I would try full-power manual on the AF500. When shooting outdoor flash at
night, it's hard to overexpose from that distance. You have no ambient light
support and no walls to reflect the flash. I'd shoot a test shot when the
racoon isn't around. I'd guess you'll need about f8 @ ISO 400, but that's just
a wild guess. Do a wide bracket test shoot on manual, perhaps f4, f8 and f16.
The results should help you pick a number that's close enough for a good
exposure.
Paul
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Tom Reese)
> This is a repeat message. The first one apparently didn't go through.
>
> I have an interesting photographic situation and I'd to get some opinions on
> the
> best way to proceed.
>
> I hang a suet feeder in a tree that's about 12' from the bathroom window. The
> feeder brings in woodpeckers and other birds that I photograph from inside
> the
> bathroom. Lately, a raccoon has been emptying the feeder every night. I want
> to
> try to get a shot of him if I can.
>
> It will be very dark and impossible to focus so I plan on pre-focusing the
> lens.
> I'd like to stop it down to about f/5.6 or f/8 to give me some room for
> error. I
> plan on using something between a 50 and 100mm focal length to include the
> context of the raccoon, the feeder and the tree. I'll obviously have to use a
> flash to get the shot.
>
> I have an AF-360 FGZ and an AF-500 FTZ that I can use with my MZ-S. I'll be
> shooting with slide film so exposure is critical. I figure I'll only get one
> shot before he hauls ringedtail for the woods.
>
> Do you think I'd have better luck using the flash on the manual setting, the
> P-TTL in the AF360 or the TTL if the AF500? I'm thinking I might need the
> power
> of the AF500. I'm also wondering about whether the P-TTL or TTL would
> overexpose
> the tree and raccoon trying to light the darkness beyond.
>
> Does anyone have any experience with night time shooting?
>
> Does anyone have any ideas or am I missing anything?
>
> thanks for your thoughts.
>
