Built in flashes suck!

[jsrockit]

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you have uncovered a great secret of the great photographers .... shoot 100 images, torch 99 and show everyone the one best image

 

:D :D

 

(i have many drawers full of negatives and slides *no-one* will ever see)

 

And of great producers of any creative process... be it video, music, writing, etc.

[delnerdo]

There's another option for lighting with strobe flash, which is to set up another flash in slave mode.

The slave senses the strobe from your camera, which triggers the auxiliary flash. With a diffuser or bounce,

the slave flash can nicely fill in shadows from the on-camera flash, or add a backlit accent, or ... ?

 

But overall, go for the fastest lens you can afford, turn on the indoor lights, and try to think of available light as the subject, or at least how it interacts with the subject.

[John Thawley]

small on-camera flashes that can't be tilted and twisted (to bounce) suck and always will suck.

 

my opinions is *if you MUST use this kind of flash* (like the DL4/LX3) drop the shutter speed as low as you can stand, open the lens as much as you can (this will use as much of the ambient light as possible), drop flash EV down one f-stop (minimize the flash strength) and learn to accept your sad fate.

 

if you want to avoid the color issue with mixed lighting, go B&W.

 

i have personally NEVER taken an acceptable direct flash (not bounced) image indoors. (outdoor fill-flash is another topic)

 

Of course, there are ways to shoot bounced flash vertical ... in-as-much as necessity is the mother of invention... don't forget my little Digilux 2 Bounce Card.

 

http://www.johnthawley.com/journal/2009/7/15/bounce-with-me.html

[daveleo]

Of course, there are ways to shoot bounced flash vertical ... in-as-much as necessity is the mother of invention... don't forget my little Digilux 2 Bounce Card.

 

Bounce With�Me! - Journal - Motorsports Photography by Motorsports Photographer, John Thawley :: American Le Mans, Grand Am,

 

yes ! .... i have used the poor-man's version (cellophane tape and white card stock) and it works great.

someday, i must get that styrene and upgrade

[tobey bilek]

Use it for fill flash.

[usayit]

I shoot with an LX3... yes most on board flashes tend to be PITA.

 

I've gotten fairly good results with the pairing the LX3 with the Metz 28 CS-2. Its an optical slave so you'll have to consider issues with other flashes. For a small flash, it is packed with lots of features.

 

One of my custom profiles are set specifically for use with the MEtz 28 CS-2. The flash is set to A mode and has already been configured to deal with the preflash.

 

My profile for use with flash:

 

ISO 200

Aperture set to f/2.8

Aperture priority (I let the camera decide exposure for background subjects)

EV set to -1 (background subjects will be approx -1 EV from foreground exposed via flash)

Flash EV set to -2 (I want most of my flash exposure from the Metz CS-2 and not the onboard flash)

Flash is forced on (required to trip the Metz 28 CS-2)

WB set to flash.

 

I usually have the camera in my right hand and the CS-2 in my left extended over up high. You can even set it down or mount on camera. It also works effectively on my P&S TZ5 but I set the flash to "easy" mode, -1.5EV (on camera), and adjust with +/- as the TZ5 doesn't allow for as much control.

 

 

The only disadvantage... again... other flashes will set it off.

 

[EDIT] The other disadvantage is that the flash has diffusers that is easily lost. I have yet to find a source for replacements.

 

btw.. here's a sample frame when I was playing around with the CS-2 for the first time:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL262/1501137/15679162/380236936.jpg

[h00ligan]

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Thanks! I was thinking about a remote flash of some sort. I'll look into that

[Azeredo]

There are at ebay > Cameras & Photo > Flashes > Flash Units, advertisements of a TTL AF Digital Flash for Panasonic LX3.

By similarity, i suppose that it will also work with DLux-4

If the description is true, it is the ideal external flash, with good price.

 

Azeredo

[myexpat]

I have found this combo most interesting:

Olympus FL-36R and Leica D-Lux 4

 

BoPhoto.com: FL36 Flash on Leica D-lux4

[h00ligan]

Thanks guys... obviously the weirdness is how large the flash is compared to the camera. It seems the lx3 specific flash does bounce... what's the downside to that unit? model number DMW-FL220

 

edit - ahh seems to be direct only..

[daveleo]

... obviously the weirdness is how large the flash is compared to the camera...

 

yeh ,,,, put the lens extension tub on and a 52mm step-up filter, add that hoodman LCD loupe/magnifier and then attach a moderate sized flash unit and you kinda wonder "where did my little camera go ? "

[clinchico]

I use colour charts I got from the camera store for free and cut them to fit the flash and then attach it with a small rubber band to keep it in place. They come in clear to a multitude of different colours and strength. It is worth a try.

[shazrul]

Has anyone tried canon's 270ex with the DLux4? It can do ceiling bounce (but not twist). I'm considering one, but would like to hear opinions from current users first.

[Nicoleica]

Not all built-in flashes 'suck'. They can be great for fill flash.

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[nigelb]

Nice picture Nicole, shows perfectly what can be done with on camera fill-in flash. Used sensibly and within its limitations the built in flash on the D-Lux4 can give good results - I don't think it sucks. Using the flash compensation I use it often to supplement available light and inject a little sparkle into otherwise mundanely lit pictures.

 

Anyone considering a extra flashgun should consider the Metz 36 AF-4 in Olympus/Panasonic fit. With the D-Lux4 it retains a high degree of dedication and has bounce but not twist. I have received one about a week ago, it's well built and am getting excellent results with it so far, and it's less than half the price of the Olympus or Panasonic equivalents at about £70.

 

Nigel