13.9 Manual Flash Mode

Mikah Poster Blow-up 4x6 300 dpi DSC00671

Figure 13-18 Just like manual exposure mode is necessary for non-average subjects, manual mode for your flash is necessary for black (or white) backgrounds. I got this result with just one flash and one diffuser.

The 43 and 60 flashes have the capability to provide a fixed amount of light output when triggered by a camera in wireless controller mode. With the advent of automatic wireless flash exposure, why would you ever need manual control like this?

An example which provides the answer can be seen in Figure 13-18. In this scenario you cannot rely on the camera’s auto flash exposure mode because of the predominantly black background – the camera’s exposure computer would look at all that light coming back in from the background and say “Whooa! That’s WAY too much light! I’ll increase to the total amount of light I command to make sure pictures looks about 18% grey!!” (This is the same problem with ambient light exposure modes of any camera.)

What to do? Studio photographers solved the problem ages ago by using powerful strobe lights (so they can shoot at small f/stops) that always flash with a known, fixed amount of light. The photographer would use a handheld flashmeter to measure the light falling on the subject and calculate the proper f/stop to use.

Well, using an accessory flash that has manual flash output mode, a Sony wireless photographer on a budget can do the same thing, and it’s a whole lot less work to set up. A handheld flashmeter isn’t even needed anymore – just do test shots and look at the histogram to see if your blacks are as black as you’d like.

 

13.9.1 To Put the 60 Into Manual Slave Mode
  1. MODE --> WL REMOTE
  2. Fn --> [Highlight TTL label] --> Center button --> Manual Remote --> Center button
  3. Then adjust the power of the flash output by Fn --> [Highlight the LEVEL label and hit the center button] --> [Rotate the wheel to change the value, from 1/1 (full power) to 1/128th power, in 1/3rd stop increments].

Voila!

13.9.2 To put the 43 into Manual Slave mode
  1. Change the flash’s Custom Function 4 to read “PASM” to allow manual output using all of the camera’s exposure modes (not just “M” as is the factory default). (Technically this isn’t needed to use the flash as a slave, but it’s a good setting to keep nevertheless.)
  2. Make sure the flash’s Custom Function 1 to “On”. This enables the High Speed Synch function, which might be needed if you’re shooting with a shutter speed above 1/250th of a second (You can keep this setting on “On” forever.)
  3. With the flash atop the camera, set the camera to “Wireless” mode (MENU --> Image 2 --> Flash Mode --> Wireless). Press the shutter release button halfway.
  4. Press the “Fn” button on the back of the flash. The “CTRL” icon starts to blink. Press the right arrow on the back of the flash until you see the “RMT” (Remote) icon flash. This puts the flash into slave mode. Press the “Fn” button again.
  5. Press the TTL/M button on the back of the flash once. You will see the “MANUAL” icon appear along the bottom edge of the flash’s display.
  6. Use the left and right arrows on the back of the flash to control the fixed amount of light that the flash sends. “1/1” means full output; “1/2” means half of full output… all the way down to 1/32nd of full output. (How much is appropriate? Some test shots will reveal this quickly. Check the histogram (Section A.7) for exposure accuracy.)