# Bounce flash with YN-568 question



## skitron (Mar 3, 2013)

I just got in a YN-568 ETTL II flash. This is my first experience with an ETTL flash - used manual to this point.

I tried using it to bounce flash and it severely underexposes. My understanding of ETTL II is that exposure is set via a pre-flash and should account for bounce, or any other modifier, when setting power level.

Searching the net showed a number of people supporting my inderstanding of how it supposedly works, but also a number of people who express the same issue I have, even with 580EX II. 

So not sure what to think at this point. Should ETTL II bounce flash properly expose or should I need to dial in +3 (or so, which makes the exposure close to right) on the flash first to make it work? If the latter, ETTL seems rather pointless to me except for direct flash, which seems to work, but has a pitiful asthetic.

Any thoughts?


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## hgraf (Mar 3, 2013)

Something it wrong. ETTL SHOULD take care of everything. I know with my Sigma 610DG it properly exposes whether I point it straight ahead, at the wall or at the ceiling.

It's possible you have something misconfigured. I'm not familiar with the YN568. I know on my Sigma you have several modes to choose from. Make sure you've selected the ETTL2 master mode (or just ETTL2 mode). Any other mode will cause problems. You don't mention with camera you're using, make sure it's set for ETTL.

Also, be aware that bounce with drop your flash range by quite a bit (since you won't be using the flash zoom and you'll be dispersing the flash alot) so if your ceiling or wall is too far away the flash will ramp to full power and still won't give you enough light. 

What mode do you have your camera in? If in aperture priority maybe you are simply setting to high an aperture value.

Have you selected high speed sync? If so this will also affect your range.

TTYL


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## digital paradise (Mar 3, 2013)

ETTL is a good tool but it as a computer trying to make it's best guess of what you want. In ETTL there is a pre flash before the actual flash. If your lens provides distance information it will do so as a confirmation when the flash is at 45 degrees and pointed forward. As soon as you tilt or swivel the flash distance information is disabled.

When you bounce ETTL is supposed to compensate but I would not trust it. Are you bouncing from a wall that is 5 or 25 feet away? Your cameras light meter has nothing to do with flash exposure but ETTL does use the system to determine exposure. Depending on your camera you can make a few changes. Typically the flash is set to evaluative but you can go into the menus and change to average. In evaluative mode the pre flash compares the ambient reading from the cameras light meter and the pre flash, isolates the subject and then outputs the correct flash power for the subject/s exposure. In average the system averages the whole scene. Ok in tight situations but no so good in large areas like a convention centre. Some people think average is better but I found the difference not substantial. There is one more thing you can try. FEL. This turns your flash metering to spot metering. Some people use FEL and meter off skin tones and adjust the FEC as required. I don't like it because it fires a pre flash and the waits for you to press the shutter. I always had to tell people to wait as the first flash was not the actual exposure.

Back to ETTL and the cameras exposure system. Like I said the system does not use the cameras light meter but does use the pre flash to determine correct exposure. A bride in a white dress, a groom in black tux and the bride and groom together will all reflect light back differently. So like your cameras ambient light meter that will expose to middle grey if you take picture of black tar or white snow the flash system will under expose the bride and over expose the groom.

So there you have it. Using ETTL you will always have to shoot, chimp and fine tune the FEC. Your histogram is your best friend when shooting in ETTL. Now that you understand it you can make better judgements to predict. When bouncing you will have to increase the FEC most of the time. When I have no choice I shoot in ETTL but will always choose manual flash if have the time to set up and the environment will not be changing.

Here is a good link for how to use the histogram. Scroll down and look at the look at the gent holding the white towel.

http://super.nova.org/DPR/Histogram/


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## digital paradise (Mar 3, 2013)

Some light reading

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/


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## skitron (Mar 3, 2013)

digital paradise said:


> Some light reading
> 
> http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/



I saw that site. I've had excellent results using manual flash for bounce, so my question basically boils down to "do I have something not properly configured or does this flash have a problem?"


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## nsurg (Mar 3, 2013)

I'm far from the expert on this, but I've had a heck of a time getting my 580ex ii and 5d3 to expose properly when in ettl evaluative mode unless the flash is pointed straight ahead and is bare (i.e. no diffuser attached).
Consider trying the ettl average mode?
I never had this problem with the same 580ex ii on my older 40d, but once I moved to ettl average mode it seems fine.


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## skitron (Mar 3, 2013)

nsurg said:


> Consider trying the ettl average mode?



I was messing with it and figured out switching to average mode fixes it, so nice to confirm it with your experience as well. Setting to average mode allows bounce to meter correctly.

Thanks everyone for your input!

BTW, I'm liking this flash at this price point, pretty solid value. I also have a pair of YN-460 II manual flashes and they are likewise nice bang for the buck. 

I was skeptical about the AF assist but it actually works pretty good on the central points. I'll check later the actual number and placement of AF points it illuminates and post.


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