How to Turn Off Flash on Canon Rebel Camera

[Newman]

I know this post is super-beginner, but I just have to write about it.

Way back when I first began using my Canon Rebel cameras, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to stop the flash from popping up when I was shooting in less than perfect lighting conditions. You know, indoors and darker areas outdoors. While I completely understand that many folks may want to use flash under those conditions, I’m not really a flash guy. Rarely have I used it and I don’t really plan to any time in the near future. I needed a way to stop the flash from popping up when I was using auto mode.

In today’s post, I’ll offer a few different options for dealing with this issue. If you’re like me and you don’t have any use for the flash, you can easily turn it off. And usually, it’s just a quick away to get it done. However, as usual, these things need a bit of explaining.

How to Stop Flash From Popping Up on Canon Rebel DSLR Camera​

Let’s face it. The very first thing most people do when they get a new camera, after setting it up, is to throw it in auto mode and start snapping away. I sure know that’s what I do. I want to see the bells and whistles that show up on the rear display and how great the photos that I take look. It’s not until later on that I begin to fiddle around with the intricacies of various settings and modes. In the beginning, all I want is to hear the sound of the shutter.

Let me show you the mode I’m talking about.



If you take a look at the photo of our Canon T6i above, you can see the dial is set to Scene Intelligent Auto (A+). When I turn the dial to this mode, the rear screen will tell me: Fully automatic shooting mode with auto scene detection, for diverse shooing situations.

Basically, this is the mode you would use if you want to very quickly take a photo of something and you want the camera to do all the work. And by “all,” I mean use the flash when it feels it is necessary.

The problem with this mode is that the flash will pop up and go off during the most inopportune times. Imagine traveling through Yellowstone National Park when you spot a moose. There’s no time to alter your camera’s settings, so you stick it in auto and begin shooting away. It’s dusk, so the camera thinks you want more light, so when you meter the camera for the very first time, the flash appears and when you fully press the shutter button, a big white light blinds the moose and anyone else who’s nearby. Not cool, especially if you were leaning against a solid object and had a steady camera. Even in low light, you may not have needed the flash at all. What I’m trying to say here is that there’s a better way.

Flash Off​

If you take a look at this next photo, you’ll notice that I turned the dial one click clockwise. The mode I turn the camera to is called Flash Off (a lightening bolt with a line through it) and it’s described as: Mode for shots or locations where flash is prohibited. Use of a tripod is recommended.



I want you to think about taking photos in a theater or at a birthday party. Can you imagine the dirty looks you’d receive if people around you saw your camera flash going off? Since not one of us wants to be “that guy or girl,” it’s best to take advantage of a setting on the camera that avoids using the flash.

The previous auto mode setting tells the camera to set virtually everything for you. It’ll set the focus, will automatically adjust the ISO, the shutter speed, aperture and the flash. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get all of those things without the flash? Well, you can.

By using the Flash Off mode, your camera meters and sets all the variables the same way, when pressing the shutter button half way. The only difference is, it takes into account that the flash won’t be used. So, if the camera thought the shutter speed and ISO would have been good at one setting when the flash was going to be used, it would alter those settings when it knows no flash is going to be in use.

The only thing you have to concern yourself with when using this mode is camera shake. Because of the lower lighting conditions most of us use this mode in, the camera’s shutter speed is bound to be set to a longer interval. Take extra care to steady your camera with your arms tucked to your chest, by leaning you or your camera against a steady object or use a tripod. In this mode, you can get really awesome shots without all that weird lighting and shadows the use of the flash can cause.

Program AE​

Another method for avoiding the use of the auto flash mechanism in your Canon Rebel is to set it to Program AE (P) mode. When you turn your camera’s dial to this mode, you’ll see a description on the back screen that says: Auto setting of shutter speed and aperture. Other settings can be configured manually.



This is a really great mode and it’s the one I use most often. Years ago, after much of the luster of manually setting my camera wore off, I began trusting it to make some of the choices for me. For one thing, I certainly didn’t like using the flash, as I’ve already mentioned many times in this post. I also really never enjoyed adjusting the aperture size or the shutter speed, unless I was doing something creative. I did, however enjoy changing the ISO to take advantage of different lighting effects, but even that became old as I used Photoshop and Camera Raw for more of that sort of thing. These days, I flip back and forth between the Flash Off setting and the Program AE setting.

As I said above, Program mode sets the aperture and shutter speed, leaving other options up to you. On top of that, you can use a neat trick called Program Shift to change the relationship between the aperture and shutter speed that the camera has selected. All you need to do to take advantage of this is to hold the shutter button down half way to meter the scene and turn the main dial. As you do this, you’ll see the aperture and shutter speed settings change in relation to each other, either on the back screen or in the view finder. Doing this will give you even more creative control.

Why would anyone use Program mode? Well, it gives some control to the user while leaving a lot of control with the camera. I like if for the speed I can grab a photo and for the thinking I don’t have to do. The reason I use it over the two other automatic modes is that I have a tough time giving up all control. When lighting conditions change, I like to have the ability of changing settings on the fly, without having to go overboard, especially if I’m just casually taking photographs. If I was on a paid shoot, you better believe I’d be using a lot more of my abilities.

Use the instructions in this post when dealing with the Canon Rebel line of cameras, including the T2i, T3i, T4i, T5i, T6i and the T7i.

 

[WendyMay]

I have the same camera and I found this article helpful since I am new with it. I was wondering about when it’s OK to take a photo of the sunset/sunrise without hurting the camera lens or mirror inside. Also, can it really hurt your eyes to look at the LCD screen while the camera is pointed at the sun? I haven’t tried this but it seems to me like there would be times being outside where the sun is in the sky and you really want to point up your camera and get that photo. Is that really bad even for a second or two?

 

[Newman]

I have never heard of being able to hurt a camera by facing it into the sun. I wouldn’t concern myself with that. Also, the brightest the LCD screen can go is to show the color white. I don’t think you can hurt your eyes to look at it as the camera is facing the sun. The viewfinder is a different story. With that, you are looking directly into the sun, but the LCD screen is safe. It doesn’t magnify the intensity of the sun in any way. As a matter of fact, I was taking photos of the recent eclipse using this method. Of course, double check what I’m saying here because I’m no expert and I’m certainly not the manufacturer.

 

[15Katey]

I have just by chance seen this article I can’t tell you how helpful it is! I thought I was just plain thick or too old! I’ve taken photos all my life since I was small. Started with a box brownie of course. In those days we couldn’t even afford to get the film developed but that never stopped me snapping away.. I’ve never had a ‘proper camera’, but a few weeks ago bought a second hand Canon Rebel. Got home, hated it, put it back in box! Yesterday, feeling guilty for wasting money I decided to give it another whirl. Took some great photos (in my opinion) of my great grandchildren, this spurred me on, the flash being annoying and startles me when it pops up, problem now solved!, thank you so much! I took quite a few photos of flowers in the park and was great disappointed to have white scenes, so hopefully now resolved. I just now need to figure why I can’t get a scene, with water and clouds , the whole thing doesn’t fit in picture, even though I’m zoomed out. A lot to learn! I love my small Canon sx720, which does a great job but I can see why people use DSLR. Thank you again for your help!

 

[Newman]

This comment warms my heart. I am so glad to be of help. Also, I’m glad you gave the Rebel another try. I have had four different version of that model and I really do love them all. Regarding the scene you’re trying to capture, you may want to take a look at what lens you’re using. If it’s not wide angle enough, you won’t be able to fit what you want in. Luckily it’s really easy to swap lenses on that camera. You should try stopping by a local camera store to see what you like.

Thanks again and good luck!

 

[Cameron]

At last! Only had the camera a week but tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to stop the pesky flash going off in auto mode. Thanks.

 

[Phoenix1]

Just read this – only a short time after you published it. Like another poster, I’ve been around cameras all my life. Dad had a darkroom in the basement of our first house, I had a photo club while stationed in Alaska in the mid-1980’s and have been using my (now) old Canon Eos Rebel XS forever – but always with flash…now I can look like those professionals and get away from the flash in usual shooting situations.
THANK YOU!

 

[Newman]

Do I Always Need to Use my Camera’s Flash?​

I rarely, if ever, use my camera’s flash. I think you’ll hear this same sentiment from professional photographers as well. While the built in flash that comes standard with almost every camera does illuminate a scene, it can appear absolutely awful in the final photograph. I’m sure you’ve seen images that have been completely blown out with light in the foreground, only to reveal horrible dark shadows in the background. If there’s one thing you need to be careful of when it comes to photography, it’s when you should and when you shouldn’t use a flash.

While I don’t use the built-in flash, I am a firm believer and strong proponent of external flash units. These types of flash units can be used for some stellar effects, such as bouncing light off a wall near your subject to illuminate it more softly and from a different direction than head on, while outside to add directionality to an already illuminated subject, for cool effects at night, light trails, freezing motion, and so forth. You would definitely not want to use a flash during dark concerts and events, candid photography of random people, and when there’s ample light during the daytime. I know I mentioned adding some flair to the sides or the background of an object during the daytime hours, but this time I’m saying not to use the flash head on.

While flashes have their place in photography and can create some very good effects, you really do need to be careful when using them. Especially when using the built in flash that sits on top of your camera or using any flash at the wrong time. A time that doesn’t call for additional light.

Reply: I do not really like to use my flash. I use a Nikon D5300 and though I am a beginner, I almost never use flash. Flash catches details but to me it was always a no. Even in extreme low light, I normally prefer to take photos without lights and they come out good.

Reply: I agree. I think the flash effect looks horrible in so many ways. Obviously, flash is used by the pros and in those cases, the result is pleasing because they know what they’re doing. In most cases though, the average photographer can do some real damage to their photos by the use of their camera’s flash. I would suggest introducing another light source in most cases.