Making EOS 6D flash exposure compensation accessible
EOS 6D doesn’t have a built-in flash and also has taken an approach of a single function to each of the push buttons on the top plate. The result is that flash exposure compensation is not so easy to find, and for me this is a control I use quite a lot for creative reasons.
As standard the two options to access it are:
Setting flash exposure compensation from the quick control display & External Speedlite flash menu
- You can set flash exposure compensation from the quick control screen. You have to press the Q button and then navigate to the flash exposure compensation option, press SET and dial in the amount.
- Even more convoluted is to go to the External Speedlite control menu and then navigate to Flash function settings then move round the display to the flash exposure compensation icon, press SET and dial in the amount.
To be honest I’m not in love with the rear multi-controller mounted inside the quick control dial. I prefer the joystick on the EOS 5D Mark III.
Custom controls for flash exposure compensation
Fortunately there is a third way, using the Custom Controls from either the quick control screen or from custom function III-5 you can assign flash exposure compensation to the SET button that is right in the middle of the quick control dial. Having done so then flash exposure compensation adjustment takes a press of the SET button and a turn of either the quick control dial (rear), the main control dial (front) or even the multi-controller. Make sure to press the SET button after making changes or the changes are lost.
To me it’s still a bit of a problem that the flash exposure compensation is not visible in the camera viewfinder when setting it, or once set. In fact unless you check the flash exposure compensation from the quick control screen there’s no indication of it being set on the camera or in the viewfinder at all.
EOS 6D quick control display shows flash exposure compensation set on Speedlite
Hi. I have just bought a Canon 6D. Iam happy with it but a little problem appeared. I have a 430EX II speedlite but I can not use as off camera flash. At menu in flash function settings I do not have Wireless setup possibilies… I need a little help to fix this problem.
Hi Laszlo,
The Speedlite 430EX II needs to receive pulses of light from another flash to control it off-camera. Your EOS 6d does not have a built-in pop-up flash that can control the 430EX II so the menu its not displayed on your EOS 6D. If you put a Speedlite 580EX II, Speedlite 600EX-RT on the camera hotshoe then the menu will be displayed as these flashes can act as master flashes controlling others.
If you put the Speedlite 430EX II on the camera hotshoe you will see some menu items on the camera LCD menu, but not items for wireless settings since the 430EX II cannot be a master flash, only a slave.
Hope this clarifies things for you,
Brian / p4pictures
Thank you very much, it helped lot, than I go for higher speedlite 🙂
Brian,
I own a yongnuo 560 EX II and I can access the flash exposure comp from the quick control display but it doesn’t actually do anything even if I change the amount. I can not access it at all from the Speedlight control menu, it gives me an error every time saying that the flash cannot connect or it is off. Is this due to the cheap flash?
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the comment. Setting the flash exposure compensation on the camera won’t change the setting on the flash. This is due to the fact that the camera actually does the metering for the flash. However if exposure compensation is set on a Canon flash then it cannot be changed from the camera.
I don’t have a Yongnuo 560EX II here, however I might suggest that the flash is not compatible with the Speedlite menu system in the camera.
Brian / p4pictures
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the tip, I’d like to add something that may be useful to you: On my 6D, I’ve noticed that, in the Quick Control menu, I in fact do not need to enter the flash compensation submenu to make changes—it’s enough that flash compensation is highlighted, and you can turn the wheel to increase or decrease it.
The beauty of it (assuming that you need nothing else from the Quick Control menu during you shooting session) is that you do not need to confirm the change: your compensation is registered as soon as you press the shutter again, making the process as short as on those cameras with a dedicated button, since all you have to do is press Quick Control, use the wheel, and shoot (this is assuming that your Quick Control menu remains of flash compensation during your session).
Can you confirm if this is correct?
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks a ton Brian!
I could not figure this out and thought the feature was not available on my 6D.
To answer Ryan, I have the same setup with a 6D + YongnuO 565EX II.
I followed the instructions here and while the Yongnuo display does not show the exposure compensation moving up incrementally, the Canon does control the output of the flash as intended. I tested from -3 through +3 and can see the increase in each shot.
Any exposure compensation from the Canon, will show the small ‘+/-‘ symbol on the Yongnuo upper left screen.
Hi Brian, hope you can help.on my Canon 6d I can’t find a menu to connect 430EX 11 flash.
I have searched camera menu 1,2,3 with flash connected alas no external flash menu.
Hi Patrick,
You need to put the flash on the camera hotshoe and switch both on. Then make sure that the mode dial on the camera is turned to one of the creative modes like P, Tv, Av or M and not in full-auto mode.
Press the MENU button and then navigate to the second red coloured tab. You should find External Speedlite control as the second entry.
Brian / p4pictures