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Contax TLA 360

>=20 >=20 >=20 > [What I found is pretty much the same as yours, Contax is not in the same > league for flash control compares to N or C. However, what I learned to = be > more useful is using the exposure mode setting at Manual, then the flash = at > auto mode, and it somehow did better than using AV mode. And you are rig= ht, > the pre-flash is just unbeatable. Regards, kaisern] >=20 >=20 >=20
 
Kaisern: Thanks for your advise. What do you mean by "...N or C." I'm so frustrated with this flash I'm contemplating just using a Metz 60. Do you have any advise on that approach? Thanks.
 
He means N for Nikon and C for Canon.

Check to be sure you don't have the meter set for spot rather than evalutive. It's the switch just behind the hot shoe. I don't believe the TTL works with the spot meter.
 
Thanks Marc. Your help is greatly appreciated! I did have it on evaluative. Is there a chance that I should use the metering portion of the view finder to take the reading in TTL and then switch to AEL, then recompose the picture and then shoot? It sure seems like a lot of fuss.

Thanks again.
 
The pre-flash mode for the C645 is performed in spot mode. So Marc's suggestion makes perfect sense.

Normally, I use mono lights for all my flash works, and meter my sense with my Gossen StarLite meter. Hence, my experience with TTL is minimal.

Last month, I shot a wedding with the TLA360 and my N1 + N24/85. I used the flash for every shot in TTL, including day light indoor, sunny outdoor, and night time party. All 500+ pics came out perfect as I followed Marc's suggestion from the other posting.

Before that, I did a party with my N1 in fully TTL mode, most of my flash pics were over-exposed in the subject, especially the wedding gown. And the blackground was under-exposed.

What Marc suggested was, use manual mode with low shutter speed, set the flash to TTL and let it does the job (compensate). The idea is to allows more light comes through for the background.

With that pricinple, I set the camera in Av or Tv auto mode, set the apperture wide enough, and/or set the shutter speed very low, then set the flash to TTL. The result will come out great.

Colin, You don't really have to meter every shot and set to AEL. The idea is use the TLA as, kind of, a fill flash, meter the sense as if no flash being used, either auto or manual. Even the meter show one or two stop under, or over, it will come out okay. You have to try it out. It is the pricinple of lighting, has nothing to do with Nikon or Cannon. Although I agree the N or C has better (newer) eTTL.
 
Albert and all,

I have always had the same problem with my 360 on my C645. I am used to my Canon 550EX on my 1V that works perfectly. When you say set a low shutter speed, how slow can you go. Obviously, motion is a primary concern, especially when shooting people in the scene. I'd love to go back to using my Contax for flash.

Guy
 
Guy,

Good point. As the EOS 1V and the Contax N1 has matrix meter, which make the TTL flash works better. The C645 only have the Average Center–Weighted meter. Given the weight of the C645, it is hard to use it in very low speed.

I used my N1 with the TLA360 as low as 1/2 sec with the lens wide open. I leaned myself against the wall and the picture come out great. The background of a 2000 sq feet dinning room was well exposed and my main subject was only 4 feet from me. Most of the time I used 1/30 sec in a relative dim room. Inside the church in day time, I normally can go for 1/60 with the lens wide open. DOF usually not a problem especially when I used a wider focal length.

Flash freezes action, so generally you can use very low speed without any problem. You have to experiment how low you can go with your gear.

I add that I would use hi latitude films (such as ISO 400 negative) if situation allows, and a Sto-Fen diffuser on the flash. No compensation needed for TTL mode with the diffuser on.
 
Guy,
You're right about the Canon E-TTL, it is amazing. The 1/50th power preflash or whatever it is, really works great. It's really convenient to bias the strobe power without affecting the ambient, too. This was one reason I switched from RTS III's to the EOS 3. I have the Metz 60CT2 for TTL on my Contax 645 and it generally works okay. I rarely use the Metz because I'm always using studio strobes.
 
>=20 >=20 >=20 > [I meant Nikon and canon. Rgds/Kaisern] >=20 >=20 >=20
 
Albert and all I have used the Contax 645 with flash and so have the Canon (both 1V and 1Ds) with the 550EX. The Canon has preflash which the camera can then apply their multizone evaluation formula to compensate for high contrast situation. So generally, it works very well. With Contax 645 when you shoot closeup there is always a lot of dark areas for the background. So the contrast is high and Contax 645 has only a centre weighted flash metering system so it tends to overexpose for such pictures. Not much can be done except either to bracket or to under expose by half stop when close up or when high contrast expected. You can try to see if this works.
 
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