New to flash: how to use it (RZ67 and Metz 45CT-5)

<p>Hello everybody.<br /><br />I have a question. I recently bought a Mamiya RZ67 and it works fine, I like it.<br /><br />Now, for my birthday, a friend of mine gave me a Metz 45CT-5 and I would like to use it, manual mode.<br /><br />According to both the camera and the flash manuals I should use this formula to set the aperture = GN / distance flash-subject.<br /><br />In my case: 45/3 = 15, so about 16. My question: how about shutter speed?<br /><br />Should I use a light meter in AV and set the aperture to 16 to have the shutter speed? I played with that and tried with some Polaroids (I have a Pola back) but every photographs appears completely black.<br /><br />What's wrong with that? How can I have a "daylight" photograph in a room with no light?<br /><br />Thank you all for the help</p>

<p>Are you planning to use the Metz SCA 395 flash adapter for the head or merely using it directly with a X synch cord? If I recall correctly, none of the RZ 67 models uses TTL flash, so you can either use the flash in the fully manual mode or in the "automatic" mode. I've used the 45CL4 (not the CT5) for about 18 years and it does everything I ask of it, flawlessly. You will want to validate your shutter synch speed, and if you have the option of synching at any speed, I'd go for 1/60 or better to remove any subject motion when you're using the flash to provide fill light. The formula you cited would be modified, of course, if you are bouncing the flash.</p>

<p>You set the flash exposure via Guide number aperture and power dial on top of the flash - "W" setting for example. There is also a table to read out your F stop or distance.<br>

The RZ has leaf shutters in it's lenses? - (I only have C33#s) - My lenses have a pitfall switch: "M" = wrong, "X" = right. - Switches could break.... Can you do a test with your camera or lens alone if you see the flash firing through your lens' back? If you see it the switch is on X and the PC cable working (which isn't guaranteed either...)<br>

Is your Polaroid stock ISO 100? - If not Guide numbers are different.<br>

Back to shutter speed: if you have a leaf shutter its used to balance the flash (infinitely short) versus the ambient light taking ages to burn your film someday.... if you have the time to expose for room light at ISO 100 & f16 dial your shutter down to the appropriate metering. If not, keep it slow enough to record a hint of the atmosphere as a compromise. - Here I hardly ever go below "almost handholdable" Shutter speeds like 1/8th or preferably 1/15th second indoors. - Keep in mind that a main advantage of the Metz CT-5 is the option to dial it down so you can shoot slightly wider apertures too.<br>

Hint: If you have white ceilings and no windows or similar light sources in a 60mm's FOV try the auto settings and bounce the flash from the ceiling. The auxiliary reflector is pretty bright rather use it with the ND dimmer in front of it. </p>

<p>Hi,<br /><br />I use a X synch cord, no the SCA adapter. No, direct light, no bounce flashing.<br /><br />Yes, the RZ has a leaf shutter in its lenses and they have just the X setting, so no prob with M.<br /><br />Yes; I've tried; the flash fires...<br /><br />Pola is 100 ISO.<br /><br />Thank you</p>

Be aware that when you use flash, the ambient exposure and flash exposure are entirely separate, and each one is managed in a different manner. For the flash exposure, its controlled by the power of the flash output and by the aperture. As long as you stay within the available flash sync speed of your camera, the setting of the shutter speed will have no impact on flash exposure (assuming the shutter speed isn't higher than about 1/500th). Ambient exposure is of course determined by both the aperture and shutter speed. Assuming your flash is working correctly, shooting indoors at f16 and 1/60 would likely result in almost zero ambient exposure while 100% of the light is provided by the flash. Based on your calculations, your subject at 3 meters should be correctly exposed by flash. Changing the shutter speed to 1 second would increase the ambient exposure by 6 stops, and would likely result in an impact on the image (the background becoming brighter). Flash exposure would be unchanged.

 

With 100 ISO film, at F16, with a subject within 3 meters, you should not be getting a completely black image. Since you are new to flash, I would recommend using the Auto setting on the flash, which would give you much more flexibility in setting your aperture since the flash will automatically adjust its output to provide a good exposure on the subject. Again it is possible the Metz is misbehaving.

You may have forgotten that the Instant Color Film that you are using is ISO 100 and that your camera is setup for a different ISO setting: i.e. ISO 160, 320 or 400. I have done the same thing when checking exposer before taking a picture with Instant Film. So I do not use the Instant Film to test exposure unless the film in the camera is the same ISO number (not likely because most of the film I have is faster than ISO 100). I believe the information given about using a Guide Number divided by the distance will give "Good" results (maybe not excellent). If you are using 220 film you can always bracket (0, +, -) the picture you are taking.

Only 3 years too late with that last post Walter!