual exposure and the strobe is the only light in your photo then your metering mode on the camera doesn't affect anything so changing it doesn't make a difference.
If you're shooting with a strobe on manual and you have the camera set to a mode where the meter reading affects aperture (Av, P probably, the rest I haven't bothered trying) then it might noticeably erratic results.
If you have some kind of TTL light then metering mode makes a difference, but it's the same as metering daylight or any other continuous light source, and the results should be reasonably consistent.
Let me know if this isn't enough of answer.
Jim
If you're shooting with a strobe on manual and you have the camera set to a mode where the meter reading affects aperture (Av, P probably, the rest I haven't bothered trying) then it might noticeably erratic results.
If you have some kind of TTL light then metering mode makes a difference, but it's the same as metering daylight or any other continuous light source, and the results should be reasonably consistent.
Let me know if this isn't enough of answer.
Jim
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In Av mode with TTL flash, the camera will attempt to set flash exposure for the subject and background exposure for ambient. The camera metering mode (evaluative, spot, etc.) you choose will determine what area(s) of the background drive the shutter speed setting (subject to the flash in Av mode setting).
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In a studio using a studio strobe you can set the flash exposure via the flash output button on your strobe AND the aperture (and ISO) on your camera. The shutter speed must be set according to the spec of your strobe and the max flash sync speed of your camera... The aperture can be measured with a handheld light meter, preferably a spot meter... Ever heard about the zone system?
OR
Set your camera to manual mode, set ISO: 100, WB: flash, aperture:11, shutter speed: 1/60, strobe 1/2. Take a photo of your subject and check the histogram. If you're over (everything blown out), set a smaller aperture and try again. If everything is black then set a bigger aperture. After a few shots you will have a well-exposed picture, and voilá, you have the right aperture....
OR
Set your camera to manual mode, set ISO: 100, WB: flash, aperture:11, shutter speed: 1/60, strobe 1/2. Take a photo of your subject and check the histogram. If you're over (everything blown out), set a smaller aperture and try again. If everything is black then set a bigger aperture. After a few shots you will have a well-exposed picture, and voilá, you have the right aperture....
kat.hayes said:
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I have been doing exactly what you described in your first scenario. Though I’ve been keeping the shutter at 160 based on the max flash synch speed of my 5dm3. I didnt know that is also was based on the synch speed of the strobe...
I think I just realized my confusion. I’m using a handheld meter to determine the correct settings. In this case, the metering mode of the camera does not matter, is that correct? The metering mode of the camera only comes into play when using the camera to determine exposure? Thanks for your patience, I am still pretty new to all of this and trying to make sense of it all.
I think I just realized my confusion. I’m using a handheld meter to determine the correct settings. In this case, the metering mode of the camera does not matter, is that correct? The metering mode of the camera only comes into play when using the camera to determine exposure? Thanks for your patience, I am still pretty new to all of this and trying to make sense of it all.
Jester74 said:In a studio using a studio strobe you can set the flash exposure via the flash output button on your strobe AND the aperture (and ISO) on your camera. The shutter speed must be set according to the spec of your strobe and the max flash sync speed of your camera... The aperture can be measured with a handheld light meter, preferably a spot meter... Ever heard about the zone system?
OR
Set your camera to manual mode, set ISO: 100, WB: flash, aperture:11, shutter speed: 1/60, strobe 1/2. Take a photo of your subject and check the histogram. If you're over (everything blown out), set a smaller aperture and try again. If everything is black then set a bigger aperture. After a few shots you will have a well-exposed picture, and voilá, you have the right aperture....
kat.hayes said:
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Well, strobes don't have a sync speed like a focal plane shutter, but it takes time for them to emit the amount of light they should. This time depends on the type of strobe, some of them are very fast, but most of them are not... If you use the handheld meter and set your camera accordingly, the metering mode doesn't matter. It will show serious underexposure, because it can't measure studio flashes...
kat.hayes said:I have been doing exactly what you described in your first scenario. Though I’ve been keeping the shutter at 160 based on the max flash synch speed of my 5dm3. I didnt know that is also was based on the synch speed of the strobe...
I think I just realized my confusion. I’m using a handheld meter to determine the correct settings. In this case, the metering mode of the camera does not matter, is that correct? The metering mode of the camera only comes into play when using the camera to determine exposure? Thanks for your patience, I am still pretty new to all of this and trying to make sense of it all.
Jester74 said:In a studio using a studio strobe you can set the flash exposure via the flash output button on your strobe AND the aperture (and ISO) on your camera. The shutter speed must be set according to the spec of your strobe and the max flash sync speed of your camera... The aperture can be measured with a handheld light meter, preferably a spot meter... Ever heard about the zone system?
OR
Set your camera to manual mode, set ISO: 100, WB: flash, aperture:11, shutter speed: 1/60, strobe 1/2. Take a photo of your subject and check the histogram. If you're over (everything blown out), set a smaller aperture and try again. If everything is black then set a bigger aperture. After a few shots you will have a well-exposed picture, and voilá, you have the right aperture....
kat.hayes said:
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kat.hayes said:
You're correct, but this is true only for when camera doesn't control your lighting (i.e. manual strobe in a dark room, or daylight with no flash).
kat.hayes said:
One thing to note (and this is important) is that in a photo lit only by a manual strobe set at a constant power, changes to aperture and ISO will change the exposure of the image but changes to shutter (as long as it is at or below your maximum sync speed) will not. That is very important for when you get to mixing constant lights (daylight etc.) with flash.
Now then there are basically four scenarios I can see, and I hope this is the right amount of detail:
1. Your camera on manual and your light on manual; with your handheld light meter to get your settings it'll be consistent but nothing will change to react to changes in your scene. (i.e. your current setup)
2. Your camera on green-square automatic with an electronic though-the-lens (ETTL) strobe of some kind, where the camera picks its own aperture/shutter/ISO, and the camera sets the flash power. This relies on the logic built into the camera and your choice of metering modes.
1 and 2 are the least and most automated, respectively; three and four are in the middle.
3. Your camera is on manual but with an ETTL strobe. Here you set the aperture/shutter/ISO yourself but the camera's own metering system sets the flash power.
One place this is useful is shooting the kids on the front lawn; you set your aperture/shutter/ISO to get the sky the way you want it and your subject can move towards and away from the camera and the camera (on preferably spot or partial metering mode) will adjust the flash to keep your subject lit properly.
4. Your camera is on shutter priority (Tv) and the strobe is on manual. For an example if you had a couple at the beach for photos at sunset you could use Tv (set by evaluative metering mode) to keep the sky behind them consistent as the ambient light drops, while the strobe fills them in consistently*.
I'm all ears if you have more questions.
Jim
*As long as the distance from your flash to your subject stays the same.
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Are you using a flash meter or a regular light meter?
I shoot strobes frequently and unless I'm shooting Hi-Sync I set the shutter speed to 1/125th. Aperture depends on the flash output and what look your after i.e. high key / low key. I assume you can vary the strobe output so if you want a shallow depth of field open up the lens say to f2.8 and adjust the strobe up or down to get the required exposure your after if you don't have a flash meter. If shooting portraits make sure your not getting hot spots on the face like the forehead or nose etc.
I shoot strobes frequently and unless I'm shooting Hi-Sync I set the shutter speed to 1/125th. Aperture depends on the flash output and what look your after i.e. high key / low key. I assume you can vary the strobe output so if you want a shallow depth of field open up the lens say to f2.8 and adjust the strobe up or down to get the required exposure your after if you don't have a flash meter. If shooting portraits make sure your not getting hot spots on the face like the forehead or nose etc.
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Jim,
What do you mean by:
“You're correct, but this is true only for when camera doesn't control your lighting (i.e. manual strobe in a dark room, or daylight with no flash).”
I am using PocketWizards to trigger my strobe but there are no control on the camera for the lights, I need to manually change them on the back of the strobe. Are you referring to a Flash/strobe mounted to a camera?
What do you mean by a “manual” strobe?
By strobe, I am referring to studio strobes and I am using a handheld meter. My strobes are controlled by changing the dials on the back of them. I am suspecting that you are referring to a Flash/strobe mounted to a camera that reads available lighting and sets it that way?
Thanks!
What do you mean by:
“You're correct, but this is true only for when camera doesn't control your lighting (i.e. manual strobe in a dark room, or daylight with no flash).”
I am using PocketWizards to trigger my strobe but there are no control on the camera for the lights, I need to manually change them on the back of the strobe. Are you referring to a Flash/strobe mounted to a camera?
What do you mean by a “manual” strobe?
By strobe, I am referring to studio strobes and I am using a handheld meter. My strobes are controlled by changing the dials on the back of them. I am suspecting that you are referring to a Flash/strobe mounted to a camera that reads available lighting and sets it that way?
Thanks!
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kat.hayes said:
Sorry; I should have been more clear that by control I mean controlling the output power for each exposure, not just triggering it.
kat.hayes said:
By manual strobe I mean one like yours where the only way to adjust the power is with the dial on the back. You can get strobes that do ETTL the same way a full-featured speedlite sitting on top of your camera does (via a radio trigger), and you can get cheap on-camera flashes that have only manual power adjustment.
The important part is knowing whether your camera will meter the aperture/shutter/ISO or the flash power or both or neither; for your studio, manual control is obviously fine for both the exposure and flash settings.
I hope that answers your question? If not by all means ask away.
Jim
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