Re: TTL Flash for Macro?
Hi Leon, Hello, Yes this is a pain of a setup but it gives plenty of light and at 7 times magnification to the film I want all the depth of field I can get! Wow. 7X? Well it's actually about 6.8 - Pentax bellows M with 50 mm f 1.4 reverse mounted at full extension and a 2 time teleconverter between camera and bellows. When I want to travel light I have actually made a double headed flash from a Pentax AF240FT and a Mecablitz 34BCT. I simply removed the Is the Mecablitz flash tube wired in parallel with the flash tube in the AF240, using the electronics in the 240 to control both tubes, or are the two flash units just powered in parallel with the electronics from each controlling their respective tubes? The Mecablitz tube is just in parallel with the AF240 and all the controlling is done by the AF240. When I was putting it together I was slightly worried about the extra drain being too much for the components in the AF240 but it's been used for over 100 pictures so far and test fired several hundred times on a Z1p and SF1n. I can easily correctly expose at 1:1 at f32 with a Sigma 105 f2.8 EX using this setup, and the lighting looks good too. That sounds good to me. Do you have any pix on your site you can point me to done with this setup? How do you figure exposure once you get over 1:1? No pics as yet, but I intend to at some point. The setup is not really pretty but it does work well - I built it as a prototype but unless it physically falls apart I probably won't change it. All exposure control is done TTL, I haven't got hold of a flash meter to test manual modes. Leon http://www.bluering.org.au http://www.bluering.org.au/leon - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: TTL Flash for Macro?
On Tue, 6 Feb 2001 22:38:23 -0600, Dan Scott wrote: I've never used on an off camera flash. Which small TTL flash would be most suitable for macro work? I'm interested in assisting available light, but not replacing it (and ringflashes look flat to me). Any suggestions? Do I actually want TTL? I'm not %100 sure, being new at this. Hi Dan, I've used various flash setups and I agree with you that the ring flash can look flat, but it's also the most easily transported flash setup. The main reason for using flash for macro photos is to increase your depth of field, particularly on subjects that wont be nice and sit still for you! Lately I have been using a 2 flash setup and this works quite well. Depending on where I am going and what I am doing I either take 2 flashes (AF400FTZ and Sigma EF430) and use both off camera mounted on separate stands. Yes this is a pain of a setup but it gives plenty of light and at 7 times magnification to the film I want all the depth of field I can get! When I want to travel light I have actually made a double headed flash from a Pentax AF240FT and a Mecablitz 34BCT. I simply removed the flash tube and housing from the Mecablitz put a long cable on it and put the flash tube in parallel with the one in the AF240. I used cable with enough wires in it so I can add modeling lights later if I want and I probably will. The flash I bought cheap from a list member because the hotshoe had broken off but as I don't need it for this setup it didn't matter. I have the AF240 connected to the camera via a 5p cable and a hotshoe adaptor F and the heads aligned vertically (assuming landscape format pictures) on either side of the lens at about 30 to 45 degrees of the lens axis. The whole unit is quite light and easily transported with the camera, though you do still have to ensure both flash heads are pointed at the subject. I plan on shooting flowers, bugs, assorted vermin (but nothing politico-sized), fish in aquariums, and various small organic things at magnifications from 1:4 on down to about 5:1, indoors and out. Cheap is good, BTW. I'll most likely be making my own brackets and using paper or cloth for reflectors. If you have some technical skill you can try making the setup I did. It was quite cheap, the brackets I used cost me AU$4 from a camera fair, the Mecablitz I got for nothing because it was broken and the AF240FT I bought along with a broken SF1n (which is now working thanks to me having another broken one that I got for nothing) for US$50 (I'm not sure how to figure out what each cost me). The expensive part was the 5p cord and adaptor that I bought new about 2 years ago. I can easily correctly expose at 1:1 at f32 with a Sigma 105 f2.8 EX using this setup, and the lighting looks good too. Leon http://www.bluering.org.au http://www.bluering.org.au/leon - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: TTL Flash for Macro?
Hi Flavio, Thanks for the feedback. So I'm looking for a used Fg hotshoe adapter now. :-) Any expererience with any of the flashes I mentioned, or alternate suggestions? The AF240T is looking like my optimal flash at the moment, since it has the 5P Sync port on it. I was thinking of rubberbanding an index card or two over the end of the flash if it turned out the light bursts were too intense. Good idea or not. Your idea of using the gooseneck part of a gooseneck lamp (that's we call it, here) sounds excellent. I had planned on making something along the lines of the brackets Mark Cassino shows on his website, but your idea sounds more adjustable and lighter. It would probably be pretty easy to fabricate something using thinwall aluminum conduit, squashing one end flat and drilling it to make the part that goes under the camera body, and then shaping it in a tube bender and either slipping the gooseneck over the conduit or vice versa. I'm not much at soldering, so I'd probably just run a couple small sheet metal screws in there to hold it together. Some spraypaint and padded handlebar tape or foam would dress it up and make it comfortable to hang on to. Thanks, Dan Scott [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't have specific suggestion but any TTL flash should do, as long as it is capable of very short, low power bursts. Yes, absolutely. When you'll start adding extension, compensation, background/foreground lighting and ambient light thing get a little complicated and TTL flash is too good not to use it (IMO, of course). You still need an Hot Shoe Adapter Fg (if you go with an AF500FTZ) or two. I'm currently thinking about making a bracket soldering to a common straight bracket one of those flexible metal arms used for desk lights. Adding a small ballhead on top should give me the necessary mobility. Hope it helps, Flavio - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: TTL Flash for Macro?
Hi Leon, Yes this is a pain of a setup but it gives plenty of light and at 7 times magnification to the film I want all the depth of field I can get! Wow. 7X? When I want to travel light I have actually made a double headed flash from a Pentax AF240FT and a Mecablitz 34BCT. I simply removed the flash tube and housing from the Mecablitz put a long cable on it and put the flash tube in parallel with the one in the AF240. I used cable with enough wires in it so I can add modeling lights later if I want and I probably will. The flash I bought cheap from a list member because the hotshoe had broken off but as I don't need it for this setup it didn't matter. I have the AF240 connected to the camera via a 5p cable and a hotshoe adaptor F and the heads aligned vertically (assuming landscape format pictures) on either side of the lens at about 30 to 45 degrees of the lens axis. The whole unit is quite light and easily transported with the camera, though you do still have to ensure both flash heads are pointed at the subject. Is the Mecablitz flash tube wired in parallel with the flash tube in the AF240, using the electronics in the 240 to control both tubes, or are the two flash units just powered in parallel with the electronics from each controlling their respective tubes? I can easily correctly expose at 1:1 at f32 with a Sigma 105 f2.8 EX using this setup, and the lighting looks good too. That sounds good to me. Do you have any pix on your site you can point me to done with this setup? How do you figure exposure once you get over 1:1? Thanks, Dan Scott [EMAIL PROTECTED] Leon http://www.bluering.org.au http://www.bluering.org.au/leon - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
