The problem with the OMs (except 3Ti/4Ti) is that for ttl auto, they sync at
1/60 and *only* at 1/60. Period.
If for the selected aperture, the shutter speeds works out to less than
1/60(for ambient light), the camera sets it to 1/60.
If more, the flash doesn't fire. Thats a serious limitation as far as chosing
depth of field is concerned, and also for
hand held photography with longer lenses if you want a good deal of ambient
light in the mix.
I think in one of the older OMs ttl auto allowed speeds lower than 1/60, ie it
would keep the shutter open even after
the flash fired but failed to acheive adequate exposure. but this quickly
drained batteries so Olympus dropped it later.
Even for tripod mounted shots with a relatively high ambient/flash, ratio 1/60
is too low to 'freeze' movement. Its
OK for people, but a lot of my shots from the Chicago zoo turned out soft
because of this.
-Tim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne Culberson" <waynecul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: [OM] fill flash - am I missing something?
>
>
> > I am confused on the current thread about fill flash. We know that
> > (save for the F280) our sync speed is limited to 1/60, so why all the
> > crazy contraptions? When shooting for fill, I either use GN numbers if
> > I know that the background will be dark, or I select the aperture that
> > will give a 1/30 second exposure, and let the flash do the rest. I
> > haven't come across a situation that I would need faster than 1/60. if
> > one is in bright daylight, I have found it easier to spot meter the face
> > and shoot the scene back-lit which usually turns out to be better on a
> > face than to have sun shadows filled with a light source that is
> > slightly different color cast.
> >
> > What am I missing?
>
> Well, I am confused on the whole flash thing altogether, so its back to the
> books, flash 101, for me I guess.
> If I'm doing any serious fill-flash, its likely for a portrait, so is with
> either Portra 160 or 400. My thinking has been, since fill-flash is often
> needed on sunny days, that means at 1/60 OM sync, the f number has to be
> about f16-f22 for 160 film, and may as well forget 400iso, it won't work.
> The OM2000 gives 1/125 sync, which gets you by with a 50/1.8 which only has
> f/16. The extra 2/3 stop from the 160 iso film (over the sunny 16 rule 100
> iso) won't matter with Portra, in fact I would likely go another stop to
> f/11 to help the flash a little. Even if you drop to 100 iso film, it is
> still not ideal for OM's, as the 1/60 shutter speed is a little slow for
> hand held if using 100mm, which is what one is more likely to choose for
> single portraits.
> When taking a family self-portrait recently on a sunny afternoon, I used a
> TLR which syncs up to 1/500. With Portra 160 in the camera, it allowed for a
> more open aperture, which the flash normally needs in fill flash situations.
> I had the OM1n filled with Portra 400 that day, so I just forgot about using
> fill flash with it. And the results weren't so great... dark faces, and
> unusable pictures.
>
> I admit I get confused trying to remember how the T flashes work anyway -
> what speed it sets the shutter to, whether the flash turned on sets to 1/60
> or 1/45 or not at all (as on the OM1n), whether it actually sets to sync
> speed, or just limits shutter speed to 1/60, or whether the flash (and
> shutter speed) is ignored if there is enough ambient that flash isn't
> needed, whether I have to set the aperture to a fixed position as with the
> OM10, or whether its better to set to auto or to program with PC or 2s, or
> do I have to tape over a contact to use slower than fastest sync, or what
> does the calculator panel really do practically when it is turned over, or
> just left off altogether, or whether to set the aperture so the speed reads
> at 1/30 in the viewfinder if you really want to be sure the flash fires when
> the ambient might be enough to cancel the flash, etc., etc. Guess I'm denser
> than most here (maybe I need the OM4/280 combo?). I've read the manuals and
> Shipman's book, and just when I think I have it, along comes this thread and
> I realize I'm all confused again.
> I have to confess if its important for flash to be right, when using my
> OM's, I set everything on manual. I might use ttl if I'm just getting a
> birthday picture and its in the normal small room/house situation, but then
> the Epic 2.8 is fine for that situation, and there's nothing to put together
> or wait for charge up.
> It really makes one appreciate the flash system on the Olympus RC. Set the
> GN on the camera to match the flash/film you're using, set on "z" and focus.
> You don't have to worry about whether there is a close enough/light enough
> background to make auto or ttl work, or whether you're at sync speed, or if
> the camera is going to let the flash fire or not, etc.
> Wayne
>
>
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