X100 external flash exposure blowout?

[Dante_Stella]

Is anyone else experiencing massive overexposure using external auto flash?

I have tried my X100 with a Konica HX-18W, Nikon SB-30, SB-800, Metz 45CL-3, and Vivitar 2800. Every one of these flashes works fine in A mode with my M8 and D700. The only pin on any of these flashes that in any way engages the X100 hot shoe is the center pin ("fire"). None of these has a high sync voltage, nor bad batteries in it.

And with every one, I get massive overexposure with the flash set to auto flash and the camera set to the appropriate f/stop (both in M and A modes). Even when I divide guide number by distance to get an exposure, it still blows out. It looks to me as if the camera doesn't bother to stop down - though it does do so with ambient exposures and internal flash shots.

Ideas?

 

[DavidX]

Sorry - I was just using mine on A mode with a clunky old manual flash and it was fine. Changing the aperture on the camera definitely stopped it down.

 

[Dante_Stella]

It will not come as a comfort to you that mine worked fine for about three weeks and then started this!

Sorry - I was just using mine on A mode with a clunky old manual flash and it was fine. Changing the aperture on the camera definitely stopped it down.

 

[psmith]

Foreign Flash Foils Fuji x100

Foreign Flash Foils Fuji x100

Ok that's pretty hokey title. I'm not sure why "A" setting won't work with a foreign flash and x100. But I am able to use almost any flash (built for digital cameras with some built in controls) when flash is set to M and then dial in the flash power commensurate with the selected ISO and aperture setting on camera I'm using (flash power choice established by trial and error). Flash power setting, ISO, and aperture are all variables where, change one, you may need to change one of the others to get the proper flash strength you want. In your original note you did not mention anything about using "Manual" on your flash unit. I'm just suggesting a work-around the original problem with failure of the "A" setting on flash and aperture setting on camera. Will have to find someone lot smarter than I to help with that special issue. Phil
PS: I"m sure when you use, for example, your Nikon flash that you selected on flash unit the aperture setting you selected for camera?

 

[Photon42]

I know it is old posting, but if the photos come out too bright, there is either the flash emitting too much power, the shutter speed is far too low, or the aperture is not closing as expected.

I'd start with the following:

Stay indoors somewhere where the flash the main light source. Set shutter speed to 1/125 or higher. The SB 800 has a GN of 38m for a 35mm lens. Put it to 1/16 power in M, so GN is approx 2.3. Subjects in 1.2m should be exposed well with f/2. Now change the aperture. The image must come out darker. If it doesn't, the aperture will not close.

As I suspect this is not the case normally when shooting with internal flash or w/o flash at all, the interesting point is why the camera is doing this. I would start putting a plain ISO hotshoe adapter (with PC cord option) onto the Fuji's hotshoe, and connect and test again, same than with PC cord. This is to ensure there is really no funny contact telling the X100 something weird.

Maybe it is even worth scanning the camera's menu for options. You never know.

Regards
Ivo

 

[Arjay]

In its test report about the X100, DxO has published a chart stating that the X100's sensor features lower ISO sensitivities than generally specified. While this is no problem if you use the internal flash or Fuji flashes that use the camera's TTL measuring automation, it will come to bear for third-party flashes that have to be used in manual mode.

Here's the corresponding DxO chart. Please note that for flash photography, you should only use ISO values from 200 to 1600 (that is the corresponding real values from ISO 127 to 1000), as any higher ISO values will be subsequently amplified algorithmically, and I have no clue how this affects flash exposure.