flash

[johnnywalker]

What do I have to look for in an on-camera flash for my Toyo 45D? The two lenses I have are a) a Nikkor-W 150mm and a Schneider 210 convertable. The Nikkor has a simple flash connection, and the Schneider has the same except it can be "X" or "M". I have a Nikon SB-50DX flash that can be used off-camera and triggered by the light from another flash, so I'm looking for a second, more powerful flash on-camera, to be able to use the SB-50DX off-camera as a fill-in.
Thanks,

 

[Nick Zentena]

Do you really mean on camera? Something you can use hand held? Or do you just mean something to hook up to the lens?

You'll need something with a sync cable connection. Plus plenty of manual modes.

Metz 60? I'm not sure how many manual stops it can be set to.

My Metz 45 CT-3 is less powerfull but can be set to various power levels. The newer CL OTOH has less manual settings making it a poorer choice IMHO.

If you are in no hurry look for an Agfa 643CS. Four manual stops IIRC.

 

[raucousimages]

I have used a Sunpak 522 and 611 as well as studio strobes but i mount the sunpak's on a seperate tripod or hand hold them on long exposures with multiple flashes.

 

[MattKing]

What do I have to look for in an on-camera flash for my Toyo 45D? The two lenses I have are a) a Nikkor-W 150mm and a Schneider 210 convertable. The Nikkor has a simple flash connection, and the Schneider has the same except it can be "X" or "M". I have a Nikon SB-50DX flash that can be used off-camera and triggered by the light from another flash, so I'm looking for a second, more powerful flash on-camera, to be able to use the SB-50DX off-camera as a fill-in.
Thanks,

Are you sure you want to do it this way?

I would tend to use a small flash on camera, to provide fill and to "trigger" a larger flash set up as my main light, off camera. I synch the main light flash using a a small and simple and inexpensive slave accessory.

IMHO this gives better control and the modeling of the light tends to be better as well.

This is particularly the case if I am shooting portraits (although please note that I do not shoot LF).

Just a thought ...

Matt

 

[johnnywalker]

Yes, on-camera was a poor choice of words. I did just mean hooked up to the lens. The DX-50 was an expensive little sucker I got for my F80. My thought was to look buy a used flash that would trigger the DX-50. So, I need one with a synch cable connection and manual settings. If I can use a long synch cable (is this possible?), then I could use the flashes as Matt suggests.
Thanks for the help,
John

 

[MattKing]

So, I need one with a synch cable connection and manual settings. If I can use a long synch cable (is this possible?), then I could use the flashes as Matt suggests.
Thanks for the help,
John

John:

I have various extension cords for my synch cables, some of which are straight, and some of which are coiled. I would guess that the longest is about 16 feet long. Any flash that can be used with a cord that hooks up to a PC socket can be used with the extension cords as well. Most frequently I use either my ancient Bowens monolights, or my Metz 60 series flashes, but lots of others will work fine too.

A couple of cautions:

1) the longer the cord, the easier it is to trip over;
2) the connectors on the extension cords can be finicky;
3) I would guess that you could run into problems if the cord was too long, and therefore resistance and voltage drop were too great, but that might be flash dependent;
4) if you are considering doing this with something like a newer 35mm or MF camera (including possibly your F80) or, gasp, a d*****l camera, be very careful to check the trigger voltage for the flash you are using the cord with. The newer cameras can only handle low voltages - the flash synch circutry would be fried by something like my Bowens' monolights, or my old Metz 202 flashes.

You can also use radio triggers for the larger main light flash, but that requires a further investment of $ which, in the case of the better models, is quite pricey.

Hope this helps

Matt

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Yes, on-camera was a poor choice of words. I did just mean hooked up to the lens. The DX-50 was an expensive little sucker I got for my F80. My thought was to look buy a used flash that would trigger the DX-50. So, I need one with a synch cable connection and manual settings. If I can use a long synch cable (is this possible?), then I could use the flashes as Matt suggests.
Thanks for the help,
John

I realize you have a hefty investment in that DX50 flash. I would counsel against using it with a LF camera, just because it wasn't designed to be used that way. Nikon built all those fancy electronics into the flash so it could talk to the camera. When you turn them all off to try and use it like a studio strobe, you go beyond dumbing it down and make it harder to use for its purpose- kind of like using a pipe wrench to pound nails, instead of a hammer. While the pipe wrench can do it, the interface wasn't designed for the purpose, so it makes your life more difficult in the long run.

Using the DX50 as a non-ttl device means that in order to control your exposure, you'll have to adjust the power at fixed levels (basically full F-stops at a time), then move your flash back and forth to get the control you want. And trust me, with shooting 4x5 or larger, where you have bellows extension to factor in, you'll want 1/10th stop flash output control. With a monolight or power pack that has continuously adjustable power, you don't have to do the tango with your light stand in order to get the illumination at your subject that you need.

also, if you use an otherwise TTL flash and have a second, less powerful flash to trigger it, you'll have the second flash interfering with the directionality and overall balance of the light output by your main DX50.

You'll also want to make sure that whatever flash you are using can put out at least F16 at your working distance, through whatever light modifiers you are using. I don't know what the output of the DX50 is, but I would be surprised if it could still deliver F16 at eight feet through a decent sized softbox.
Look into a good used power pack and head outfit, or a decent monolight. I have Calumet Travelites, which are excellent, and I have also used a Norman powerpack/head outfit. I would suggest Novatrons as an inexpensive entry point, but they lack continuously variable power output, so there you are back to the dance with the lightstand.