First Time With Metz Flash

[Mike_e]

Hi KellyL, you might also go with a slower shutter speed yet and crop for a 3/4 length shot. The back ground being so dark automatically leads you to think "flash shot'. And the highlights on the grass at their feet are a dead give away too.

It's not that flash is bad- it's not- you just don't want anything distracting the viewer from the image you want to present.

mike

[KellyL]

Mike, thinking about this, I probably should have also pulled the multiple exposure trick...in the same way one would get a nice picture of someone at night in front of a city scape. Perhaps shot an exposure for sky, and exposure for land, then had the models step in and take a shot of them. Compositing them would make a nice photograph, me thinks.

[youngster]

Hey Kelly, that last picture looks better than the others, but I think what Nikonfreak wrote in the beginning is so true. You have to have the same ISO settings in the flash that is being used in the camera. Also, if you start off by using the same aperture as in your camera (in this case f 5.6) then as he suggests switching to f 4 you'll see what he and others like Mark are saying about firing one stop hot.

This I pulled from page 54 of the 45 CL-4 Digital manual:

"The maximum flash range can be read off the setting mark of the selector
disk. The shortest shooting distance is approx. 10% of the maximum flash
range. The subject should be located in the middle third of the indicated range to give the electronic circuit leeway for compensation. "

So what does this mean? Looking at my non-digital Cl-4 when I set the ISO selector dial to 400 and aperture dial to 5.6 I see that my maximum flash range is approximately 35 ft.. At 10% of that my minimum flash range would be 3.5 feet. Now, because they recommend that the subject be in the middle third of the maximum range the subject should be apporoximately anywhere from 12-24 feet. Does that mean that a subject either closer or futher than that, but that is still within the maximum/minimum values, will be improperly exposed? Maybe not, but if that is their recommendation that is something I would certainly consider. Guessing by your photo I would say the subjects are in a good range, but by manipulating the flash values I don't think you'll get an accurate flash exposure. Why? Because on my same flash if I set the ISO to 800 and the aperture to 2.8 I get a maximum flash range of 100 feet. That means your subjects have to be at least 10 ft away and ideally they should be in the 33 to 66 foot range to get in that middle third value. The "?" in your post leaves me to understand that you are unaware of their distance which I think is important here and something to keep an eye on.

Hope this helps and this is all based on my own personal experience in dealing with Metz flashes. Sorry I haven't made a contribution photo to this subject yet, but I hope to have one soon.

John

[KellyL]

John,

Thanks. I have been trying to get an understanding of what distances the manual is talking about. So, what should one do with folks in close range? I am concerned about this, because the Metz is so powerful (it seems) that when shooting a wedding and ranges are varying so quickly, how does one quickly compensate?

[KellyL]

Radio triggers came, the ones suggested by Craig Sexton from eBay. At first, I was concerned. Couldn't get them to fire. But following the trouble shooting guide (albeit brief trouble shooting guide) I was able to have some success. I then found a willing model to let me do some tests. Here are the results:

[KellyL]

I used the Tamron 70 200 f/4 5.6 lens to capture these. Interesting how 1,2,4 in the top row look so similar. I changed the aperture to try and effect the DOF, however, there isn't going to be much change between them, really. Peterson calls 8 and 11 "Who cares" apertures. On the bottom row, I really wanted to get the widest aperture possible. At 4:00 in the afternoon on June 19, 2007 the sun was pretty bright. The basket was completely in the shade. Without the Metz, it was a pure sillouhette, or however you spell that word. I realized the first one was overexposed. Looking at the meter and trying to make some sense out of the distances, I still don't quite get the distance thing, I began moving the light back in relation to the basket. 6, 7, 8 look fairly consitent.

Now, the thing that bothers me is that shadow. What can be done about that shadow? I am fairly pleased with this exposure. This flashgun was a Metz 45CL-4 I purchased on Ebay for $225 plus $25 shipping and handling. The diffuser did not come wtih it, so I will need to pick one up. I am going to do some tests with the 45CL-4 digital and see if there are any differences.

Please, if you care, comment. I need to learn more.

[KellyL]

Here they are in greater detail in the same order they appear in the chart.

[KellyL]

Last two

[kgphoto]

OK Kelly Brace yourself!

I don't see why this is so hard for you guys to understand.

Two shots:

Camera on Manual MODE, Same as flash. Might be able to use flash on standard auto, but you will get more consistent results on manual.

On the sunset:

Set a shutter speed and aperture combination that will deliver a rich sky. Your couple will be reproduced as a silhouette. As an example 1/125 and f:8.0, measured by your meter(hand held of course) and checked on your LCD screen to confirm. Better to have calibrated everything ahead of time, but I am dreaming here.

Then set your flash to produce f: 8.0 or 5.6 1/2 ( your taste will decide.) with it set on manual! Metered with your flash meter. This is the same or 1/2 stop less than the sky exposure. Bingo, you are done!

Possible issues: The sky exposure will change rapidly as the sun approaches the horizon. The Sky light is soft and the flash is hard, so there will be some contrast issues, hence the 1/2 stop reduction. Bouncing off a big reflector, like an umbrella will give you better results. There will be some color shift due to the different temperature of the flash, so you could warm it up by taping a Bastard Amber Gel or a few CC's of orange to warm it up. You could also just warm up the final file in PS, since no one will know how warm the sunset was.

Boy scouts:

The kids in the store, using ISO 100 the exposure should have been 1/125 at f:16 with the flash producing f:16. Bingo you are done.

The exterior was bright sun, so the Sunny 16 rule gave you that exposure. Add flash to bring the interior up to meet it and you are done. A wide angle setting to even out the coverage would be better.

This will overexpose the shopping bags a little since they are closer. Burn that in in PS. Or use a standard reflector setting and aim over the top feathering the light off the bags. Your auto setting read the bag exposure first and under exposed the boys.

I cannot stress strongly enough the need to shoot totally manual and knowing what the unit will produce. The auto sensor is too easily tricked into adjusting the exposure.

Well there ya go. Let's see if that gets me any Karma. You guys have been very tight with that lately.

[KellyL]

KG - I am shooting in manual. I am going out to do some test in the evening sun. Will reread when I get back.

[Mark McCall]

Kelly,...just found this thread.
I'm pressed for time at the moment, but I'll be back.

OUTSTANDING EXPOSURE OF THE SCOUTS!!!!

[KellyL]

Thanks Mark! I'm trying to get this thing figured out. Kirk wants me to go manual on the Metz flash, but I want to get that whole auto thing down...like the one you did over yonder in the wedding threads. I made a bride tonight. My daughters have an old bride dress. I am not finished with her, but I am going to take her around and do some practice shots. I tried tonight, but I think the battery on my Metz was at an all time low cuz I couldn't get it to fiar.

[KellyL]

Metz in E-TTL - I purchased two Metz lights. The one I have been practicing with is an older CL45-4 created for film cameras, the second is the CL45-4 Digital. After determining that I needed the Metz, and an adapter, and an adapter for the adapter (got a stomach ache looking for the second adapter at Tallyn's camera supply over in Peoria...very grateful they had one in stock since I didn't know the adapter needed an adapter...BH let me down here...they did not indicate that on their website under accessories...). Anyway, these were taken with the Metz in E-TTL mode. I clicked the button on the back which I believe stopped the flash down one stop and used bounced light from the ceiling. I wanted to try and preserve the light coming from the large window. I am relieved to know that this flash has the E-TTL capability. I was concerned about heat of the moment mistakes when having to use the flash in Auto or Manual mode. Still have some learning to do but I really like the creamy tones.

[kgphoto]

Kelly,

Nice images of the mom and newborn, with dad relaxing after doing all the work! lol

I am going to a seminar Monday night put on by Will Crockett and he will discuss the best ways to do TTL with digital now with all the new stuff on the market. In the past he has advocated to using the standard auto modes rather than TTL due to the even more exposure errors with TTL. Now, with certain combinations of equipment, it seems it is more reliable than before.

You can go to Shootsmarter.com and download his out line for the seminar as well as read the SmartArticles on this topic and order DVD's that cover this subject.

[kgphoto]

So Kelly,

I am just bumping this up to the top to remind you and Mark to try what I describe and then relate it to your own experiences.

Anyone, anyone, Bueller?

[KellyL]

Kirk,

I haven't forgotten! I just need to do some more work. I am hopefully going to do some playing this afternoon with the flash units.

I also do not know what the f/16 rules are. Care to elaborate or do I need to do an internet search?

[KellyL]

Sunny f/16 rule Sunny 16 Rule

[kgphoto]

I thought you said you didn't know?

That is an excellent explanation of the system.

A funny story:

I was on a wedding with my apprentice and my wife and even though I use a light meter that meters to a tenth of a stop, my apprentice wondered if I really needed it. I said no, you get used to judging light. So he said what is the exposure right now? I said, 8 and 3 tenths. He looked at me funny and then took a reading, stared at it and then showed my wife. It was exactly 8 and 3 tenths. My stock went up that day.

[KellyL]

You are right Kirk. You are a gawd. Dang. You didn't say "Let there be light," you said, "Let the light be 8 and 3 tenths."

No, I didn't know about the f/16 rule. I thought, why make Kirk do all that splainin when I could probably just do a quick internet search and get the answer I was seeking. You know, why go to Oz when you got a yellow brick road at home?:Banane37:

Curious...Kirk Almighty ...why is the suggestion to set the shutter speed the same speed as the film? What is the logic?

And when this question is answered, I'll try to grab the stone from your hand...and if I don't get it, your "young grasshopper" will continue to seek the knowledge he so desperately needs to fulfill his destiny.

Okay...anybody remember Kung Fu?

[cyclohexane]

Curious...Kirk Almighty...why is the suggestion to set the shutter speed the same speed as the film? What is the logic?

I'm not Kirk Almighty, but...

The shutter speed is a starting place. From there you can choose any equivalent exposure you like.