Bought a flash

J

jmarcus

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Generally I'm opposed to using flashes. My company has been going through an acquisition and I haven't been shooting very much. The little bit I have been shooting has been kind of a bummer, even with my new Voigtlander 35mm F/1.2. So a friend and I were talking about Strobist on Friday and since I went to a shoot recently without a flash and it was to dark, I have decided to learn how to use a flash. So I won a Nikon SB-24 on eBay today. I know nothing about using a flash, but I figure that since I'm not making very good pictures, I'll go back to "school" and learn something new.

I would love to hear about your experiences using a flash with a rangefinder. I would also love to see examples of your favorite rangefinder/flash pictures.

thanks,
James
 
Well, I'm not about to buy a new flash. My two Vivitar 283 units that I bought 30 odd years ago second hand are still working. That Nikon seems pretty much the same shape, so here goes!

First, put a wide rubber band around the head of the flash about 3/4 inch (2 centimeters) from the end. Stick half a dozen business cards under the rubber band, unprinted side against the flash. DO NOT USE THE HOT SHOE! Use the cord. Tilt the flash head up at a 45 to 60 degree angle (not critical). Pull the bottom card out about 1/3 of its length and bend it slightly forward (down). This will give you a bit of fill while you bounce the flash off the ceiling.

Set the shutter speed at 1/30 or 1/50 second (X synch speed). Mostly I used the lowest auto setting on the flash so I can use an f-stop in the 2.8 to 4 range depending on the film speed.

Hold your Leica in your right hand, the flash in the left. As much as possible keep the flash directly over the lens so the light from the business card doesn't throw a side shadow. If somebody asks for a card pull one off the flash, quick and easy! You'll get used to focusing and pushing the shutter release one handed, and even nudging the focus with a finger tip.

You'll end up with a combination of room lighting, ceiling bounce flash, and a bit of front fill. You can practice the techniques of holding the camera and flash without film until you get comfortable doing it, then shoot a roll and see how you like the results. It won't look exactly like available light but it'll look a lot more natural than straight direct flash.

Always have spare batteries on hand as well as a spare synch cord. They do occasionaly stop working.
 
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James,

Welcome to the bright side of the dark side. I LOVE flash with RF, it ROCKS. People look at me like I have three heads, but it work much better. The advice to always go off camera is spot on. On camera flash is painfully dull, flat, BORING, all the things photography should not be. Get a good extension cord.

The think I like the best about RF flash is that you can see the expressions on peoples face (kind of like chimping with a digital) in the dark. It make weddings and special evens much easier when you can see the faces in your mind.

Another alternative is to use a small flash on the body and put a slave on the big flash off camera. Got to watch what way the sensor is point but it works well too.

I learned and used a manual flash for years so it's not a big deal. Best thing is to find the feet/fstop cross over. It allows you to use the feet where you focus to figure out your fstop. Say the cross over is 5.6 feet (you use f 5.6 at 5.6 feet). If you subject is 8 feet away, you open up to f4. If you at 4 feet you close down to f8. It's easy to learn the pattern.

The SB-24 is a fine flash, lots of power, great features. Pick up the manual and read about extension cables, tilts, auto sensors (for non-nikons).

Experiment with bouncing light off all sorts of things. Think, shot, evaluate and repeat.

B2 (;->
 
Should you be using a Nikon SB-28 with a Leica (or other rangefinder camera)? I thought they used higher voltage and could damage your camera. Maybe just a myth. Can anyone confirm?
 
I always carry a flash with me, a 430EX when I shoot digital, an SB22 when I shoot leica or nikon .... it's my low light kit.

As Al and BillBingham2 said, learn to bounce the flash and use a bounce card ... and if possible use the flash off camera. I use a canon off camera shoe cord.

I set my SB22 on Automatic (A2) setting and open the lens aperture 1 stop wider than the aperture suggested on the back of the flash body. So if the suggestion is f/4 with ISO 100, I set it at f/2.8, and speed slower than the sync speed, usually 1/30.
 
+1 for getting the flash off-camera, but you can also get a diffuser for the flash that will help avoid the dread flash zombie look.

google "bruce gilden"

he's made a magnum-level career at the type of flash technique Al describes
 
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Andrew, it's digital cameras that can't take high trigger voltages. With M Leicas anything goes: though I don't know about the M6 TTL and the M7.
 
If a camera has either a hotshoe with a single contact or coaxial socket, it should be a purely mechanical flash sync contact.

However cameras that can use dedicated TTL type flash (multi contacts on the hotshoe) are triggered electronically, and some flash units with high trigger voltages can "Zap" the electronics. There are various work-arounds for this, google is your friend.
 
Yes, it's TTL flash that I was thinking of. The Nikon TTL units have the same contact configuration as Leica TTL, but they're not compatible.

As for flash pictures, here are a couple with my M6 TTL and SF20:

3224303516_99bcc62cfc.jpg


2907145636_f9a8f22615.jpg


Straight-up, on-camera flash. I've got a synch cord, but I find it to be a PITA to focus while holding the flash in my left hand.
 
Most flash situations that I run into don't require focusing every shot, such as parties, political events, etc. At parties you might shoot a dozen pictures at the same distance! Couples dancing, for instance, and get two shots of each so you have a better chance of their eyes being open. Then there are the so called "Grip 'n Grin" photos, like when the governor is at the Chamber of Commerce dinner and fifty or one hundred people each get their chance to shake hands with the governor. "Focus with your feet" in those situations, moving back and forth a bit to get proper focus ~ leave the lens alone! You DO get used to camera in one hand, flash in the other thing, and don't even think about it. Then stick the flash in the shoe and hand the cameras to somebody else and get a shot of YOU shaking hands with the governor or whomever. They look good on your wall or web site too. I wish I'd started doing that sooner so I could have Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter hanging next to the ones of Jeb Bush and Bill Clinton.
 
Another approach is to use a smaller fstop and allow depth of field to be your friend with focus. Most shots are in a reasonably close range and if you shot at f8 with a somewhat wide lens you can forget about focusing. Hyperfocal distance so you forget about anything over say 12 feet away, then you focus, closer just shoot.

B2 (;->
 
The guy is one of our members here: Dante Stella. He has written, I think, a great primer for beginning flash. I have it copied and drag it out every time I drag the flash out. You will get a lot out of it, but keep it because you will have to go back to it:

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/fill.html

One of those TV talkers and my off camera flash technique come together:

3223844894_4f986fd962.jpg
 
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Al - Thanks for the advice I will try that. I love the advice about focusing by moving the feet.


dmr - I hate flash too. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

BillBingham2 - Thanks for your input, especially the information on using a manual flash

Andrew Sowerby - I read on the Rich Cutler's site that the Nikon "Models from the SB-10 onwards have a safe trigger voltage of 6 V or lower" I'm not planning to use on camera flash anyway. Thanks for sharing the pictures too.

BobPS - Thanks I will try that, I don't have the flash yet and since I have never used one I know I will be learning lots of things


MCTuomey - I will look at Bruce Gilden's work... thanks!


charjohncarter - thanks for the link, I will review
 
Go practice those techniques too! You'll soon be at the point where you don't have to think about it, you'll just do it.
 
Dante doesn't go into them in detail, but learn bounce flash (using auto setting), fill flash (you can use both manual and auto), and direct flash (which is easy in a dark room) with setting the camera for ambient light and then flashing. With the last method you control the background light: you can make the background dark, light or normal (very handy for effect).

Al is on about practice. I did the last 3-4 frames on my rolls for a long time and now I don't even think about it.
 
Thanks for the response, Al. True enough, you don't have to focus every shot. The shot of Adam doing audio recording in the basement was taken with a 35mm lens, which makes it easier to zone focus. However, I generally shoot with a 50mm lens at < f/5.6 at fairly close range. I like to use a large aperture to get some ambient light on film. In that situation, I don't trust my estimating skills.

Anyway, synch cords are cheap, so if you buy one and don't use it that much, no big deal. The one I bought works on my M6 TTL and Nikon F100, so I'm happy.
 
By the way, I use flash with RF curtain shutter cameras, but I have many 35mm with leaf shutters (ex. Olympus RC35) that really expand your horizons with flash work (synced to 1/500).
 
Keep in mind that at least 99% of flash pictures aren't "art". They're record shots of friends and family, events, presentations, etc. and the folks just want a decent exposure and happy faces. Later on you can come back here for advice on multiple flash, umbrellas and soft boxes. You'll start doing great portraits and product shots, know how to light big rooms, etc.
 
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