Flash meter override

pilgrim02360 · 10-01-2008, 01:51 PM

Using my AF-360FGZ with my K10, what setting do I use to get a flash when the light meter reads plenty of available light and would not normally flash? Such as when I want a "filler flash" on a back lit subject.

Thanks

*Damn Brit* · 10-01-2008, 01:59 PM

It should flash automatically as long as it is set in FN menu and the flash is charged IIRC. You may have to change the other camera settings to allow for the light from the flash.

pilgrim02360 · 10-01-2008, 02:56 PM

Thanks for your reply. However I am still confused.

There are two flash settings in the FN menu; "Flash Mode Auto discharge and Flash Mode Auto flash+Redeye reduct. Which is correct setting if I want to trigger flash as filler. Also, what is "IIRC"?

I can not find this info in the flash operating manual and have missplaced my K10 manual so I appreciate your sharing you knowledge.

RBellavance · 10-01-2008, 03:02 PM

To use the flash only for fill-in, you should probably use the "Slow sync" setting. This will tell me meter to pretend there will be no flash. You may have to play with flash exposure compensation as well to get exactly the result you want.

*egordon99* · 10-02-2008, 06:59 AM

Quick and dirty outdoor fill flash tutorial -

Basically, if your subject is in shade and the background is bright (ie under a tree) or majorly backlit, fill flash is your friend. Think of those times when you got a properly exposed background, but the subject was almost pitch black.

Put camera into Av mode, metering will set the shutter speed to expose the overall shot (which in the situations that call for fill-flash will generally be the background) based on your selected aperture/ISO.

Make sure flash is set to HSS (in case your shutter speed go faster than 1/180s) and P-TTL. Fire away! The shutter speed/f-stop/ISO will expose the background, and the flash should output enough power to light up the foreground.

Now to control the background exposure, you use exposure compensation on the camera body (which would adjust the shutter speed), to adjust how much fill for the flash exposure, you use Flash exposure compensation. The trick is balancing the two (as it is with indoor work), and that comes with experience/experimentation.

marlon · 10-02-2008, 07:38 AM

My AF360FGZ fires whenever its mounted on the hotshoe and ON.
I don't need to do anything. Mmm.
egordon99's little tut is good btw

pilgrim02360 · 10-02-2008, 08:26 AM

Thank you all. I will tinker with this over the weekend and should be able to figure it out.

*cardinal43* · 10-02-2008, 10:09 AM

"IIRC" = if I remember correctly.

pilgrim02360 · 10-02-2008, 03:00 PM

IF I remember correctly = IIRC
Who knew?

rogerstg · 10-03-2008, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by pilgrim02360

and have missplaced my K10 manual

FWIW, you can download a copy of the manual in pdf format from the Pentax home site. I find it easier than a paper manual to search for specific items that may not be represented well in the index.

sevenarrow · 10-03-2008, 02:39 PM

Pilgriim03260,

It sounds like you're in the full auto mode (green square). You forfeit all control of the camera when you're in green mode. Put the camer in "P" mode and the flash will always fire as long as it is turned on, of course.