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Re: [OM] FL-600R

Subject: Re: [OM] FL-600R
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 14:32:29 -0500
Now I'm not sure what camera you're using.  I was thinking you must be 
using your E-M5 but, with the pop-up flash installed on the E-M5 you 
can't use the hot shoe for another flash.  Must be something else.

Yes, I'm going to suggest exactly what you were afraid of.  I think it 
may be easier to shoot digital in manual mode than try to be a "TTL 
wimp".  It's certainly easier than trying to decipher the FL-600 user's 
manual.  I just read it or tried to.  Ugh!!!

Let's start real easy.  Go into your living room or den or wherever you 
typically take family pictures indoors.  Put a kitchen or other light 
chair where your subjects might be.  Drape a white shirt (or similar) 
over the back of the chair such that the open side is away from you. 
This is the "bride's dress" which you must keep from getting blown out.
Set the camera in manual mode, ISO at minimum.

Situation: Dark outside, inside: low level of incandescent light

Set the shutter speed at 1/30 (to pick up some ambient light).  Aperture 
at f/8.  Position yourself as far back** as you can with the flash set 
for ceiling bounce about half way between.  If you have some sort of 
diffuser that can bounce some of the light forward use it.  A small 
white card taped to the back of the flash head and jutting up a few 
inches will do.  Set the flash to full power (which, in the case of the 
FL-600R, means setting the largest guide number rather than power level).

Take a test shot and check the histogram.  Is the shot overexposed?  If 
so, cut the guide number in half.  Underexposed? open up a stop or two 
depending on your judgement.  Take another test shot.  If still over or 
underexposed adjust aperture or flash power depending on where you have 
the leeway. Keep in mind that you don't want an aperture too small or 
too large for good depth of field control.  If you start running out of 
flash power then start boosting the ISO.  Keep taking test shots and 
making adjustments until you get a histogram you like.  With a little 
practice you should be able to determine proper exposure after 2 or 3 
test shots and the people don't have to be present for that part.

All of the exposure adjustments are things you're familiar with except: 
changing shutter speed will only affect the exposure of the ambient 
light in the background.  Changing aperture or ISO affects the entire 
scene while adjusting the flash power affects mostly the subjects and 
other foreground.

Situation: Daylight outside, inside: low level daylight

If it's still daylight and you have a fair amount of sun getting into 
the room try to set an ambient light exposure with shutter speed at max 
sync speed. You'll probably have to keep away from the windows.  What 
does the ambient light say about aperture for the exposure?  If you're 
already at some small aperture you may not be able to or need to use 
flash.  Otherwise continue as above.  Just remember that you're limited 
in your ability to use shutter speed to control the ambient exposure 
since you can't use speeds faster than the sync. speed.

Situation: Add a small flash unit for fill.

Got a T-20 or some other small flash unit?  No?  Buy a 1980's 
manual/auto mode flash on ebay for $10-20.  Set it on a light stand or 
other support with a cheap optical trigger to fire it.  Put some sort of 
diffuser in front of it if you have one.  A white handkerchief might do. 
  Use the same setup for the night shot as above only close down the 
lens about 1/2 stop for your first test exposure to account for the fill 
flash.  Rebalance the histogram from there.

** The intensity of the flash is going to fall off with the square of 
the distance.  Getting far away will minimize the brightness difference 
between front and back subject.  It also causes direct flash to appear 
more like a point source and cast harsh shadows but, remember, we're 
bouncing off the ceiling, not using direct flash.

Good luck (you don't need no FL-600 or other steenkin' TTL flash)
Dr. Flash



On 2/18/2014 10:04 AM, Paul Braun wrote:
>> >I have no definitive info on it but I would also be suspect of flash
>> >mode working at all if the pop-up flash is down.
>> >
>> >Which is what I discovered.
> The one thing that bugs me about this setup is that now I have the goofy
> little popup flash throwing direct, unfiltered light on the scene.  I guess
> another option is to pick up another of the FL-XXr strobes and put that on
> the camera, and let it talk to the off-camera flash. I realize I can do a
> lot with ambient, but there are situations where it just doesn't produce a
> sharp enough image.  I'd like to learn proper flash usage just so I have
> some more knowledge in my little bag of tricks.
>
> I'd suggest you get yourself a real radio transmitter and receiver of
>> >which there are many on the market.  I like my Alien Bees units... the
>> >little battery powered CyberSync units shown here
>> ><http://www.paulcbuff.com/cybersync.php>  but there are many others on
>> >the market.  I gave up on my original cheapy ebay units because they had
>> >not much range and were very unreliable.
>> >
>> >Note: some of the CyberSync units are AC powered for studio strobes.
>> >
>> >
> That's also a possibility.  Seems like almost all of them will talk to
> Canyon and Nykon, but basically nobody speaks Olympish.   Oh, sure, you
> say.  Don't be a TTL wimp.  Learn how to do flash the old-fashioned way.
> Well, maybe.
-- 
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