When using flash I use mostly my Hexar RF and accompanying dedicated flash unit. I have noticed a tendency to have a prominent flash gleem reflected from my subject's eyes. I was also able to capture a nice glint from the fillings/bridge work from my brother-in-law's teeth.

This isn't redeye as much as a glistening that is distracting. I also notice some redeye in the occasional shots. The shots are not overexposed and the amount of light on the subject seem about right.

Are there softener gadgets for the Leica/Hexar flash units? What products by name etc?

Suggestions and advice in improving technique with flash with either the M6 or the Hexar RF would be most welcome. I'm thinking of switching to my SLR with a bracket mounted flash for my indoor shots. I suppose I could use a stroboframe for the Leica/Hexar as well.

What do you all suggest?

-- David S Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), September 14, 2001

Answers

David

There is not really any answer to this unless you get one of the large diffusors you can attach over the head, the disadvantage of this is you loose power and frankly it is cumbersome. Bounce flash is best or using an Omnibounce, but you need a bounce capable flash and the SF20 or Hexar don't allow this. I think if you want good flash shots then you need a full kit with a more sophisticated flash with a swivelling head etc. etc. A bracket will help with the glistening I think as the flash will then be at an angle to the lens and hence direct hotspots tend not to appear on the resulting shot. It also helps with redeye too. I think if you are going to be taking a lot of flash shots then I think you need to use the full kit - there is just no way around this. The small SF20/Hexar units are not elegant but are useable when you want a shot but are not obsessed by the final quality. I have to say I have not noticed glints particularly using the SF20, but certainly over about 6 feet and red eye starts to be seen.

You don't say what film you are using. If color slide, Sensia and E100S work pretty well with flash in my experience. Personally, though, I would never use flash if I could use available light instead.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), September 14, 2001.

Two thoughts David: 1) You could use a ttl extension cable (Nikon's sc17 works perfectly with the Leica M and SF20) and hold the flash higher, or off to one side and at an angle to alleviate the glint; 2) you could take a small rectangle of wax paper (a translucent vinyl would be even better) and tape it loosely over the head of the SF20 so it bows out a bit around the head. This will diffuse the direct light significantly and should reduce the glint effect - but as Robin pointed out, it will also reduce effective flash output by about 1 - 2 stops.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 14, 2001.

I recommend my SFILL for the SF20 - out soon. Will keep you posted. Jack, you came quite close...;o)

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), September 14, 2001.

SFILL on a SF20 with Nikon sc17 on lightweight bracket. Sorry for the dress code...

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), September 14, 2001.

Instead of - or in addition to - trying to repair the effect of flash light bouncing off the subject into your lens, maybe experimentation with subject angles would be more effective - and maybe more interesting, too. Experiment with orientation of the eyes, mouth, cheeks, forehead, with respect to the film plane. If you can find some interesting angles that also happen to bounce flash light harmlessly off to the side, red eye and glistening will not be a factor.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), September 14, 2001.

I am a G.P. and advise parents of infants to take some "red eye" pictures of their little one. If one eye shows red and the other one doesn't, it could mean that an eye tumor is present- the most dreadful one being retino blastoma. Only one red eye in an adult usually means the presence of an artificial eye.

So healthy eyes reflect red, from the retina.

-- Hans Berkhout (berkhout@cadvision.com), September 14, 2001.

Lutz:

Looks like translucent plastic plus an sc17... :-)

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 14, 2001.

Bingo, Jack.

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), September 15, 2001.

The closer the flash is to the lens, the more marked the redeye effect. It's just angles of reflection on light from the flash bouncing off the retina and back to the filmplane.

Move the flash unit further away and it stops being a problem. Extension cords and bracket frames are best here. If you have a stroboframe setup, then you already know this.

Changing to a swivel head flash will make a difference too, if you can have a bounce setup. I use a Vivitar 283 with an Omnibounce gadget....but on my MF setup mounted on a stroboframe, not for my M6.

If you are stuck with the shoe mount little units (aka SF20) then the only other way of reducing the redeye effect is to have your subjects:

1)change their eye viewing angle towards the lens. ie look over your head.

2)look at a bright source of light first or be in enough ambient lighting to constrict their pupils (the way most point and shoots deal with this-preflashes)

3)change to being brown eyed....blue eyed people have the most marked redeye effects.

4)get one of those redeye spot reducing pens for you prints...or do the photoshop thing.

5)switching off the flash altogether will be most effective methinks :-)

Cheers.

-- Simon Wong (drsimonwong@hotmail.com), September 15, 2001.