Flash photography Shutter or aperture priority: I have the Sony A77 with the hvl58 flash gun. Recently I've read statements on the hog and elsewhere that leads me to wonder if using...

bugguy Loc: midwest

I have the Sony A77 with the hvl58 flash gun. Recently I've read statements on the hog and elsewhere that leads me to wonder if using shutter priority is better then aperture priority when using flash indoors and with low light situations. Also would a slower shutter speed (60) as opposed to (90) work better with a 24-70mm 2.8 lens? Thanks in advance for the reply

Musket Loc: ArtBallin'

Pick which makes sense to your shooting style. Both are capable modes for flash work.

CajonPhotog Loc: Shreveport, LA

bugguy wrote:

I have the Sony A77 with the hvl58 flash gun. Recently I've read statements on the hog and elsewhere that leads me to wonder if using shutter priority is better then aperture priority when using flash indoors and with low light situations. Also would a slower shutter speed (60) as opposed to (90) work better with a 24-70mm 2.8 lens? Thanks in advance for the reply

As I understand it: Your flash is just a momentary burst of light, so it don't matter whether you use a shutter speed of 60 or 90, as long as you don't go faster than the sync speed of the camera, the flash portion of the time that the shutter is open will remain the same (burst). The difference between the 2 speeds will be how much more ambient (surrounding) light will influence the image, a slower shutter speed will let in more ambient light than a fast shutter speed. If you go above the sync speed of your camera, then the flash will not illuminate the whole sensor because the rear shutter is traveling closer to the front shutter so that the whole sensor is not uncovered when the flash goes off. Now, try to wrap all that around your head.....mine is still spinning.......lol

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I pick the aperture for the depth of field I want, then use the shutter setting to control how much ambient I want in the scene. In this case, setting the camera to manual works best for me ( but usually leave the flash on TTL). In dark situations, I sometimes go as long as 1/8th sec to get the room to show up. Using something shorter leaves the viewer thinking the photo was shot in a cave.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

bugguy wrote:

Also would a slower shutter speed (60) as opposed to (90) work better with a 24-70mm 2.8 lens? Thanks in advance for the reply

The slower shutter speed allows more of the ambient light in.

The shutter speed makes little difference related to the flash as long as you don't exceed the flash sync speed.

Set the aperture for the flash, and the shutter speed for the ambient.

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

CajonPhotog wrote:

As I understand it: Your flash is just a momentary... (show quote)

Incorrect Doc ..... It's not a burst of light ..... the light turns on, your camera sets the exposure and takes the picture, then the light goes out ..... it happens so quickly that to the human eye it appears to be a flash of light ..... that's why accurate sync speed is important .....

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

bugguy wrote:

I have the Sony A77 with the hvl58 flash gun. Recently I've read statements on the hog and elsewhere that leads me to wonder if using shutter priority is better then aperture priority when using flash indoors and with low light situations. Also would a slower shutter speed (60) as opposed to (90) work better with a 24-70mm 2.8 lens? Thanks in advance for the reply

Bug, it's not a choice.
Goofie has it right.
The SS control the amount of ambient light in the scene or the sync.
The Av controls the exposure.
They are NOT interchangeable.
There are Hogs that wil debate, to the death, that which they do not know, but have heard.
Happy flashing. SS

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Wabbit wrote:

Incorrect Doc ..... It's not a burst of light ..... the light turns on, your camera sets the exposure and takes the picture, then the light goes out ..... it happens so quickly that to the human eye it appears to be a flash of light ..... that's why accurate sync speed is important .....

Wabbit;

It would take me half a page to correct the inaccuracies you just spouted.
Why don't you jump back in that hole and make the Left at Albuquerque.

bugguy Loc: midwest

Thanks everyone for the useful informatiom. Now please explain more about the camera sync speed and if you know what it is for the Sony A77. Do I set my ISO the same as I would if flash was not used? For instance when I shoot basketball indoors, (no flash) with this camera I set the ISO to 1600, using a 50mm 1.4 prime. If I was going to add flash would I keep the ISO at 1600?

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

bugguy wrote:

Thanks everyone for the useful informatiom. Now please explain more about the camera sync speed and if you know what it is for the Sony A77. Do I set my ISO the same as I would if flash was not used? For instance when I shoot basketball indoors, (no flash) with this camera I set the ISO to 1600, using a 50mm 1.4 prime. If I was going to add flash would I keep the ISO at 1600?

Depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
Are you just adding a little fill to add some snap to your pics?
Or are you trying to add light to an otherwise un-photographable situation?

Exposure is a balancing act between the ISO (sensitivity), the shutter speed, and the aperture. For any given light situation, changing one of them requires changing at least one of the others to regain that balance. And adding flash changes the light, so that has to be considered.

BTW, you'll probably get booted out if you use a flash during a basketball game.

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

Wall-E wrote:

Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. br Ar... (show quote)

Ya last sentence is all that was necessary Doc ..... looks like we got another expert loose .....

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

bugguy wrote:

Thanks everyone for the useful informatiom. Now please explain more about the camera sync speed and if you know what it is for the Sony A77. Do I set my ISO the same as I would if flash was not used? For instance when I shoot basketball indoors, (no flash) with this camera I set the ISO to 1600, using a 50mm 1.4 prime. If I was going to add flash would I keep the ISO at 1600?

I think ya sync speed is 1/250th Doc ..... ya gotta check with Sony ..... I only know Nikon, not every camera gives you the option to choose .....

tonyt Loc: North west England, UK

But if you use Aperture Priority and your shutter speed goes to say 1/30 - you are in danger of blurred shots due to camera shake, especially if using zoom at say 150mm ? Stick to Shutter Priority or Manual, and adjust Power on flash or even ISO.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

bugguy wrote:

Thanks everyone for the useful informatiom. Now please explain more about the camera sync speed and if you know what it is for the Sony A77. Do I set my ISO the same as I would if flash was not used? For instance when I shoot basketball indoors, (no flash) with this camera I set the ISO to 1600, using a 50mm 1.4 prime. If I was going to add flash would I keep the ISO at 1600?

the sync speed is just the "maximum speed you can set for your shutter speed and get acceptable results" that's all.

You can set any shutter speed below that you like.

I'd recommend going to this site and going through the "Lighting 101" course.

It will be faster and easier than asking 1,000,000 questions here and getting 1,000,000 different and conflicting answers.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

nekon Loc: Carterton, New Zealand

Manual, of course