yuriy_tsibizov

In manual mode:

"full" gives you full output

"1/16" gives you reduced output (1/16 of full power)

In auto mode (if I was right in my assumptions):

"TTL" gives you TTL controlled flash output. Your on-camera module should have additional contacts and should be built to match your camera TTL interface (if it has one).

"Auto" mode uses light sensor in on-camera module to stop flash output.

Can you post better picture of on-camera module? Picture of hotshoe connector on flash should also clarify, can your flash run in TTL mode.

I think, in "manual" mode it has two power limits: "1/16" and "full".

And for "auto" mode it can be a switch between TTL mode and auto flash.

I'm not shure, will flash stop it's output correctly in this situation and 5 does not have flash exposure compensation controls (you can't make 5 shots with flash+0.5, flash-0, flash-0.5, flash-1 and flash-1.5 ev). That's why I can recommend manual flash.

Regarding color temperature - yes, it will be a problem. It can be partially solved if you point flash into "gold" reflector....

And about wireless flash - see attached picture with scheme I had in mind (i'm not a good painter).. Sun, model and flash are in one line with camera moved from this line to show more sun....

I'll prefer to go all-manual:

Set your flash to wireless manual mode, put it on another tripod (you already put your camera on tripod, right?), calculate aperture based on distance (or better use flash meter and flash TEST button to fire flash), go to Manual mode on camera, set calculated aperture (or close it for 0.5-1 stop, if you want to keep feeling of backlit model) and set shutter speed to properly expose background. You can use spot metering mode of your camera to check important parts of your picture (other than your model) - do they appear at desired shade of gray. Use less flash power (set 1/2 .. 1/16 on flash), if you want to open aperture.

If you want TTL, then you should use slow-sync (you don't use your flash to light all the sea, right?). In A and M mode you will control flash to ambient ratio with aperture. Put your flash on camera, set it to non-wireless mode and check your flash LCD screen - it will show you distance, where it can expose your model correctly for selected aperture. Set it on wireless and put flash back on second tripod.

Another option is to use white/"silver" reflector to reflect some light on model and don't use flash at all.... In this case you will have to check with spot meter all parts of you picture: model skin, beach, sea etc... to make shure that all of them fit into film & paper latitude. Don't check exposure of sun!!! (because you can look on the sun throgh camera only twice in your life - once with left eye, and once with right)

And, of course, you should practice shooting backlit model with flash before you go to beach (and to Caribbean) - put your model between your camera and sun (well-lit window) and try different lighting. Don't forget to write down all exposition parameters (aperture/shutter speed/flash power/flash-to-subject distance) to help yourself understand your mistakes when you get prints. Ask you lab for contact prints (not index print!), or tell them to print "all frames without any corrections" if they can't make contacts.

I hope that I was right. Please correct me if you find mistakes.

because when you set aperture on lens it will close aperture and lessen amount of light coming on camera meter.

When aperture is already closed, camera can calculate shutter speed required to expose film with light coming through lens.

Your camera may work in aperture-priority mode. Just set desired aperture on lens, half-press shutter button and camera should calculate shutter speed for you.

In manual mode you set aperture on lens and shutter speed on camera. You will not be able to set aperture on camera (it should show you "--").

No, you will set aperture on lens. Jupiter is M42 mount lens and it will work only with M42 to Minolta A adapter.

And Jupiter-9 costs about 35 euro (1230 roubles), M42 to Minolta AF adapter is 17 euro (600 roubles) in Moscow...

If LunaPro S is the same as Lunasix 3S (I can't find a manual for LunaPro, but puctures seems to be identical), then in your situation I will choose Seconic. It has some interesting features, like exposition memory, brightness difference and flash/ambient ratio. If you don't need this features, then you can look at Seconic 308BII. Digital readout (with analog scale on 358) is also an advantage of Seconics to me.

But, you will have to change attachment on 358 if you want to meter reflected light. You only need to slide lumisphere on 308.

Manfrotto 055 PROB/141RC kit (seen yesterday in Moscow for $189 ;-)).

055PROB = Bogen 3021BPRO,

141RC = Bogen 3030.

It will weight arounf 3.5kg and should support camera+lens up to 6kg.