josephs@ttidcb.UUCP (Bill Josephs) (12/21/84)
I have owned many flashes including the Vivitar 283 and, more recently, the Nikon SB15 and SB16 units. I've been happiest with the SB16 -- I especially like the bounce/fill possibilities and the fast recycling with NiCads. Both the 15 and the 16 are well made, reliable units and I'd recommend either highly. Question: does anyone know of an easy way to meter synchro flash (using the flash as fill to an already sunlit scene) using the TTL setting and not the auto setting of the Nikons (or any TTL flash for that matter)? As soon as the flash is turned on, the normal meter is disabled. The scene brightness, then, controls the duration of the flash and not the aperture/shutter combination, i. e., you are stuck at 1/250th and the aperture you set. If this would lead to an underexposure, then the flash is forced to a maximum fill destroying any subtle effects that you're after. If the setting would result in an overexposure, there is nothing you can do (unless you can arrange to have the flash "suck" up some of the excess light and and use it to recharge the battery!?!) The only success I've had is to meter the scene manually, note the aperture used for 1/250th, turn the flash on and set that aperture (and hope that things don't change too rapidly while the flash is charging). Not a satisfactory procedure.
nishri@utcs.UUCP (Alex Nishri) (12/26/84)
In article <226@ttidcb.UUCP> josephs@ttidcb.UUCP (Bill Josephs) writes: >Question: does anyone know of an easy way to meter synchro flash >(using the flash as fill to an already sunlit scene) using the TTL >setting and not the auto setting of the Nikons (or any TTL flash for >that matter)? As soon as the flash is turned on, the normal meter is >disabled. The scene brightness, then, controls the duration of the >flash and not the aperture/shutter combination, i. e., you are stuck >at 1/250th and the aperture you set. If this would lead to an >underexposure, then the flash is forced to a maximum fill destroying >any subtle effects that you're after. If the setting would result in >an overexposure, there is nothing you can do (unless you can arrange >to have the flash "suck" up some of the excess light and and use it to >recharge the battery!?!) The only success I've had is to meter the >scene manually, note the aperture used for 1/250th, turn the flash on >and set that aperture (and hope that things don't change too rapidly >while the flash is charging). Not a satisfactory procedure. You did not specify which Nikon you had, but I assume you are talking about the Nikon FE2. The Nikon FE2 will set your speed to 1/250 when it detects the flash ready signal and you have set a speed faster equal to or higher than 1/250 or you have set the auto speed. If you set a slower speed, than it is honoured. This makes it easy obtain a 1:1 ratio flash fill at any aperture for which the required speed is less than 1/250. Simply set your prefered aperature. Then match needle (manually) the speed. Then take your picture with the flash and TTL setting. Of course 1:1 is not the optimal ratio in most situations. Other ratios should be possible by setting the speed carefully, but that is difficult to do quickly. It would be nice if the compensation dail would work in this situation -- does anyone know if it does? In practical situations I have not worried about the precise ratio. I have some nice pictures taken during a wedding service where there was light coming in from overhead church windows. By using 1/30 and 1/15 I was able to provide a meaningful background to the wedding party as they came in. Alex Nishri University of Toronto ... utcs!nishri
ron@wjvax.UUCP (Ron Christian) (01/03/85)
***************
From: josephs@ttidcb.UUCP (Bill Josephs)
Question: does anyone know of an easy way to meter synchro flash
(using the flash as fill to an already sunlit scene) using the TTL
setting and not the auto setting of the Nikons (or any TTL flash for
that matter)? As soon as the flash is turned on, the normal meter is
disabled. The scene brightness, then, controls the duration of the
flash and not the aperture/shutter combination, i. e., you are stuck
at 1/250th and the aperture you set. If this would lead to an
underexposure, then the flash is forced to a maximum fill destroying
any subtle effects that you're after. If the setting would result in
an overexposure, there is nothing you can do (unless you can arrange
to have the flash "suck" up some of the excess light and and use it to
recharge the battery!?!) The only success I've had is to meter the
scene manually, note the aperture used for 1/250th, turn the flash on
and set that aperture (and hope that things don't change too rapidly
while the flash is charging). Not a satisfactory procedure.
****************
I too was concerned about this, as my next camera will
probably be an FE2. (I have an FE.) According to one
of my books, (Kodak flash techniques or some such thing.
Book is at home.) you have to use the flash synch shutter
speed, (1/250 or whatever) but you can fool the flash by
subtracting stops with the compensation knob. Think about
it: Fixed apature, fixed shutter speed, the only thing
that can change is the amount of light that the flash pro-
duces. An easy way to compute fill balance, by the way.
Only disadvantage: if the meter turns off with the flash
on, (A non-feature if I ever heard of one! Shame on Nikon.)
you must first calculate the correct exposure with a hand held
lightmeter. (The flash can then be left on.) I wonder if
you could have someone 'fix' your FE2 so the meter stayed
on all the time? Of course, if the light is so bright you
need a faster shutter speed than 1/250 to get correct exposure,
you couldn't use flash fill anyway.
I would like to know if anyone has tried this technique, and
how well it worked.
--
Ron Christian (Watkins-Johnson Co. San Jose, Calif.)
{pesnta,twg,ios,qubix,turtlevax,tymix}!wjvax!ronnishri@utcs.UUCP (Alex Nishri) (01/04/85)
In article <295@wjvax.UUCP> ron@wjvax.UUCP (Ron Christian) writes: >Only disadvantage: if the meter turns off with the flash >on, (A non-feature if I ever heard of one! Shame on Nikon.) I own a Nikon FE2. I think it is misleading to say that the meter turns off the flash. The meter continues to function correctly at all times and can be used to manually set the aperature for the existing (non-flash) light of the scene. The only thing that changes when the 'flash ready' line is enabled: 1. The flash indicator light comes on in the viewfinder. 2. The "A" setting (formerly the "AUTO" setting in Nikon FE) becomes the same as flash sync speed, and any manual setting of the speed to over flash sync speed is treated as if flash sync speed were set. (On the FE2 thats 1/250sec.)