Canon S2 IS Flash Modes

[grapejape]

Hi all - 1st post here.

We've recently purchased the S2 IS (which there are 10,000 threads about already, I know) and I'm slowly but surely learning all of the options and settings. There are a few that I'm still confused about, both definition-wise and application-wise.

What are the different modes of flash like 1st and 2nd curtain for? Also, what does the slow-synchro flash do?

EDIT:

I've located some decent definitions of the functions here:

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/pss2is/301-e.html

What I'm lacking is application, as I still don't know when to change these settings. I've also noticed an auto/man mode for the flash, as well as an adjustment bar.


- Jason

[Prospero]

Hi Jason

Welcome to this forum !! :)

I may be wrong about this, I do not posses the S2 IS myself (though I'm thinking of purchasing one this year), but I think that you can get better night portrait results when you use second curtain flash rather than the first curtain flash. My reason for this is that in this way the person in front of the night scene will be captured last and therefore sharper than when he/she is captured first (when you use the first curtain flash).

However, I'm not sure about this. Perhaps you should try both options a couple of times. I don't know what the Slow Synchronisation flash can be used for.