540 flash for wedding photography
Hey, Mark! You enlightened us over the weekend about using P-TTL flash with the camera on manual. Care to re-enlighten? I'm afraid the booze and lack of sleep has purged that memory from the old noggin. Also, has anyone used the little stand that came with their flash? Any thoughts on that thing? -- Scott Loveless www.twosixteen.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
David J Brooks wrote: I missed the middle during pee break Dave Lightweight. -- Scott Loveless www.twosixteen.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
I almost always shoot in manual mode when using the 540 on my K10D. You still get P-TTL exposure control. And by dialing in the exposure as close to ambient as possible, you get subtle lighting, particularly when using the flash with a reflector. When shooting dancers or other moving objects, try trailing curtain synch with a very slow shutter speed. You can get some nice motion blur. Paul -- Original message -- From: Scott Loveless [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hey, Mark! You enlightened us over the weekend about using P-TTL flash with the camera on manual. Care to re-enlighten? I'm afraid the booze and lack of sleep has purged that memory from the old noggin. Also, has anyone used the little stand that came with their flash? Any thoughts on that thing? -- Scott Loveless www.twosixteen.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
I was going to ask Mark if he would CC me with the reply he was going to send you. I missed the middle during pee break Dave On 6/6/07, Scott Loveless [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hey, Mark! You enlightened us over the weekend about using P-TTL flash with the camera on manual. Care to re-enlighten? I'm afraid the booze and lack of sleep has purged that memory from the old noggin. Also, has anyone used the little stand that came with their flash? Any thoughts on that thing? -- Scott Loveless www.twosixteen.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- Equine Photography www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ Ontario Canada -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
On 2007-06-06, at 21:30, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I almost always shoot in manual mode when using the 540 on my K10D. You still get P-TTL exposure control. And by dialing in the exposure as close to ambient as possible, you get subtle lighting, particularly when using the flash with a reflector. When shooting dancers or other moving objects, try trailing curtain synch with a very slow shutter speed. You can get some nice motion blur. The same here. I just tried K10D + AF540FGZ combo last Saturday on wedding and it worked (exposure wise but not only) for me very well, no worse than Nikon D70 + SB800 and better than Konica Minolta D7D + 5600 HS(D). -- Best regards Sylwek -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
Scott Loveless wrote: Hey, Mark! You enlightened us over the weekend about using P-TTL flash with the camera on manual. Care to re-enlighten? I'm afraid the booze and lack of sleep has purged that memory from the old noggin. You talkin' to me or the other Mark? (You weren't alone with regards to booze and lack of sleep.) Anyway, here's how you do it: Set camera to manual exposure. Attach flash with bounce card. Set flash to P-TTL auto. Set shutter speed the slowest speed you feel safe hand-holding; if you're using a zoom, assume the longest focal length it reaches. Set the aperture a stop or two down from wide open -- there's something of a judgment call here because it depends on the focal length of the lens your using, how much DOF you want and how much ambient light there is. The result of the above procedure should be that the meter in the camera will show underexposure pretty much everywhere you point it (in locations you're going to be shooting the wedding). If it regularly shows more than two stops of underexposure or if it shows overexposure anywhere you'll need to change shutter speed, aperture or ISO. You often have to compromise here... So now you've got a slow shutter speed you can hand-hold, an aperture that gives you the DOF you want and exposure that varies from perfect to about-two-stops-under everywhere you're shooting. The P-TTL flash will automatically provide whatever amount of fill is necessary to make the overall exposure good. (Your manual exposure setting shouldn't show overexposure anywhere because, obviously, the flash can't subtract ambient light when there's too much, it can only provide extra light when there's too little.) You can experiment with dialing in a little underexposure to the flash, to see if it suits your equipment setup and/or taste. This setup won't deliver *perfect* results all the time but it will give you very usable results almost all the time. When you're in really dark spots (two stops under on the meter) the flash will be contributing more of the total exposure than you'd ideally like. And when you're in bright areas it will contribute nothing. But you'll almost always get something you can use. This is what you want for weddings because, for most shots, you get only one chance. I learned this technique from a local wedding pro who does high end (*very* expensive) weddings. He shoots mostly PJ style (but with the usual requisite posed shots). He usually works alone unless he's providing video services as well. He does extraordinary work and makes a ton of money doing it. He's won scads of awards, which he refuses to display in his studio: He'll only display prints of his work there. We met when an Internet Directory Service tried to scam him and gave me and my web site as a reference even though I had nothing to do with them. He called their bluff by calling me :) I worked a couple of weddings with him to see if I might do some work for him. I decided against getting into wedding photography but I learned a *lot* from the experience. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
Hmm...I have a slight modification to that for my weddings. Commonly ceremonies are during the day, when there is enough light to not really need flash - however, fill flash will help with shadows and the occasional dark shot. So for that, I set the camera to HyperManual/Center weighted (I normally shoot this mode) and set the flash to P-TTL with High Synch. Then set the flash to about -1 to -2 compensation. Then just shoot as if you didn't have the flash on. This puts a catchlight in the eyes, warms up skin tones in the shade and fills dark eye sockets. If you set the compensation correctly, you cannot really tell a flash was used. Most receptions are later in the day or in a venue where it is darker. For this, the technique Mark describes is about what I do. Set the ISO up to 400, to allow for as much ambient as you can. Set the flash to P-TTL and set the camera to manual. Shutter speed to as slow as you can comfortably hold it still and pick an aperture that works for you - I normally shoot around 5.6 - 8. Just be aware of your meter reading that it doesn't jump to overexposure and you are all set. HTH, Bruce Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 1:41:32 PM, you wrote: MR Scott Loveless wrote: Hey, Mark! You enlightened us over the weekend about using P-TTL flash with the camera on manual. Care to re-enlighten? I'm afraid the booze and lack of sleep has purged that memory from the old noggin. MR You talkin' to me or the other Mark? (You weren't alone with regards to MR booze and lack of sleep.) MR Anyway, here's how you do it: MR Set camera to manual exposure. MR Attach flash with bounce card. MR Set flash to P-TTL auto. MR Set shutter speed the slowest speed you feel safe hand-holding; if MR you're using a zoom, assume the longest focal length it reaches. MR Set the aperture a stop or two down from wide open -- there's something MR of a judgment call here because it depends on the focal length of the MR lens your using, how much DOF you want and how much ambient light there MR is. MR The result of the above procedure should be that the meter in the MR camera will show underexposure pretty much everywhere you point it (in MR locations you're going to be shooting the wedding). If it regularly MR shows more than two stops of underexposure or if it shows overexposure MR anywhere you'll need to change shutter speed, aperture or ISO. You MR often have to compromise here... MR So now you've got a slow shutter speed you can hand-hold, an aperture MR that gives you the DOF you want and exposure that varies from perfect MR to about-two-stops-under everywhere you're shooting. The P-TTL flash MR will automatically provide whatever amount of fill is necessary to make MR the overall exposure good. (Your manual exposure setting shouldn't show MR overexposure anywhere because, obviously, the flash can't subtract MR ambient light when there's too much, it can only provide extra light MR when there's too little.) MR You can experiment with dialing in a little underexposure to the flash, MR to see if it suits your equipment setup and/or taste. MR This setup won't deliver *perfect* results all the time but it will MR give you very usable results almost all the time. When you're in really MR dark spots (two stops under on the meter) the flash will be MR contributing more of the total exposure than you'd ideally like. And MR when you're in bright areas it will contribute nothing. But you'll MR almost always get something you can use. This is what you want for MR weddings because, for most shots, you get only one chance. MR I learned this technique from a local wedding pro who does high end MR (*very* expensive) weddings. He shoots mostly PJ style (but with the MR usual requisite posed shots). He usually works alone unless he's MR providing video services as well. He does extraordinary work and makes MR a ton of money doing it. He's won scads of awards, which he refuses to MR display in his studio: He'll only display prints of his work there. MR We met when an Internet Directory Service tried to scam him and gave MR me and my web site as a reference even though I had nothing to do with MR them. He called their bluff by calling me :) I worked a couple of MR weddings with him to see if I might do some work for him. I decided MR against getting into wedding photography but I learned a *lot* from the MR experience. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
Don't know nothin' 'bout weddin' shootin'... But I have used the little stand thingy with my ist D and Sigma 500-whatever Super, while shooting pix at family gatherings. I set the pop-up flash to master, turned on the wireless control, and had the off-camera flash on top of a high bookcase or a rafter, pointing at the white ceiling. It worked very nicely. Rick pointing upward --- Scott Loveless [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Also, has anyone used the little stand that came with their flash? Any thoughts on that thing? -- Scott Loveless www.twosixteen.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net http://www.photo.net/photos/RickW Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
RE: 540 flash for wedding photography
From: Scott Loveless Hey, Mark! You enlightened us over the weekend about using P-TTL flash with the camera on manual. Care to re-enlighten? I'm afraid the booze and lack of sleep has purged that memory from the old noggin. Also, has anyone used the little stand that came with their flash? Any thoughts on that thing? Yeah, I'd also like any thoughts anyone cares to share on using the 540 for weddings, since that's what I bought it for. One thing I've already experimented with on the K-10D is the Extended Bracket Mode - bracketing contrast gives you 3 different contrasts with one exposure; seems to work with auto-bracket so that you get 9 different exposures with a 3 frame bracket or 15 with a 5 frame bracket. Can the 540 re-cycle fast enough to do auto-bracketing? As far as the little stand goes, I've already thought about using it to hold a peanut slave and AF-280T for a background light in portraiture. 'course, it looks like my new 540 is going to have to go back to Pentax for warranty repair before I'm actually going to get to use it. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: 540 flash for wedding photography
- Original Message - From: Scott Loveless Subject: 540 flash for wedding photography Also, has anyone used the little stand that came with their flash? Any thoughts on that thing? It's great. My display case looks just like a camera store now. William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
