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Getting to M and Off Camera Flash
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<blockquote data-quote="WayneF" data-source="post: 601335" data-attributes="member: 12496"><p>Speaking of using flash, A,S,P modes offer metering ambient exposure, and P is often a good choice with fill flash in bright sunshine - P prevents our setting our indoor f/4 in A mode, and then wondering why we only get ERROR in bright sun (gonna need about f/11 due to maximum shutter sync speed). <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> But ambient level is often totally insignificant indoors, to be ignored. If we do pick some of it up, it is often orange incandescent. Manual lets us set faster than 1/60 to keep it out.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Speaking of the Nikon Commander, when we push the shutter button (or FV Lock button) then the Commander swings into action. It individually requests and then meters a preflash from each TTL group, and sets the metered power level in each TTL group. It also sends the Commander menu Manual power to any Manual groups. System does not know how many flashes, but it individually meters each TTL flash group. A group could be one or more flashes metered as one.</p><p></p><p>The remote flashes are still TTL metering, same as one hot shoe flash. Metered one group at a time with Commander. Bounce for example, goes up and reflects and come back down, and the meter meters the center spot of the frame. Or a remote in a softbox or an umbrella, the meter still meters the light actually reaching the center spot of the frame, where it matters (doesn't matter where it has been first). If manual flashes, they are not metered, but they receive instructions to set the power level from the Commander menu.</p><p></p><p>This all happens in a split second, but all of that flashing can cause pictures of the subject blinking, but FV Lock is an easy way to work around that. Or the inexpensive Nikon SG-3IR shield will help too.</p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>The manual triggers are easy, but I'm largely ignorant of all the TTL remote systems except Nikon Commander. Each is an individual system, with its own methods, and no compatibility among them. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>But (excluding the Commander system), what the camera TTL system sees to work with is one hot shoe, with hot shoe pins to communicate with One TTL flash. Just One. Nikons multiple TTL system is the Commander.</p><p></p><p>I'm not the one to discuss the others, never had one of them. Just guessing, but like in the Yongnuo system, the remotes are in TTL mode, which is the mode in all TTL flashes that the flash can accept power level from the flash foot. Not the same action as TTL mode however, because the camera has to meter TTL, and it knows how to meter one hot shoe flash. I've been curious about them, but not enough to buy one. I'd be very interested in hearing details of how they work. </p><p></p><p>The modes I normally use are one hot shoe flash for bounce, usually TTL. Or sometimes the Commander or manual optical slaves for two remotes in quick umbrella setup. Or alternately, multiple manual flashes in a studio setting.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>My opinion is the camera has a very good meter for non-flash use, and that's what I use for non-flash. It is a reflected meter, but we learn to to use it. An incident meter reads more accurately, but awkwardly has to meter from the subjects location.</p><p></p><p>For hot shoe flash, again, the camera meter is very good (and still a reflected meter). I use bounce indoors, and direct TTL with compensation for fill flash in sunlight.</p><p></p><p>For one manual hot shoe flash (bounce or direct), trial and error is not hard to find the right exposure (TTL is normally a closer starting point though).</p><p></p><p>For multiple flash though (including only two flashes), the lighting ratio is the thing. To know what we're doing, we have to meter them, one way or another.</p><p></p><p>For studio flash with multiple manual flash, then a hand held incident meter seems very necessary to me. I can't imagine living life without it. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> (I have a couple, but I only use them for that purpose). IMO, multiple manual flash is about the only reason to have a handheld meter today, but for multiple flash, it is a day and night difference, either guessing at the level of four flashes (at every setup), or simply taking a minute to meter them and setting each of them as we want them to be, and then KNOWING what they will do. Easy and fast and correct repeatability from last time.</p><p></p><p>I've never had any problem with a simple optical slave (speaking of indoor sessions), but I've never put one inside a softbox either.</p><p></p><p>A Sekonic L-308 is not more than $200, and is very adequate for studio flash. L-308S was previous, and L-308S-U is the new replacement (I think longer warranty may be only difference?)</p><p></p><p>See <a href="http://www.scantips.com/lights/handheld_lightmeter.html" target="_blank">Why would I need a handheld light meter?</a> for more, including a description of using it at page bottom.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="WayneF, post: 601335, member: 12496"] Speaking of using flash, A,S,P modes offer metering ambient exposure, and P is often a good choice with fill flash in bright sunshine - P prevents our setting our indoor f/4 in A mode, and then wondering why we only get ERROR in bright sun (gonna need about f/11 due to maximum shutter sync speed). :) But ambient level is often totally insignificant indoors, to be ignored. If we do pick some of it up, it is often orange incandescent. Manual lets us set faster than 1/60 to keep it out. Speaking of the Nikon Commander, when we push the shutter button (or FV Lock button) then the Commander swings into action. It individually requests and then meters a preflash from each TTL group, and sets the metered power level in each TTL group. It also sends the Commander menu Manual power to any Manual groups. System does not know how many flashes, but it individually meters each TTL flash group. A group could be one or more flashes metered as one. The remote flashes are still TTL metering, same as one hot shoe flash. Metered one group at a time with Commander. Bounce for example, goes up and reflects and come back down, and the meter meters the center spot of the frame. Or a remote in a softbox or an umbrella, the meter still meters the light actually reaching the center spot of the frame, where it matters (doesn't matter where it has been first). If manual flashes, they are not metered, but they receive instructions to set the power level from the Commander menu. This all happens in a split second, but all of that flashing can cause pictures of the subject blinking, but FV Lock is an easy way to work around that. Or the inexpensive Nikon SG-3IR shield will help too. The manual triggers are easy, but I'm largely ignorant of all the TTL remote systems except Nikon Commander. Each is an individual system, with its own methods, and no compatibility among them. :) But (excluding the Commander system), what the camera TTL system sees to work with is one hot shoe, with hot shoe pins to communicate with One TTL flash. Just One. Nikons multiple TTL system is the Commander. I'm not the one to discuss the others, never had one of them. Just guessing, but like in the Yongnuo system, the remotes are in TTL mode, which is the mode in all TTL flashes that the flash can accept power level from the flash foot. Not the same action as TTL mode however, because the camera has to meter TTL, and it knows how to meter one hot shoe flash. I've been curious about them, but not enough to buy one. I'd be very interested in hearing details of how they work. The modes I normally use are one hot shoe flash for bounce, usually TTL. Or sometimes the Commander or manual optical slaves for two remotes in quick umbrella setup. Or alternately, multiple manual flashes in a studio setting. My opinion is the camera has a very good meter for non-flash use, and that's what I use for non-flash. It is a reflected meter, but we learn to to use it. An incident meter reads more accurately, but awkwardly has to meter from the subjects location. For hot shoe flash, again, the camera meter is very good (and still a reflected meter). I use bounce indoors, and direct TTL with compensation for fill flash in sunlight. For one manual hot shoe flash (bounce or direct), trial and error is not hard to find the right exposure (TTL is normally a closer starting point though). For multiple flash though (including only two flashes), the lighting ratio is the thing. To know what we're doing, we have to meter them, one way or another. For studio flash with multiple manual flash, then a hand held incident meter seems very necessary to me. I can't imagine living life without it. :) (I have a couple, but I only use them for that purpose). IMO, multiple manual flash is about the only reason to have a handheld meter today, but for multiple flash, it is a day and night difference, either guessing at the level of four flashes (at every setup), or simply taking a minute to meter them and setting each of them as we want them to be, and then KNOWING what they will do. Easy and fast and correct repeatability from last time. I've never had any problem with a simple optical slave (speaking of indoor sessions), but I've never put one inside a softbox either. A Sekonic L-308 is not more than $200, and is very adequate for studio flash. L-308S was previous, and L-308S-U is the new replacement (I think longer warranty may be only difference?) See [URL="http://www.scantips.com/lights/handheld_lightmeter.html"]Why would I need a handheld light meter?[/URL] for more, including a description of using it at page bottom. [/QUOTE]
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