Using Minolta 4000AF Flash

Hallo, Leute!

I've been recently gifted with Minolta 4000 AF flash for my Minolta 9000 camera. The thing is, I am completely ignorant when it comes to flash photography. "Never even used built-in flash" kind of ignorant. I've read the manual and I'm a little bit confused: the flash unit displays flash coverage distance on its LCD. However, after taking the picture, "If exposure was sufficient, flash signal in viewfinder blinks rapidly and OK signal on flash unit glows". Isn't there a chance to determine if the exposure will be sufficient or not BEFORE I expose, so I won't have to waste the frame? Or should I resort to P mode photography?

In addition, there are several lefels of flash strength (full, 1/2, 1/4 etc.). How do I know which to use? As I understand, it can be useful when using flash in Shutter priority shooting mode. But still, manual states "If exposure was sufficient, flash signal in viewfinder blinks rapidly and OK signal on flash unit glows".

So basically is it an automatic flash which is actuaally semi-automatic, or works with random precision, or am I missing something due to my happily absent education in this particular field?

self-educate (or give up) : shoot and process at least one roll of your favorite film at your camera's flash setting at various distances and various powers. See what happens.

So there is no other way. I see. Thank you. I'll use a few rolls of HP5+, should do the work.

I can help a bit with some experience with things like this.
That flash and camera combination relies on TTl (Through the Lens) flash metering in the camera for automatic operation. In essence, the flash fires and continues firing until the camera has measured enough light bouncing back from the subject and coming through the lens to ensure proper exposure, at which time the camera turns the flash off.
If the flash runs out of power before that measurement standard is reached, you won't get enough exposure on the film and don't get the flashing sufficient flash signal. If the flash illumination reflecting back from the subject does reach the proper threshold, you do get the flashing sufficient flash signal, and you even get to save some flash/battery power for the next use.
All of that turning the flash on and off happens incredibly fast - between 1/800 and 1/25000 of a second depending on which settings are used and how far the subject is from the flash.
TTl flash control is great for close distances - that is where the duration is at its shortest. It also permits really fast recycling.
The TTl system does require you to release the shutter on the camera in order to check whether the flash will give you enough light.
The distance ranges on the flash are there as a guide to when the automatic exposure is likely to work. With direct flash, you can usually have success with longer distances when there are lots of surfaces to bounce light off of - low ceilings, light coloured floors and walls as well as other reflecting surfaces can really help, but be wary of coloured surfaces that reflect coloured light.
If you are using bounce flash you need to estimate the distance that the flash light travels - both from the flash to the reflecting surface plus from the reflecting surface to the subject, as well as an allowance for how much light is lost at reflection. It is almost certainly easier to waste a shot and use the sufficient flash signal.

MattKing said:

I can help a bit with some experience with things like this.
That flash and camera combination relies on TTl (Through the Lens) flash metering in the camera for automatic operation. In essence, the flash fires and continues firing until the camera has measured enough light bouncing back from the subject and coming through the lens to ensure proper exposure, at which time the camera turns the flash off.
If the flash runs out of power before that measurement standard is reached, you won't get enough exposure on the film and don't get the flashing sufficient flash signal. If the flash illumination reflecting back from the subject does reach the proper threshold, you do get the flashing sufficient flash signal, and you even get to save some flash/battery power for the next use.

Click to expand...

So, in theory, if I use flash at full capacity, it should expose correctly in most of situations and it should not overexpose, right?

MattKing said:

All of that turning the flash on and off happens incredibly fast - between 1/800 and 1/25000 of a second depending on which settings are used and how far the subject is from the flash.
TTl flash control is great for close distances - that is where the duration is at its shortest. It also permits really fast recycling.

Click to expand...

Indeed, any "level" of power other than "Full" gives me quick recharge time and at "1/16" it just stays charged all the time. And of course, flash distance is between 0.7 and 3 meters when using 50 mm lens at f/1.7 aperture.

MattKing said:

The TTl system does require you to release the shutter on the camera in order to check whether the flash will give you enough light.

Click to expand...

So TTL flash is still missing pieces of information to give final result, unlike TTL exposure metering. I didn't know that.

MattKing said:

The distance ranges on the flash are there as a guide to when the automatic exposure is likely to work. With direct flash, you can usually have success with longer distances when there are lots of surfaces to bounce light off of - low ceilings, light coloured floors and walls as well as other reflecting surfaces can really help, but be wary of coloured surfaces that reflect coloured light.
If you are using bounce flash you need to estimate the distance that the flash light travels - both from the flash to the reflecting surface plus from the reflecting surface to the subject, as well as an allowance for how much light is lost at reflection. It is almost certainly easier to waste a shot and use the sufficient flash signal.

Click to expand...

Everything got rather complex now for me. I should clearly sacrifice a few rolls of film to learn basics of direct flash. Maybe then I'll give bounce flash a try. There are too many variables in that case.

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I also read in the manual that I can use several shutter speeds in S mode (in fact - all of them up to sync speed of 1/250), however the aperture always stays at f/5.6, much like A mode, where I can use whichever aperture I like, but speed is always fixed at 1/250.

M-88 said:

So, in theory, if I use flash at full capacity, it should expose correctly in most of situations and it should not overexpose, right?
Yes, and assuming you are using it in automatic mode, although like any other use of a meter (and you are in essence using the camera as a flash meter) you sometimes need to adjust for markedly brighter or darker subjects.

Click to expand...

M-88 said:

Indeed, any "level" of power other than "Full" gives me quick recharge time and at "1/16" it just stays charged all the time. And of course, flash distance is between 0.7 and 3 meters when using 50 mm lens at f/1.7 aperture.

Full power gives you a wider range of available apertures and subject to flash distances. Reduced power gives you shorter flash duration (great for freezing really fast action) and quicker recycling.

Click to expand...

M-88 said:

So TTL flash is still missing pieces of information to give final result, unlike TTL exposure metering. I didn't know that.

TTl flash meters at the time of exposure - not before. It is similar to cameras like the Olympus OM 2-4 and Pentax LX which do automatic exposure metering off the film plane. It is capable of very high accuracy.

Click to expand...

M-88 said:

Everything got rather complex now for me. I should clearly sacrifice a few rolls of film to learn basics of direct flash. Maybe then I'll give bounce flash a try. There are too many variables in that case.
Don't hesitate to try some bounce flash. The P auto functions can work (with a large enough lens aperture) up to 46 feet using ISO 100, so there is lots of power available.
A room with a whitish 9 foot ceiling is great - any subject 8 - 16 feet from the camera should be good.
Point the flash at a spot on the ceiling about halfway between you and the subject and see what you get.

Click to expand...

M-88 said:

I also read in the manual that I can use several shutter speeds in S mode (in fact - all of them up to sync speed of 1/250), however the aperture always stays at f/5.6, much like A mode, where I can use whichever aperture I like, but speed is always fixed at 1/250.

Are you sure that your camera is compatible with S mode? The manual I saw refers only to the 5000, 7000 and 9000

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Try a roll in a number of conditions, and see what you get.

M-88 said:

So there is no other way. I see. Thank you. I'll use a few rolls of HP5+, should do the work.

Click to expand...

I suggest using a cheap color negative and a cheap one-hour type lab, rather than using a b&w film...for learning purposes.

MattKing said:

Full power gives you a wider range of available apertures and subject to flash distances. Reduced power gives you shorter flash duration (great for freezing really fast action) and quicker recycling.

Click to expand...

Makes sense. However, it seems to me that it's taking forever to recycle when in full power with alkaline batteries. Far more than ten seconds stated in manual.

MattKing said:

TTl flash meters at the time of exposure - not before. It is similar to cameras like the Olympus OM 2-4 and Pentax LX which do automatic exposure metering off the film plane. It is capable of very high accuracy.

Click to expand...

I had quite a lot of OM bodies and I enjoyed OTF metering, but it nailed exposure every single time and with this flash it's still obscure, like "if everything's okay, then flash will tell you it's OK". Which means it still might not be OK after all, under some circumstances. That is why I got confused, although it's clearer now.

MattKing said:

Don't hesitate to try some bounce flash. The P auto functions can work (with a large enough lens aperture) up to 46 feet using ISO 100, so there is lots of power available.
A room with a whitish 9 foot ceiling is great - any subject 8 - 16 feet from the camera should be good.
Point the flash at a spot on the ceiling about halfway between you and the subject and see what you get.

Click to expand...

Seems to me that I will carry this flash more often than not. And it weighs same as the camera body.

MattKing said:

Are you sure that your camera is compatible with S mode? The manual I saw refers only to the 5000, 7000 and 9000

Click to expand...

Manual says S mode is "unavailable" for 5000, "same as P mode" for 7000 and "1/250 or slower usable, aperture automatically set to f/5.6". I have 9000 and I fiddled with that mode to make sure it works.

jtk said:

I suggest using a cheap color negative and a cheap one-hour type lab, rather than using a b&w film...for learning purposes.

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Eh, I always go to 1-hour lab for sake of speed Got a few rolls of C200 in reserves, seems like a good option.