Thanks for refresher!
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Norcutt [mailto:chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:46 PM
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Re: TTL fill-in flash for OM
usher99@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Anyone save one or more of the postings by John Lind on this topic?
> Could not locate despite extensive search within the site or outside
> search engines. Apparently this not not for the faint of heart. Mike
> G
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From the oldies but goodies from 1999
Chuck Norcutt
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Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 23:30:32 +0000
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [OM] T-32 Fill Flash Outdoors
At 23:18 4/9/99, Chip banged away continuously on his keyboard until he hit
the send button with his mouse:
>Does anyone have some tips on using T-20/T-32 for fill flash outdoors? I
>have an OM-4 ; no OM-4T. Thanks,
Here is how I do it with the same combo of OM-4 and T-20, T-32 *and* F-280
using TTL OTF mode:
1. Make sure the camera is in Auto mode with the ASA set for the film
speed you are using, and the EV compensation ring on the ASA dial is set to
ZERO.
2. Mount the flash to the camera but leave it *OFF*.
3. Aim at your subject, focus, and with the flash unit *OFF*, adjust the
aperture ring until you get a 1/60th shutter speed.
Note: This is the sync speed for the flash unit and you will also be
properly exposed without any flash for the scene's ambient lighting.
4. Turn the flash ON to TTL Auto Mode.
Note: This "locks" the camera at 1/60th so the shutter speed cannot change
and the overall scene will stay properly exposed for ambient lighting.
5. Turn the EV compensation ring (without lifting it) clockwise from -2/3
to -2 compensation depending on how much fill you want.
Note: The dial moves in 1/3 stop increments. If you are compensating for
mottled shadowing caused by small tree branches over an otherwise sunlit
subject, you probably want more fill (-2/3 to -1). If you want only to
make eyes sparkle and enhance contrast slightly on a deep overcast day, you
probably want less fill (-1-1/3 to -2). Experience in doing this will
develop a sense of how much fill *you* want. Everyone's preferences are
different. This "fools" the TTL OTF metering into thinking the film needs
less light from the flash.
6. Shoot the number of frames you wish of the subject. Repeat steps 3 - 5
if ambient lighting changes.
7. Remember to turn the flash OFF and reset the compensation dial to ZERO
when you are done with fill flash.
To reiterate what you have done. You are using the aperture ring to find a
proper non-flash exposure at 1/60th second for the overall scene. You are
then fooling the flash unit and TTL metering combination into thinking you
need less light. However, the camera will remain locked at 1/60th shutter
speed as soon as the flash has charged.
I recommend you try this with a victim, er subject , on some non-critical
photographs and experiment with different fill levels (compensation dial
settings) both in mottled shade with bright sunlight and under deep
overcast. Keep records of what you did for each frame and then look at the
results. You can then choose what settings please you most for your own
fill-flash work.
Fortunately the OM-2[n, sp] and OM-4[t] can use the TTL Auto mode on the
T-20, T-32 and T-45. This method should also work if you are using an
F-280 as its only "auto" mode is TTL Auto. There is a different way to do
this with a T-20 or T-32 in Normal Auto (using the sensor on the front of
the flash unit) but it is more complicated and more difficult to control
how much fill you get.
- -- John
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There is another effect you can achieve with dedicated flash and TTL OTF
metering outdoors. It takes slightly more work and unlike "fill" flash
this would be better classified as "overfill" flash as it seeks the
opposite ratio of ambient to flash than fill flash would.
Given a frontlit subject significantly closer than an equally lit distant
background you can highlight the subject and reduce the background
brightness with flash. This can be used to reduce the distraction of the
background in the photograph or achieve a darker background if one is
desired, but the subject cannot be positioned in front of one.
1. Set the camera for *twice* to *four times* the ASA rating of the film
and Auto mode.
2. Bolt the flash unit on to the camera and leave it OFF.
3. Aim at the subject, focus, and with the flash *off* set the aperture
ring until you get a shutter speed of 1/60th.
4. Turn on the flash unit on (in TTL auto mode).
5. Turn the compensation ring in the *PLUS* direction until you have
compensated for the "push" you set the camera to in #1. (for twice the
ASA, use +1; for four times the ASA, use +2; etc.)
6. Shoot the photograph(s) and repeat 3 - 5 if lighting changes.
7. Remember to reset the EV compensation ring and ASA dial when you're
finished!
This does the *opposite* of a fill ratio by setting up for more of the
light coming from the flash and less from ambient sources. What you have
done is set the exposure for ambient lighting one to two stops underexposed
at 1/60th second. Since the flash locks the shutter speed to 1/60th the
background, especially if it is significantly farther away, will remain
underexposed (darker). Recorrecting using the compensation ring allows the
TTL metering to provide correct flash exposure for the closer subject.
This is a bit trickier than using the flash for fill and may require more
experimentation with a victim, uhhhh subject, to get a feel for what the
results will be and/or some "bracketing" with several exposures when
wanting to achieve this effect with a real subject. It also may be *very*
difficult (impossible?) if you use faster films as you can easily run out
of stops when closing down the aperture to get a 1/60 shutter speed. [Oh
goody, this is the excuse I've been needing to justify buying those ND
filters!] It also requires the subject to be significantly closer than the
background or you will end up with everything more or less equally exposed.
- ---------------
Additional notes not in the original.
a. Ensure your subject fills a sufficient part of the frame to be the
greatest influence on the center-weighted metering. Otherwise you can end
up with the same washed-out subject as a normal flash photograph (in Normal
Auto or TTL Auto) with a small subject and an infinitely far background
that does not reflect enough light back to the camera/flash.
b. You can use less than twice the ASA, although the effect will be
diminshed accordingly. Twice the ASA will underexpose the background by up
to one stop and four times the ASA will underexpose the background by up to
two stops (depending on how close the backgound is to your subject and
therefore how much light it receives from the flash). The latitude of the
film you use may affect your choice in this also.
- -- John
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