Leica M2 and Vivitar 283 Flash, Need some help!

[Justin-A]

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Dear Leica lovers!

 

A while ago I bought my first Leica, an M2. And I've been shooting some test rolls on the street. I've connected a Vivitar 283 flash to it (keeping it in my hand, connected with a cord), mostly shooting t-max 400 on a shutter speed of 500 (quite fast?). 

 

Now I keep having some issues with the shutter speed and exposure of the flash on the photos... Maybe there's quite a simple answer to my question... Probably my shutter speed still is too slow or too fast, or could it be my lens (Carl Zeis Biogon M, 28mm)? But I would love to learn from people with more expertise than I have at this moment. What can I do to get my flash properly exposed on my photo's?

 

I've attached an example! Thank you in advance!

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[pico]

Your shutter speed should be set at 1/50th (between 30 and 60). There is a little red arrow on the speed dial to line up.

 

Do that first.

[Justin-A]

@Pico

 

Wouldn't that be way too slow for fast handling on the street and create a blur?

[adan]

Pico is correct. And paulmac stole my glory (I had something similar all written out! )

 

Some (other) solutions:

 

1) use 1/50th, and count on the speed of your electronic flash burst (1/1000th-1/10000 sec.) to freeze the action. Note in your sample picture (probably at 1/125th?) that the man's hair is already showing some motion blur anyway, but the flash-lit belt and leather thongs are "frozen" and sharp due to the very fast flash exposure - just expand that to the whole picture by using 1/50th so that the flash reaches everything.

 

Here's a shot by Nat. Geo photographer (and Leica M user) David Alan Harvey - very dim light, long shutter time, but his flash still "freezes" the dancer in the foreground.

 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5822280c3e00be7d112f2258/5834c0a9579fb34d13dea31b/5840b1098419c2d2cce6a2f0/1480634643526/526142+WEB.jpg?format=2500w

 

You can get as creative as you like combining "ambient" (natural) light and any shutter time slower than sync speed, with a motion-freezing flash exposure.

 

http://www.popphoto.com/sites/popphoto.com/files/styles/large_1x_/public/import/2014/files/_images/201412/converge%2003.jpg?itok=EUyhpUUN

 

2) go really-old-school and get a flashgun that uses flash bulbs. Those "burn" for a relatively long time, and thus their light reaches all the film no matter how narrow your shutter slit is - they will even "sync" with 1/500th second. In that case, your shutter speed setting goes back to controlling the exposure/brightness, instead of the flash controlling its own length of exposure.

 

http://www.donsbulbs.com/bulbs/g623/l/ge1954/09.gif

 

http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/images/Camera%20Flash/DSCN6789.jpg

[adan]

Image-google "dragging the shutter" - a stupid "hipster" name for a technique that has been around for decades - even when hipsters were in diapers - but is nonetheless effective for using flash to get razor sharpness when for one reason or another your shutter isn't fast enough.

 

http://digitalphotoacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2010/04/16_-5.jpg

[pico]

@Pico

 

Wouldn't that be way too slow for fast handling on the street and create a blur?

 

Sure, but if the subject is close enough to be the dominant element, it would be very clear because the flash has a very short duration. The flash unit in question is very durable, and on automatic it is good. I marvel that my too-old-to-remember 283 still works!

 

EDIT: Back to adan's post. We should make a book of his posts.

[Justin-A]

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Thank you all, this is some great information.

 

To Adan: The picture is actually taken on 1/500th, so that's what gives me doubts. But I'll try the 1/50th soon and let you know the results. I am very curious to see what happens. I've shot at 1/125th before with the flash and that just came out as blurry pictures on the street. 

 

What kind of flashgun can you guys recommend for shooting on a fast shutter speed (next to the old flashbulb) for the M2?

 

I sometimes shoot at club venues, which is of course filled with darkness. I haven't tried shooting yet with the Leica M2 and Vivitar 283. These would be shots of fast moving/dancing people, I guess this wouldn't be possible very easy either with my equipment? 

 

Thank you once more, this is very helpful! 

[Justin-A]

I also would like to maintain the darkness of the background elements around my (nearby) subject, which result is best gained at a faster shutter speed. This would most likely just be possible without flash (with my equipment)?

[pico]

Thank you all, this is some great information.

 

To Adan: The picture is actually taken on 1/500th, so that's what gives me doubts. But I'll try the 1/50th soon and let you know the results. I am very curious to see what happens.

 

Shoot at 1/50^th or fail. That is final.

[Denys]

Another concise post from Paul - part of what makes participation in this forum so worth while - thanks! Those answers will help the OP make photographs that will please them. If I can jump on my 'soap box', if anything can turn people away from the Bruce-You-Know-Who way of working, I cannot thank you enough!

[mikemgb]

I also would like to maintain the darkness of the background elements around my (nearby) subject, which result is best gained at a faster shutter speed. This would most likely just be possible without flash (with my equipment)?

To maintain a dark background you need to rely on the flash to expose the film, making sure the camera setting are such that ambient light would be insufficient for exposure.

 

Your shutter speed is fixed at 1/50, there is no way round that, to get a dark background you are going to need a combination of a slow film and a small aperture, your flash will have to be powerful enough to light your subject at your chosen aperture, the dial on your flash will tell you how far away your subject can be at various film speeds and apertures.

 

You're probably going to be limited to overcast days, on a sunny day with iso 100 film 1/50 at f16 is going to correctly expose the background.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Shoot at 1/50^th or fail. That is final.

 

Hello Justin,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Actually, for electronic flash, with most FILM "M" cameras you can set the shutter speed wheel anywhere from 1 second to the little lightening bolt which is BETWEEN the 30 and the 60 on the shutter speed wheel.

 

Except:

 

With M5 cameras you should set the shutter speed wheel from 1/2 second to the little round point between the 30 and the 60. The 1 second speed on an M5 is a "hand timed" speed. Not escapement controlled.

 

And: With early M3 cameras you can set the shutter speed from 1 second to the 50 engraved on the shutter speed dial. There is no marked 60 on many early M3's.

 

Keeping in mind that the higher the shutter speed within these parameters, the greater the action stopping in the ambient light illuminated portion of your photo.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[Justin-A]

So one last question before I'm off to try. When shooting at night, would the 1/50th with flash also mostly freeze my moving/dancing subject (nearby) in front the camera? As the background will mostly just be a dark sky, there's no problem with illuminating background subjects like in the city.

[mikemgb]

So one last question before I'm off to try. When shooting at night, would the 1/50th with flash also mostly freeze my moving/dancing subject (nearby) in front the camera? As the background will mostly just be a dark sky, there's no problem with illuminating background subjects like in the city.

 

At night you will get exactly the effect you are looking for.

[kaspart]

you can as well use a ND-filter (or orange or red for b&w) to be able to open the aperture a few stops at 1/50th