Why are my photos darker with a TTL flash on my Canon EOS 4000D?
Asked 10/22/2018
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2 answers
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I’m new to flash photography and have a Canon EOS 4000D with an Apeman SL450C speedlight. If I shoot with the flash turned off, the photo looks reasonably bright. But when I turn the flash on in TTL mode, the flash fires and lights the room, yet the final image comes out much darker than the no-flash shot.
From comparing the image settings, the camera appears to use a lower ISO and a faster shutter speed when the flash is enabled. Why would that happen, and why isn’t the TTL flash making up the difference?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
1
Check your Exif data for ISO in the two pictures. With flash on, I think the Canon Auto ISO is reduced, 4000D manual says to ISO 800 (page 92).
Shutter speed too can change in Exif, probably to a Minimum of 1/60 second with flash.
So without flash, Auto ISO was high, and shutter speed could have been slower than 1/60, and room was brighter.
TTL is automatic flash, but with flash, lower ISO 800 and probably 1/60 second Minimum, so room goes darker. Flash power setting did not carry to furthest distance in room, so distance became dark. Using bounce flash indoors can help that range to light the whole (small) room, and is usually better lighting too.
The Exif will tell the tale.
Originally by user38978. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38978
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is normal flash behavior, combined with likely TTL underexposure.
When you enable flash, the camera often changes exposure settings for the ambient light: typically lower ISO and a shutter speed around 1/60s. In your example, that reduced the room exposure by about 3 stops compared with the no-flash shot. So the background gets darker unless the flash adds enough light.
TTL means the camera meters the scene and automatically tells the flash how much power to use. If there’s a bright window or strong backlight in the frame, the meter can be fooled into thinking less flash is needed, so the flash underexposes the subject/room.
A few things to try:
- Check the EXIF data to compare ISO and shutter speed with and without flash.
- Try flash exposure compensation to increase flash output.
- Test the flash in manual mode to see if it can provide enough light.
- Indoors, bounce flash off a ceiling/wall if possible for more even coverage.
So: the camera is darkening the ambient exposure when flash is on, and TTL may not be adding enough flash to compensate.
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