[mattb123]

I have a AF200 that I usually just put on a Cactus trigger to use off-camera. Works great, but you have to "adjust" it by moving it closer or farther from the subject or other physical means.
I used to hate flash too and still hate the built-in flashes for most purposes.
I feel like I have a better handle on using flashes now, either shoe-mounted or off-camera and I like it when I get it right.

When I shoot bike races and there's no avoiding harsh mid-day light, a shoe-mounted flash is hard to beat for fill!

[Michael Piziak]

Wow, that bike has some fat tires on it! lol

[mattb123]

Wow, that bike has some fat tires on it! lol

It's a snow bike! They are also used on sand.

[SyncGuy]

Hmm... I love using flashes but i am still not very proficient at deciding if a flash would be beneficial or not; the "eye" for it?

Nevetheless, when i do use, they sure turn out beautifully..

I think these 2 points are the most often overlooked points to consider:
1) account for ambient exposure firstly (that's why it is good to use Manual mode and matrix meterig), and then
2) add flash and account for it via the flash EV compensation

Indoors, the above 2 points don't quite matter because the flash (usually bounced), becomes the main light source.
Unless if you have a window which you would like to be exposed properly too, as the image above by asp1880 show.

Therefore, my process of when using a flash outdoor:
1) manual mode, set to max sync speed (1/180 or 1/160),
2) matrix metering (strictly!! This is for your ambient exposure or "backgound")
3) adjust ISO and shutter speed to obtain your ambient exposure by looking at the EV meter. Mostly, i set them to achieve -0.7 or -1.3 depending on how i would like my backound exposure to be
3) turn on flash and adjust flash power with the flash EV compensation to obtain how "bright" you wish your subject to be in comparison to your background; the subjectively-called "balance"

Done!

---

Last edited by SyncGuy; 04-28-2014 at 08:04 AM.

[Class A]

It baffles me that Pentax makes such comically overpriced flashes that really only use 75% of their features when mounted on camera which is the last place a lighting expert would want it without major diffusion that would screw those features up anyways.

+1

The Pentax flash system is incredibly outdated compared to Nikon's CLS, for instance.

Luckily, with the release of the Cactus V6 radio trigger that supports remote power level control of flashes, strobist work got a lot more convenient / quicker for Pentaxians.

The cool thing about this trigger is that it not only supports selected modern digital flashes but legacy TTL flashes as well. Flash models across all brands like a Metz 58 AF-2, Pentax AF 540 FGZ, Nikon SB-24, Canon 430EZ, etc. can be used in one lighting setup, even with calibrated power. If a flash model is not supported out of the box yet, then if it has an analogue TTL mode you can create a profile for it yourself.

It does not support P-TTL automatic exposure control, so power levels are all manually controlled, but now it just takes a few turns of a dial to change the power level via radio, no matter where it is.

[mattb123]

Those new Cactus units sound pretty interesting. Do you know if they work with the P_TTL in the Sigma DG EF-530 Super?
I have a few v5 triggers that have been great for me.

[Class A]

Those new Cactus units sound pretty interesting. Do you know if they work with the P_TTL in the Sigma DG EF-530 Super?

The Sigma EF-530 DG SUPER is supported with a predefined profile for the Nikon system, i.e., the version that has the Nikon hot-shoe.

The fact that the same model has no predefined profile for the Pentax P-TTL version of the Sigma EF-530 DG SUPER probably has some significance. Either they could not support it for some reason or they could not get hold of a copy of this particular version.

Am I right in assuming that the Sigma EF-530 DG SUPER only offers P-TTL but not the legacy TTL? If that is the case, then there is no chance that you can profile the flash yourself. It would have to be supported with a predefined profile then.

It would probably be best for you to approach Cactus about V6 support for your flash so that they know there is interest. I could also try to contact them about it but I don't know much about your flash model and wouldn't be able to run tests, answer questions, etc.

[mattb123]

Ok, thanks. I'll see what I can find from them.

[Jonathan Mac]

When bounce flash works, it's great.
This was on camera flash bounced into the white ceiling.
I like the way you can balance the flash with the window light to make it look sunlit, when in reality it's predominantly flash.

Regards,
--Anders.

This is exactly the sort of situation where I mostly use flash, always bounced. You lose the natural light of the situation, but you gain much higher IQ from using lower ISO and a smaller aperture and you can capture the moment better because you can shoot at 1/180s, which would be tough in natural light with high ISO and a large aperture.

[cali92rs]

This is exactly the sort of situation where I mostly use flash, always bounced. You lose the natural light of the situation, but you gain much higher IQ from using lower ISO and a smaller aperture and you can capture the moment better because you can shoot at 1/180s, which would be tough in natural light with high ISO and a large aperture.

Yup...
This morning for me was a perfect situation to use a flash.

It was my son's first time eating solid foods (well, more like rice mush, so I don't know how solid it really is).
So, we were in my bedroom, with blinds drawn, and I was using my 43mm.
In theory, I could've shot wide open, and boosted it up in post processing. But, he is a squirming baby that is not going to stay still and say cheese, so I need a faster shutter speed to prevent motion blur. Also, shooting wide open with a f1.9 is going to be a real thin DOF, so it would be real easy not getting him in focus. Therefore, I wanted to stop down to at least f2.8. So, faster shutter speed and stopping down = ISO 6400+. Bleh.

So i decide to use my flash, bounce it off the ceiling...it was trivial getting the shot at f2.8, shutterspeeds around 1/120 and faster and ISO 100.
Oh, with the bonus of pretty catchlights in his eyes

[jpzk]

I know just enough about flash use to get me in trouble.

Count me in the flash haters group.

JP