At 15:21 8/31/02, Pete wrote:
Thanks for the details!
You're welcome. I've gone through experimenting with a number of diffusion
methods to soften direct flash. A couple of tips I should have included:
Lens Hood:
Using one is always recommended, even if it's a modest one. It becomes
much more important for preventing flare when using any diffusion device
that has its front farther forward then the lens front. Applicable to
using protruding flat panel softboxes such as the LumiQuest and a *must* if
using something like the Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce. I also have a couple of
brackets that mount the flash farther forward than the integral hot
shoe: a G-15 Metz grip and a Newton camera rotating bracket. The Metz
G-16 grip which I also have isn't as severe, but still mounts the flash
farther forward than the hot shoe. Even without any diffusion, the front
of the flash can end up farther forward than the a lens front, especially
with the 50mm standards which are among the physically shorter lenses. I
imagine the 40/2 pancake has even greater risk.
Normal-Auto versus TTL-Auto (not an F280 problem, but can affect others):
Not a problem with your F280 as it doesn't have a Normal-Auto mode, but if
you have a flash that does (now or in the future), and use it in
Normal-Auto, there's a risk of exposure error. Devices such as the Sto-Fen
Omni-Bounce and similar home-brewed ones made from plastic milk cartons can
put direct flash illumination onto the "Normal-Auto" sensor built into the
flash. This can result in gross underexposure. Been there, done that
using a Sto-Fen on a Metz with an OM-1n and a couple other cameras that
don't have TTL-Auto when I forgot to shield the sensor. There have been
one or two threads on this list in the past about the home-brewed ones
doing this. The solution is either tilting the head upward slightly (the
Metz head tilts) or using some other method to shield the sensor from
direct illumination by the diffuser. No problem in TTL-Auto or Manual
modes which don't use the sensor. Softboxes such as the LumiQuest and
similar ones can create an opposite overexposure problem by partially
blocking the view of a flash sensor. This is very dependent on flash
design and where the sensor is located. It's the reason the larger
Lumiquest SoftBox has a triangular notch in the bottom instead of being a
rectangular panel. This allows it to work with almost all flash units;
there are a few with which it still blocks the sensor..
BTW, the desire to use diffusion devices is the major reason I've gradually
been moving toward more powerful flash units in the 120 to 170 GN range (in
feet; 36 - 50 in meters). These punch out enough light that loss from
diffusion devices doesn't limit working distance as much as with a single
T-32 or F280. This is the practical flash power limit for integral flash
batteries. More powerful ones are best used with a separate battery slab
worn on a belt or shoulder strap, even if there's a provision for internal
batteries.
-- John
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