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Archive 2013 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash

  
 
D. Diggler
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


Never hear much talk about the auto thyristor mode in the 580 II flash and wondering if anyone else here is using that mode or if I'm the only one.


Jun 01, 2013 at 02:54 AM
scottam10
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


I can't see much point unless you're using it with a non-ETTL-capable camera (ie a non-Canon camera or an older Canon model like one of the film models that doesn't do ETTL)

- I think that the ETTL metering would generally be more consistent, but both modes can be fooled by unusual / reflective subjects.

What has your experience been?



Jun 01, 2013 at 03:37 AM
swoop
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


That mode is really for legacy support of older cameras. It's nice. And it can be useful with off camera flash if your flash is the same distance to your subject as you are.


Jun 01, 2013 at 10:57 AM
scottam10
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


Also, ETTL metering is linked to the active AF point, whereas the auto-thyristor metering is unaware of the AF point. So ETTL metering should be more consistent than auto-thyristor. In my experience the auto-thyristor mode gives me underexposed shots when compared to ETTL, however I haven't used it much. Nice to have the option though if it suits your needs.


Jun 01, 2013 at 05:47 PM
Robin Usagani
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


scottam10 wrote:
Also, ETTL metering is linked to the active AF point, whereas the auto-thyristor metering is unaware of the AF point. So ETTL metering should be more consistent than auto-thyristor. In my experience the auto-thyristor mode gives me underexposed shots when compared to ETTL, however I haven't used it much. Nice to have the option though if it suits your needs.



Not true with Canon ETTL II. The flash is always evaluative or center weighted.



Jun 02, 2013 at 09:12 AM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


Robin Usagani wrote:
Not true with Canon ETTL II. The flash is always evaluative or center weighted.


What determines if it's evaluative or center weighted? A setting in the flash's menu?



Jun 02, 2013 at 04:53 PM
markd61
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


I have found that at a wedding the E-TTL and Auto modes are close to useless. White dress and white shirts cause underexposure and black tuxs cause overexposure. With more normal brightness subjects the exposures fall into line.

A wedding is very fast paced and I can't say "Oh, wait I need to dial in some exposure comp..." Manual flash with the zoom fixed at 35mm or so allows me to get far higher exposure accuracy without the endless chimping of E-TTL.

The auto mode can actually match or exceed the performance of E-TTL in many cases because it is not over thinking the exposure.

In the end, manual works best for me as I have far less post exposure comp to do.



Jun 02, 2013 at 06:19 PM
Robin Usagani
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


D. Diggler wrote:
What determines if it's evaluative or center weighted? A setting in the flash's menu?


Yes.. Easier if you set it on the flash menu on the camera instead of C.Fn.



Jun 02, 2013 at 09:29 PM
CMB Photo
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


how to activate A? I've read about it and I don't think I ever used it...


Jun 03, 2013 at 09:01 AM
CMB Photo
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


Last year, 15 mins in to a wedding, one of ours 580 went south. We had to use OCF Vivitar the brick 283. Old one so I don't put on our cams for the fear of burning it one day to ashes. Anyway, I compared the styles from that wedding to any other weddings from that time - boy, lotsa indoor shots came out way more creative and stylish with an OCF, taking time to pose more accurately and more creatively specifically for one semi harsh light source in a dark indoor reception hall. We decided to implement that more with my wife/2nd to hold the umbrella on a stick rather than shooting close to me same setups.


Jun 03, 2013 at 09:09 AM
CMB Photo
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


After reading tutorial article on Auto mode, it says:

"Far from being a throw-back to the good old days, this is a viable option for different types of shooting. One example is providing automatic exposure when a flash is positioned off-camera, especially if it’s triggered by a third-party radio or infrared remote system."

Is it true? Did someone try it OCF? What was the results?!



Jun 03, 2013 at 11:27 AM
swoop
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


CMB Photo wrote:
After reading tutorial article on Auto mode, it says:

"Far from being a throw-back to the good old days, this is a viable option for different types of shooting. One example is providing automatic exposure when a flash is positioned off-camera, especially if it’s triggered by a third-party radio or infrared remote system."

Is it true? Did someone try it OCF? What was the results?!


Yes, it's true. If you set a flash to auto mode and have its exposure and your cameras exposure set the same and are the same distance to your subject as the flash, it will work the same and expose exactly as if the flash was on your camera, but not.



Jun 03, 2013 at 12:11 PM
CMB Photo
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


swoop wrote:
Yes, it's true. If you set a flash to auto mode and have its exposure and your cameras exposure set the same and are the same distance to your subject as the flash, it will work the same and expose exactly as if the flash was on your camera, but not.


But the flash is doing all the thinking and exposures are varying they're not manual?



Jun 03, 2013 at 12:31 PM
swoop
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


CMB Photo wrote:

But the flash is doing all the thinking and exposures are varying they're not manual?


The way an auto flash works is you set a desired aperture setting on the flash the flash then exposes for this aperture. So you would then set this aperture into your camera. As long as you are the same distance to your subject as the flash, for instance your flash is on a light stand 45 degrees off axis and you're the same distance away from the subject the exposure should be equal.



Jun 03, 2013 at 01:20 PM
CMB Photo
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Auto thyristor mode on 580 flash


swoop wrote:
The way an auto flash works is you set a desired aperture setting on the flash the flash then exposes for this aperture. So you would then set this aperture into your camera. As long as you are the same distance to your subject as the flash, for instance your flash is on a light stand 45 degrees off axis and you're the same distance away from the subject the exposure should be equal.



Sounds like Manual setting. Besides, if it's OCF we're talking about it shouldn't matter at all what's my distance relation to the subject. The stand is stays still to the subject distance.
Well, when I go home I sure will have to try it. Thanks! To bad I can't post here the results..)



Jun 03, 2013 at 02:01 PM





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