fill flash and macro with a T32?

[dan_ling]

so i went out and acquired a t32 and all the associated gadgets to

make it work with my OM-2n From what i can understand the out put

even on manual is full or 1/2 and or auto. And it won't fire unless

it thinks that the distane to object/aperature is correct?

 

Any advice for achieving the best fill flash results with this flash?

 

And can i use it for close up work considering the distance problem.

[richard_oleson]

I think it's one of the best macro systems there is... i use it at distances of about 9 inches to about 90 feet. i bounce the flash to soften the light and reduce intensity, typically use f/11 to f/22 with flash for macro. here's the bounce card i use with the T32:

 

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-82.html

 

the flash doesn't know or care what the distance to the subject is, and it's not that concerned about your aperture setting either. Set the flash on MANUAL, the camera on AUTO, and the camera will control the flash: when the film has seen enough light, the flash will shut off and the shutter will close. Obviously you get a longer reach with larger apertures... I like to use my 200/2.8 wide open with 400 speed film, you get a good reach that way.

 

For fill flash, set your aperture so that the indicated shutter speed ni the finder (with flash off) is 1/125 second. You will then get a fill flash of 1 stop over ambient.

 

:)=

[kieran_hamill]

Richard,

 

I've only just acquired a second hand T32 and have no manual, but I am sure that setting the flash to manual means full power discharge only (or 1/2 depending on setting) regardless of what mode the camera is set to. In this instance you will need to select the aperture to suit the subject distance. If you want the camera to control the flash (ie TTL OTF) the camera must be set to auto and the flash to TTL control by reversing the back. The flash auto mode can be used on both camera modes, but it's the flash itself which is controlling exposure.

 

The advantage of manual camera mode is you can guarantee the flash will fire at 1/60th. In auto mode the viewfinder may indicate 1/60th but if it's even slightly faster then firing will be supressed. Using TTL flash I always ensure the speed is 1/30 max to avoid this problem.

 

Dan,

 

Fill flash on OM's is not easy, as they are set up to achieve balanced results which look like flash has been used. Tastes have changed since they were first introduced, and nowadays most people want the effect to be unobtrusive. You can't dial in minus compensation to the flash like modern cameras. The only OM that can do this is the OM3Ti with F280 flash combo. The 4Ti and F280 gives nice results though IMO.

 

With T series or third party dedicated flashes the 1/60th sync forces small apertures to be used in daylight, which isn't the best for portraits unless ND filters are used, and you are still stuch with balanced fill ratios. The easiest way to achieve subtle fill is to use a manual flash with variable power output (full, 1/2, 1/4/ 1/8, 1/16) and select the power level corresponding to one stop less than that suggested for the aperture you are using at that distance.

 

For macro work this is not a problem, and TTL/auto is the easiest way to go. Manual macro/flash requires precise knowledge of flash characteristics, lens aperture and magnification ratios to work out the required compensation needed. The OM system was grounbreaking as far as macro goes, allowing the photographer to frame and shoot, and I still don't think there is a system out there that can touch Olympus for the range of lenses and accessories for macro work.

 

Small apertures needed for macro usually mean ambient backgrounds are underexposed, which helps to lift the subject nicely. The only concern is if the subject is small and not near the centre, when overexposure could result because of the way metering is centreweighted, in which case I would bracket exposure. Head on flash will also flatten the subject, so get a TTL cord and position the flash above and about 45° to the left or right, to simulate natural lighting angles and add form (shadows). To imporve things further, a smaller flash or white reflecter should be used to open up detail in shadows on the opposite side.

[richard_oleson]

OOPS!!!!

 

Sorry, I had the fill flash advice backwards: of course you need to have the viewfinder reading 1/30, not 1/125, to get a 1 stop flash fill. I don't agree that it's not easy, though, even though you can't just dial it in: if the VF reads 1/30 you have a 1 stop fill bias; if it reads 1/15 you have 2 stops, etc.... that's pretty easy.

 

As Dan pointed out, if the ambient light is sufficient to light the subject at 1/60 or faster, there's no need for flash. The OM2 would take a non-flash exposure under these conditions, but with the OM2N, the camera will set the shutter to 1/60 when the flash recycles and you'd wind up with an overexposure. I personally prefer the OM2 a little bit in this respect, but many people would rather have the camera lock in the synch speed when they have a flash on it, so that's what the OM2N does.

 

Dan, you're slightly mistaken on the flash output in MANUAL: reversing the panel on the flash to set it to "TTL AUTO" mode is the same thing as setting it to full power MANUAL: a tab on the panel simply pushes the mode switch all the way to the left as you insert it backwards. To save the time and trouble of reversing the panel, I just switch it to manual for TTL control. That way, if I want to, I can also select the lower power setting and still get OTF control, though I don't know if there's any real point in doing that.

 

rick :)=

[richard_oleson]

oops again... that last paragraph was supposed to be addressed to Kieran, not Dan. Too early in the morning.....

 

:)=

[kieran_hamill]

Richard,

 

I am not really in a position to argue without the instructions, but I will test my T32 against my flash meter. I would be very surprised to find that full power manual setting can ever mean variable power TTL control by the camera. I thought there was an extra tit in the corner which got activated when you reversed the back which told the flash it was on TTL duty. I will check.

 

At full power manual you use the (true) guide number to determine the exposure, based on the distance. You couldn't do this if the camera varied the flash output. I actually prefer manual control for critical work in preference to TTL. TTL is best for macro, for bounce flash (with fill) or for candid grab shots where speed is required.

 

Flash ratio is solely controlled by aperture - unless you have a clever flash like the F280. The slower shutter speed only affects the ambient background exposure for a given aperture, not the effects of the flash, which is over and done with long before the shutter decides to close.

 

OM's don't allow you to be flexible with daylight fill flash. If you like the results, no problem. You just can't change it that's all. Either you opt for a modern camera/flash combo or one with a leaf shutter (ie high speed sync) and variable power flash and assume total control (ala wedding photographer).

 

Assuming a relatively fast film, with OM's the simplest way to vary fill flash ratios is to manually select a power level corresponding to one (or more) stops less than that dictated by the aperture used, for that distance. This is easiest with a flash which actually has many manual power levels. Not many units do. So you can vary the distance instead (1.4x = -1 stop, 2x = -4 stops), but now your flash is dictating your framing for you. You will already be using a small aperture to keep the shutter speed below 1/60, so now your subject is a lot smaller than they need to be, and cant be separated from the cluttered background, which is also in perfect focus.

 

Alternatively, with the camera in auto mode, the next best way is to use ND filters to fool the camera into using a slow enough shutter speed to ensure the flash will fire, and set the flash to auto at a level one stop higher than the actual aperture in use - ie tell the flash you are using a larger aperture than you are. You don't have that many apertures to choose from, so you will need a range of ND filters to suit varying conditions. Remember that the flash auto sensor is relatively crude in comparison to TTL. Remember that the efects of the flash will be further limited by the ND filter you use, but the ambient exposure wont - so factor this in to the iso speed setting on the flash to compensate. The filters themselves can detract from the results - optical quality/flare. Like I said. It's possible to do, but not so easy with an OM.

[kieran_hamill]

Richard,

 

I have checked my T32 and agree that there seems no way for the flash to tell the difference between full power manual setting and reversing the panel for TTL control. I don�t believe there is any hidden magnetic detector, so I assume it must be the camera mode only that dictates (ie auto or manual setting). I really must get hold of some instructions before opening my big gob again.

 

Presumably this means you can�t operate the flash at full power whilst the camera is in auto exposure mode. This may be a feature as far as the manufacturer is concerned but I always think of these things as limitations. Frigging around with the settings is half the fun sometimes, and defaults like TTL, flash suppression, and auto sync just get in the way for me. It�s one thing to have an exciting idea and struggle to work out how to do it, but quite another to be prevented from even trying by your equipment.