Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - --------------07CC89DD8AAE69EB6E401FF4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Pascal wrote: > > Friends: > > I am currently using the Metz flash 32 MZ-3 with the SCA 3501 adaptor on > my R8. > While I do like this flash, I am somewhat disappointed that, in flash > bouncing mode (with the head tilted upwards) the subject has some shadow > because the light comes from above (ceiling) downwards. > I saw in a Metz sales brochure that the 40 MZ-2 has two light sources: > the main head which can be tilted, and a small fixed one underneath. > Can this flash be recommended? Does anyone have any experience with it? > Would I be well advised to trade in my 32 MZ-3 against a 40 MZ-2? Are > there other features/issues I should be aware of? > Thanks for any help. > Pascal, I don't know if you've tried this yet but it's an old newsphotographer's trick and works quite well. Tape, velcro, rubber band or somehow attach a small white card to the top of your flash to act as a "kicker" when using bounce flash. It directs just a little light forward helping to take care of those shadows and relieve the effects of top-heavy bounce lighting. My current favorite approach is to take a small piece of white plastic bleach bottle and velcro it to the top of my flash. My other favorite is to use white plastic disposable paint scrapers (you can buy them in various widths) with the handle cut-off and velcro this to the top of the flash. I usually set the bounce angle at about 75 degrees to vertical. This allows a little forward kick of the bounce card while directing most of the light upward. I've used this technique both on and off camera depending on the time and amount of control available. Sometimes I use a Vivitar 283 off-camera with the remote sensor and I aim the flash by hand to shape the light on the subject so it has some directionality. Other times I'll use my dedicated Canon flash on a light stand with the 10' extension cord attached to my EOS. This allows me to set my lighting in place then I can wander within the limits of the cord. The bounce again allows directional lighting on my subject (usually interviewees) but also gets light onto the background so that it doesn't become a black hole. Hope this helps. Carl Socolow - --------------07CC89DD8AAE69EB6E401FF4 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="csocolow.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Carl Socolow Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="csocolow.vcf" begin:vcard n:Socolow;Carl tel;fax:717-975-3354 tel;work:717-763-7760 x-mozilla-html:FALSE org:Socolow Photography version:2.1 email;internet:csocolow@microserve.net note:ICQ #9562608 adr;quoted-printable:;;P.O. Box 594=0D=0A;Camp Hill;PA;17001-0594;USA x-mozilla-cpt:;17104 fn:Socolow, Carl end:vcard - --------------07CC89DD8AAE69EB6E401FF4--