Fill in Flash

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With the rather lame flash speed of 1/50th could it be possible to expose ISO color print film at ISO 50 and have the lab develop accordingly? Has anyone ever tried this? Thank you in advance for your response!

-- Michael Pry (vila@busynet.net), January 12, 2002

Answers

Why not try a neutral density filter...?

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), January 12, 2002.

Well, 1/50 at F/11.5 or so would work for daylight, unless you needed to open up some more for the flash to be effective at your working distance. Why is it important to expose at ISO 50? And why does the lab have to do something special? You must be starting with a faster film, from the sound of it. I don't know which print film, if any, is rated at ISO 50. Maybe a fuller descriptin of what you are doing, would help.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 12, 2002.

A 1-stop pull on c41 will work, but will generally flatten contrast. Lutz's suggestion of a ND filter makes lots more sense. As a plus, you don't have to filter the entire roll, only those shots with the flash.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 12, 2002.

I have used ND filters to reduce the shutter speed on the M and it works as well in practice as in theory. In addition, I have found that at 1/125 the flash exposes approximately half of the image frame- -the *right* half, to be precise, when holding the camera in landscape format. But, turn the camera for a vertical--it must be held with the right side facing up, i.e. shutter button/wind lever on top--and keep the subject (usually a person) in the upper half of the frame, and 1/125 is a usable speed for daylight fill. The bottom half of the frame is still properly exposed from the ambient light.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 12, 2002.

For starters, lame, my ass! I've never been able to understand this obsession with daylight fill flash on the M RF's. but so be it. Unfortunately, using 125 only works with M Classics not with the ttl. But, even better than flash, try a small portable reflector. I use a LiteDisc 22", with a zig-zag gold/silver pattern on one side, and white on the other. It even has a wrist strap, so that I can hold it and the camera at the same time. The reflector's usually give a much more flattering light anyway.

-- Glenn Travis (leciaddict@hotmail.com), January 13, 2002.


Glenn, lame compared to other cameras. And daylight fill is very useful in harsh light when you don't want to be waving a reflector around or have to work fast.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 13, 2002.

In this case, no flash = no picture.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 13, 2002.


The above photo is exellent.Could you tell us more about it?

I am picking up a new SF-20 flash tommorrow for my M6 ttl and would love some tips on using it.

-- Phil Kneen (philkneen@manx.net), January 13, 2002.


I realised afterwards that it didn't represent fill flash for bright sunlight! Just 1 stop underexposed ambient and flash exposure, my standard technique from about 3 years back.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 13, 2002.

35mm lens?

f5.6?

1/8 sec?

Am I right....or totally wrong???!!

-- Phil Kneen (philkneen@manx.net), January 13, 2002.



I reckon 28mm,5.6,1/15th......

I know and work with Phil,he is a superb photographer,but has no idea of the technical side.sorry Phil!He is right,this is a wonderful site.

-- Gail Travis (gailtravis@hotmail.com), January 13, 2002.


Rob: BOTH ambient and flash under by one stop, or just ambient? (looks like latter, but just checking.)

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 13, 2002.

I usually used both ambient and flash 1 under, but I have to say that in this case it all happened so quickly that I can't be sure. 24 mm lens, so the girl was so close to me that the flash auto exposure probably didn't work correctly. It was just an incredible fluke shot, even the fact she's in focus is a miracle.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 14, 2002.

I don't know anyone called Gail Travis?

Rob,I love the shots that you think you didn't get,going through the slides and then suddenly "wow!".I remember discovering slow sync flash by accident when I was at college.I got to the and of the film and thought "oh no,Phil you are a baffoon,you had the shutter on 1/4 in bright daylight".Luckily the f.no matched and I had 20 odd great shots.My tutor was impressed and I never let-on about how it had happened!

-- Phil Kneen (philkneen@manx.net), January 14, 2002.


John what gear did you use to get that shot?Lens,camera,film,etc?

-- Sally Webster (Grantitude@ibm.net), January 15, 2002.


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