 Maryann Ianniello |
Metz FLash I have a 60ct-4 Metz flash. I don't feel I am getting good results when I do the bride or the cake. There doesn't seem to be enough detail with white gown or cake. Most of the time I use the flash in TTL setting and I use a fstop on dial of flash of F8 or F5.6. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I bounce the flash off a card for these shots? Other than that I get great results with this flash. Thanks
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John A. Lind |
MaryAnn, I'd try the diffusion route. The 60 CT-4 is an incredibly powerful flash. AFIK, it's one of the two most powerful on-camera flashes made; the Sunpak 622 Super Pro is the other and has the same GN. At closer range it can hit the minimum flash duration and start to blow out the highlights (white cake, white gown, etc.). The diffusion will knock down its power some and provide more of an area source of light at closer distances (which makes it softer). Metz makes a "bounce card" diffuser for it. IIRC, the flash also has a wide-angle fresnel lens that can be slid out from under the head and snapped over the flash tube. If you're not using that, you should also try it (while waiting for a diffusion panel). In addition, if you don't mind putting velcro around the flash head, Lumiquest makes a softbox that works very well. It folds up flat for storage. I have two and use them on a Sunpak 544 and Sunpak 555 (these are backup handle mounts in the event my primary flash "takes a dive"). By comparison, I use a Sunpak 120J Pro TTL in TTL mode with a round, flat diffusion panel over the bowl (the Quantum diffuser will fit the Sunpak's bowl, albeit just barely). It has a GN of 150 (with bowl in 50mm position) without the diffuser. That's about one stop less power than your Metz. Most of the time the lens aperture ring is set to f/5.6 and I've never had a problem with too little range. It recycles from full dump in about 2 seconds with a high voltage battery slab. Electronic flashes do have a minimum range. The amount of light emitted by one is controlled by its duration, not by intensity (brightness). There is a minimum flash duration and that determines minimum distance for a particular flash make/model and film speed. Not that most would have to worry about that, but those of us with mondo power flash units need to keep in mind the fact there is a minimum working distance. Usually we think more about the maximum working distance. BTW, when shooting close-ups of the cake top and other small objects of interest from close range, I crank the aperture down to at least f/11. Since the photograph won't have any amount of distant background that would go completely black, a very tight aperture doesn't matter, and it increases the depth of field which can get very shallow shooting a small cake top.
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Maryann Ianniello |
John When you spoke of f/11 for close-ups are you speaking of camera aperture or dial on Metz to f/11? Thanks John
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John A. Lind |
Maryann, I spoke of camera lens aperture setting as you mentioned you are using the Metz in TTL Mode. If everything is truly in TTL Mode (camera and flash), then only the camera's film speed setting and camera lens aperture will control flash output. TTL Mode uses the camera's internal TTL metering to control flash output. This requires that you have the proper Metz SCA module for your make/model camera (it fits into the hot shoe and should have multiple contacts), and the matching SCA cord to connect the top of the SCA module to the flash handle. Depending on your make/model camera, the SCA module for it may be a 300 series, 3000 series, or 3002 series. There is a different connecting cord for each series, the difference being the plate that slides onto the top of the module. The plug end for the flash is the same.
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Maynard McKillen |
Dear Maryann: Some ideas. Do you bring bring along a Wescott or Larson reflector to provide fill light? If so, when you photograph the cake, you could point the flash head up, have an assistant or willing guest (Ask an amateur photographer. They enjoy helping.) hold the reflector, tilted properly, above the flash head. That may provide a more diffuse "soft" light that makes the cake look more three dimensional. And that diffuse light would be falling on the subject, rather than coming from a place near the lens axis, making the photo look less like it was taken with flash, and more like it was taken with available light. Lacking a reflector, you could bounce the flash off of a white ceiling. This, too, creates a more diffuse light source. When I photograph the cake, I put the camera on a tripod, bounce the flash off the ceiling or a reflector above the flash, and slow the shutter speed down to collect more available light. I choose a shutter speed that is one or two stops faster than the one that would provide correct ambient exposure, so the flash is still the dominant light source. You might try it sometime... Lumiquest makes a bounce diffuser that reflects some light at the subject and also allows some to bounce off the ceiling. This may be useful for photos of the bride, since it can help put catchlights in her eyes while still allowing diffuse light to illuminate her dress. A small softbox can help, too, as John recommends above.
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John A. Lind |
Maryann, Don't forget your 60 CT-4 has a small secondary flash tube located at the top of the handle just below the main head. If you use the main head for pure bounce, you can switch this on for a small amount of direct fill. When turned on, the flash diverts some of its power from the main tube to the secondary. IIRC, the ratio is about 80% to the main head and 20% to the direct fill tube. There should be a switch with a pair of symbols that look like sideways flower blossoms (on the back of the flash handle ???). This turns the secondary fill tube on and off. BTW, my Metz 40 MZ flashes (I mount them on G15/G16 handles) have this same feature. I've used it in the past and they work pretty well. One of their primary purposes is creating the catchlights in the eyes that Maynard mentions when using the main head for pure bounce.
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Gregg Vieregge |
Consider what your shooting at. A white cake probably on a white table cloth. Ther alot of reflective power there. TTL can be fooled by this. Go to the manual setting of the flash using your F8 and the flash will shut down on reflective beam of the flash. I think you'll have better luck.
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