Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I use a 285 for fill flash with handheld 4x5. Using PN55 at DIN25 means I'm either wide open at f5.6, and if I'm close enough, I'm at f8. What I would really like to get is a f2.8 planar so I can get the background out even more, but I haven't seen any cleans ones that didn't go for an arm and a leg. Some samples of that are at www.laweekly.com. The cover was with a rollei, but the rest where 4x5 handheld with flash fill. Slobodan Dimitrov Johnny Deadman wrote: > on 4/1/01 11:40 pm, Tim Atherton at tim@KairosPhoto.com wrote: > > > Cool pix Johnny. > > > > What kind of setup where you using for the open flash with the Rollei? > > Viv 283 and a Stofen omnibounce, tilted up 45 degrees, mounted on a cheap > flash bracket. Held the camera & focused with left hand, right hand fired > via 24" cable release. The 283 was set for f/11 or f/16 and the ambient > exposure was one or two stops under whatever I metered for that aperture, > usually 1/8 or 1/4s. > > > > Do you think you could make it work with the Super? > > I wondered the same thing myself. I can't see why not. The flash bracket > mounts okay on the standard tripod bush. You need some doohickey to go from > PC sync cord to the pillar sync on the LF lenses I have. I think zone or > estimated focusing is the only option, but at f/16 on a 90 or 127 lens that > should give at least some DOF. This is exactly what the old press guys like > Weegee used to do. Compose through the sports finder. I have one Grafmatic > back that takes six sheets and is very fast but I'd want at least one or two > more before I thought about street shooting. However, the possibilities are > pretty amazing, I think. I've vowed to try it, anyway. > > On 4x5 it's the flash that makes all the difference for shooting in anything > but bright sunlight, which is why the press guys always used them. DOF at > anything under f/16 is going to make zone focus impossible, so you're stuck > at f/16 or better, which drives your shutter speed down to 1/125 or worse on > 400 film under even quite bright conditions. Since I usually shoot around > 1/250 @ f/8 you're caught between camera shake and no DOF. > > However, using open flash, this all changes I think. Shoot f/16 or f/22 > (better use a quantum with the 283!) and leave the shutter open as long as > you need to get the ambient exposure up. > > I think you'd be lucky to get one good picture a day doing this, but it > might be a helluva picture. > > -- > Johnny Deadman > > http://www.pinkheadedbug.com