What Shutter Speed?

ivanlow · Dec 5, 2015

Hi,

This is my first post, I wonder if this is the right place to ask.
I'm new to film photography and recently acquire Nikon FM2N with SB-15.
While I was trying to figure how to work the flash unit, I'm not sure what I should do with the speed dial on the camera.
Through the online documentation of SB-15 I' know the GN and subject calculation, say 3m / 25GN will give f8 aperture under 100 ISO.
So should I just stick with the red highlight of 250 on the speed dial or is there a way to calculate manually?

Peltigera · Dec 5, 2015

You need the shutter speed to be set to the synchronisation speed - which is the speed at which the shutter is fully open rather than just being a travelling slit. On the FM2 that is 1/250 or slower.

AgX · Dec 5, 2015

ivanlow said:
So should I just stick with the red highlight of 250 on the speed dial or is there a way to calculate manually?

Calculating electronic flash exposure manually has nothing to do with the shutter time, unless you include ambient light. Then you have to meter/calculate the ambient light exposure at the set shutter time and aperture. Depending on how far (in exposure stops) artificial and ambient light differ, you might want Change one them.
With a flash in manual mode you might be able to set it at lower power, vary its zoom-head, use indirect lighting. The ambient lighting then is typically controlled by the shutter time as this only would effect the ambient part.

BUT:
Some basic cameras set a certain shutter time the moment any flash is pushed into the hot-shoe.
System SLRs with dedicated flashes typically set their synchro shutter time the moment that dedicated flash is installed. I assume that is so in your case.

I guess some expert on your Nikon combo will chime in to give details.

AgX · Dec 5, 2015

Otherwise a good resource to get an overview as well as details on some SLR systems is Mir Photography:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/photography.htm

Sirius Glass · Dec 5, 2015

Welcome to APUG

The automatic mode will work well. Also, if you can aim the flash at the ceiling or the wall with the sensor aimed at the subject to get a less harsh flash [called bounce flash].

ivanlow · Dec 6, 2015

Thank you all for your time helping me. I'll have to try out some settings for myself to see the result.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Old-N-Feeble · Dec 6, 2015

Learning how to manually shoot syncro-sun to always get the effects you want takes practice, practice and more practice. Learning to manually calculate distances and bounce flash from various surfaces takes practice, practice and more practice. Learning to do either nearly instantaneously takes... practice, practice and practice... and more practice. And don't forget to account for equipment variances and 'effective aperture' while zooming. Adding a zoom head to the flash is yet another variable to always calculate for.

EDIT: That may read as a bit scary but it's really not. It just takes some time and dedication for everything to mesh and sync properly.

Sirius Glass · Dec 6, 2015

Actually all the above that ONF said takes practice is much easier if one is using a flash unit with a sensor on it. Then it takes a whole lot less practice to get good bounce flash and fill in flash photographs.

ivanlow · Dec 6, 2015

Old-N-Feeble said:
Learning how to manually shoot syncro-sun to always get the effects you want takes practice, practice and more practice. Learning to manually calculate distances and bounce flash from various surfaces takes practice, practice and more practice. Learning to do either nearly instantaneously takes... practice, practice and practice... and more practice. And don't forget to account for equipment variances and 'effective aperture' while zooming. Adding a zoom head to the flash is yet another variable to always calculate for.

EDIT: That may read as a bit scary but it's really not. It just takes some time and dedication for everything to mesh and sync properly.

Hi Old-N-Feeble,

Thanks for the advice, just shot 1 roll today, normally I took a week.
I currently do not have a zoom flash. Do you have any good flash to recommend me where I can easily pickup from ebay?

Old-N-Feeble · Dec 6, 2015

I have no advice regarding what new flash to buy. The last flashes I used were Sunpack 611 (I liked the way they feathered) and Sunpack 622 (I liked the 'easier' variable power switch and availability of zoom heads). Regarding using auto sensors on flashes... not my cup of tea because it's far too imprecise and unpredictable. I'd rather use TTL with an in-camera multi-sensor array than that but I didn't like TTL either. I always, always ALWAYS shot manual flash.

AgX · Dec 6, 2015

silveror0 said:
2) Using wide angle lens with flash may not illuminate the entire field of view for the lens, thus creating a "hotspot."

The typical coverage for an electronic flash since the mid-70s is that of a 35mm lens. And that is what its guide-number is based on if it has a zoom reflector. Often there was an accessory diffusor that allowed the use of at least an 28mm lens.

Sirius Glass · Dec 6, 2015

My flash, Nikon SB800, can swivel and bounce, as well as zoom from a 28mm to 105mm [on 35mm camera] as the camera lens zooms.

What Shutter Speed?

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