> I tried out the A2 with a simple studio set-up, and I'm still
> working things out.
Chuck's analysis equals my own. Using the A1 in studio lighting
setups does present the slight challenge of having too much
light. Just when have we ever complained about that?
I x-sync studio strobes to the A1 without any problems.
Obviously you're going to have problems with the lack of
metering and you have to resort to the review histogram. Using
a flashmeter helps, but fine-tuning is a visual thing.
Recently, I've started using a graycard in my flash exposures.
Isolating just the graycard in the image (full screen) gives a
nice bump on the histogram that you adjust your exposures for to
have it land on the center line. Kinda a chimping version of
match-needle metering. :)
The flash-sync is "all shutter speeds" but obviously this runs
into a problem with external flashes as there is a brief delay
in getting the flash fired. One day, out of orneryness, I
photographed the flash tube. Now THAT's an interesting study.
You ever wonder what the spark looks like?
Anyway, a problem rears it's ugly head when you start to cut
into the flash duration with a too short shutter time. The
white-balance starts to shift. The beginning of the flash has a
different colorcast than the later part of the flash.
My "event" setup consists of the A1 (with battery grip),
Stroboframe and a Vivitar flash. The flash plugs into the pc
connector and has no intelligence. I'm using the flash in AUTO
mode and the camera is in MANUAL mode. I test fire a few shots
to make sure my flash/ambient balance is correct and forget it
after that. Works great and easy to adjust the flash/ambient
ratio just by changing the ISO setting on the flash. I
typically have the 2-second instant-review turned on, so I shoot
and review without moving my eye from the viewfinder. If I need
to take another picture right away, I tap the shutter-release
which cancels the review and shoot again.
The bokeh of the GT lens is definitely a problem with
portraiture, but opening up doesn't improve the bokeh as much as
I'd like. I've used a center-clear diffusion filter on the lens
and it helps, but isn't always the solution. For times like
these, I'm still a Zuiko fanatic.
Another trick that I've experimented with a bit (and have used
in anger a few times) is to adjust the WB to the warm side and
place a bluish filter over the flash. This way the subject is
properly exposed, but the background goes warm. Conversely, put
a warm filter over the flash and go cold with the white balance.
The subject is "normal" but the background turns almost
monochrome.
BTW, in non-flash photography, I am absolutely amazed at how
accurate the matrix metering is on that little camera. On
anything critical I almost always have the +/- .5 bracketing
turned on. Invariably, I use the non-bracket exposure.
Now, if Olympus came out with a full-framed OM-4D I'd buy it in
an instant. Give me my IMAX viewfinder!
AG
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