Use a TTL flash Manually ...

[elrafo]

Hello there,


I have a SB-600 but would like to use it with my old Hassy. I have the sync stuff, my concern is more how to calculate exposure, power of my flash.
In the old ones I could read distance according to Iso/F-stop, how does it work with this brand new flash without buying a expensive flash metter ?

thanks!

 

[Big Mike]

It does have a manual mode, doesn't it?

At full power, it has a Guide Number of 30m at ISO 100 (at 35mm zoom head position).

To calculate exposure, divide your guide number by the distance to the subject, to get the aperture value. So at 3.75m distance to your subject, you would use F8 (with ISO 100 and flash at 35mm zoom and full power).
Adjust accordingly for different variables.

 

[elrafo]

sure it has manual mode!
thanks a lot for your advice.
Can we say that with 400 Iso 120 m? seems wiered to me...

 

[Big Mike]

Can we say that with 400 Iso 120 m? seems wiered to me...

Not quite. Light fall off is an inverse square to the distance, so as the distance doubles, the light drops to 1/4.

Do you have a DSLR camera? You could use that to test your flash exposure before using up film in the Hassy.

 

[elrafo]

oh thanks that's more complex indeed. I would love to know if it is possible to find a chart table with distance on this flash, there is not such of things in the manual.

 

[Big Mike]

It might be built into the display...check that out.

 

[JerryPH]

Get a light meter. There is no histograms on a Hassy and the integrated meter cannot meter a flash.

Meters can go from $50 on up. Then there is NO guessing.

 

[elrafo]

Hey

this could look stupid but I never used a meter with flash, only for ambiant lighting, I have a lunasix III S, is it useful also for flash photography ??
I guess you mean flash meter but I never used this kind of tools...

 

[JerryPH]

http://www.marquis-kyle.com.au/Lunasix3.pdf

http://www.gossen-photo.de/english/...six3.html,picts/navi_foto_sub_01_lunasix3.gif


I do not think so, it looks to be a reflection/incident light meter. You need the ones that can tell you the highest point touched after a flash and hold that position automatically. Yours will tell you what the light is as long as you hold it "on" and by the time you react to a flash, its gone up... and down.

Now I am not an expert on this unit, so of course I could be wrong.

 

[reg]

Why not use the guide number for free?

 

[elrafo]

I could if I had a table with correspondances between Iso - f/stop - flash power.
Can I calculate with the Guide number what will be my limit distance on a TMAX 400 Iso with an 8 aperture ?

 

[JerryPH]

Because there are variations from flash to flash, you are kinda guessing then.

If you do not want to get a meter, why not use your D200 in manual mode to get a "feel" of what settings are good at what apertures, write that down and use that as the basis for starting points? Just take a pic and when well defined, write down the settings and transfer those settings to your Hassy.

I would trust that more than using the guide numbers from the manual.

 

[elrafo]

Jerry, I would sure use my D200 if I still have it
as I am selling it, I may need another solution to tweak my exposure!

 

[JerryPH]

Back to solution #1... $30-$150 for a good light meter (perhaps check out a few local pawn shops?). Besides a photographer that is interested in learning about light and ultimately guessing somewhat less should have one.

I have an old (but very accurate) Honeywell meter from my father's days and my next one will be the Sekonic 358-L meter (already ordered, should be arriving within a week or so).

Since we live relatively closer to each other, if you want to look at the Sekonic meter once mine arrives, we could arrange to get together for a coffee somewhere and you could try out out yourself and see if this is something you find interesting or not. I'll leave that up to you (puis mon francais n'est pas si pire pour une anglo).

 

[elrafo]

Hey,

I already have a very good meter (the Lunasix 3S) but what I need now is a flash meter. Sekonic is really good but a bit expensive for my budget, do you have any recomandations for used meters? I found good deals with Minolta on ebay...