[photo-3d] Nimslo Flash with Stereo Realist

["Joseph Petrarca" <jpetrarca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Feldman, Jack (Jack)" <jack@xxxxxxxxxx> WROTE:
Subject: Nimslo Flash with Stereo Realist

Having been out of photography for, lets just say a long time, I took out my
old, but nice Kmart flash gun to use with my Realist. Noticing that I would
have to set the camera at f5.6, I went over to my local Helix store to look
for something more modern. I was told that even the modern flashes require
the camera to be set at f5.6, and the only thing I would gain would be a
more sensitive thyrister (sp?). No need for that.

What I see as a problem is that the flash will shut itself down when the
subject is illuminated enough for the exposure. The background will be
ignored. The Nimslo has two flash units, one pointing front, and one at an
angle to fill in some background light. Sounds like they knew what they were
doing.

Has anyone tried using a Nimslo flash gun with a Stereo Realist? Since it is
dedicated to the Nimslo camera, I don't think it will work on another
camera, but the double flash would help fill in some of the background.
Perhaps the Nimslo flash always assumes the camera is shooting at a pre set
shutter speed, and all I have to do is find that magic f-stop and shutter
speed.

JACK-
I HAVE NOT USED THE NIMSLO FLASH, BUT IF YOU ARE IMPLYING THAT SHOOTING AT
5.6 IS PROBLEMATIC, IE, YOU WOULD LIKE MORE DEPTH OF FIELD AND WANT TO SHOOT
AT SMALLER APERATURES, OR HAVE OTHER APERATURES AVAILABLE AS OPTIONS, THEN
YOU NEED A FLASH WHICH HAS SETTINGS FOR MORE THAN ONE APERATURE.  VIVITAR
283 IS AN EXCELLENT VALUE, DURABLE AND RUGGED, PRETTY POWERFUL WITH GUIDE
NO. OF 120- YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHOOT UP TO 10' RANGE AT F11, WITH ISO 100
FILM. (YOU ALWAYS HAVE FOUR AVAILABLE APERATURES, THE FILM SPEED WILL ALLOW
YOU TO USE CERTAIN F-STOPS BUT NOT OTHERS)  MOST OF THESE FLASHES DO NOT
RELY ON ANY SPECIFIC SHUTTER SPEED, THEY RELY ON A SPECIFIC APERATURE.  THE
SHUTTER SPEED IS ONLY RELEVANT IF YOUR CAMERA HAS FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER (IE,
MODERN SLR)- IN THAT CASE YOUR FASTEST SHUTTER SPEED IS LIMITED BY WHATEVER
THE "SYNCH" SPEED OF THE CAMERA SHUTTER IS, OFTEN THIS IS 1/60, BUT
SOMETIMES 1/125 OR EVEN 1/250 ON SOME HIGH-END CAMERAS.  A REALIST HAS A
LEAF SHUTTER AND DOES NOT HAVE THIS LIMITATION, IF THE THING COULD SHOOT AT
1/1000 OF A SEC, YOU WOULD STILL BE OK WITH FLASH.  NICE FEATURE. SMALLER
APERATURES WILL, OBVIOUSLY, GIVE GREATER DEPTH OF FIELD, BUT SINCE THE SMALL
APERATURE LIMITS SO MUCH LIGHT, THE EFFECTIVE RANGE OF THE FLASH IS REDUCED.
IF YOU OPEN RIGHT UP, YOU LOSE DEPTH OF FIELD BUT THE EFFECTIVE RANGE REALLY
INCREASES.  IT'S A TRADE-OFF.  IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SHOOT AT, SAY, F11 OR
16, AND YOU WANT INCREASED RANGE, YOU MUST GET A MORE POWERFUL FLASH (or you
could use multiple pops if you are on a tripod and subject is also
stationary).  THE ANGLED FLASH SOUNDS INTERESTING, AND IS PROBABLY A
"BOUNCE" FEATURE.  THE 283 AND MOST MIDDLE TO HIGH-END FLASHES WILL LET YOU
ANGLE THE HEAD IN ONE OR TWO AXES, AND "BOUNCE" LIGHT OFF A WHITE CEILING OR
WALL.  THIS DISPERSES THE LIGHT FOR A MORE EVEN COVERAGE BUT YOU WILL LOSE
AT LEAST A COUPLE OF STOPS OF LIGHT.  ANOTHER TRADE-OFF!  GOOD LUCK.
JOSEPH


Perhaps there is another alternative. Perhaps what I see as a problem really
isn't.

Jack