Flash & metalic objects

[yelvertoft]

Al,

Getting the flash off the camera's hot shoe is a must. Once you've done this, you can not only change the angle of the flash relative to the subject, but you can vary the effective power - by moving it closer or further away. You can also bounce the light off the walls and ceiling a lot more easily to help diffuse the light.

I'm not familiar with Nikon stuff to be able to advise on the dedicated lead, but I use a very, very cheap setup of a single contact hotshoe to PC (studio flash) contact adaptor, a 2m PC lead, and a PC to single contact hotshoe adaptor with the flash mounted on it. This latter item has a tripod thread in its base which makes moving it's angle or position simple. The use of single contact off-camera flash leads means you will be stuck with manual mode, but there's nothing wrong with this, you just have to experiment and chimp a lot.

Another cheap way of getting the flash off the camera is to use a "peanut" remote flash trigger, as discussed in other flash technique threads. These can be triggered using the cameras pop-up unit.

You can see the kind of things I'm waffling on about here:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/inde...kaiseracc.html

Duncan

[Canis Vulpes]

I agree with Duncan. Getting the flash away from the camera provides much more flexibility and a more 'commercial' feel to the image. Notice the Master (Don) NEVER uses on-camera flash.

I tried black card as a black base until I found black velvet which I had a hard time finding. Black velvet tends to absorb light leaving it still jet black even though some light may be spilled on to it. Black card will always shine and produce the grey Al mentions.

Nikon off camera flash lead is SC-28, cost £50-60 a fairly high cost but a definite investment into the pleasure these photos provide when it all comes together.

[Don Hoey]

Al,

As Stephen has said the SC-28 lead is the current item. I have SC-17 which it replaced and you might be able to find a second hand one of those.

I will see if I can find a downloadable manual for the SB-22 from the Nikon site then I can see your options.

I only ever use manual flash as that way I can control the light output by either turning the power up or down, or moving it nearer to or further away from the subject which has the same effect, but I know Foxy has used ITTL very successfully.

If the piston is your subject I will see if I can find something similar to have a go at, so I can do more behind the scenes shots. Do not worry that you are struggling a bit at this stage. I did too, but at least you do not need to buy shares in polaroid as you are on digital.

Don

[Don Hoey]

I have found a link to the SB-22 manual http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/...ghts/SB-22.pdf

I have not read it yet though.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Al Tee

I’m not sure but I think the equipment I’m using hasn’t really got the adjustments required; the SB22’s only work at full power on manual settings as I can see, & the only way to limit the output to subject is by way of diffusing to differing levels. Al.

Now I have had a quick look at the manual I see that setting manual on the flash limits you to full power as the only setting. To reduce the light output the best option is moving the flash further from the subject. Double the distance will give 1/4 of the power.

Al, if you are triggereing the second unit through some sort of slave then you can try TTL on camera and manual for the remote.

I really need to read the D50 manual now.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Back now and I have checked the D50 manual and see the available flash modes with the SB22 are : NonTTL Auto and Manual. Non TTL auto is where the flash is measured by a sensor on the flashgun rather than in the camera. This means you have to be careful that the sensor is not receiving light direct from the second flash unit rather than light reflected by the subject.

Probably easier to control using manual. In manual you do actually have a form of power reduction by using the wide angle diffuser. The flash is quoted as being Guide No 25 and reduced to G/N 19 with the wide angle adaptor.

A link to the pictorial view and some specs of the SB22 http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...SB22/index.htm

Don

[Al Tee]

Don, I found this on the net:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...essage=8213955
Does this mean I can actually use the MD setting to produce flash at 1/10th power?..Actually whilst writing this I thought, "try it"..Well it doesnt produce as much flash, I can only assume it's 1/10th!..I won't obviously hold anyone to this, but I assume it cant do my camera any harm, can it?
Al.

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Al Tee

Don, I found this on the net:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...essage=8213955
Does this mean I can actually use the MD setting to produce flash at 1/10th power?..Actually whilst writing this I thought, "try it"..Well it doesnt produce as much flash, I can only assume it's 1/10th!..I won't obviously hold anyone to this, but I assume it cant do my camera any harm, can it?
Al.

I will read the link in a sec but MD setting used to apply to motor drive and was a seriously reduced output otherwise the flash could not keep up on the recharging front. So 1/10 sounds reasonable. I really do not know why they bothered as pho journalists used quantum battery packs on really powerfull guns like the Metz CT60.

Now to the business of the day.

The best I could do to simulate the piston. Quite a lot larger and I had to use a sink unit aluminium liner as the backdrop as it was big enough for the job.

I used manual exposure and turned the flash gun power settings down to get as near as I could to the SB22. Notice from the behind the scenes how close I had to place the Metz. It only has three settings and so I set it on minimum to be realistic. Aperture was f13 at ISO 100 for undiffused. That had to be increased to ISO 200 for the diffused shots as the diffuser costs a stop of light.

Attached pics are :
Behind the scenes showing the layout.
A composite of two shots with ON camera flash. One straight undiffused, and the other with the SB80-DX diffused.
Lastly an OFF camera flash shot.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Al,

Yes MD is real low power. However ............................. exceptionlly fast flash duration. I will see if I can find a number but probably in the region of 1/15,000 sec + . Good for freezing water drops at the moment of contact with either water or something else. A lot of trial and error required for that sort of thing though.

Using it will not harm your camera.

Don

[Al Tee]

Many thanks again Don..I will digest fully tomorrow & experiment..(the Sat night red wine fuzz is setting in)!..One further question, off topic but again probably answered by trial; my camera's flash synch speeds are between 1/250th & 1/500th; as I've previously been experimenting with the water droplets thing does this mean I'll be able to up the shutter speeds to 1/1000th, maybe 1/1500th on this MD setting?..That gets me further away from the subject as I've got my eye on some second hand SB24's SB25's & SB26's as they have the strobe facility which I believe is "the thing" for water droplet pics. Is this correct?.. As I say, I'll experiment on the shutter speed synch thing & let you know.
Flash Photography eh! Another dimension completely!
Best regards & I sincerely hope this topics assists other WPF users.
Al.