Fill-in E-TTL flash metering in either
Program AE, Tv or Av mode is a good way to reduce the warm cast associated with available
light shooting where the lighting used is of the tungsten type. These photos below
were shot moments after the crowning ceremony of the Miss Malaysia/Chinese International
pageant - the first shot had to be photographed without flash because the live telecast
feed over TV wasn't over yet (although the 420EX has been fitted to the EOS-1V but
not switched on). Once the live feed was over, it was a matter of switching on the
420EX in Program AE mode and allowing its fill-in flash illumination to take over.
E-TTL Wireless Autoflash System, first available on the EOS-3 and then on the EOS-1V pro model via Speedlite 550EX or Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 is also available on the EOS 30/33 models. As mentioned in the first page, unlike the 550EX, the 420EX can only be used as a slave unit and not as the master unit. With a 550EX or ST-E2 as the master, up to 3 groups of slave units comprising 420EX can be utilized. The above examples were shot using a 550EX as the master and one 420EX as the slave. The 550EX's main flash was bounced to avoid frontal illumination to the 1:12 scale NSR500. Exactly how much difference is there between the E-TTL flash illuminations (regardless of the EX-series Speedlite used) in Program AE and Tv (or Av and Manual)? Not much, actually. These photos of Italian 500cc rider Max Biaggi were shot in direct E-TTL flash metering via P and Tv mode. Yes, the P mode shot has a slightly darker rendition than the Tv photo. The next photo was shot in Tv mode via bounced flash, all with the 420EX and EOS 33.
Finally, for daytime fill-in flash via E-TTL, the P mode was the easiest to use since it was a matter of getting the focus and composition right and clicking the shutter. E-TTL illumination in daytime fill-in mode works better than it is for indoor or low light situations, but nevertheless it's still a lot better than the older A-TTL and TTL flash metering available with Type B EOS models. Overall, the Speedlite 420EX makes a good buy for those using Type A EOS models seeking a viable alternative between the older 380EX and the more expensive 550EX. Text and photos by Philip Chong. Copyright 2001 by Canon Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . |
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