Multiple off-camera flash with film?

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benjiboy

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Indeed.
Thats exactly why I asked the question. I don't use multiple TTLs myself. Figuring out stuff w digital itself is educating.
So even with a light meter one would need quite a few readings.
Hmm.

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I meter he main light, the fill in light the backlight and the background to give me an idea of the contrast ratio between them and adjust the lighting if necessary by either adjusting the flash power levels or moving the flashes nearer or further away from the sitter. With modern Sekonic flash meters you can average up to 9 meter reading if you press the average button to integrate the readings to give the final total exposure.
 

benjiboy

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Actually, if you know what you're doing with your lighting, your base exposure is set by your main light. All other meter readings are to determine contrast ratio relative to the main light.
That's quite correct Scott, it's just that I like to asses the lighting ratios first with the flat incidental receptor on my meter then I meter the main and fill in light with the hemispherical receptor to get the camera setting reading. Well it works for me :smile:
 

analoguey

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That's quite correct Scott, it's just that I like to asses the lighting ratios first with the flat incidental receptor on my meter then I meter the main and fill in light with the hemispherical receptor to get the camera setting reading. Well it works for me :smile:

I meter he main light, the fill in light the backlight and the background to give me an idea of the contrast ratio between them and adjust the lighting if necessary by either adjusting the flash power levels or moving the flashes nearer or further away from the sitter. With modern Sekonic flash meters you can average up to 9 meter reading if you press the average button to integrate the readings to give the final total exposure.

With flashes, I'm presuming you're using the meter while you trigger them one by one? Or am I getting it wrong?

I don't use a meter - well standalone meter, if you excuse the digital camera. And I usually go down by two f stops from the ambient, while setting the flashes for quick cycle times.

I am wondering if I using a similar approach to yours -albeit with the digital, would help?

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TheFlyingCamera

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My approach is to set up the main light, trigger it via the flash meter and take an incident light reading at the subject position. Then add the fill light and meter for the fill. The fill should be less than the main light - how much less will depend on how contrasty you want your lighting. Then meter the background light to determine how the background will look - if you're going for high key, then the background should measure 2-3 stops over the main light, otherwise you will just want to know how bright or dim it is to effect separation between the main subject and the background.
 

Rolfe Tessem

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How exactly do you think it was done for decades before digital?

In the electronic flash era, you use a flash meter and meter individual units for the ratio desired. In the flashbulb era, you simply adjusted the distance of the flash units according to inverse square law to get the desired exposure at the proper distance.

It is really not that complicated.

IMHO, TTL is great for a single on camera unit or even a single off camera unit, but TTL for multiple camera flashes is sort of snake oil. If it works at all, it is so complicated that is more hassle than simply doing it manually. Why? Because no TTL system can possibly read your mind and know what ratio you want between the various units. It can get a correct exposure on the film or sensor, but whether it can do what you have in mind aesthetically is questionable.
 

Chan Tran

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I agree! I watch almost 2 hours worth of video about the Nikon CLS system which is a multiple flash TTL system. I found that they never get it right the first time. It's always test shot then dial in compensation which won't work for film camera and if you use digital then it's not better than manual flashes.
 

benjiboy

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I've tried both and find with multiple T.T.L flash I shoot perfectly exposed portraits, but the light balance between the flashes is all wrong, I get much better results using my Sekonic L358 flash meter and metering each light with the dome in to calculate the contrast ratio between them, however outdoors for fill in flash a single T.T.L flash with a Garry Fong Lightsphere on it is magic.
 
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analoguey

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I suppose if you have fully TTL systems, you can control everything remotely, from the camera or the controller.
 
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