Tiny Hot Shoe Flash

[keithslater]

I was at Ritz today browsing the clearance table when I spotted the smallest hot shoe flash. It was $1.99 so I snagged it. It of course is all manual. I figured it would be a nice flash to put in my pocket when I am not sure if I will need a flash. It measures right around 2.5 tall, 1.75 wide, and less than an inch deep. It takes 1 AA battery. My question is how to use it. It has a guide on the back that reads in feet along the top and Iso down the left, and shows apeture within the grid. However there is no mention of shutter speed. Should I just assume around 1/100? This flash was actually made for 3D magic single use cameras. The packaging does say or any camera with a hot shoe. I did try it on my QL-17, and it did work. The specs on the instructions are as follows:
Guide No:
ISO 100 11(In Meter)
ISO 200 16 (In Meter)
ISO 400 22 (In Meter)
Recycling time:
8 Seconds
Flash Duration 1/2000 seconds.
Angle of Coverage:
45 deg. vertical, and 60 deg. Horizontal
Color Temperature:
Daylight Balanced 5600 deg K.
Dimensions:
45W X 26D X 66H m/mm

Here is a pic on my ql-17

Thanks,
Keith

 

[zpuskas]

I think with things like this, your best bet is waste a roll of film and give it a run.

 

[ray_g]

Keith, I believe leafshutter cameras like the canon will synch all the way to 1/500. As Zoltan said, practice will be key. Here's a good tutorial on manual flashes that might help.

 

[Fred]

For a leaf shutter camera like the Canonet, the shutter speed does not matter, it's the flash that gives the illumination. For cameras that have focal plane shutters like Leica Ms and Voigtlander Bessas it depends on the camera. Leicas M is 1/50th and all Bessa cameras are 1/125

Hop this helps.

Incidentally the if you divide the guide number by the distance you'll get the recomended aperture for the shot. Simple but it is film speed dependant.

 

[Rob]

The Caonolite D flash works so well with these, I would not bother with a manual flash.

 

[Toby]

It has a guide on the back that reads in feet along the top and Iso down the left, and shows apeture within the grid. However there is no mention of shutter speed.
Thanks,
Keith

Shutter speed does not effect flash exposure as long as you stay at or below your X max flash syncronisation speed. What shutter speed will dictate is the amount of ambient light falling onto the film. So if you ambient meter says 1/4 @ f4
If you expose flash at 1/60 @ f4 only things light by the flash will be correctly exposed. If you shot at 1/8 @ f4 the foreground will be lit and frozen by the 1/200 flash duration BUT the background will be 1 stop under exposed and exhibit signs of camera shake. This is called ambient fill and gives you pictures far more interesting than your average digital p&s but of course takes some practice to master.

Good Luck

(and sorry if this is too much information) 🙂