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#1
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Wedding Flash Setup For N65/N80 and Coolpix 5700
My brother-in-law is getting married in September. I couldn't afford to
travel to where he is at, but he agreed to pay our way if I photographed his wedding. I know, they always say--DON'T DO IT--but honestly enough things have happened in my life that the fear of blowing someone's wedding doesn't make me shake in my boots all THAT badly (though I do want to do a good job of course). Thing is, for my N80--and I may tag along an N65 as a backup (although I'll also have a Coolpix 5700)--I need a shoe-mounted flash. For all those cameras I mentioned all I have is the built-in flash--not what you want for an occasion like this. So I've been looking into flashes. I want to do more than just have the flash on the camera, though--for better results, I want it mounted off to the side or whatever. With the N65/N80--which are the cameras (along with the N75 I'd say) that the SB-50DX is meant to interface with--you can use them in conjunction with the built-in unit to boost its GN from 72 to 82. I am considering doing that with the SB-50DX mounted off to the left. I know direct flash is harsh, but I figure the SB-50DX will provide the bulk of the lighting, and the pop-up will be more of a "fill" unit. In the past, I've noticed a tendency for there to be shadows with off-camera flash to the left, and I'm thinking that the pop-up can help fill them in, but again hopefully won't be overpowering and make it look like total direct flash since the SB-50DX will provide much more lighting. Does this sound feasible to you? Does it make sense or am I off-base? Will this work with the Coolpix 5700 as well, using the internal & external together? Note: I don't have much money to spend, so these other options I'm mulling over may sound crazy. Hear me out. If that isn't the way to go, I'm thinking maybe buying two older SB-15s and having 2 flashes--one to the left and one to the right. In that case don't use the internal at all. I also assume that in that case the N65/N80 won't give "Matrix" or "3D Matrix" TTL flash, but rather just conventional TTL flash. I don't know how the Coolpix 5700 would handle that either, as it's more "quasi-TTL" (meaning it uses a sensor in the external flash to measure lighting rather than actually going through-the-lens). So I guess my questions a (1) How does the setup vis-a-vis a single left-mounted SB-50DX--how does that setup sound for the N65/N80 and the Coolpix 5700? Should I use the pop-up to fill in shadows, or would that override the superiority of a bracket-mounted flash altogether? (2) If not that, how does the two SB-15s setup sound for all 3 cameras? (3) If not that, what do you recommend? (4) Also, how important is having matrix TTL flash as opposed to regular TTL flash? Would I be better off, say, pairing up two Sunpak PZ4000AFs and using regular TTL? (You can get a PZ4000AF for much of nothing.) Tips? LRH |
#2
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Wedding Flash Setup For N65/N80 and Coolpix 5700
"Larry R Harrison Jr" wrote in message news:ZLxHc.92$kt.46@fed1read05... My brother-in-law is getting married in September. I couldn't afford to travel to where he is at, but he agreed to pay our way if I photographed his wedding. I know, they always say--DON'T DO IT--but honestly enough things have happened in my life that the fear of blowing someone's wedding doesn't make me shake in my boots all THAT badly (though I do want to do a good job of course). Thing is, for my N80--and I may tag along an N65 as a backup (although I'll also have a Coolpix 5700)--I need a shoe-mounted flash. For all those cameras I mentioned all I have is the built-in flash--not what you want for an occasion like this. So I've been looking into flashes. I want to do more than just have the flash on the camera, though--for better results, I want it mounted off to the side or whatever. With the N65/N80--which are the cameras (along with the N75 I'd say) that the SB-50DX is meant to interface with--you can use them in conjunction with the built-in unit to boost its GN from 72 to 82. I am considering doing that with the SB-50DX mounted off to the left. I know direct flash is harsh, but I figure the SB-50DX will provide the bulk of the lighting, and the pop-up will be more of a "fill" unit. In the past, I've noticed a tendency for there to be shadows with off-camera flash to the left, and I'm thinking that the pop-up can help fill them in, but again hopefully won't be overpowering and make it look like total direct flash since the SB-50DX will provide much more lighting. Does this sound feasible to you? Does it make sense or am I off-base? Will this work with the Coolpix 5700 as well, using the internal & external together? Note: I don't have much money to spend, so these other options I'm mulling over may sound crazy. Hear me out. If that isn't the way to go, I'm thinking maybe buying two older SB-15s and having 2 flashes--one to the left and one to the right. In that case don't use the internal at all. I also assume that in that case the N65/N80 won't give "Matrix" or "3D Matrix" TTL flash, but rather just conventional TTL flash. I don't know how the Coolpix 5700 would handle that either, as it's more "quasi-TTL" (meaning it uses a sensor in the external flash to measure lighting rather than actually going through-the-lens). So I guess my questions a (1) How does the setup vis-a-vis a single left-mounted SB-50DX--how does that setup sound for the N65/N80 and the Coolpix 5700? Should I use the pop-up to fill in shadows, or would that override the superiority of a bracket-mounted flash altogether? Not enough flash power. You'll more than likely run into situations where the subjects are too far away (large groups) or where the unit's ability to do fill flash is inadequate. See if you can borrow a more powerful unit. (2) If not that, how does the two SB-15s setup sound for all 3 cameras? (3) If not that, what do you recommend? SB25/SB26/SB28, Metz 54MZ-3, or something head and handle that's matrix metering compatible. (4) Also, how important is having matrix TTL flash as opposed to regular TTL flash? Would I be better off, say, pairing up two Sunpak PZ4000AFs and using regular TTL? (You can get a PZ4000AF for much of nothing.) Matrix balanced flash is far superior to TTL, especially when it comes to fill flash, which TTL simply can't do easily. Beg, borrow, or steal a more powerful flash that works with the matrix metering, set the camera to P, and fire at will. Tips? The hot setup would be the N80, a 35-70 2.8D, and a Metz 54MZ-3. If you can do it. Portra 160NC processed by a professional lab! LRH |
#3
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Wedding Flash Setup For N65/N80 and Coolpix 5700
Larry R Harrison Jr wrote:
My brother-in-law is getting married in September. I couldn't afford to travel to where he is at, but he agreed to pay our way if I photographed his wedding. I know, they always say--DON'T DO IT--but honestly enough things have happened in my life that the fear of blowing someone's wedding doesn't make me shake in my boots all THAT badly (though I do want to do a good job of course). Nothing wrong with low budget. If nothing else, it would beat the hell out of the wedding guests all taking shots with disposable cameras, though you might recommend that they do that anyone . . . just for some fun. Thing is, for my N80--and I may tag along an N65 as a backup (although I'll also have a Coolpix 5700)--I need a shoe-mounted flash. For all those cameras I mentioned all I have is the built-in flash--not what you want for an occasion like this. So I've been looking into flashes. Ideally, you need two flash units, and you should concentrate on using two cameras at a time. I want to do more than just have the flash on the camera, though--for better results, I want it mounted off to the side or whatever. Actually, if you get a StoFen Omni Bounce that fits over the flash, that should soften the light up enough to give good results. It cuts up to three stops of light from the power at average people photographing distances. If you are getting two flashes, then get two of these. They also provide a small amount of protection to the flash head, since they are rugged plastic. With the N65/N80--which are the cameras (along with the N75 I'd say) that the SB-50DX is meant to interface with--you can use them in conjunction with the built-in unit to boost its GN from 72 to 82. I am considering doing that with the SB-50DX mounted off to the left. I know direct flash is harsh, but I figure the SB-50DX will provide the bulk of the lighting, and the pop-up will be more of a "fill" unit. Okay, the pop-up flash on the cameras should work okay as a fill-in, though you may want to mix the usage a bit. The pop-up flash is somewhat weak, so it is not going to add much in comparison to a good Speedlight. Also, you actually might find that you don't like the fill-in results in some of the photos. Just mix it up, and take plenty of shots. In the past, I've noticed a tendency for there to be shadows with off-camera flash to the left, and I'm thinking that the pop-up can help fill them in, but again hopefully won't be overpowering and make it look like total direct flash since the SB-50DX will provide much more lighting. The SB-50DX is really not strong enough for most group images. Also, an easy way to get rid of some of the harsh shadows is to use a lower sync speed, thus allowing more ambient room lighting to also expose the film. This can give a warmer feeling to the background, though it takes some experience doing this to get good even results. My suggestion is that you practice a bit on a roll of film (or two) and write down some notes. Also, a light blue filter can sometimes help give a more natural and even look, so that might be something else you add to your kit. Does this sound feasible to you? Does it make sense or am I off-base? Will this work with the Coolpix 5700 as well, using the internal & external together? One issue with the way Nikon publishes Speedlight data is that they rarely list which older units work with which newer cameras. The big thing to watch out for is voltage ratings, though with most of the Speedlights since the SB-24, this is more of a concern with multiple lights off one camera body. Read the manual for the Speedlight carefully about that. Note: I don't have much money to spend, so these other options I'm mulling over may sound crazy. Hear me out. Not much money I think your choices would be better with used gear. You need to budget for two flash units to really cover a wedding without driving yourself (and the guests) crazy. If that isn't the way to go, I'm thinking maybe buying two older SB-15s and having 2 flashes--one to the left and one to the right. In that case don't use the internal at all. I also assume that in that case the N65/N80 won't give "Matrix" or "3D Matrix" TTL flash, but rather just conventional TTL flash. I don't know how the Coolpix 5700 would handle that either, as it's more "quasi-TTL" (meaning it uses a sensor in the external flash to measure lighting rather than actually going through-the-lens). So I guess my questions a (1) How does the setup vis-a-vis a single left-mounted SB-50DX--how does that setup sound for the N65/N80 and the Coolpix 5700? Should I use the pop-up to fill in shadows, or would that override the superiority of a bracket-mounted flash altogether? Unless you have used a bracket, or handle mount flash previously, I don't recommend getting a set-up like that. This greatly unbalances the camera. Some of the more expensive units can be okay on balance, but the money could have bought another used Speedlight. Skip the brackets, and spend the money on a couple StoFen Omni Bounces. (2) If not that, how does the two SB-15s setup sound for all 3 cameras? Slightly weak, and a bit limited on settings. I recommend the SB-25, which you should be able to find used around $100 each. The slightly older SB-24 is similar, though a few less settings choices. The SB-26 is nearly the same as an SB-25 in use and power rating, though it is newer and costs a bit more. (3) If not that, what do you recommend? Two SB-25 with StoFen on each. No bracket mount. Use pop-up on camera flash only occasionally for fill in light. Use a 1/30 sync (you will need some practice to steady shoot at that setting) to allow ambient light to knock down the harsh shadows a bit. Get an 82A or 82B (light blue) filter, or both of these, to slightly improve the ambient light colour to a more normal appearance. (4) Also, how important is having matrix TTL flash as opposed to regular TTL flash? Would I be better off, say, pairing up two Sunpak PZ4000AFs and using regular TTL? (You can get a PZ4000AF for much of nothing.) Regular TTL is quite alright. With either TTL flavour, there can still be a bit too much light. If you have time to get use to the Speedlight, then find some settings adjustments that give more balanced results. Also, the auto setting is not a bad choice, and often the results can be very good. Nikon Speedlights are very good units. Many of the later ones are easy to adjust, and the displays are very accurate for adjusting results prior to shooting. Always practice first, and take notes. Tips? Take extra batteries for the Speedlights. Go to the rehearsal, and figure out where you will need to stand to make your shots. Use your digital Coolpix 5700 like a Polaroid test when doing set-up or tripod shots. Make sure your lights are working well and then switch the Speedlight to your film camera. Take many photos. If you have some time, and are not too tired, try to shoot at least one roll of B/W film (recommend AGFA APX100 for nice skin tones). Don't drink too much. Options include getting a used SB-27. This is somewhat lightweight, and still powerful. The SB-27 is also great for vertical shots, since the head rotates to allow for better positioning than with regular Speedlights. There is also an SU-4 unit from Nikon that allows remote TTL flash control, and could work as a fill light for group or set-up shots. The SU-4 is not cheap, and only occasionally found used. Wein make some small slave flash adapters that cost less, though these require some practice for good results. If you have trouble finding a StoFen unit, then get one of the Lastolite bounces. The Lastolite and StoFen costs are similar, though the StoFen is small when mounted on the flash. Ciao! Gordon Moat A G Studio http://www.allgstudio.com http://www.agstudiopro.com Coming Soon! |
#4
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Wedding Flash Setup For N65/N80 and Coolpix 5700
"Larry R Harrison Jr" wrote:
My brother-in-law is getting married in September. I couldn't afford to travel to where he is at, but he agreed to pay our way if I photographed his wedding. I know, they always say--DON'T DO IT--but honestly enough things have happened in my life that the fear of blowing someone's wedding doesn't make me shake in my boots all THAT badly (though I do want to do a good job of course). Well, I was going to say "Don't do it!" but I guess I will just have to limit myself to "May God Help You". (no smiley) |
#5
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Wedding Flash Setup For N65/N80 and Coolpix 5700
"Larry R Harrison Jr" wrote:
My brother-in-law is getting married in September. I couldn't afford to travel to where he is at, but he agreed to pay our way if I photographed his wedding. I know, they always say--DON'T DO IT--but honestly enough things have happened in my life that the fear of blowing someone's wedding doesn't make me shake in my boots all THAT badly (though I do want to do a good job of course). Well, I was going to say "Don't do it!" but I guess I will just have to limit myself to "May God Help You". (no smiley) |
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