Olympus FL-36R - How to turn off built-in flash in wireless control

[analox]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but this is about Olympus system, so here it goes :D</p>

<p>I currently use Olympus E520 & flash FL-36R. I realize that in wireless control mode (wireless-RC), the built-in flash also fires (together with the external flash) and does contribute to the image exposure. In many cases, I really want to disable this built-in flash (like in portrait-profile).<br>

I hear that the built-in flash needs to send some commands to the FL-36R using its light, so blocking the built-in flash's light is not possible (I tried, and the FL-36R did not fire, as expected)</p>

<p>I'm a bit surprised that we don't have a mode in which the built-in flash only sends commands as a pre-flash and just don't contribute to the image exposure...</p>

<p>Anyone has an idea of what to do in this situation?</p>

[alan_vanderhaegen]

<p>Hi Minh, I'd like to know the answer to that too. Did you contact Olympus?</p>

[william_white8]

<p>when using slaves you can cover the main flash with a deep-coloured filter. Light of certain intensity and wavelengths got through to the slave, but didn't affect exposure.</p>

<p>Maybe you need to get a filter.</p>

[analox]

<p>I haven't contacted Olympus yet. Still wait to gather inputs from you guys...<br>

I hear about using some IR filter and there is some available for Nikon but no news for Olympus. Some says we should wait for firmware update, but I can't find any announcement from Olympus...<br>

Another solution is to use some flash trigger (e.g. Pocket Wizard), but it's rather expensive & a waste of camere's wireless functionality :|</p>