Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/10

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Subject: RE: [Leica] use of ND filters
From: "Dan Honemann" <ddh@home.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 17:10:57 -0400

> bingo!!!
>
> or slow film and an uber-flash
>
> amounts to the same thing

Well, this is what I thought the first time, but then Mark convinced me it
won't work.  But I have the feeling I'm not seeing something quite right
here.

Let's go back to the example: f8 and 1/50s ambient exposure reading; subject
is 10 feet away.  Flash on manual at f8 only reaches 8 feet.  Assuming one
can't recompose by moving 2 feet closer:

- -- just mounting a 2 stop ND filter will get you down to f4, but will do
nothing to increase the amount of flash that reaches the film;

- -- adding a more powerful flash will get you to 10 feet at f8, in which case
you don't need the ND filter;

- -- if you wanted the narrower DOF of the wider aperture (or if the ambient
reading is off the scale of your aperture ring, say f32 at 1/50), then the
combination of an ND filter and strong flash would be the ticket;

- -- if you had a higher flash synch, you wouldn't need the stronger flash
and/or the ND filter(s);

Do I have it right now?

Dan

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] use of ND filters)