Using the ELInCHRoM ELB 400 with a Nikon D4s

Hiya,

I have just purchased the elinchrom elb 400 to work with my nikon d4 s.

I have used off camera flash for a while, but always used ttl with the pocket wizards, simply adjusting the flash output with the AC3.

I understand that shutter will control ambient light, the aperture controls the amount of flash to hit the subject (may need to verify this), but

now I will be all manual with this strobe,

Can anyone help me with how to get the best out of this unit please ? I have searched online with little results which is why I ask you

guys.

The numbers on the pack start at 1.7 and go up to 6. ( really not sure what this means only that 6 is the brightest output etc)

There is no helpful manual with the pack.

Thank you

<p>The output is displayed in the panel as a number which reflects the flash energy in EV (stops), which is probably the default or you can configure it to display Ws or J instead. There should be a set of manuals that come with the system including manuals for the head, the battery, the charger and the flash generator, or at least that's how it was with the previous generation (Quadra Hybrid RX 2013). You should be able to download PDF versions of the manuals from Elinchrom's web site and if indeed you didn't get any paper manuals with the system you should contact your reseller.</p>

<p>The flash system is all manual so you can adjust the flash output and aperture to control your exposure. You can do this by trial and error (or experience) or use a flash meter (a separate unit which you position at the subject position and point towards the camera or in some cases towards one of the lights). The flash meter would give you the correct f-stop on the camera to use for the light that you have set up. </p>

<p>I have the 2013 version of the Quadra and I've been reasonably happy with the equipment, the quality of light, colour, and reproducibility from shot to shot are outstanding. There is a minor glitch that occasionally indoors the more distant flash won't fire if there are people between the trigger and the receiver but I have a lot of concrete around so it seems to interfere with it. I believe the ELB has an antenna protrusion in the panel which I believe is there to rectify this problem. I would be interested in hearing how it works for you in the long term. Outdoors the Quadra has been very reliable with no missed flashes unless I've run it really hot with rapid firing at high flash energy setting, at which point the flash system seems to slow the recycling automatically to allow it to cool. </p>

<p>If you use normal triggering on the Skyport, I would recommend setting the shutter speed to 1/200s instead of 1/250s as you may get a slight darker band at the end of shutter travel at 1/250s, however, the effect is subtle. However the system has a "speed" triggering mode which should work also at 1/250s and expose the whole frame evenly. However, I don't use it as it reduces the range of distances where the triggering works. In the ELB probably this also works better due to the improved antenna in the receiver.</p>

<p>There is a new Skyport trigger that should be coming available soon, it allows e.g. high speed sync and other features and includes a proper display panel in the trigger.</p>

<p>Let me know if you need more help with getting the manuals or the information you need to get the system configured to work.</p>

<p>Sam, as a quick guide your sequence of exposure considerations should be:<br>

1) What shutter speed am I going to use? - This will usually be limited to a small range because of flash synchronisation limitations of the camera. Typically up to 1/320th s with a Nikon pro DSLR. Using radio triggers like the Skyports will lengthen this speed even further. Remember that using external flash doesn't automatically set the camera to a suitable shutter speed, so you'll need to be in fully manual mode on the camera.</p>

<p>2) What aperture am I going to set for depth-of-field purposes? - The selected aperture will then dictate the output setting of the flash and/or what ISO speed you set the camera to.</p>

<p>3) What exposure reading am I getting for ambient light alone? - Take a reading using the camera or a handheld meter to expose for the brightest part of the image without blowing highlights. Important if you want to retain detail in a white wedding dress!</p>

<p>4) What ratio of flash fill to ambient light do I want? - If you want, say, 1 stop difference between the fill and ambient you then set the flash to deliver sufficient power for <em>one stop less</em> (i.e. a smaller aperture number) than the ambient meter reading. Then adjust the camera ISO downwards by half a stop. Although a more realistic and pleasing amount of fill would probably be 2 stops less than ambient with a one-third stop tweak of the ISO rating. (The closer you set the flash-to-ambient ratio the more you'll have to juggle the ISO speed to keep highlights from blowing with the extra light from the flash.)</p>

<p>The above steps should get you close to an ideal exposure, but it needs practise to get a feel for exactly how much fill you need in given conditions. Backlighting, for example, may need a lot more fill than a meter reading indicates to stop the background from blowing. Using a flashmeter makes the whole flash-to-ambient juggling act a bit easier, since it'll give you a direct reading of the aperture/ISO needed for a correct exposure. You may have to sacrifice your wanted depth-of-field for a practically achievable exposure sometimes.</p>

Wow brilliant replies thank you SO much. I have screen shot the replies so I can try to get my head around it. Thank you both endlessly for taking

the time to help me. I will be reading these replies time and time again so I can try to get the best out of it. Huge thankyou for taking the time to help

me. Thanks