Slave flash and digital camera

"Bill Again" wrote in message ...
With my old film SLR I sometimes used a couple of slave flashes to light up
a distant part of the scene. I cannot find a digital camera that can cope
with this.

In the last few years I have worked my way through 7 or 8 digital cameras,
including a couple of Olympus models, a Casio and one of the original old
timers (circa '97)- a black and white Logitech that produced blocky postage
stamp size images.

Currently I am using a Lumix FZ10 and this gives me some very strange
results that I haven't been able to puzzle out yet. The slave flash is
triggered when it "sees" the built in flash of the Lumix but this is not
recorded in the picture. In fact a picture taken with the slave firing in
the background also doesn't register the light from the built in flash and
is under illuminated. If I leave the set up as it was but turn off the slave
then the picture is fine, although of course the distant field is dark. Turn
the slave on again and once more the whole picture is dark, i.e. no sign of
either the light from the slave flash or the built in flash.

Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else tried using slaves with a
digital? If so, to what effect? And with what settings?

The problem with the slaves flashes is that they need to be triggered
by the flash from your camera, and they can screw up the exposure
because the metering system does not know about the slave. It is
always best to use a dedicated hot flash, made by the same
manufacturer as your camera, if possible.

"Lukas Varossieau" wrote in message
om...
"Bill Again" wrote in message
...
With my old film SLR I sometimes used a couple of slave flashes to light
up
a distant part of the scene. I cannot find a digital camera that can cope
with this.

In the last few years I have worked my way through 7 or 8 digital
cameras,
including a couple of Olympus models, a Casio and one of the original old
timers (circa '97)- a black and white Logitech that produced blocky
postage
stamp size images.

Currently I am using a Lumix FZ10 and this gives me some very strange
results that I haven't been able to puzzle out yet. The slave flash is
triggered when it "sees" the built in flash of the Lumix but this is not
recorded in the picture. In fact a picture taken with the slave firing in
the background also doesn't register the light from the built in flash
and
is under illuminated. If I leave the set up as it was but turn off the
slave
then the picture is fine, although of course the distant field is dark.
Turn
the slave on again and once more the whole picture is dark, i.e. no sign
of
either the light from the slave flash or the built in flash.

Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else tried using slaves with a
digital? If so, to what effect? And with what settings?

The problem with the slaves flashes is that they need to be triggered
by the flash from your camera, and they can screw up the exposure
because the metering system does not know about the slave. It is
always best to use a dedicated hot flash, made by the same
manufacturer as your camera, if possible.

Not in all circumstances. I want to use the slave flash(es) at a distant (10
to 15 metre) position. Can I use a long cable? Well if I can then it ties me
down, and this is why I have always found (with film) that slaves were very
useful and offered me lots of freedom and so on.

Anyway, I have, thanks to advice from this NG and from a specialist photo
retailer (Neithold - thoroughly recommended) ordered a Metz slave that
"learns" the flash characteristics of the camera that is triggering it. If
nothing else this should be an interesting exercise. :-)

Robert R.

"Bill Again" writes:

Not in all circumstances. I want to use the slave flash(es) at a distant (10
to 15 metre) position. Can I use a long cable? Well if I can then it ties me
down, and this is why I have always found (with film) that slaves were very
useful and offered me lots of freedom and so on.

There are wireless triggers and receivers that can be used in this case. The
higher end models like PocketWizard have selectable channels so that if you are
in an area with other photographers (such as a wedding for instance) your slave
isn't set off by the other guy's gear.

--
Michael Meissner
email:
http://www.the-meissners.org

"Michael Meissner" wrote in message
...
"Bill Again" writes:

Not in all circumstances. I want to use the slave flash(es) at a distant
(10
to 15 metre) position. Can I use a long cable? Well if I can then it ties
me
down, and this is why I have always found (with film) that slaves were
very
useful and offered me lots of freedom and so on.

There are wireless triggers and receivers that can be used in this case.
The
higher end models like PocketWizard have selectable channels so that if
you are
in an area with other photographers (such as a wedding for instance) your
slave
isn't set off by the other guy's gear.

--
Michael Meissner
email:
http://www.the-meissners.org

Very neat. Looks like there is lots to play with in this area. :-)

Robert R.

"Bill Again" wrote in message ...
"Lukas Varossieau" wrote in message
om...
"Bill Again" wrote in message
...
With my old film SLR I sometimes used a couple of slave flashes to light
up
a distant part of the scene. I cannot find a digital camera that can cope
with this.

In the last few years I have worked my way through 7 or 8 digital
cameras,
including a couple of Olympus models, a Casio and one of the original old
timers (circa '97)- a black and white Logitech that produced blocky
postage
stamp size images.

Currently I am using a Lumix FZ10 and this gives me some very strange
results that I haven't been able to puzzle out yet. The slave flash is
triggered when it "sees" the built in flash of the Lumix but this is not
recorded in the picture. In fact a picture taken with the slave firing in
the background also doesn't register the light from the built in flash
and
is under illuminated. If I leave the set up as it was but turn off the
slave
then the picture is fine, although of course the distant field is dark.
Turn
the slave on again and once more the whole picture is dark, i.e. no sign
of
either the light from the slave flash or the built in flash.

Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else tried using slaves with a
digital? If so, to what effect? And with what settings?

The problem with the slaves flashes is that they need to be triggered
by the flash from your camera, and they can screw up the exposure
because the metering system does not know about the slave. It is
always best to use a dedicated hot flash, made by the same
manufacturer as your camera, if possible.

Not in all circumstances. I want to use the slave flash(es) at a distant (10
to 15 metre) position. Can I use a long cable? Well if I can then it ties me
down, and this is why I have always found (with film) that slaves were very
useful and offered me lots of freedom and so on.

Anyway, I have, thanks to advice from this NG and from a specialist photo
retailer (Neithold - thoroughly recommended) ordered a Metz slave that
"learns" the flash characteristics of the camera that is triggering it. If
nothing else this should be an interesting exercise. :-)

I stand corrected.

"Lukas Varossieau" wrote in message
om...
"Bill Again" wrote in message
...
"Lukas Varossieau" wrote in message
om...
"Bill Again" wrote in message
...


snipped

The problem with the slaves flashes is that they need to be triggered
by the flash from your camera, and they can screw up the exposure
because the metering system does not know about the slave. It is
always best to use a dedicated hot flash, made by the same
manufacturer as your camera, if possible.

Not in all circumstances. I want to use the slave flash(es) at a distant
(10
to 15 metre) position. Can I use a long cable? Well if I can then it ties
me
down, and this is why I have always found (with film) that slaves were
very
useful and offered me lots of freedom and so on.

Anyway, I have, thanks to advice from this NG and from a specialist photo
retailer (Neithold - thoroughly recommended) ordered a Metz slave that
"learns" the flash characteristics of the camera that is triggering it.
If
nothing else this should be an interesting exercise. :-)

I stand corrected.

Not at all! All input is useful, and I thank you for it. You never know when
an idea can be just that bit of information that someone hasn't yet chanced
upon by themselves.

Robert R.

"Bill Again" wrote in
:

Anyway, I have, thanks to advice from this NG and from a specialist
photo retailer (Neithold - thoroughly recommended) ordered a Metz
slave that "learns" the flash characteristics of the camera that is
triggering it.

Cool. What is the model and guide number? I am also looking into a slave
flash. I know there are a few inexpensive Sunpak models for around $30
or so, but I wonder how useful they could possibly be. They too have the
ability to ignore the pre-flash..a must for a digital slave.

--
Bill

"Woodchuck Bill" wrote in message
...
"Bill Again" wrote in
:

Anyway, I have, thanks to advice from this NG and from a specialist
photo retailer (Neithold - thoroughly recommended) ordered a Metz
slave that "learns" the flash characteristics of the camera that is
triggering it.

Cool. What is the model and guide number? I am also looking into a slave
flash. I know there are a few inexpensive Sunpak models for around $30
or so, but I wonder how useful they could possibly be. They too have the
ability to ignore the pre-flash..a must for a digital slave.

--
Bill

Well I thought that I would first try the Metz 28 CS2 digital as a
benchmark. You can see the details at the link here.

http://www.metz.de/en/photo_electron...gital.225.html

In Germany it costs 129 Euros ($168)

br Robert R.

Woodchuck Bill wrote:
"Bill Again" wrote in
:

Anyway, I have, thanks to advice from this NG and from a specialist
photo retailer (Neithold - thoroughly recommended) ordered a Metz
slave that "learns" the flash characteristics of the camera that is
triggering it.

Cool. What is the model and guide number? I am also looking into a
slave flash. I know there are a few inexpensive Sunpak models for
around $30 or so, but I wonder how useful they could possibly be.
They too have the ability to ignore the pre-flash..a must for a
digital slave.

I have the VIVITAR DF200 Digital Flash, $69.95 from BnH.
GN 92 @ 28, 28 @ 50.
It "learns" as advertised, but:

No "Test" button! In spit of what the manufacturer's pdf specs sheet
says. Or mayby I just can't find it.
It forgets what it learned, so every session requires at least one flash
to teach it.

Someone else mentioned another shortcoming, but I have forgotten what it
was, and can't find the post.

--
Frank ess

"Frank ess" wrote in news:zamdnWVUMqWvtgPcRVn-
:

I have the VIVITAR DF200 Digital Flash, $69.95 from BnH.
GN 92 @ 28, 28 @ 50.
It "learns" as advertised, but:

That's the other one I was thinking of! Thanks.

--
Bill