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[OM] F280 and OM-4T--tentative results

Subject: [OM] F280 and OM-4T--tentative results
From: "Tomoko Yamamoto" <tomokoy@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:02:42 -0400
I have run a series of tests using the Super FP mode on the F280 with my OM-4T.

I found that I could duplicate a kind of the F280 FP flash effects using my
50mm/1.8 lens on my OM-4T in the auto mode similar to what is illustrated in the
OM-4T brochure in Japanese.

The OM-4T brochure illustrates a situation in which a nice scenic (buildings and
sculpture) background with a person on the side facing the camera. With the
centered-weighted average metering would create a silhouette from the
person, with spot metering, the background is overexposed, and the F280 gives
both the person and the background a "correct" exposure. The question is what
kind of exposure settings were used.  The legends to the illustrations indicated
the lens used (50mm/1.2) and the shutter speeds used, but not the aperture used.

I was able to duplicate the brochure illustrations by using my 50mm/1.8 at f/11
and 3 m away from my subject (shorter than 1/60sec, the subject was metered to
be 1/15s or so).  I do not have a real live model handy, so I used a part of a
short tree with a bright background and I got the tree trunk well-lit by the
F280
flash.  I did get a little overexposure of a part of the background showing in
between the tree trunk, though.  It might have helped to underexpose a little.

Since I was planning to take my 35-70mm/3.5-4.5 lens instead of the 50mm/1.8, I
repeated the test with the zoom at 50mm.  I saw little effect of the F280 under
the same circumstance as with the 50mm/1.8.  I had to bracket the exposure to
find where the tree would be lit (or exposed correctly).  Depending on the
aperture and the distance, the amount of compensation to produce the acceptable
results was different.  The best result was obtained at 2/3 of a stop to a stop
which turns out to be one stop underexposure from the spot-metered shutter
speed.   I knew the F280 FP flash fired, but it was not clear from looking at
the slide whether the result obtained as a result of flash or simply a stop
under the spot exposure.  Unfortunately I did not run the control to find out
what the slide might have looked at that setting without the flash.

In any case, the results with the two lenses differed enough, so I decided to
take my 50mm/2.8 lens on my trip.  I have also tried quick tests using a 85mm/2,
a 28mm/2.8, and the 35-70mm/3.5-4.5 at 70mm.  The F280 worked as it should when
the moderate tele lenses at the aperture wide open.   The 28mm lens results were
best when a lens hood and a wide adapter were used (f/8 at 2-3m away).  I wish I
had more time to run these tests, though.

I am going to test more when I get back from Scotland.

Tomoko Yamamoto
mailto:tomokoy@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.charm.net/~tomokoy/




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