Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/06/28

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: fill flash - Re: [Leica] IIIC prices & Flash questions
From: "Bryan Willman" <bryanwi@seanet.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 10:00:33 -0700

B.D.,

1. Do NOT set the shutter speed past
    flash sync speed when using fill flash.
    The result is one of the few totally useless
    effects in all of photography.  (The part
    of the frame covered by the 
    still-traveling-shutter when the flash goes
    off will have a dark band of hard to predict
    size and depth.)

2. If the flash doesn't have power control,
    then it will fire according to a preset exposure
    curve.  All setting the ISO does is pick
    an F-stop and show it to you.   
    (Yes, an auto-flash will vary its exposure,
    but it will always pump the same light for
    what its sensor tells it the subject distance
    is.)

    So, for this class of flash (all really small
     ones I've ever seen) to balance the flash
    versus ambient balance, you must change
    the f-stop.

    If the flash wants, say, f4, and you set f8,
    you should get fill 2-stops under ambient.
    Of course, if you are outdoors, you will
    need very slow film to avoid needing a shutter
    speed past 1/50th of a second.

3. Fancy flashes (e.g. nikon sb26) let you
    set a bunch of different power ranges
    (many f-stops) on the flash and then do
    what you want on the camera.  It's the same
    gig as #2, except that it's much easier
    to control.

An aside on flashes:
    I was personally very unimpressed with
    the Metz flashes.  The ratio of function to
    size is poor.  (Recall earlier posting about
    camera power density.)

    The Canon 540EZ is a fine flash, but
     won't work except totally manually when
     mounted to a non-canon.  Wrong answer
     for your M-camera.

    The Nikon sb26, and I'll bet the sb28,
     offer great control, function, and power
     in the best size packages.  Don't be
    weirded out because it says Nikon,
    these work just fine on your M-camera.
    And their controls are very handy for
    things like fill flash.  (And I do not own
    a single Nikon SLR...)

bmw