Chuck,
although in general I agree, manual or auto flash mode is often the way
to go, I do use
the "TTL" mode sometimes as described: a room Fill via remote counting trigger,
with a dialed in
compensation so the high lights aren't blown out on TTL. This can work better
than Auto flash
with special purpose lenses (eg close up) or when using longer lenses, where
the auto flash sensor
is too wide an angle or has parallax, as in close up.
I have thought about building a more complex counting remote trigger and
combine it with a ttl
remote slave sensor like the Ikelite ,Litelink, which would then give a
background light
proportional to main flash.
Using the *built in* flash on most digi cameras usually requires a counting
remote trigger,
because they dont have a flash auto mode, and also always do preflash.
Tim Hughes
--- Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I don't know how well they work but the question is why do you want one?
> The one reviewer on the link you provide says:
>
> "I was skeptical at first whether to order this item or not, but once I
> attached it to my Sunpak 383, I was pleasantly surprised at how great it
> worked with my digital Olympus E-500 and FL-50 flash. It has settings to
> overcome the initial strobe flash of a digital flash like the FL-50 and
> so it waits for the real flash to sync up and works like a charm for a
> small strobe set up with 2 flash, without the expense of more expensive
> setups. Love it."
>
> If the reviewer would turn his FL-50 off TTL mode and on to auto or
> manual mode he could accomplish the same thing with a $10 ebay optical
> slave. But then he wouldn't really need an FL-50 since he could
> accomplish the same with another 383.
>
> These probably make sense if you want to use another flash like the 383
> with a point and shoot where you have no control over the pre-flash.
> But to use it with an FL-50 in TTL mode doesn't make any sense to me.
> Digital cameras don't have TTL capability similar to the OM's where the
> flash is quenched in mid-exposure. The pre-flash on the FL-50 is used
> by the camera to make an exposure determination which then sets the
> power level for the upcoming main flash. But, if you then add a second
> flash that the camera didn't see while measuring the pre-flash, you're
> bound to throw the exposure off. If the second flash is simply adding
> low-level background room light you can probably get away with it
> although you are certainly running the risk of blown highlights. But,
> since it's digital you can take a test exposure, chimp and set the flash
> exposure compensation. But, if you need to set the flash exposure
> compensation, why are you shooting TTL in the first place? Buy a
> cheaper flash and shoot in manual or auto.
>
> Automation technology to override the other automation. Just doesn't
> make sense. If I were to try a similar flash arrangement it would use
> two Sunpak 383's or similar low cost manual/auto mode flash units with
> one of the 383's mounted in a Stroboframe bracket on the camera with the
> flash connected to the PC socket. The flash shoe would carry a cheap
> ebay radio transmitter that would trigger the second 383 mounted on a
> light stand. I would operate both flashes in manual mode or the light
> stand mounted flash in manual as a background light with the camera
> mounted flash in auto mode. This way the camera mounted flash will see
> the light from the background flash and compensate. If you still need
> flash compensation and just can't stomach this manual stuff then use the
> ISO slider on the camera mounted flash unit.
>
> If you don't have the luxury of being able to set up a light stand for
> the background flash you can also use an L-bracket ala BG2 or T-45 or
> Sunpak 522/544/555 for the bounced background light from camera while
> the second flash in the hot shoe handles the main exposure. You can use
> manual or auto exposure or, if using OM's instead of digital you can use
> TTL even if the background flash is not TTL.
>
> Dr. Flash
>
>
> Ali Shah wrote:
> > Chuck,
> >
> > Sunpak makes a slave trigger.
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/23obn6
> >
> > This is made for digital cameras. Any word on well
> > these work?
>
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