can I use slow sync to light up both background and object during indoor shooting?

correcto...the more u shoot,the more u know how to utilize the flash capability...theres no one-setting-for-all-condition...

can.. but u will be surprise when play with bouncing (fill flash)...
no wonder everybody recommending buying the flash @ the first place..

This post has been edited by 8tvt: Oct 7 2010, 11:03 AM

The best is to use TTL when ur doing fill flash (point the flash to the people)
But I usually bounce to ceiling if its not that high

It'll make sure I have enough light to spill on the people + a bit to the bground

TTL if too harsh then u set the EV to (-)ve so it'll give less..ie -0.3ev, -0.7ev or until -2.0ev also can hehe
The way I see it is to control it with the aperture, if flash too harsh then step up the aperture or shutter (but sutter sometimes the flash won't be ebough pulak hehe except HSS is turned ON).ie if currently shooting with f5.6 then terus kasi up to f8 or f11 then see how it goes.. Still to bright, then bounce awaaaaaay!! Hahaha

Normally when u bounce, u point ur flash 90degree up to the ceiling or 45degree?

i saw there's a panel on the flash, wat is it for?

i'm quite worry always depends on bouncing the flash..
if sometimes happen to take a pic indoor without place to bounce the flash.. haha pengsan..
that's why need to study other technique..

freaky_deity: Good idea!

Cheaper and better macro? No, not for insects. Anything better is more expensive, and anything cheaper isn't better. The Tamron 90mm F2.8 is popular, but you get a shorter working distance, which means you have to be nearer to the subject at 1:1. This does not help when shooting insects!

Better is the Sigma/Tamron 180mm F3.5 Macro - you can be a lot further from the insect at 1:1, but it is not cheaper!

The cheapest macro is the Sony 30mm F2.8 DT SAM Macro, but this is for closeups of small objects and fine details, not insects, as it gives a normal angle of view. Very suitable for product shots. The Sigma (or Sony) 50mm F2.8 Macro is meant for full-frame due to its angle of view.

The 28-300mm is not a real macro but you can buy it for the range. I would prefer the Sony 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DT.

wingster: The phase-detect AF sensors are in the bottom.

Turn off your camera and remove your lens. Pull up the mirror (it is safe). You will see a tiny mirror - this is the secondary mirror. You will see a cavity at the bottom. This is where the AF unit is.

The metering sensors are in the pentamirror/pentaprism up there.

Only on the A33/A55, the phase detect AF sensors are on top where the focusing screen should be.

electron: Good price!

8tvt:

Rear sync = flash fires at the end of the exposure
Fill flash = flash fires at the start of the exposure

Turn to Shutter Priority, 4 seconds, and try flashing using both modes. You will see the difference as to when the flash fires.

ADI = automatic flash exposure based on subject distance (if the lens knows the subject distance and can tell the camera - with 8 pins)
TTL = automatic flash exposure based on pre-flash
Manual Exposure = you set it yourself from 1/1 to 1/32 power

You can have any combo of the both. Meaning rear sync with ADI, rear sync with TTL, rear sync with manual exposure, fill flash with ADI etc.

cplow1: The wide diffuser panel is used when pointing the flash forwards and using an ultra-wide angle lens.

If you have the F58, there is a white card - this is a bounce card used when pointing the flash upwards. With the bounce card, you won't see shadows under eyes and chins.

Thanks Master Albnok, there's no much to learn about flash, really need to copy down all this useful information.

"cplow1: The wide diffuser panel is used when pointing the flash forwards and using an ultra-wide angle lens."

Wouldn't it be very harsh if u point the flash forward?

The panel (transparent-like) is a wide diffuser..
Use when u want to spread the light wider..
The other white plate-like is a small bouncer but rarely use coz very little effect during wedding..

If u're bouncing, better to bounce it a bit above the subject's head (:

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Added on October 7, 2010, 11:31 amAiyah I'm writing to slow on my blackbeery albert sudah deluan reply haha

This post has been edited by freddy manson: Oct 7 2010, 11:31 AM

move the flash head wherever suitable.. i think sometimes.. straight above.. just 'bengkok' abit.. haha..

u meant the wide diffuser panel? if u notice.. the flash will change the ZOOM to wide when u pull it out..
it's suppose to spread the light..

It'll diffuse and make the light softer.. Hence the name diffuser.. (:

Just put the flash on AUTO and set the body to TTL. If there is a white, low ceiling then all you need to do is point the flash upwards and strap a small bounce card to it to get some catchlight in the eyes of your subjects.

Point flash up 90 degrees or 75 degrees. Most of the time your subjects will be near you. Using 45 degrees may cause your frame to be half bright (got flash, usually upper half) and half dark (no flash).

As for bright subject and dark background it's due to your ISO setting being too low to catch the ambient lights. Up your ISO or lower your shutter speed until the background is sufficiently bright. DO NOT be afraid to use ISO 800 even if you're using A2xx/A3xx. Just expose your frame properly (you can always dial in +.3 or +.7 EV) and the noise will hardly be noticeable. Of course DO NOT PIXEL PEEP lar... your friends are not going to pixel peep so it's fine as long as your composition is fine. If not you can always convert the shot to black and white.

If you're lowering your shutter speed do be aware of subject movement or hand shake that can affect your shot. I would advise you to up your ISO first.

Upping your ISO also has the added advantage of helping your flash to use less powerful blasts. This will enable you to reduce your flash recycle time as the flash will be ready to fire again faster. If you're firing full 1/1 power blasts all the way you also risk the flash overheating. When that happens you're bound to lose some shots!

i using A200, nvr tot uping ISO could give a more exposed background. Will surely try it out~!

Pic mean thousand of words..
this is where the rear-sync come to handy..


found it here..
http://www.steephill.tv/photography/action...raphy-tips.html

High iso won't effect much on brightly lit pictures AFAIK
Noises will be more visible on dark photos

that small piece of white reflector on the flash is meant to give catch lights in the eyes and reduce shadows under the chin, nose and eyes. its not really meant to throw a lot of light forward to light up the subject.

normally on darker images, as long as the subject is good and properly exposed, there usually isnt much noise visible, at that point it doesnt really matter if the darker background is noisy or not.. important thing is that subject is ok..

well, Albnok explained. but i think u are confused with that capturing sensor. IF (i say IF) the AF rely on that secondary capturing sensor, then its a Contrast Detect AF already~ it wont be Phase detect. Sony designed QuickLV so that, able to project image to the LCD and still able to use the Phase Detection in realtime. unlike others which has to close down the mirror in order for the phasedetection to work in split second, many nikon/canon user do not like LV, i)because of the delay, ii)many complained bad focus in lowlight(not enough time to hunt/lock). hence, when me meet other N/C 'fanboy', they will go around and talk about how real/Pro photographer uses OVF, not LV (or EVF) sucks... they just dont know what they are really missing, the Quick LV.

so when u on QLV, the phasedetect sensor, and the top secondary capturing sensor are both activated, the top sensor is calibrated so that it fits nicely to view as like the OVF and share the same AF points.

BUT there is a Major diff when using LV and OVF, is the Metering sensor.

in OVF, it uses the 40-segment honeycomb metering sensor.
in LV, it uses the capturing sensor 1200-zone evaluative segment, which, is far better in giving more accurate metering. hence, Sony QLV is in fact, far more advance and reliable then N/C



cplow1, freddy manson: when added strobe (flash) in a photography, ur photo metering now is divide into 2 area.

i. the foreground,... aka the subject, usually being lit up by the flash....
ii. the background,... aka ambiance light...

the strobe, usually controls the foreground metering.... while, its the camera setting (the Exposure Triangle) that controls the background metering. how people play with highkey and lowkey must understand these key.

boosting up ur ISO, does brighten up the Background, hence why in early days of A300, a lot people love Canon's banquet shots, because they shoot at iso1600, where they have brighter (or same) background/ambiance light as the foreground, while those iso400 shooter(aka A300) will have 'dark' background. if u have A550, go iso1600 all the way, and u will definately felt like canon effect

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Added on October 7, 2010, 12:28 pmanother way to add brightness to the background is to use, SlowSnyc Flash (or SL flash, or BL flash whatever other company name them)....

the metering will run base on the ambiance light, run the setting on ambiance metering, giving u slower shutterspeed(on low iso) so it will have enough time (slow shutter) to capture the backlight ambiance... but most people would like to avoid this, because it might cause a lot of ghosting image, and imbalance WB issue later on.

This post has been edited by ieR: Oct 7 2010, 12:28 PM

Umm bouncing I'm not sure.. But I usually bounce @ 60 or 90 degrees..

before everyshot, i adjust my flash knowing where it will lit. i use all angle even 140degree(backwards)



bouncing flash is like bouncing a BALL.

when the ball fall at 90degree, where will the ball bounce to?
when the ball fall at 60degree, where will the ball bounce to?
when the ball fall at 45degree, where will the ball bounce to?

when ur flash is bounce at 90degree, the light will always come down at "????" degree... hence lighting on that "area"

when ur flash is bounced at 60 degree, judging on the ceiling height, where will the bounce light land? and that landed area, is the lit area of the flash.

so, now, in practical, what degree to use, is judge by the distance u going to shoot, u will not bounce 90degree if ur subject is 8 meter away.... because it will only lit the area u are standing, or the flash will FIRE max hoping some 'leak light' will reach 8 meter away to brighten ur 'subject' @.@

if u were shooting at high angle (camera tilt downward), then ur flash might need to bounce 'backwards, or 90degree UP to lit ur subject when they are 1-2 meter near

This post has been edited by ieR: Oct 7 2010, 12:39 PM

good one.. +1