AF360FGZ max usable distance

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting the AF360FGZ and I'm interested in the maximum useful distance when using in P-TTL mode with a 300mm f4.5 lens (or similar) at ISO 800. The quoted guide number would suggest about 45m, but I'm guessing that isn't very reliable at longer focal lengths and distances, so I was sondering if anyone here has tried to see how far they can push it?

Oh, and if anyone's managed to get their hands on one, how does the 540 compare in a similar situation?

thanks

Steve

http://www.siblog.co.uk/
http://www.siblingmedia.com/

Think in terms of about 20 metres. You can't extrapolate when using long lenses because most of the flash power is wasted on the area outside the image circle of the lens. Set at max, the 360 zoom covers the image circle of an 85mm lens on film - ie a 55m lens on digital.

G

Try getting the most powerful flash you can find and an accessory like this:

http://www.birdsasart.com/accs.html#BEAMER

1.check your flash manual for the listed GN .
2.Adjust that number for your film speed.
3.divide the GN by the flash subject distance to get your aperture.
4. if that aperture is wider than your lens' f4.5 then it'll underexpose (may still work if all you need is fill flash.

I was taught that the guide number is based on an indoor shot in an averagely reflective room. Outdoors you should halve any distances.

So GN = 36 @100 asa
72 @400 asa
144 @ 1600asa

Halve those figures for outdoors, then divide by the lense aperture you are using.

With a digital camera you can always check what it comes out like on the LCD screen

Peter

No substitute for scientific research.javascript:emoticon('')
Get thee down to the nearest football (in north america they're marked out in yards). With some flags(coathanger wire and white paper).
And fire some tests!
Have fun!javascript:emoticon('')

I used mine at a school concert last night and even left the ISO at 200.

With my old Minolta Dimage 7i without an external flash, I used to set 800ISO and go to 1/60th in shutter priority and simply drag an image out of whatever I ended up with. Images were acceptable (I'd rather have a poor picture of my kids on stage than no picture).

With the *is DS and 360FGZ I have images that look OK on the LCD from a good 25m in P mode so they'll be fine with a bit of a tweak in PSP (I'll find out for sure tonight).

Hi Terri1100.
Here would be my advice for a school concert at 25m...
raw capture.
Manual focus.
manual exposure. set your shutter speed to the slowest you can handhold, use the widest aperture that'll allow sufficient dof, (spot metering).
(Ideally a fast normal to moderate telephoto.)
playback mode set to display Bright Portion on instant review, histogram on.
work quickly when the first anouncer starts.
focus take your first reading off the anouncer and adjust your exposure from there (look for clipping in histgram, and washed out highlights).
If you're quick, you'll have your optimum settings in three test shots, before he/she is done welcoming you to the show, and you can fire away for the rest of the evening, with no problems.
odds are you won't even need flash.(or you can use it for fill.)