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General Flash Questions for Contax G1/G2

I still have very little confidence whenever using the TLA200 because it always seems to overexpose - any advice on how to prevent this or how to 'learn' the capabilities of the flash in different conditions.

I found that my old G1 with a TLA140 gave spot on results all the time but this is not the case with the G2 & TLA200.

Best regards, James Wakefield > http://www.urban-exposure.com
 
Hi James,

> I still have very little confidence whenever using the TLA200 because > it always seems to overexpose - any advice on how to prevent this or > how to 'learn' the capabilities of the flash in different conditions.

I heard others say this, but I found the TLA200 to be spot on...but...I pay close attention to the minimum distance it can support at a particular aperture, as listed on the back of the flash. Could that possibly be your problem?

Regards,

Austin
 
> Ah! The TLA30! ... You've got me drooling again! > > It could be a good companion for the G1/G2.... It sits somewhere > between the TLA280 and TLA360 in size.... probably nearer the TLA280 > in feel due to its much reduced width.... no zoom feature
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, but it > has vertical bounce.

Wow, thanks for pointing out the size of the TLA30...I'll pass on it then. Perhaps a TLA20, or I may get a TLA280 (I have a 360), but I still fear the 280 is just too big for the G, and my best bet is probably the TLA-140/Lieca SF-20.

Regards,

Austin
 
>has anyone any thoughts or experience using the tla 20 as a >fill-flash for the g2. thanks. henry
 
In response to a question about problems with overexposure when using the TLA200, Austin wrote: I heard others say this, but I found the TLA200 to be spot on...but...I pay close attention to the minimum distance it can support at a particular aperture, as listed on the back of the flash. Could that possibly be your problem?

I suspect that Austin is right and that most who have trouble with the TLA200 are attempting to use it as a fill flash at too close a range. Using a flash meter, I measured the flash from the TLA200 using a 90mm lens at a distance close enough to give me a head-only shot. It was too bright. I finally got acceptable fill flash by applying two layers of translucent tape to the flash.

Incidentally, the G2 manual says that you can dial down the intensity of the flash by using the exposure compensation dial. According to my flash meter, that is partially correct. When you dial -1, you get a one stop decrease in flash. But when you dial -2, you get the same flash intensity that you got at -1. So, unless my camera is malfunctioning, you can get a one-stop decrease in flash intensity by using the exposure compensation dial, but not more than that.

Bill Lafferty Pittsburgh
 
Bill, Unless my G2 has the same fault as yours I also found that the compensation dial would only give one stop down on the TLA200. My main beef was that given the neat size, this should have been a great point and shoot flash with a G2 but it just isn't. If I want a flash I need to fiddle around with, I will use one of my larger Metz's + SCA3000/3802 on my RX but even then, you just strap them on and use. I don't want to have to think all the time; am I too close? Do I need to compensate? That is the route to missed photos. The other problem and I don't know if this is due to trying to get too much power out of a very small head coupled to the closeness to the lens axis, but it had the worst red-eye of any flash I have ever used. It's even worse than pocket digitals with built in flashes. I had to resort to strange activities like asking people to look at my shoulder not the camera and then everyone ends up looking shifty. I sold the TLA200 for more than I paid for it and don't miss it. Finally, after a month in transit, Deutsche Post has seen fit to deliver my Metz 32 Z-2 and although nothing like as neat as the TLA200, compared with my Metz 45CL-4, it's positively petite and takes the SCA3802 module. I will see how I get on with that. Wilson
 
Thanks for the information william. Here's a related question (as I have overexposure problems when photographing close subjects as well). If you were able to tone down the flash to acceptable fill flash levels for short range by using translucent tape, then the TLA200 must hit a minimum and not be able to lower the amount of flash below this level. Is this true? Also, after adding the tape, I am curious how much it decreased the range (guide number) overall. Cheers, Scott
 
Hi Scott,

> If you were able to tone down the flash to acceptable fill flash > levels for short range by using translucent tape, then the TLA200 must > hit a minimum and not be able to lower the amount of flash below this > level. Is this true?

That is my understanding. The TLA-200 (and all the other TLA flashes, except the 360...which has an LCD) have a table printed on the back that shows the minimum flash distance at a particular aperture.

Regards,

Austin
 
It seems really odd that the TLA200, or any flash unit capable of regulating the amount of flash based upon exposure, cannot reduce the levels to almost nothing (when almost nothing is needed). I wonder why it couldn't. However, if my previous post is correct, and the unit is "trying" to reduce the amount of flash, but cannot go below a certain minimum, then I should be able to add a pretty heavy neutral filter such that the minimum is almost zero and the flash will increase as usual from there. True?
 
Austin, Scott, Wilson, et al ...

Hmmm! Interesting debate! I am beginning to ask myself ... “Exactly what does TTL flash mean?†and “What is TLA flash?â€

Can I ask a few pertinent questions? Exactly what determines when TTL flash has given enough light to expose the film and shut the light source off? .... Is it something in the camera that tells the flash to give no more? Does it matter if you stick translucent tape, snotty handkerchiefs; or twist the flash head at a kinky angle? Will the flash sensor in the camera body know what peculiar combination of things you could have done with the flash?

Or does it just say to itself … “Hey! Here is a source of light coming through the lens .... let’s count photons and tell it when to stop (depending on what speed film I think I have loaded, what aperture I think the lens is set at and the synchronisation limitations I think my crude shutter has�


Honestly .... I’d like to know!

Cheers, Kyocera Kid.
 
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