clark_king1 Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 I have a nikon n50 that I use an 85 1.4 lens and a sunpak 355 AF. I will need to move around the room at a family gathering to catch informal shots. I would use an off camera mount and lumiquest flach mounted soft box, to avoid direct light. Will this work? Will the flash automatically for ambient light? Thank you. Clark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 If set to TTL, yes to all of the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Oh, it'll also work set to Auto. Just read the manual for the flash and compensate a bit for the diffuser which will cut the light a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted June 5, 2004 Author Share Posted June 5, 2004 I don't think the flash can be changed to TTL on itself, and how exactly do I compensate, shutter speed or aperture, keep in mind that this flash does have the power output settings like others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Tell us what you DO know about using this flash on your N50, and we can start to answer your questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 Okay I know that the scale on the back doesn't really mean anything, insofar as the "auto" will measure the light coming back to the flash and shut it off when appropriate (thyristor). I know that using the soft box type attachment will give more even, balanced flash. Can I still use any aperture I want, I notice that the shutter speed stays the same, i usually shoot on apperture priority. Will the flash automaticaly control the output, or will I have to be constantly checking the scale on the flash and changing my apertures. When I have used a flash on a bronica I have simply used f 8 at 125 no matter what the camera to subject distanct and everything came out fine. Okay so how little do I know? Clark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 The internet is a fantastic information source... if you use it. Go to www.sunpak.com for info on your flash... which says ... SUNPAK 355 AF: Compact autofocus flash with zoom head, TTL dedication, bounce head. Focus assist beam (Nikon & Canon). Minolta I, Xi and Si compatible. ? Guide No. 86?120 ? 3?position manual zoom (35/50/85mm) ? Use 4 AA batteries. So, this is a TTL flash IF you bought the Nikon dedicated version. It has a bounce head, which means you can use a LumiQuest bounce diffuser. When using the bounce head straight up with the LumiQuest, set the flash's manual zoom head to 35mm to spread the light out when shooting wide angle and anything up close with the 85mm. Manually zoom it to 85mm when farther away. It has a focus assist which improves auto focusing in darker conditions. When shooting outside and in brighter conditions, you can use AV Mode on the camera and the TTL will provide fill. In darker conditions with the 85mm, set the camera to Manual Mode, the shutter speed to at least 1/50 if you're rock steady of hand, 1/80th if not, or if there is movement like dancing. Then set the aperture as wide open as the depth of field needed. Remember, the further away you are the less DOF is an issue. Be aware of strong back light or masses of either darks or lights tricking the TTL. If there is a lot of backlight (like someone standing in front of a window), you need to plus (+) the flash compensation by 1, 2 or more stops depending on how much the backlight dominates the scene. If the Bride is standing in front of a black wall, you need to minus (-) the flash compensation by 1 to 3 stops depending on how much the subject fills the frame or not.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 <<Okay so how little do I know?>> You know a little and a lot, which is about what I suspected from your first couple of comments. It's a surprising mix, actually. Some of what you DO know is information a lot of photographers do not get until they have a very good grasp of flash. On the other hand, there are pretty basic things you seem NOT to know. And that's whay I posted the comment above, actually. Okay... <<Okay I know that the scale on the back doesn't really mean anything,>> See, this is not a statement that helps you. The scale does mean something. << insofar as the "auto" will measure the light coming back to the flash and shut it off when appropriate (thyristor).>> That is quite correct... << I know that using the soft box type attachment will give more even, balanced flash.>> Also correct as long as you understand how the soft box only helps at pretty close range, and how it also seriously limits the flash's effective working distance. <<Can I still use any aperture I want,>> Sure, but you need to understand how your chosen aperture affects the distance range within which your Sunpak produces acceptable light. << I notice that the shutter speed stays the same, i usually shoot on apperture priority.>> Your N50 may set the shutter speed to the synch speed whenever a flash in the hot shoe is switched on, or whenever the flash is both switched on and ready. There's a halfway decent chance your N50 manual will explain that. The camera was marketed as a "simple and sweet" camera so the manual may not provide lots of detail. Worth a look, though. <<Will the flash automaticaly control the output, or will I have to be constantly checking the scale on the flash and changing my apertures.>> Well, see, here's where you start to surprise me. Your explanation of the automatic, sensor controlled thyristor flash mode above was pretty clear, so I'm surprised at the first part of your question. The answer is yes, if you can set up your Sunpak for auto (sensor on flash) or TTL (sensor inside N50) mode, it will adjust its output. The answer also is: yes, you need to pay attention to the chart showing how the Sunpak performs at various distances and apertures, and you need to be sure the lens aperture is set to something reasonable for the shot you're about to take. <<When I have used a flash on a bronica I have simply used f 8 at 125 no matter what the camera to subject distanct and everything came out fine.>> The phrase "no matter what the subject distance" isn't really true. When you understand THAT you've accomplished something today. There is a minimum distance and a maximum distance for good light from your Sunpak at each aperture. Stop down to f/11 and both the min and max distances get smaller. Open up to f/5.6 and they get larger. What you're really saying is, "When I used this flash on my Bronica the subjects were always the correct distance from my lens for f/8 to work just fine." Okay, Clark. You'll do fine with your Sunpak. Learn what f/stop works best with your flash for folks 4-6 feet from the camera, and what f/stop works better when folks are 10-15 feet from the camera, and your shots in the crowded room will be great. Be well, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 Forgive Marc for I have not used a nikon very much...where on the n50 do I switch to av mode? C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 I'm not familiar with that specific camera, but I assume it has the choice of selecting AV mode, (aperture preferred mode) ... which is where you select the aperture you want, and the camera selects the shutter speed for you. Didn't you get a manual with the camera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark_king1 Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 I understand apperture priority, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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