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Re: [OM] fill flash and burned-out faces (use a flashmeter)

Subject: Re: [OM] fill flash and burned-out faces (use a flashmeter)
From: Joe Gwinn <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 09:32:38 -0500
At 5:20 AM +0000 12/12/02, olympus-digest wrote:
>Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 18:28:27 -0800
>From: "Richard F. Man" <richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: [OM] fill flash and burned-out faces
>
>At 08:53 PM 12/11/2002 -0500, Joe Gwinn wrote:
> > >The ONLY way to get exact exposure with flash is by using the manual
> > >guide numbers.  [snip]
> >
> >Actually, there is an even better way, although it too is manual:  Use a 
> >flashmeter to meter incident (not reflected) light right at the subject, 
> >and set the camera accordingly.  This is *very* reliable, and cannot be 
> >fooled by bright faces or dark backgrounds.
>
>OK, so how would I fire a on camera flash like the F280 and trigger the 
>light meter? I understand how to do this with Studio flash but not shoe 
>mount flash!

I don't have a F280, but I assume it has a nice red "test" button that will 
fire the flash when pressed?  If not, then find a different flash.  The flash 
must also have a manual mode, where the ordered flash is always produced, 
regardless of how much light is reflected back to the flash.  

If yes to both, then set the flashmeter up for incident-light metering (white 
dome in place), arm it, and place it at or very near the subject with the dome 
pointed towards the camera.  Or have the subject hold the meter.  Then, go to 
the camera, set the flash to manual operation and fire off a test flash, and 
run back to the meter and get the reading.  (The meter must have a recall 
function, or a long display time.)  If you are using multiple flashes, do this 
one flash at a time, with the others turned off, so you can measure the ratio 
of illumination on the various sides of the subject.  The dome always points to 
the camera, and not to the flash units, regardless of where the flash units are.

I most often put a tiny manual flash on the camera, with the larger real 
flashes distributed around the subject to taste.  The pipsqueak flash on the 
camera triggers the real flashes when the picture is taken.  The lack of wires 
is a real help, and flash triggers are cheaper than radio triggers.

Joe Gwinn


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