omd:flash_ttl
using the Olympus OM-D cameras with flash
troubleshooting
flash does not fire
ensure the flash is connected to camera properly
if using hotshoe make sure it is attached properly
if using PC sync outlet, ensure it is attached and PC sync cable is not faulty
if using Olympus RC mode, ensure it is configured correctly in camera and on the flash and that there is a master flash on the camera to command the remote flash
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ensure flash is turned on and batteries are fresh enough to get the flash ready light lit up
ensure the flash flash ready light is lit up
ensure camera flash mode is not set to OFF or AUTO - I generally use “FILL IN”
if not using Olympus RC mode, ensure it is turned off in the camera
ensure camera drive mode is not a silent shutter mode
if using the bundled mini flash, ensure it is mounted correctly and not tilted down
exposure is too dark
photo is over-exposed
electronic flash capabilities
of the E-M5
hot shoe and bundled tiny flash
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remote TTL flash with separate slave flash units
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+/- 3EV flash exposure compensation
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flash sync defaults to 1/200th sec for FL-36R (or 1/160th sec when using this in RC mode)
you can use higher shutter speeds without resorting to SuperFP modes if you use a hotshoe adapter without TTL pins, but in this case your flash cannot use TTL metering, and it cannot determine ISO, aperture, focal length for zooming, but still this may be very useful as fill-in flash in bright sunlight up to 1/400th sec flash as long as your subject is only within the bottom 2/3rds of the frame (the flash does not expose the top of the frame as the shutter speed increases beyond 1/250th sec)
of the E-M1
as for the E-M5 BUT:
PC sync outlet available
flash sync 1/250th sec with MOST external flashes even in RC mode or radio remote TTL
you can use higher shutter speeds without resorting to SuperFP modes if you use a hotshoe adapter without TTL pins or connect via PC sync outlet, but in this case your flash cannot use TTL metering, and it cannot determine ISO, aperture, focal length for zooming, but still this may be very useful as fill-in flash in bright sunlight up to 1/800th sec flash as long as your subject is only within the bottom 2/3rds of the frame (the flash does not expose the top of the frame as the shutter speed increases beyond 1/400th sec)
using flash
manual flash
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having your camera exposure mode set to Manual allows you to control the contribution of ambient light by adjusting the shutter speed (with the potential for going faster than the x-sync if the camera cannot detect a TTL-compliant flash)
having the flash mode set to manual allows:
avoidance of that really annoying pre-flash which can also delay the shutter release by a fraction of a second, cause subjects to blink or fly away
ensure you have consistent flash output from one shot to the next unlike with TTL flash which can give variable exposures - if your scene is stable in terms of flash to subject distance, etc, then once you have determined the correct flash output, you can just leave it and know it will be working fine
use of non-compliant flashes which you may have from other systems or from the old film days
use of radio remotely controlled flash with non-TTL radio remotes
teaches you about light intensity and how it changes with distance or bouncing off walls, etc
makes it easier to trouble shoot - too dark, just turn up flash output, camera ISO, or widen the aperture, do the opposite if too much flash
you can still use SuperFP mode in manual if you need to
normal fill-in flash
set camera flash mode to fill in flash
set camera PASM dial to Manual (you could use other modes but I like the full control over ambient exposure)
set flash to TTL
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set ISO to 200 (or perhaps higher if you wish to get further flash reach or faster flash recycle times)
set WB to flash (or perhaps create a custom WB if bouncing the flash off a non-neutral surface)
adjust shutter speed to give you your desired ambient light exposure (must be slower than flash sync for the camera)
just set flash exposure compensation to a negative value depending on how little fill-in flash you want (eg. -0.7EV)
you can do this via the Super Control Panel (activate by pressing OK button, then use the arrow keys to get to flash +/- item, then OK again to select it)
if you are shooting in bright sunlight, you may wish to use a ND8 filter to allow wider aperture, or resort to
SuperFP mode and a fast shutter speed
maximum output fill-in flash in bright sunlight
whilst you can use flash as is, at flash sync of 1/200th sec for older flashes or 1/250th sec for newer flashes such as the FL-600R, and you can use
SuperFP mode to get faster flash sync (but at significant loss of flash output), there is a way to use your full flash output at fast shutter speeds if you are willing for a few compromises such as:
no TTL flash metering
no communication of ISO, aperture or focal length to the flash
the top part of the frame being increasingly unexposed by flash as shutter speed increases (half of the frame may be unexposed by flash at 1/640th sec)
the secret is just to put a flash adapter in the hotshoe which does not have TTL contacts, the camera will then allow you to set a shutter speed above the flash sync speed.
you will of course need to adjust the flash settings manually for the exposure you need.
don't forget if you want to shoot at wide aperture in bright sunlight with flash (not in SuperFP mode), you will need a ND filter to avoid over-exposure even at lowest ISO of 200 (or perhaps even at the “LOW” ISO setting of 100).
remember “sunny 16 rule” bright sunlight exposure at ISO 200, f/16 = 1/200th sec, at this speed, a ND8 3 stop filter will allow f/5.6
flash as main light with underexposed bright outdoor ambience
technique 1 - TTL independent compensation (default)
go to Menu, Custom Menu, Custom Flash and set flash (+/-) + (+/-) to OFF so that your flash exposure compensation is INDEPENDENT of ambient exposure compensation
set Exposure Compensation to a negative value (eg minus 1EV) to underexpose the background ambient light
set Flash exposure compensation to zero to give flash exposure of a normal exposure level
technique 2 - TTL flash, additive compensation
go to Menu, Custom Menu, Custom Flash and set flash (+/-) + (+/-) to ON so that your flash exposure compensation takes into account ambient exposure compensation
set Exposure Compensation to a negative value (eg minus 1EV) to underexpose the background ambient light
set Flash exposure compensation to a positive value opposite that of ambient compensation (eg. + 1EV) to return flash exposure to normal exposure level
omd/flash_ttl.txt · Last modified: 2018/12/13 21:21 by gary1