Flash Fluke?

[JakeKristy@xxxxxxx]

Realist & Flash: Just Luck?

I'll assume that photo-3d is not on vacation and provide the following post.

I had fantastic success using a modern flash (c. 1980) with my Stereo Realist
3.5.

I'll give the details of the experiment, then I would like to know if my
success was typical or just a fluke.

(1) I filed off a bit of my flash's foot because it was too wide to fit in
the Realist's bracket.
(2) I filed off the nice soft brass(?) button in the middle of the Realists
flash holder.
(3) I checked for synchronization between the flash and the camera shutter.
 I put the flash on "M" manual setting and took the back off the camera.
 Regardless of the shutter speed I used, I saw a nice bright circular light
through both apertures of the Realist whenever I fired the flash.
(4) I set up the camera and flash for some test portraits.  The subject was
on a white sheepskin on a couch in front of a white wall.  Camera-to-subject
distance was 5 to 6 feet.  There was very little artificial room light
available that evening, and best exposures occurred with all room lights off.
 Film was T-MAX 100 that I reverse processed that night in my kitchen.
(5) Setting the Flash.  I used a Vivitar "Zoom Thyristor 2500" flash with the
following settings: Manual mode; Normal lens; ASA 50.  For a subject at 5
feet, the guide on the flash indicated I should use an f-stop of 11.  I used
flash angles from zero (pointing directly at the subject) to ninety (pointing
straight up at the 9-ft ceiling) degrees.
(6) Setting the Camera.  I chose an f/8 opening, a tripod, and a cable
release.  I used shutter speeds from 1/150 to 1/2 sec.
(7) The Results.  All of exposures were right on (as best I could tell) as
long as the flash was pointed directly at the subject!  This was true for all
shutter speeds--1/150 down to 1/2 sec.  I even had the subject move
intentionally during the 1/2-sec exposure to give the flash a "freeze" test.

The flash froze the moving subject during 1/2-sec exposures.  The flash gave
proper exposure for all shutter speeds.  How can this be?!

I also got nice exposures on a dark green fake pine tree with white and
reflective globes on it.

So, is this a magic flash because of its thyristor feedback circuit?  I'd
like to hear other people's experiences.

--ChrisRedEyeHelms


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