lovelylyn Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

I have no idea what's going on. I have a ttl off-camera remote flash cord attached to my camera when I press the shutter button it takes a shot the flash goes off and takes another in the same frame. What's going on and how do I correct it? The camera is a canon 60D, the flash a promaster 7500EDF and the cord is also promaster for canon.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Not positive although it sounds like you are using a camera mode that causes the pre-flash to fire the regular flash mode during the same shutter opening. I'd check the compatibility for whatever camera mode you have set, that and the flashes S1 and S2 settings.

lovelylyn Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

What mode causes the pre-flash to fire? I have it in AV or aperture priority. I've used this many times before no problem. My old cord broke I purchases an identical one today.

CO

When the flash is in TTL mode the camera will instruct the flash to fire a few pre-flashes so its metering can get a reading on the reflected light. The camera then calculates a final flash output level, instructs the flash to fire at that level, and takes the photo. Those pre-flashes happen extremely quickly and are not noticeable. I know that's how Nikon's system works. That's probably how it works with all cameras and flash units.

Is your camera taking two photos or is the flash firing multiple times ?

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

You have the pre flash turned on, you need to turn it off if you don't want it. First make sure the flash exposure is OK, if it is that means your pre flash or your red eye reduction is on. TURN THEM OFF.

tomcat

You may also have the flash set for red-eye reduction. That will cause multiple flashes

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Setting the flash to TTL (actually ETTL or ETTL II is Canon's terminology) is what causes the pre-flash.

The pre-flash is a low power (1/64) "pop" that the camera uses to meter the scene and determine the correct amount of light output to use in the "real" flash.

There is no way I'm aware of to "turn off" the pre-flash, except to take the flash out of TTL (or ETTL) mode and use Manual flash.

The other important thing you need to be aware of is that when using flash, whenever the camera is set to any of the auto exposure modes (Av, Tv or P), the camera will meter the ambient light and use that to set the exposure, then the flash will want to fire as "fill" (-1.66 stops, approx.), unless you "dial up" the flash output. Using Av, the camera will likely want to use a relatively slow shutter speed (depends upon ambient light conditions and the ISO you have set). And the flash will likely fire at pretty low output (again, it depends upon the ISO set... as well as the distance to the subject and ambient light levels).

If you want "full" flash, set the camera to Manual exposure mode (including turing off Auto ISO, if using it). In that mode Canon cameras will treat the flash as if it's the only light source. Ambient light can still come into play, but you can control how much by the ISO, shutter speed and aperture you set (remember, this is all manual now).

Redeye reduction is another thing entirely (if it's supported by that Promaster flash, which I'm unfamiliar with). If enabled, the flash will emit a short series of bursts prior to the "real" exposure, which are intended to cause the subject's pupils to constrict, reducing the chance of redeye (using the flash off camera, away from the lens axis is probably more effective than this).

Your camera has 1/250 flash sync. That's the fastest shutter speed you can use, unless you enable High Speed Sync (which I'm guessing the Promaster flash can do.... all current and recent Canon OEM flash can). The problem with HSS is that it reduces the distance the flash can reach. The higher the shutter speed, the less distance. So you may want or need to use HSS sparingly. How usable HSS might be depends upon the distance to your subject, ambient light conditions, ISO and aperture.