Examples of Ambient Light Manipulation with "Priority" Modes

[Steve Eisenberg]

<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small;"]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"]Thanks for your informative note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] I am an absolute novice using a flash, and my nice new 580EX just arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] I have been snapping, noting, comparing and reading all afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] I probably will use the flash mostly for inside family gatherings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] (I haven&rsquo;t been at all happy with the results of recent pics with available light.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"]
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;"]<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"]I think that I am settling on aperture priority so I can stop down and get a good DOF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] ISO will be in the 500 range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] My initial snaps show that I like results when I use the 580&rsquo;s controls to underexpose almost a full stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] I shot the initial snaps with the 30D and the kit EF-S 17-85 lens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"] Comments and suggestions are certainly welcome.
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Congrats on the nice new flash! Beware underexposing though. I've noticed that my prints are darker than their image on-screen. I'd print a few, and see how they look. Unless you intend to display them on-screen only?