How to best use external strobe with A80?

[ChrisA]

I posted a questin about the YS90DX strobe. I realized that maybe I asked the wrng question. What I should have asked is this:

For those with a Canon A-series camera and an external strobe, how do you use your external strobe? From best I can tell there is no way to get an automatic exposure. So what do you do? Leace the strobe power constant and adjust the f-stop based on subject distance or keep the f-stop and adjust strobe power?
Either way it would seem that my exposures would be only as good as my ability to judge distance which is not very good.

One other question. Does the A80 do a preflash when in "M" mode. I don't think so.
So then why bother with a "digital" strobe?

 

[alcina]

OK...I have used non digital strobes (Ike's fabulous 50 with a remote slave sensor - no wires, mom!) and with my Inon 220s. Works fine with the A70 & A75.

with the Inon I have manual control of my strobe - I vary the output to control my light. I also vary the aperture/shutter to control ambient light, depth of field etc. But strobe light is mostly controlled by changing the dial. It doesn't take long to see if you are frying your subject or leaving it in the dark

With the Ike 50 I had to use distance to control the light from my strobe. Again, this seemed to work pretty easily. A bit of trial and error, but really wasn't many frames before I got "my eye in" as they say.

IMHO I wouldn't buy a strobe that didn't have manual control...but I still get my Ike's wet now and then.

does that help at all?