Help with manual settings

[mihailou]

Hi First post and I hope this is not too basic.
I have a 300D and a 40D. Could anyone help me with the recommended Shutter Speed and I S O settings in manual mode using off camera studio flash triggered with wireless release.

Light meter is a Sekonic L-308BII.

Can't seem to find this information on Canon's website or in the owner's manuals.

I didn't seem to have too many problems with my old 50E but digital requires a mental shift I'm having problems with.

Thanks in advance

[jev]

Shutter 1/125 or slower, ISO 100.

[jprobertson]

nah, run you shutter speed a slight bit slower than your max sync speed, which i believe is 1/250 on the 40D.

my starting point for flash based work is ISO100, f/5.6, 1/200, that's shooting using a canon 580exII through a shoot-through umbrella at 1/4pwr as my off camera light source.

You probably know this, but there are several factors that will influence your light, on the camera side of things, aperture and ISO, use these in tandem to get your desired effect. (want shallower depth of field? open your aperture up and decrease your ISO sensitivity by the same amount to maintain the same level of light).

Don't forget that the distance of the light source from your model will change not only quality of your light (further away for 'harder' light, closer up for 'softer light') but also how bright your light is. Every time you double the distance the light source is from your subject, your light is only 1/4 as bright on your subject.

It really is just a case of experiment until you find what works for you.

anyway, you probably know all that anyway, but thats my thoughts on the subject.