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Although a flash helps a lot in low-light situations, sometimes you might want to turn it off. Knowing how to turn off flash on a Canon Rebel can help you save battery power or prevent overexposure when shooting in good lighting.
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How to Turn Off Flash on a Canon Rebel
The Canon Rebel flash is a flash unit within the main camera body that helps to emit bursts of light within a short period to help illuminate the subject when shooting in low light conditions.
Although almost all cameras have built-in flashes, the mode of turning on, controlling, and turning off the flashes varies across the brands and models. If you are a new Canon Rebel owner, the following guide will help you turn off the flash and avoid overexposure issues.
Auto Mode
The Auto mode automatically sets all the settings according to the situation. When you turn the dial to this mode on the camera, the back screen will show, “Fully automatic shooting mode with auto scene detection, for diverse shooting conditions.”
In most cases, you will use this mode when you want to capture a photo and do not want to set everything manually. However, this means that it will determine whether to use the flash by itself, which might be inconvenient in certain situations, such as when shooting exterior photos in broad daylight. Therefore, if you know you don’t need the flash, you can turn it off.
To turn off the flash in auto mode, go to the menu (by pressing the menu button at the back) and then go to flash control. You will see “Flash Firing” at the top. Just click on it and switch it to disable. This will make sure your camera does not fire a flash in auto mode.
Switch to Flash Off
A simple step you can take is to change the mode dial to Flash Off. This is represented by a lightning bolt with a line across. It is also the mode to use in locations where flash is prohibited. This mode also sets your camera’s shutter speed and ISO levels just like the auto mode.
However, unlike the auto mode, this mode takes into account the fact that there will be no flash. In most cases, it compensates for no flash by adjusting the settings to long exposure. It is recommended to use a tripod when using this mode because the shutter speeds are usually set very slow, and there are chances of motion blur if the camera shakes.
Program AE Mode
Another way to turn off flash in your Rebel camera is to switch to the Program AE mode. On the Mode dial, it’s indicated by an A with a plus sign. This mode sets the shutter speed and aperture automatically while allowing you to set all the other settings yourself.
This also allows you to turn the flash off, similar to the Auto mode. Simply navigate to the menu and disable flash firing. The advantage of turning off the flash using this mode is that it gives you more control than the auto mode.
That means you can still adjust your exposure settings to brighten the photo even without the flash. Unlike Auto mode, you will have a chance to balance between image brightness and noise by adjusting the ISO.
Why Do You Want to Turn Off Flash?
Although a flash is a key component in the camera that can help you capture bright photos in low light, the following are some reasons and occasions where you might want to turn your camera’s flash off.
- Policy: In some cases, it’s a policy to switch off the camera flash when traveling. This is more common in places such as museums or galleries, where there are often signs that forbid flash photography as the flash can damage the artwork.
- Reflections: Flash can cause an unwanted reflection which can ruin the picture. This is especially true when you are trying to photograph something with a reflective surface. It ends up with a large blob of light in one part of the picture.
- Distance: The built-in camera flash in the Rebel camera can only light up a few feet. That means the flash can’t help you when shooting distant subjects such as when capturing architectural photos. Instead, use long exposure and a tripod rather than using the flash.
- Poor Quality Picture: The built-in flash results in poor-quality images. This is mostly because the flash is underpowered and cannot perform like natural light. The positioning of the built-in flash in relation to the subject also contributes to the low image quality as you can’t control the angles at which the light hits and illuminates the subject.
- Alternatives: Disabling the camera’s flash allows you to use other light sources. This might include external flash units that produce a much better flash. Usually, the external flashes can allow you to capture better quality images due to their higher power and flexibility in positioning.
- Battery: Using the camera flash can drain your battery really fast, and there are chances of the battery running low in the middle of a photo shoot. Frequent use of the flash might also affect the service life of the battery. Therefore, if you want to use your camera for longer or take more photos, it is a good idea to disable your camera’s flash and use an external one.
- Lens’s Shadows: Using your Canon Rebel’s flash can cause lens shadows due to the position of the built-in flash. This is especially a problem if you are using a wide-angle lens.
Alternatives to Built-in Flash
With the flash on your camera turned off, you will need an alternative solution to shoot bright photos. Usually, the best alternative is to shoot in good ambient lighting. This is especially true when you are shooting outdoors.
You can also use long exposure when the flash cannot be used to illuminate a distant subject, like when capturing landscapes. Long exposures include slowing down the shutter speeds to above 1 second. Additionally, you can use the widest aperture to allow more light to enter.
You can also use external flash units to shoot interiors in low light. Usually, the flash units can be attached to your camera through the hot shoe. Typically, the units prevent lens shadows like the ones you get when using the built-in flash, as they are much higher. Also, their lighting is much more powerful and can light up the scene.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Flash Can I Use With My Canon Rebel After Turning off the Built-in Flash?
The flashes that work well with the Canon Rebel series are the Canon Speedlites. They come with an auto-intelligent bounce technology. You can use these flashes in auto and semi-auto mode. They offer a 180-degree rotation, giving you a lot of flexibility.
Why Is My Canon Rebel Flash Not Working?
Your camera’s flash might not be working because your device might be in power-saving mode. To check this, go to settings, choose battery saver and then turn it off. This mode allows you to extend the battery life.
You can also try to clear the camera’s data to return it to the default settings. To clear camera app data, go to settings, choose the application manager and then choose clear data. This will restore the flash in your camera.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to turn off flash on a Canon Rebel will help you avoid reflections and glare when shooting reflective surfaces. You can turn off flash on Canon Rebel by disabling flash firing using auto and program mode. You can also switch to the Flash Off mode.
