I must admit that I most often use this technique when using a Metz flash. Many Metz flashes have the ISO scale connected to the electronics.
Anyway, it's the oldest trick inthe book: Working the flash at higher ISO setting than the film, to reduce flash output. When the AF280T is NOT in TTL-mode, it uses its own sensor. If you set ISO to 400 when using a 100 ISO film, and use the recommended aperture, the flash output will be 2 stops below, what the film requiers. This small test shows what I am talkning about (TTL,falsh at actual speed, falsh at higher speed). I know it's not necesary to change the ISO setting on THIS PARTICULAR flash unit, but it's still recommendable - so you wont forget what you are doing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bladt/sets/72057594063145224/ What you normally would do to obtain flash compensation is this: 1. Set the camera according to the ambient light. Preferably in manual mode. (I normally use manual mode for all flash photography). 2. Set the flash to a higher ISO. Two stops is fine (Double the ISO value TWICE: i.e. 400 for a 100 film). 3. Shoot at the aperture recommended by the Flash, shutter speed according to the chosen aperture. This way the flash output will be two stops below a normal flash shot. The image will be correctly exposed, but the shadows, created by the ambient light, may lighten up a little. Regards Jens Bladt http://www.jensbladt.dk -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- Fra: Don Sanderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 12. februar 2006 13:39 Til: [email protected] Emne: RE: Super A and fill-in flash? Jens, how do you 'let the flash believe that the ISO setting is higher'? I've always just stopped down a stop or two from what the flash recommends and compensated with shutter speed. I don't believe I've ever seen a flash whose sensor is linked to ISO in auto mode. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Jens Bladt [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 3:41 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Super A and fill-in flash? > > > Yes, in a way. If the camera is set to underexpose by three stops - that's > what it will do. > The flash will then try to give enough light for F.8. If you are > out doors, > only the closest part of the image will get light enough for f8. The rest > will be under exposed by three stops. In doors (short distances) you may > very well be right. > But three stops is too much to be named "fill flash". This is more likely > one or two stops. Fill in flash is for harsh light conditions > where you want > to open up the shadows on the subject. You do this by adding a litle extra > light from a flash - perhaps a stop or two less, than you would use if the > scenery was dark. > > For fill flash I don't use TTL. In stead I use the built-in flash sensor - > letting the flash believe that the ISO setting is higher - one or two > stops - than it actually is. > Regards > Jens > > Jens Bladt > http://www.jensbladt.dk > > -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- > Fra: Vic Mortelmans [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sendt: 12. februar 2006 11:12 > Til: pentax epostlijst > Emne: Super A and fill-in flash? > > > Hallo, > > I own the Super A (with TTL-flash) and the AF280T. The manual of this > camera says: "In metered manual mode, speeds slower than 1/125 sec. stay > as are when the dedicated flash recycles. Choosing any slow speed, you > can enjoy existing light photography with flash fill-in." > > So when I put the camera on 'M' and select an aperture like f/8 and a > speed like 1/30 in some environmental light condition where this would > cause an underexposure of 3 stops, I would expect the flash to just give > the necessary light to make this a good exposure. > > Is this actually what the camera does? > > I notice that the flash fires when the shutter opens, so in any way, it > won't take into account the 'available light' hitting the film during > exposure. > > Groeten, > > Vic > > >
