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Slow Sync flash

G

Guest

Can somebody explain what Slow Sync flash is to me? I have the TLA200 flash unit. I know it can't do second curtain flash, but it says it does do "slow sync" flash. Is that a function of the camera? If so how do I set it? I understand you use it for back lit situations. Is it similar to a fill flash?
Thanks..
Jeff
 
Hi Jeff,
When you mount your TLA flash on a Contax camera and switch it on the camera defaults to its flash synch' speed setting - usually 1/125, though it can be 1/60 or 1/250 depending on the model.

If you then select Exposure Lock on the camera, providing the metered reading for the given film speed and aperture set does not exceed the flash synch' speed the camera will expose the shot at the speed it would have used if the flash was not fitted. So instead of it giving your synch' speed of 1/125, it may set 1/30 or 2 seconds for ex&le and fire the flash as soon as the shutter opens. This is commonly known as Slow Synch' Flash, Daylight Balanced Flash, Fill In Flash, or on some compacts - Night Portrait Mode. This feature is very, very useful for a whole variety of photographic situations.

As you point out Second Curtain Flash is available on some Flash / Camera combinations - this fires the flash just before the shutter closes rather than as the shutter opens and is used for capturing blurred movement shots.

Clive
 
Slow sync flash is just a fancy way of saying the camera is using a slower shutter speed than the nominal flash sync speed[usually 1/125th or thereabouts depending on which body you use] . Its a useful technique that can be used for all sorts of things . I tend to shoot on manual and set the camera to expose for the ambient light - the flash will then take care of itself if you are shooting on Automatic or TTL . You can get more fancy by dialling in more or less flash and how you do this would depend on which flash or mode you were using . Either way do watch out , especially if your foreground subject is not centre frame when using TTL . Not sure about N1 but all MF contax bodies TTL reads off a central area in the viewfinder roughly corresponding to the focusing collar......... Hope that helps . Steve
 
You guys are amazing.. Thank you so much..and to whomever is the boss of this outfit..thanks for the great list!
Jeff
 
I'm new to MF. I've used 35mm Canon equipment with sync speeds up to 1/8000th(not that I've ever shot at 1/8000!). When limited to a sync speed of 1/125 how can you take fill flash scenes in bright light and not get ghosting? I shoot a lot of environmental portraits in tropical (sunny!) climates. Thanks for your answers.
Guy
 
I wouldnt worry to much about ghosting at 1/125 , people generally dont move that fast! If they are , a bit of movement might well add a better sense of whats happening anyway........ Presumably if you're shooting in bright ambient light you would be dialling in -1 or -2 with your flash , this will generally make any ghosting less noticeable anyway...... Steve[also lives in tropics!]
 
without movement or camera shake, ghosting isn't much of an issue with 125th flash sync.

Different problem: the aperture / guide number. If you are shooting 125th at f16 in bright daylight, then with a normal flash guide number of 100 or so, you only get 100/16 = 6 feet of distance at max power, if you assume you're using fill-flash, you dial the flash down to -1 stop or more, then you can assume 12 feet or so, but your flash will take a long time to recycle and kill the batteries fast.
 
Hi All

I am thinking of moving to Contax from Olympus. Manually reducing flash output in olympus is tedious. Will the combination of RX and TLA 280 allow me to use reduced output of flash for fill, while in Programme or Aperture Prioirity mode, e.g shooting people in various light (side/back/front).

Many thanks
Guy vickers
NEW ZEALAND
 
To Guy:
The TLA360 has a very nice feature to reduce output in steps.
Wally Hunt
good old USA
 
Vu, send me an email off list. If you live in the US I'll buy your adapter module. john@slideone.com

Thanks

> Posted by Vu Cong Bui on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 8:40 am: > > If you are interested in getting the Metz 54 MZ-3, I have the SCA > module, brand new in package, for sale. I bought it to use with the 54 > MZ-3 on my Aria, but ran out of money and couldn't buy the flash > itself. I'm willing to take a loss on it.
 
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