Pentax 645n Fill In Flash For Portraits

[michael_abraham]

I would appreciate hearing about individual's experience with using

the Pentax 645n and a fill in flash. What strategies are you using

to over come the 1/60 flash sync when using fill in flash out doors?

Thank you.

[raymond_valois]

I have tried a few shots ... no extensive testing just yet. I have used it without filter on flowers ... the photos come out just fine. I have also tried portrait with the sun at the back of the person, used a neutral grey filter (2 f-stop strength) with surprisingly excellent results. I wanted to see these before proceeding any further since I had read so much about the 1/60 sync restriction. I will be doing more tests. Let me know how you make out.

By the way ... I use the AF500FTZ dedicated flash with off-shoe connector using a Quantum flash bracket, shot with PORTRA 400NC film and the AF 80mm-160mm lens. I LOVE this Portra 400 NC film. Did 8x10 enlargements from portraits in studio environment ... and WOW! No loss - and I mean NO LOSS - of color saturation or sharpness.

So you know ... just "got back" into photography in a fairly serious way (well, spent mucho dollars anyhow - equipment and courses) after 25 years or so. Was "serious amateur" back then and looking at freelance during my retirement years. ISO (or ASA back then) 400 was so grainy at the time. Not so anymore.

 

Ray

[greg_lawhon]

1. When you're happy with 1/60 for reasons other than the sync speed (i.e., you're using a lens you can handhold acceptably at that speed or you're using a tripod), the issue might be how to get a large enough aperture to throw the background out of focus for a portrait. The answer in that case is to use a film slow enough that you don't have to stop down too much at 1/60 and below.

 

2. For full flexibility for fill-flash outdoors, you really need one of the two special leaf shutter lenses Pentax makes for the 645 cameras: the 75mm and 135mm.

[raymond_valois]

Hi, Greg ...

 

You're correct, of course. What I am trying to do is to "overcome" this particularity of the 645N while using the AF lenses.

I have seen no problem whatsoever with hand-held at 1/60. Opening up far enough to throw background out of focus ... well, there are ways around that as well, such as having your subjet with a background that is far away that an f8 or f16 opening will suffice. The neutral-grey is another, and of course, slower film.

 

The leaf shutter lenses are obviously the more elegant solution.

 

Ray

[raymond_valois]

Hi, Greg ...

 

But then again ... I've been thinking. Doesn't flash sync at 1/60 vs 1/125 equate to ONE full f-stop?

 

In that case, why so much debate about the subject?

 

Then again, am I being too simplistic about the "problem"?

 

Keep in mind, newbie here looking for answers. Would greatly appreciate enlightenment.

 

thks, Ray