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Pop up flash making images darker(only when triggering external flash)

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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
I've been testing out my new flash and trying to figure out how to get slaves working with the popup flash, but the problem is whenever I trigger the external flash it makes the image a lot darker, I'm assuming it has something to do with the auto settings on my t2i(I'm in full manual mode, lighting optimizer off etc), so I'm not understanding what I could be missing, or if it's something else, or if the popup flash can't be used well as a slave because it auto adjusts itself.
I took a few photos to show:

I started off at f32, trying to get a dark image with the popup flash alone, then I would use the external flash on full power to have the largest difference, of course I realised that at f32 not much of the flash would get in afterwards and fixed that mistake

f32, 1/200th using the pop-up flash only:
Click for larger image

f32, 1/200th using the pop-up flash and external flash:
Click for larger image


At this point I thought that the shutter speed might be too fast for the flash, so I dropped it down to 1/10th. I also brought up the aperture so that more light from the external flash was getting in
f11, 1/10th using the pop-up flash only:
Click for larger image

f11, 1/10th using the pop-up flash and external flash:
Click for larger image

P.S. I'm not a 5 year old, as it would seem from the pictures, it's just old stuff I haven't gotten rid of.
Oct 2 2012 3:08PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
posting to create thread.
Oct 2 2012 3:09PM
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Utard
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 305
Manually set the ISO, it's probably on auto right now which is fucking shit up
Oct 2 2012 7:14PM
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Jordan
Posts: 4079 - Karma: 2,122
Is the external flash you're using set to optical slave? Stupid question, but just wanted to know some background info?
Oct 3 2012 1:35AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
The ISP is set at 100 for all. And yes I have the flash set to slave1.
Oct 3 2012 4:08AM
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zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
I know on my 60d you can manually control the power on the pop up flash somewhere in the menu under flash settings. Not sure if the t2i can do that but worth a shot.
Oct 3 2012 10:07AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
It seems that you don't have any manual control over flash with a t2i, the only thing you can do is change the metering and something to do with the curtain I think. I can't see why that would make the image so much darker though, I guess the solution for me is probably to buy radio triggers.
Oct 3 2012 10:17AM
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1337
Posts: 31059 - Karma: 29,329
flash exposure compensation is probably set to like -2
Oct 3 2012 11:26AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Yeah it was but setting it to 0 didn't make a difference, external flash photo still darker, and surely the exposure compensation wouldn't matter because it effects both images?
Oct 3 2012 11:35AM
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zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
Radio slaves are better than optical in every way, the only time I would consider using optical would be in a studio setting, but even then radio is the way to go. On location, optical slaves are a bitch, I've heard of people's being triggered by the sun, and if there are other people there who are also using flashes then that's an even bigger problem. Check out Jamie's flash guide, there are tons of great cheap trigger/receivers that are most of the time just as good as the PW's.
Oct 3 2012 12:15PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
I can't justify spending 30$ on the cheapest receiver+trigger I can find when I could get a fast vintage for the same price, il rarely be using it off camera so I was just wanting to see if I could get the slave working.
Oct 3 2012 12:20PM
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