Having flash issues

[Linnie]

Hi all,

Im fairly new to low light photography (nightclubs) I will be getting an external flash next week but until then im stuck with the on camera flash.
The issue I am having is when I go to take a photo the flash sometimes goes off 2/3 times and yet sometimes it only goes off once and works perfectly.
I use a Sony A380, I use the Manual mode 1/60 F5.6 which seems to be working fine, but im thinking I must be doing something wrong if the flash is going off so many times.

Any help would be great!

[I @ M]

Linnie I am going to hazard a quick guess and say that you have the "red eye reduction" mode set in the menu for the onboard flash. What that does is to fire a few quick light pulses to cause the subjects pupils to close sufficiently for the eventual exposure discharge to have less area on the eye to cause the dreaded redness.
I think that you really need to spend quality time learning the theory behind flash illuminated photography and how to obtain the best results before you become disheartened by the results.

[Scotty72]

Linnie I am going to hazard a quick guess and say that you have the "red eye reduction" mode set in the menu for the onboard flash. What that does is to fire a few quick light pulses to cause the subjects pupils to close sufficiently for the eventual exposure discharge to have less area on the eye to cause the dreaded redness.
I think that you really need to spend quality time learning the theory behind flash illuminated photography and how to obtain the best results before you become disheartened by the results.

I would hazard a guess that you guess is spot on.

[MarkChap]

or maybe, the flash is emitting a "focus assist" light, as does the Canon built in flash ??

If it happens only sometimes, I would lean more towards "focus assist", if it was Red Eye Reduction it would happen every time

[Linnie]

red eye reduction isnt turned on, I did think of that, so I guess im stuck with it until next week, ill try fiddling around with it tonight

[MarkChap]

Check you flash settings, I will bet my bottom dollar it is focus assist light, it sort of pulses as you depress the shutter button to focus ??
And it only does it if the camera needs a little extra light to focus

[Scotty72]

I was just thinking focus assist but, you beat me to it.

I occasionally use the focus assist pulses to find my way around my yard when I come home in the dark :P

Best way to test if it is focus assist is (when you are in conditions where the flash pulses) to slide the switch to MF mode, 'un focus' and try again. You should not have the pulses.

Scotty

[Linnie]

Thanks so much guys, it is def focus assist, I will try the MF out tonight and see what happens