Help with Conatx TLA360 & G2

[Tkm]

Hi all,

I recently bought a Contax TLA 360 flash for a real bargain. Only thing is it did not come with instructions and I am desperate to use it with my G2 but not too sure. The G2 instruction booklet has very general instructions and I am yet to put a roll through with flash attached. Does anyone out there have this flash with their G2 and if so can you give me some tips on using it.

Have heard that they work very well together so keen to get it going.

Thanks

 

[Sergio]

I recommend that you use the TLA360 in TTL mode. You can leave it in the state it "wakes up" in when you turn it on (e.g. zoom at 35mm, ISO 100, F 4.0), since it will be controlled by the G2. Just make sure it is in TTL mode. You should see the TTL indication on the flash's display panel. "TTL" will appear and "F" will blink. You can check that the flash is fully charged by observing the ready flash mark on the camera display and the flash's ready lamp should light up as well. If this takes 30 seconds or longer, you need new batteries. (It takes much less with fresh ones.) Otherwise, since the TLA360 is taller and heavier than the TLA200, for example, you will need to take some care that the camera with the TLA360 attached on top does not flip forward. Good luck and happy shooting.

 

[Tkm]

Re TLA 360

Re TLA 360

Thanks Sergio for you help. One other question - with the camera settings - do I leave the shutter on 'x' or under 125th like the manual says and if the flash says 4f - do I leave the lens on f4 OR is it the other way. Turn on like you said, switch to TTL, LEave everything else as is. Then set my G2 to 'x' and leave the aperture to whatever I want it to be ie f2, f2.8 , f4 and the flash will follow????

Does that make sense??

Tkm

 

[Socke]

Hi Tkm,

with the flash in TTL mode, in my case the TLA30, I use the camera with shutterspeeds up to 1/200th.
I usualy meter in manual and use the exposure compensation dial to compensate the flash.
Another method is turning the flash off, lock exposure in AE, turning the flash on and compensate exposure after that.
In any case, the flash will follow.

 

[Sergio]

The beauty of the TLA360 is that you can leave the G2 in Auto mode, not X, and the TLA360 will be correctly set by the G2 for regular, direct-light metering, flash photography. Shutter speeds are set automatically from 1/60th to 1/200th sec. The X setting is used if you want the shutter speed to be precisely 1/200th -- then you would need to set the TLA360. Please see the section on flash photography beginning on page 146 of the G2 manual.

As Socke points out, in slightly more advanced applications you can turn off the flash while mounted on the camera and lock the ambient-light exposure in at a "reasonable" setting (e.g. 1/30th). I believe the easiest way to do this is by using the compensation dial of the G2 while in Auto mode, and the camera's AE lock switch. Then you turn on the flash in TTL mode, make sure it's charged, and shoot. This lets you capture some of the background light if it is there, e.g. outdoors at sunset. You could also do this in manual mode, of course. You can also use bracketing and may want to experiment until you get the results you want. You may also want to see if anyone knows whether the TLA360 owner's manual has been posted in pdf form -- it would be a good thing for you to have.

 

[Tkm]

Thanks Sergio

Thanks Sergio

for all the tips.. I will endevour to put a test rol through and locate a manual..

cheers,

Taras