Shooting a 203FE with a flash and a C lens

A bit of a newbie question. I'm trying to get my head around using my 203FE with an old C lens and the Metz 45 CL 4 for daytime photography.

The camera needs to be in C mode to disengage the focal plane shutter, that much I understand.

Am I right that, because the TTL OTF metering remains active in C mode, I can just set the desired aperture and speed on the lens and leave the flash metering to adjust the flash's output for an accurate exposure?

I'm interested in shooting this combo in the street and use the flash to lift the shadows a bit.

Thank you in advance
Philip

philipus said:

A bit of a newbie question. I'm trying to get my head around using my 203FE with an old C lens and the Metz 45 CL 4 for daytime photography.

The camera needs to be in C mode to disengage the focal plane shutter, that much I understand.

Am I right that, because the TTL OTF metering remains active in C mode, I can just set the desired aperture and speed on the lens and leave the flash metering to adjust the flash's output for an accurate exposure?

I'm interested in shooting this combo in the street and use the flash to lift the shadows a bit.

Thank you in advance
Philip

Click to expand...

also, remember the rule of thumb for fill flash:control the ambient exposure with the shutter speed and the flash exposure with the aperture!

You are right.
If the flash doesn't communicate with the OTF circuit. you do as you said.

I have a 203FE, but I have not used a TTL flash with it.

However, according to the manual, you plug the TTL controller into the body, and the PC sync cord into the lens (because you are syncing with the leaf shutter), and shoot away. The flash ready, hi and low warnings should also work.

And make sure the C lens sync is set to "X".

Thank you Ralph. This is probably one of the most succinct ways I've seen this described. To take a practical example. I'm out and about and the light is a little bit overcast, perhaps an f8 at ISO100 situation. I set the lens to 125th and f8 and use scale focus to shoot people in the street. I'm wondering how the flash will behave then.

RalphLambrecht said:

also, remember the rule of thumb for fill flash:control the ambient exposure with the shutter speed and the flash exposure with the aperture!

Click to expand...

Thanks John. I am not sure to what extent the flash communicates with the OTF, but I don't know how the SCA system works. I would think that one of the main things that system does is allow the camera to send a stop signal to the flash when the OTF says that enough light has been received given the aperture set.

John Koehrer said:

You are right.
If the flash doesn't communicate with the OTF circuit. you do as you said.

Click to expand...

Thank you. I hope to post back results in the coming weeks when I get the lens. In the meantime I'll shoot with the 80 Planar FE.

itsdoable said:

I have a 203FE, but I have not used a TTL flash with it.

However, according to the manual, you plug the TTL controller into the body, and the PC sync cord into the lens (because you are syncing with the leaf shutter), and shoot away. The flash ready, hi and low warnings should also work.

And make sure the C lens sync is set to "X".

Click to expand...