Beyond flash?

Borga Voffe

Senior Member
4A468D03-EE4C-464D-8DD0-63D1BFD10907.jpg

A cudweed …. Gnaphalium sylvaticum….
This rather dull photo means a lot to me, as I am trying to get a overview of the flora where I live

The Z5 with 24-50 didnt quite manage to pinpoint the AF, as the af square is too big, it missed on the
top flower. As I was too lazy not using tripod this time, I guess ibis made this shot somewhat
memorable.
I have never learnt the art of flash. I am unsure if that would have helped, this is 30 cm away on 50mm setting.
 

Borga Voffe

Senior Member
Yep, the SB-910.
Bought it used some years ago.

Have no idea on how to use it on Z5
Wont matter, as the SB-910 is waaaaaay to big for me to carry around
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
You would use it like any other flash on the Z5. But it sounds like you don't want to bother because it's too large. The Z5 supports Nikon's CLS system, which that flash uses. You can control the flash by either mounting the flash on the camera, or using Nikon's CLS to remotely control the flash for Off-camera use. That flash does i-TTL which basically means, the flash has it's own sensor, communicates with your Z5 operates in what can only be described as full-auto flash... IOW, even a Chimpanzee can take a picture with that flash and camera...:)
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Is there a pop-up flash on the Z5? Someone made a diy diffuser for a DSLR pop-up flash. I think it might have been [MENTION=9753]Scott Murray[/MENTION] but it's been a long time to remember for sure.
 

BF Hammer

Senior Member
Is the 24-50mm lens a macro? 30cm translates to 11 inches and that is even too close for some macro lenses without extension tubes or other aid for close-up. I would guess you need to back off a bit for a photo that is more in focus, then crop the image.

As for the SB-910, I am not a fan of using a flash most times. But then there are the times when the flash is the best option get your photo. It's your choice in the end.
 

Borga Voffe

Senior Member
AEFB512E-9613-4F0E-878E-08E1FABE8786.jpgI am not talking about the olds D750 which popped the cork anytime I dint want it……

Its closest is 35 cm, at 50 it gets me close enough

Finally Im worse than a chimp Im 65 and well done in Parkinsons, meaning I am way to shaky to behold and nice photos
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
The Flash will greatly IMPROVE your shaky hand-held photos...

In general, the flash duration on most speedlights is
between 1/400 at full power, and 1/20,000 at low power.

So... If you set your Z5's speed to 1/200th... It's flash sync speed. Although the camera's shutter is actuating at 1/200th., the flash is actually "freezing" the image at a much higher(faster) speed...
 

Borga Voffe

Senior Member
Sorry, that isnt going to happen. Flash is no option for me, Will have to do with my photos as is

As some will know, this was easy peasy with d750
a) fire up the big sb-910 in slave m and grap it with your hand ppointing at the motiv at a meter or so
b) pop the built in flash as master

OH what lovely flash photos I got!

This aint workin at Z5.
You need som tech expensive gadget in the hot shoe to control sb-910
or another Nikon sb

Of course, if I choose to ruin the colors of my flowers, an easy way to do that is to set the sb 910 in the hot shoe- I dont even want to try that at 35 cm where will all that strobe light go

So . my tripod to the rescue
Unless some nifty inexpensive control gadget pops up.
 

spb_stan

Senior Member
A shoe-to-flash cable is the cheapest way to use flash off shoe but controllers are very inexpensive now. I have 6 flash and 2 large strobes I built myself. The Nikon flashes, 3 of them, are SB900s and I have 3 Yongnuo YN968 which are actually 1/6th the price and about twice as functional as the SB900s, they have build in wireless controllers and receivers so I can control the beam width and flash power of all 6 from one 968 or using my 622tx controller on the shoe so 6 lights wirelessly controlled by the 622TX. A ring light is useful or closeup shots like this one.
There are two views on flash: love it or hate it. The only difference is those who have only seen images badly used flash.. Many beginners take pride in shooting only in natural light but light is light and every great photo has some creative control of light. You have probably never seen a commercial photo that did not have augmented controllable light. Without some control of light, the core substance of photography, would be like a writer tearing out 1/2 or more of the pages of a dictionary and only using words remaining.
Flash is cheap and cures many ills such as making small aperture lenses produce what the were looking for when looking at $2000 lenses, or being able to shoot at lower speeds and still freeze action, for balance light of near verse more distant lower light by "dragging the shutter" as the technique is called, for a longer exposure on a dim background but the very fast rise and fall times of the flash freezes foreground subjected balancing the dimmer scene light with the strong but very short flash. Nikon's Balanced Flash system is excellent.
The cool part of current flash offerings are vey reliable high performance flash from a number of Chinese brands that start at about $30, and very good ones for $49 that have the features of the $650 SB9x0 series.
 
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Borga Voffe

Senior Member
I have only bad memories of flash,
dating back to 1980ies when a friend with a all manuall Ricoh strobed a flash on full power on them poor flowers at short distance, using tubes on his 50 mm normal lens. Ouch
Back then I used F3Hp with 55 /3.5 micro nikkor, never ever flash
And we all used Kodachrome 25

As life went by and my friend got married, a few cats and two kids, he went on and became senior consultant in Botany, that paid very well. No idea what his motion is in digital era of today.

I started that era with Canon G3, never got kids, never got a position as professor in botany as was my dream in the 80ies.

And at last as I got old, still no kids and my dog is passed away, I finally realize flash is the only way to.

I might have a lot of «bucks» they aint for me to use as I like

So I need to fix a setup. That Youngno setup was tempting but two might get to complicated

I might walk into Nikons expensive array this time also
What is needed is a matchbox sized controller that can stay on the Z5 most of the time
and a carddeck sized flash unit to keep in my anorak pocket - I dont need a big output flash do I - two items controller and a off camera flash.
 

Borga Voffe

Senior Member
Wish me luck!

Ordered this today:

—- Godox TT 350 Nikon (flash)
—- Godox X2T TTL Nikon (transmitter)

That didnt cost too much «bucks» :cool:

Thus in case things go south (or north) I can get more stuff to correct
my error,

Or what d ya think — will this suffice?

——> me with Z5 on a tripod and a little Anemone ca 15 cm high at a 40 cm away on 24-50 at 50 mm
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Wish me luck!

Ordered this today:

—- Godox TT 350 Nikon (flash)
—- Godox X2T TTL Nikon (transmitter)

That didnt cost too much «bucks» :cool:

Thus in case things go south (or north) I can get more stuff to correct
my error,

Or what d ya think — will this suffice?

——> me with Z5 on a tripod and a little Anemone ca 15 cm high at a 40 cm away on 24-50 at 50 mm

Godox makes excellent products - in fact, many pros use Godox flashes and strobes. :encouragement:

The next step up in their flash line that includes TTL is the Godox TT685n which is their comparable AA battery version to the Nikon SB5000. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1341878-REG/godox_tt685n_ttl_camera_speedlite.html

But what you chose is still an amazing flash. I'm not sure how what you purchased compares to the Nikon SB-700, but the output looks to be slightly more than what the SB-700 is capable of. So great choice! :)
 

Borga Voffe

Senior Member
437E3BFA-BC0F-4263-9960-AC54AA40E527.jpg

My first flash photo ever with Z5

On wide 24
I was sitting on a bench a one meter infront
the Godox flash also on the bench, to my left, at one meter away

I am too old for this
I didnt have a clue what happened

The flash and trigger on TTL / auto

Serious trouble:
——— the Z5 was on rear curtain sync
is that OK?
or should I use
like fill in flash or?
 
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