Flash Options for FM2n

perkeleellinen

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Hello All,

I have a very specific flash need: I shoot skateboarding with an FM2n and a 16mm fisheye in daylight using 400 film. My subject is always between 1 and 2 meters from the camera and I'm normally low poiting the lens upward. In a typical overcast British day I can normally squeeze 1/1000 at f2.8. What I want is a little bit of fill flash on the subject. I'm a very mobile photographer, I don't want to set up an outside studio with slave flashes on tripods. A hammerhead flash I can hold away from the camera is fine, though, as is using 100 film if needed.

Any ideas what flashes / techniques would work to fill flash my subject whilst leaving detail in the surroundings?

Thanks!
 

AgX

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None of the classic reflectors will do that. You need a 180° reflector, which does not exist. I would use a bare tube.
 

Bikerider

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You cannot go wrong with any of the Nikon flash guns. The one that was king when the FM2 came out - the SB16a is still readily available and not a lot of money. Thoroughly reliable and almost bomb proof. After that there is the SB24, SB25 and SB28. These 3 were all designed with AF cameras in mind but work equally well with film manual focus but of course there is no TTL flash metering. Personally I would go for a SB16a (There was an SB16b but this was designed to be used on an F3 only because an F3 didn't have the standard mounting foot).

If you want something with a bit more power there is are the Metz 45 series but for the FM2 you only need the basic CT45 model
 
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perkeleellinen

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I know I won't cover angle of view - that is fine. The look I want is for a darker background / edge and a well lit centre / subject.
 

Bikerider

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To get that angle of view then the user would be struggling a bit. With the Metz you could get a bit more distance between the flash and the subject but that would not cover the angle that was quoted The Metz flash did have a wide angle screen adapter but I think that only went out to 24mm or equivalent. A gain the Metz with a long cable extension to place the gun behind the camera may work and held by a willing assistant. I used a Metz at work and they are exceptional flash units.

Even so with flash on the FM2 the shutter speed is limited to 1/250 not 1/1000 as he was using​

Possibly the only way would be to bounce it off a reflector behind but as he said that is not practical
 
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perkeleellinen

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Often when I've looked at auto flashes the flash range with subject at 1 meter means f22 or f32. I'd like to retain some edge / background detail so I think I need either a weak flash or manual strength reduction.
 
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perkeleellinen

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Here's an example of the sort of work I do. You see that the subject needs a bit of light on his face. I don't mind if the background and edges are perhaps 1.5 or even two stops under. This is 400 neg film:

 

Chan Tran

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For new or relatively new Nikon flashes besides the SB-800 others like the SB-600, SB-700, SB-900 and newer are not good for the FM2n. You don't have the built in sensor to use the flash in auto mode with the FM2n.
 
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perkeleellinen

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In the 1980s and '90s professional skate photographers would set up shoots with three flashes and use Velvia 50, closing the lens right down to remove nearly all day light. In situations were they couldn't set up the shoot - like at a competition - they would use big hammerhead flashes in their left hand stretched out. Like Metz 45 or Sunpak 4500. That may be the way to go but I wondered if perhaps a more modern flash might be better...
 

barzune

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Since you're focussing at a range of about 2 metres, you could use a Nikon SB 21B ringflash. It has a guide number of 43(ft), which would be more than sufficient, and would be of similar technical vintage as the FM2n.
 

Chan Tran

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There are a number of bare bulb flashes even one that mounts on the hot shoe. The angle is too wide to use any form of automatic flash exposure control I think. So with manual from 1m to 2m distance the exposure is varying by 2 stops when use in manual. I assume that the OP can't make adjustments between shots. So perhaps let the 1m exposure correct and the 2m 2 stops under.
 

MattKing

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How are you intending to deal with the flash synch limitations for the FM2n - nothing shorter than 1/250 if I recall correctly?
A flat reflector and a flash designed to cover 28mm normally turned 180 degrees would make the most sense to me.
 
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perkeleellinen

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Thanks for all the comments, helpful in thinking this through.

Let me clarify - I'm not concerned with coverage, it's the close subject matter and not wanting to use f32. I'd like to have the edges and background 1-2 stops under.

Here's my thinking:
Ambient light = 1/1000 f2.8
or at sync: 1/250 f5.6

Suppose a flash with GN45, film ISO400, subject 1 meter.

Then: aperture = f90. Power reduction by 1/128 = f8.

Am I correct?

F8 for flash with the background one stop under at f5.6 would be ideal I think. So I need a GN45 flash with varipower down to 1/128.
 

MattKing

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If your metric guide number is 45, than correct flash exposure at 1 meter is f/45.
f/8 is 5 stops more light - f/32, f/22, f/16, f/11, f/8.
f/45 passes 1/32 (5 stops) less light, so in manual a 1/32 power reduction.
OR (and even better) use a flash with an automatic flash control built into the flash - like a Metz 45 - and rely on that to limit the light output to 1/32 of maximum. You will gain much more flexibility, it will still work if your subject is farther away, and you will still have very short flash duration to help stop action.
I would experiment a bit with the auto, to make sure that the sensor's relatively narrow field of view works well with this application.
 

MattKing

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No problem - you certainly wouldn't be the first!
My Metz 60CT flashes would be perfect for this - and their steam punk character might go over really well with the target group .
 

AgX

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Such difffuser does not turn the reflector into a 180° head. For true 180° as said you need a bare tube. But as the OP does not need true 180° such diffuser seems a good approach. One also could just stack flat, optical diffusors.
 
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