More Flash Fun on Pentax

This is something I have been trying to fathom out for ages
(Stumbled on this as a result of reading my own posts about P-TTL )

Ok, so you want to balance the ambient and the flash light for a "proper" exposure - without looking over "flashed"?? Here's the secret - it's buried in the flash mode of the K10D

Press the Fn button and the down arrow to select the flash mode...

In Av mode you can have the choice of normal, slow, slow+rear-curtain etc. Here's the thing:
* in "normal" the camera meters solely for the flash and nothing else.
* in "slow" or "slow trailing curtain sync" the camera meters for the ambient and lets the flash do the fill in

Now this works even when you have an AF360/AF540 in HS mode. The metering seems much, much better. For indoors, and event photography (read: wedding) you'll benefit by dialling in a -1 stop exposure compensation - the camera will underexpose the ambient and the P-TTL will do the rest. You can even dial in under/over exposure on the flash to even stuff out (but if you're doing white-dress-stuff, then best to shoot RAW, leave the -1Ev dialled in and then you'll generally retain all the lovely detailed highlights).

In M mode on the camera - again, the flash mode affects metering. Slightly different this time... you have fewer choices.
* With "normal" flash, pressing the Green button will do "flash metering"
* With "trailing curtain sync" flash mode pressing the Green button will set the exposure for the ambient. You can then dial in underexposure to balance the flash.

I would also strongly suggest not using Auto ISO when using the flash. Dial it in through the Fn menu, or (better still) map one of the wheels to ISO and dial it manually.


As a final thing - the Metz SCA 3702 with the Metz 50MZ5 does actually make a really great combination when you know these modes of the camera! Unlike the AF360/540 the Metz will track your aperture and ISO. So you can use Av on the camera, dial in -1 exposure compensation, assign the front wheel to ISO and let the Metz do its stuff.

EDIT: You can get these Metz guns really cheap. But be warned - they weigh half a ton! So go down the gym first

If you are doing outside fill-in flash, then you can override the aperture on the Metz - just push the aperture button on the control unit, then dial down the aperture on the flash. For example, if you set f/11 on the camera, set f/8 on the gun and it will be -1 stop under ambient.

Have fun!
Matt

Thanks for that Matt, I will definately give that a try

Oh thanks Matt, nice to hear you have been delving into P-TTL! but can you confirm please when you say 'rear curtain' is that the same as the 'slow trailing curtain sync' on K10D?

I have been playing too, probably the same time as you! and found I am eventually getting better results at last! Seems very similar to your excellant notes.

I have done this shot with
P-TTL mode
in AV mode
ceiling bounce in kitchen
wee plastic thingy pulled out
and gave it one stop more in exposure compensation on camera (which the flash seems to take into account)
on 200iso
[IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u193/lillymermaid/IMGP9389.jpg[/IMG]

not bad eh?

Lilly, you really must get to grips with technical terms.

The "wee plastic thingy" (assuming you mean the white plastic card) is the catchlight panel.

Pentax would fare better in the market, if they had better manuals for their equipment.
Intereactive cd/dvd's with a searchable interface.
They could have a cute cartoon charactor, that you could type in your questions and get answers and tutorials on how-to.

I'm all for naming the concept "Ask Mattmatic"

I second that proposal:
If pentax are too busy or lazy to write a decent manual for thier flashes, why not ask Matt to write it and pay him the royalties he deserves.

Those in the know (us) already have that facility - and it costs Pentax nothing!

Clever.

G

Does this mean we want Matt at the bottom corner of our screen, looking a bit like a paperclip?

Matt is so knowledgeable that I think we need a new forum heading :-

"Questions for MattMatic"

I notice matt is too modest to reply here, but I'll say cheers and thank you for everything you've so generously give to us all.
Thank you. and cheers!

HEAR HEAR we love you!

Yes, Lilly - "trailing curtain" was the Pentax term! (I was typing this from memory :blush

Thanks all
Glad to have helped!
Matt

Oh thank you Peter I will try! Any suggestions for the Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Flash Diffuser tha is coming shortly, it IS such a mouthful

Lilly

I always refer to mine as "that bit of Tupperware" if that helps..?

Just had a thought over the weekend...

What if I wrote a "Pentax DSLR Flash Guide" e-book? Would you pay for it, and if so, how much?

It could be quite a tome and take a little while to write (especially to get images that I can use as examples).

What do you all think?
Matt