P3D Re: PHOTO-3D digest 3077

["W.Walsh" <3dshooter@xxxxxxx>]

> For years my philosophy in using flash has been this:  Use the smaller
> aperture you can use.  I have a Minolta 360XP flash which I use in
> automatic mode at f11 and sometimes I use f8.  That's about it.
> 
> The RBT S1 comes with a very small Konica flash.  Two years ago I did
> not know what to do with it.  Never put the time to figure out how this
> thing works.  I was wondering... Can I still use my Minolta flash?
> This little Konica thing does not look much of a flash...
> 
> Welcome to the new stereo flash philosophy!
> 
> If you set the camera in P and the flash in P(Full), the flash will fire
> it's entire charge.  Now, the camera knows at what distance your subject
> is because you have focused at it.  It also knows the Guide Number
> ("strength") of the flash you are using.  So, it just adjusts the
> aperture for a good flash exposure at this distance.  (For example, if
> you are focusing at 0.6 m it will pick close to f22 with ASA 100 film,
> but chances are that you are focusing around 10 ft, in which case it
> will pick f4).  This is nice because you usually need more depth of
> field (smaller apertures) in close ups.
> 
> That's not the entire story.  So the camera selected the aperture.
> How about the shutter speed?  The Konica Hexar (like the Realist :-))
> is synchronized for flash at any speed.  With the Realist I usually
> set the shutter speed fixed at 1/100 because it makes no difference
> since all the light comes from the flash.  BUT, the Hexar will try
> and balance the ambient light.  It will use as slow of a speed
> as it is needed to balance ambient light, without going under the
> minimum handheld speed.
> 
> The combination of wider apertures (like f4 at 10 feet) and slow speeds
> will allow more ambient light.  Bye-bye dark flash photography (all
> my Realist shots indoors are dark like night even though there
> might be a good amount of ambient light).  The RBT S1 pictures with
> the Konica flash are much more pleasing with more ambient light
> (but watch these colors, you might pick up greens from FL lights!)
> 
> In my first roll I took a flash picture at the camera show on Sunday.
> The camera used f4.6 I think.  My subjects were fine, super sharp.
> (Background is slightly out of focus, but who cares?)  The picture has
> a good overall illumination (looks like day, not night!)
> 
> I like this so I plan to use the Konica flash.  I could use the
> Minolta if I wanted because the camera can be programmed for a
> different GN but I think I will stick with the more compact Konica
> flash.  Less weight, more light.
> 
> NOTE:  This discussion and different strategies apply for any camera
> or flash.  Only, with the Realist I never dreamed of using a weak
> flash and f4!!!! (is there f4 in a Realist? :-))  I was font of the
> heaviest and most powerful flash units.  Now with the RBT S1, weak is
> good!
> 
> -- George Themelis

I found the Konica flash to be way underpowered for my needs shooting
mostly outdoors.I am currently using a Metz 45 CL-1 (GN 148/ASA 100)
this is a potato masher setup coupled to the RBT via of a Nikon AS-15
PC adaptor and finally I use a Lumiquest mini softbox to soften the
light.This unit may be a little bulky for some but has served my needs
well for the last year.I also also find this setup to work well off
the camera and placed on a tripod via of a 12 ft pc cord and can be
used for off the camera directional flash.

Concerning the Hugo de Wijs Combi viewer:I purchased Jon's last one
at NSA 98 and feel it was money well spent.This viewer is second to
none,it blows everything away,optically,everything.There is one draw
back the adapter in the viewer that lets you go from 2x2x2 to Realist
format will not handle Realist format glass mounted slides the slot is
not long enough and needs to be milled down a hair.

Now if RBT would only come out with a medium format camera......


Bill

Bill


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