Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Anthony Atkielski wrote: ><Snip> > The only way I see to get realistic and attractive photos is to use available > light. Even a handheld shot with a bit of camera movement in available light > can still look a lot better than a shot on a tripod taken with a flash. At > least it looks like it did in real life, instead of that deer-in-headlights look > that flash usually produces. > > I have flash units for my Nikons, but they never get used. I don't have a flash > for the Leica, and I don't foresee getting one. If I need to shoot in low > light, it'll be fast film, maybe a Noctilux, and, if worse comes to worst, a > tripod. But I hate flash. > > > Whenever I have to use flash, then for me, the quality does > > not matter. The final prints are either for research purposes > > or some shots about the extended family at a party where > > everyone wants to be in the picture. > > Exactly. Flash is for documentation purposes. > > -- Anthony Some serious shots have been done with flash and with artistic value. Something can really be said for a pocket flash that can light up a situation which would have been F1.4@1/4 of a second; in other words: dark. Admittedly with our flash sync and without a big flash you are limited to close up. But lots of shots are close up. I say when in doubt BLAST the little buggers! You get used to remembering to set the darn shutter on 1/50 or even slower!!! Those blur shots with the flash etching in a (last) moment are in every gallery. All the artsey photographers involved with the "Blue Sky Gallery" were all doing them when I arrived here in Portland in the late '70s. I had some fun with it myself. Using flash with an M6 is a whole different mindset than an F5. With an F5 it is a study of advanced algorithms. With an M6 it is just balances what your flash sensor thinks is going on against what you've got your shutter and apertures set on. Much easier to comprehend. Even with my later Nikons I used to sometimes not use the TTL flash but let the flash sensor do it's thing. Mark Rabiner