How to use a flashgun with a 500C?

[JasonG]

Morning all,

Now, I have a nice 500C with WLF, A12 back and a 150mm f/4 which I have been using for a bit of candid and street stuff but soon I will be needing to make some photographs at a wedding. I must hasten to add that I'm not a Pro, nor am I being paid to take photos at this wedding, it's just that the B&G have seen some of my street stuff and like the look of it and asked me to bring my camera to the wedding.

I'll be using something like Portra, probably VC, for colour and maybe a roll of PanF for the bright bits outside, so what I want to sort out is how to use my flashgun (a Nissin Di622 that I usually use with my Nikon DSLR) just in case I need it.

Are there any reasonable guides knocking about for how to (a) use a handheld flashgun with a V-series Hassey and (b) meter, etc, accordingly? I have to admit that I've never tried to use flash manually as I've always been an available-light kind of guy.

Thanks in advance.

Jason

 

[Sixtomat]

Jason,

using a flash on a 500c can be easy if the flash supports automatic exposure.
- make sure ISO setting on the flash matches the film speed
- set the flash to automatic
- select the desired aperture on the flash
- connect it to the flash sync terminal of your lens
- check that the lens sync contact is set to 'x'
- set the lens aperture to the same value as the flash
- set shutter speed to 1/125s (or faster if the flash is supports it)
- make sure the light sensor of the flash unit points towards the subject during exposure
- keep an eye on the working range of the flash for the selected aperture, especially when bouncing
- expose

fill-in flash (e.g. outdoors)
- measure the ambient light at the shutter speed you want to use (e.g. 1/125s)
- set the lens to the desired aperture and speed; if you want to underexpose the ambient lighted part of the picture, close the aperture by one or two stops
- set the aperture of the flash to the aperture of the lens
- expose; you'll get a correctly exposed image
- depending on the effect you aim for, the flash power can be reduced by one or two stops (that means a smaller aperture should be set on the flash) This gives a more natural illumination. Something to play with

If available, make some polaroids beforehand to try the settings you want to use

Regards,
Jens

PS: using a flash in automatic modes does not mean it gets information from the camera. There is a sensor built into the flash unit that measures the reflected light of a subject and adjusts the flash power (i.e. the length of the flash burst) such that the subject receives the correct amount of light.

In manual mode there is no such sensor and you have to calculate the amount of light reaching the subject yourself. That is where the guide number enters the game. This method is less flexible than automatic but also not as complicated as it sounds.

 

[Victorh]

Why use Portra VC when NC is much more suitable for weddings.

NC will give you better skin colours.


Vic.

 

[wbulte]

Why use Portra VC when NC is much more suitable for weddings.

NC will give you better skin colours.


Vic.

Yep. And if you want to boost color you can do so in postprocessing.