E-100rs and flash

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

Having had my E100RS for only a week I am finding that I have a lot to learn. One item is remembering to pop up the flash when "free handing". But if any light is available I'm still getting a decent photo(not great,but focused and fixable)My 2020 and 2100 can't produce a usable photo under the same conditions(I tried both just to be sure..way to dark,unfocused).

Also the IS Zoom make DOF adjustments a snap for quick shot and all freehand family portrait type shots. The more I play the more I find. This camera is loaded with features. Dont't get me wrong..I still love to use my 2.1 meg buddies but I'm not finding a lot of time for those right now. Looking forward to giving this camera a good outdoor workout this weekend.

Well John, Sorry to hear you are having problems, but that one of the advantages of having an FL-40 that does TTL with the camera! Yes it might cost you a few bucks but now you can see why it is worth something that has been designed to work with a camera that the manufacturer reccomends. If you read the specifications that came in your manual you will see that Autofocus is TTL , Spot focus, and contrast detection system, Page 221 in the Manual. The autofocusing uses a focus assist lamp. You also have three different metering systems. Digital Esp metering, Center-weighted averaging, and a stop metering system. Now given all this information and not to insult you but to drive a point home here, this is not a point and shoot camera. If the camera does not know the flash is there then it cannot set itself up right and its up to you! Some of your blur is probably caused by Camera shake. Now I am not suggesting you have you don't have a bad camera here, but I really have no idea about that. If the camera seems to work well without the flash involved and taking reasonable pictures then I think you are just in a learning curve.

Are you using a filter on your Lens? You just got the E-100Rs yesterday I think so don't you think that part of the problem is your set up! I personally do not have any problems with mine. I do not rely on the flash that is built on the camera unless I am going to sync with the FL-40. Now I have a few questions for you. Did you read page 127 in the manual that describes how to use commerically available external flashes? While it does not say you cannot use different manufacturers flashes it does say that if you use one that does not have the communication ablity other then the FL-40 that it may not function right and will possibly cause damage to the camera's internal circuitry! This E-100 is an upper line camera but has limitations to what can be used with it for the best results.

Good luck!

Jason

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

--Jason Stoller [email protected] that special moment with a great camera

Jason,
Do I really have to hear a dissertation on the merits of proprietary flash ?
I was actually hoping for some advice here.

I use this setup on the UZI with exceptionally good results. The Vivitar is a proven reliable flash for the UZI. I didn't think there would be too much difference with it attached the RS but obviously there is.

The E-100 does not seem to focus reliably in low light situations. It does just fine in good light though . . I also can notice more shutter lag with the RS. I repeatedly switched back and forth with the RS and the UZI and found the UZI to focus instantly and flawlessly with the 285HV flash.The RS did not. Most were OK but it just wasn't predictable.
Now to address your less than helpful answers.
Camera shake? With flash? Are you serious?

Since when does the camera have to know if the flash is there when set on manual. They do not communicate. Are you familiar with the basics of manual flash ?

TTL is a nice feature, I know about the advantages, but it is not a necessity. Many pros prefer manual flash.

How does the 3 modes of metering on the RS affect manual flash?
The UZI is more than a point and shoot camera too.

There are no filters on the camera .I know I just got this thing yesterday but this is my 7th Oly so I think the learning curve will be pretty short one for me. BTW The menu on the rs leaves something to be desired. Good thing I am somewhat experienced with them.

I know all about the manual says and what it warns of with 3rd party flashes. Isn't it strange that no one has hurt their camera? Did you know that microdrives also work with the RS but Oly doesn't acknowledge it?

Oh well I'll be checking out it out more this weekend to see if it does in fact take better pictures in good light. I'll be posting again soon. JD

Jason Stoller said:

Well John, Sorry to hear you are having problems, but that one of
the advantages of having an FL-40 that does TTL with the camera!

Click to expand...

Jason Stoller said:

Yes it might cost you a few bucks but now you can see why it is
worth something that has been designed to work with a camera that
the manufacturer reccomends. If you read the specifications that
came in your manual you will see that Autofocus is TTL , Spot
focus, and contrast detection system, Page 221 in the Manual. The
autofocusing uses a focus assist lamp. You also have three
different metering systems. Digital Esp metering, Center-weighted
averaging, and a stop metering system. Now given all this
information and not to insult you but to drive a point home here,
this is not a point and shoot camera. If the camera does not know
the flash is there then it cannot set itself up right and its up to
you! Some of your blur is probably caused by Camera shake. Now I
am not suggesting you have you don't have a bad camera here, but I
really have no idea about that. If the camera seems to work well
without the flash involved and taking reasonable pictures then I
think you are just in a learning curve.
Are you using a filter on your Lens? You just got the E-100Rs
yesterday I think so don't you think that part of the problem is
your set up! I personally do not have any problems with mine. I
do not rely on the flash that is built on the camera unless I am
going to sync with the FL-40. Now I have a few questions for you.
Did you read page 127 in the manual that describes how to use
commerically available external flashes? While it does not say you
cannot use different manufacturers flashes it does say that if you
use one that does not have the communication ablity other then the
FL-40 that it may not function right and will possibly cause damage
to the camera's internal circuitry! This E-100 is an upper line
camera but has limitations to what can be used with it for the best
results.

Good luck!

Jason

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

--
Jason Stoller [email protected]
Catching that special moment with a great camera

Click to expand...

Well I guess you really did not want any help. I am glad the setup worked on the Uzi but the RS is a different camera all together. You do not have to take my word for it, all you have to do is contact Oly and they will tell you that inside the camera its different. You did not specify what mode you had the camera in so its just natural to ask that question. The E-100RS fits in the OLY pro line. How you meter effects where and how you focus. I guess that is pretty basic information. It really appears here that you have all the answers and really did not want help! By the way John I guess this is a continuation between you and I from other posts here. Guess what John, It was I that posted about that Microdrives will work in the E-100. I guess I do not know anything and all and I wish you good luck with your problems.

Jason

john D1 said:

Jason,
Do I really have to hear a dissertation on the merits of
proprietary flash ?
I was actually hoping for some advice here.
I use this setup on the UZI with exceptionally good results. The
Vivitar is a proven reliable flash for the UZI. I didn't think
there would be too much difference with it attached the RS but
obviously there is.
The E-100 does not seem to focus reliably in low light situations.
It does just fine in good light though . . I also can notice more
shutter lag with the RS. I repeatedly switched back and forth
with the RS and the UZI and found the UZI to focus instantly and
flawlessly with the 285HV flash.The RS did not. Most were OK but it
just wasn't predictable.
Now to address your less than helpful answers.
Camera shake? With flash? Are you serious?
Since when does the camera have to know if the flash is there when
set on manual. They do not communicate. Are you familiar with the
basics of manual flash ?

TTL is a nice feature, I know about the advantages, but it is not a
necessity. Many pros prefer manual flash.

How does the 3 modes of metering on the RS affect manual flash?
The UZI is more than a point and shoot camera too.
There are no filters on the camera .I know I just got this thing
yesterday but this is my 7th Oly so I think the learning curve will
be pretty short one for me. BTW The menu on the rs leaves something
to be desired. Good thing I am somewhat experienced with them.
I know all about the manual says and what it warns of with 3rd
party flashes. Isn't it strange that no one has hurt their camera?
Did you know that microdrives also work with the RS but Oly doesn't
acknowledge it?
Oh well I'll be checking out it out more this weekend to see if it
does in fact take better pictures in good light. I'll be posting
again soon. JD

Click to expand...

--Jason Stoller [email protected] that special moment with a great camera

Hi JD.

I can't anwer with regards to your flash questions as I've yet not had any problems. My external flash hasn't arrived yet but when shooting at less than 15 feet with the internal flash most shots come out just fine.

Focusing with teleconverters in bad weather can be a problem. Especially when using the C-210. I've found the same to be true indoors with poor lighting when too far away from the subject for the focus assist beam to reach it. However, I'm still learning and there may be methods to overcome these problems. BTW, as far as I know the E-100 uses contrast detection which is probably why it's having a hard time focusing under the above mentioned circumstances.

Maxven

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

--Regards, Maxven (E-100rs, B-300, C-210)

I wanted to add a little something here. I personally do not care if I am popular on this list or not, but I did not appreciate your derrogitory comments on other threads in regard to the E-100 and shutter lag which is a carry over from another thread. Its one thing when a person makes an informed statement based on experience with the item they are posting about, but its another when they comment out of sheer speculation. All anyone has to do is search your threads before this one and they will see what I am talking about. Now with that being said, your complaints were about focus, shutter lag, and flash issues. Its too bad you did not want a dissertation, but you should read the manual. I sincerely doubt you have read the manual and have worked through all the functions that the E-100 has to offer. After all, you only had the camera since yesterday! I have two other Olympus SLR cameras but it did not make me an expert on the E-100RS! I personally do not care what camera you had before and what worked before. None of that matters here. You learning curve is dependant on what you can absorb from the manual and your experience wtih this particular camera. Accept it! If you don't understand that how you set up your camera has everything to do with how you set up your flash then you have a bigger problem then what has been discovered here so far. In fact I took pictures with the E-20 and the FL-40 yesterday at a local wrestling match and you can get blur with flash! Amazing isn't it! I am going to leave this alone now John, but I do not feel sorry for you one bit. I feel sorry for the others that have made the effort to help you!

Jason

Jason Stoller said:

Jason

john D1 said:

Jason,
Do I really have to hear a dissertation on the merits of
proprietary flash ?
I was actually hoping for some advice here.
I use this setup on the UZI with exceptionally good results. The
Vivitar is a proven reliable flash for the UZI. I didn't think
there would be too much difference with it attached the RS but
obviously there is.
The E-100 does not seem to focus reliably in low light situations.
It does just fine in good light though . . I also can notice more
shutter lag with the RS. I repeatedly switched back and forth
with the RS and the UZI and found the UZI to focus instantly and
flawlessly with the 285HV flash.The RS did not. Most were OK but it
just wasn't predictable.
Now to address your less than helpful answers.
Camera shake? With flash? Are you serious?
Since when does the camera have to know if the flash is there when
set on manual. They do not communicate. Are you familiar with the
basics of manual flash ?

TTL is a nice feature, I know about the advantages, but it is not a
necessity. Many pros prefer manual flash.

How does the 3 modes of metering on the RS affect manual flash?
The UZI is more than a point and shoot camera too.
There are no filters on the camera .I know I just got this thing
yesterday but this is my 7th Oly so I think the learning curve will
be pretty short one for me. BTW The menu on the rs leaves something
to be desired. Good thing I am somewhat experienced with them.
I know all about the manual says and what it warns of with 3rd
party flashes. Isn't it strange that no one has hurt their camera?
Did you know that microdrives also work with the RS but Oly doesn't
acknowledge it?
Oh well I'll be checking out it out more this weekend to see if it
does in fact take better pictures in good light. I'll be posting
again soon. JD

Click to expand...

--
Jason Stoller [email protected]
Catching that special moment with a great camera

Click to expand...

--Jason Stoller [email protected] that special moment with a great camera

Sorry for butting in. The post I'm linking to and the prior three posts may help explain the problems encountered with the use of flash.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1008&message=1829336

Maxven

Jason Stoller said:

Jason Stoller said:

Jason

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

I noticed some focusing problems when I was testing the teleconverters
the other day. A few shots that were taken with spot focus (that's all I
ever use) came out focused on something off center. It's almost as if
the wreched ESP focus "feature" had activated itself - like some creature
from a horror movie that keeps popping up after you think it's dead.
This was just in a quick shoot with failing light. I'll have a better chance
to try it out this weekend. I haven't noticed any focusing problems before
before this, but I'm still a long way away from using it enough to really be
familiar with it's moods.

Dave

dvt43 said:

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

I noticed some focusing problems when I was testing the teleconverters
the other day. A few shots that were taken with spot focus (that's
all I
ever use) came out focused on something off center. It's almost as if
the wreched ESP focus "feature" had activated itself - like some
creature
from a horror movie that keeps popping up after you think it's dead.
This was just in a quick shoot with failing light. I'll have a
better chance
to try it out this weekend. I haven't noticed any focusing problems
before
before this, but I'm still a long way away from using it enough to
really be
familiar with it's moods.

Dave

Click to expand...

OK . I was just setting my camera for the day and found the focus set
to normal, not spot. (Why do they consider mystery focus to be normal?).

Gremlins?

Dave

dvt43 said:

dvt43 said:

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

I noticed some focusing problems when I was testing the teleconverters
the other day. A few shots that were taken with spot focus (that's
all I
ever use) came out focused on something off center. It's almost as if
the wreched ESP focus "feature" had activated itself - like some
creature
from a horror movie that keeps popping up after you think it's dead.
This was just in a quick shoot with failing light. I'll have a
better chance
to try it out this weekend. I haven't noticed any focusing problems
before
before this, but I'm still a long way away from using it enough to
really be
familiar with it's moods.

Dave

Click to expand...

OK . I was just setting my camera for the day and found the focus set
to normal, not spot. (Why do they consider mystery focus to be
normal?).

Gremlins?

Dave

Click to expand...

johnD1,

I was shooting in a gym last night and had some trouble focusing over 30 feet in the dim light.
The following worked for me.

Set the white balance to clouds.

Set the camera in manual mode with almost any shutter speed (1/500 or 1/1000 etc.)

Set the 285 in full manual mode (the 1/16, 1/4, etc & M) settings. This takes a bit more test shots to get exposures correct, but gives more control.

Fine-tune the aperture to get the correct exposure.

Next try manual focus at a long distance and let the aperture dept of field keep the subject in focus. Half press the shutter when you are ready to fire off a shot.

So far this worked for me last night and the 5 fps is cool. Today I am going to try it again.

You can also do a search on this great forum and get a lot of answers.

Good Luck

Craig F.

dvt43 said:

dvt43 said:

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

I noticed some focusing problems when I was testing the teleconverters
the other day. A few shots that were taken with spot focus (that's
all I
ever use) came out focused on something off center. It's almost as if
the wreched ESP focus "feature" had activated itself - like some
creature
from a horror movie that keeps popping up after you think it's dead.
This was just in a quick shoot with failing light. I'll have a
better chance
to try it out this weekend. I haven't noticed any focusing problems
before
before this, but I'm still a long way away from using it enough to
really be
familiar with it's moods.

Dave

Click to expand...

OK . I was just setting my camera for the day and found the focus set
to normal, not spot. (Why do they consider mystery focus to be
normal?).

Gremlins?

Dave

Click to expand...

Mystery focus, LOL. I like that term. Maybe I'll make a small sticker and place over the top LCD display where it says ESP.

Maxven

Jason,

It seems that whenever someone has a problem with the RS you take it personnaly. Tell me, Do you sleep with the camera? You seem to be doing a good job of alienating yourself on the forum lately yourself. I think you need a vacation.

Jason Stoller said:

I wanted to add a little something here. I personally do not care
if I am popular on this list or not,

Click to expand...

Suit yourself. It don't matter to me one way or the other.

but I did not appreciate your

Jason Stoller said:

derrogitory comments on other threads in regard to the E-100 and
shutter lag which is a carry over from another thread.

Click to expand...

The E-100 has shutter lag Do you deny this?I am not alone here.

Its one

Jason Stoller said:

thing when a person makes an informed statement based on experience
with the item they are posting about, but its another when they
comment out of sheer speculation.

Click to expand...

No speculation here , just fact.I do happen to have the camera here and can attest to the unreliable focus in low light situations. pronounced shutter lag, and lack of pixels.After using the UZI for 6 months as a benchmark for me I think I am qualified to realize a difference.

All anyone has to do is search

Jason Stoller said:

your threads before this one and they will see what I am talking
about.

Click to expand...

Re-read your own recent threads, You posted 7 times with no replies to . You don't like problematic questions(negative comments you say?) regarding the RS , but you have no problem bashing someones Minolta D7, did you? You are a poor sport who can not take it but likes to dish it out. Me thinks you are losing it!

Now with that being said, your complaints were about focus,

Jason Stoller said:

shutter lag, and flash issues. Its too bad you did not want a
dissertation, but you should read the manual.

Click to expand...

I can read, no doubt better than you.

I sincerely doubt

Jason Stoller said:

you have read the manual and have worked through all the functions
that the E-100 has to offer.

Click to expand...

I'm getting there, I'm probably not as smart a you.After all you are an expert?

After all, you only had the camera

Jason Stoller said:

since yesterday!

Click to expand...

What is this ,Rocket science?

I have two other Olympus SLR cameras but it did

Jason Stoller said:

not make me an expert on the E-100RS! I personally do not care
what camera you had before and what worked before.

Click to expand...

Then why are you telling me how many cameras you have ?

None of that

Jason Stoller said:

matters here. You learning curve is dependant on what you can
absorb from the manual and your experience wtih this particular
camera. Accept it!

Click to expand...

I can accept that the camera falls short in some ares ,not unlike other cameras.. Can you? I don't think so.
It's your toy and no one dare criticise it huh?

The problem is you think the camera is more than it is . It has inherent characteristics and I need to work thru them.

If you don't understand that how you set up

Jason Stoller said:

your camera has everything to do with how you set up your flash
then you have a bigger problem then what has been discovered here
so far. In fact I took pictures with the E-20 and the FL-40
yesterday at a local wrestling match and you can get blur with
flash! Amazing isn't it!

Click to expand...

It all depends on how well you read your manual and how much you absorbed doesn't it? Obviously you need help with the blur problem too. See what I mean? Even your FL 40 doesn't work properly all the time.
(care to pull your foot out of your mouth/)

I am going to leave this alone now John,

Jason Stoller said:

but I do not feel sorry for you one bit. I feel sorry for the
others that have made the effort to help you!

Click to expand...

No, Jason ,You will not leave it alone. You will attempt to get the last word in .I have followed your threads before.You are immature. You don't know when to quit.

Could it be that you didn't offer any help because you just didn't know? Thanks for nothing.JD

JD........ my first flash attempts seem just fine so far.. e.g.



--Steve B.

Yeah, I agree , It does look good.I have some good ones too among the not so good ones.

Digipsych said:

JD........ my first flash attempts seem just fine so far.. e.g.



--
Steve B.

Click to expand...

Craig F. said:

dvt43 said:

dvt43 said:

john D1 said:

I am having a bit of trouble getting consistantly good flash shots
indoors with either the built in flash and the big Vivitar. Focus
is kinda slow , not always reliable and when it does lock on , the
exposures are not always in good focus. Half the time they are just
fine though. Am I doing something wrong to contribute to the
inconsistancies or is this a characteristic of the camera ?

When in auto WB the flash images come out tinted blue. (energy
savings warm flourescent lighting overhead ) However when I set the
white balance manually the color is fine.

Another thought ,today I had a difficult time focussing on long
distance subjects.1000ft to 1/2 mile.(with tele lenses) It was a
very rainy day and contrast was at an all time low.I attribute the
focus problem to that. Am i correct in assuming that the camera
uses contrast to auto focus?
JD

Click to expand...

I noticed some focusing problems when I was testing the teleconverters
the other day. A few shots that were taken with spot focus (that's
all I
ever use) came out focused on something off center. It's almost as if
the wreched ESP focus "feature" had activated itself - like some
creature
from a horror movie that keeps popping up after you think it's dead.
This was just in a quick shoot with failing light. I'll have a
better chance
to try it out this weekend. I haven't noticed any focusing problems
before
before this, but I'm still a long way away from using it enough to
really be
familiar with it's moods.

Dave

Click to expand...

OK . I was just setting my camera for the day and found the focus set
to normal, not spot. (Why do they consider mystery focus to be
normal?).

Gremlins?

Dave

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johnD1,

I was shooting in a gym last night and had some trouble focusing
over 30 feet in the dim light.
The following worked for me.

Set the white balance to clouds.
Set the camera in manual mode with almost any shutter speed (1/500
or 1/1000 etc.)
Set the 285 in full manual mode (the 1/16, 1/4, etc & M) settings.
This takes a bit more test shots to get exposures correct, but
gives more control.

Fine-tune the aperture to get the correct exposure.

Next try manual focus at a long distance and let the aperture dept
of field keep the subject in focus. Half press the shutter when you
are ready to fire off a shot.

So far this worked for me last night and the 5 fps is cool. Today I
am going to try it again.

You can also do a search on this great forum and get a lot of answers.

Good Luck

Craig F.

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Hi Craig.

Have you any experience with gym shots with the FL-40? Any ideas on settings when flash isn't allowed?

Maxven

Maxven,

No I don’t own a FL-40… yet, the problem with using something else is you have to keep adjusting the flash settings depending on how close the target is. In a fast paced game that is a big hassle and I ruined some great shots because of it.

But yes I have had a lot of experience taking pictures inside of gyms using only available light mostly using my Canon SLR. My daughter or I should say we were involved in Gymnastics for 10 years. I don’t know what sport you are looking at taking pictures for but I have some suggestions that might help.

With film I would use a high-speed film pushed 1 or 2 stops, something with an ISO of 800 or 1000.

Now with digital I set the ISO to its highest setting then set the camera for exposure compensation of 1 or 2 stops underexposure. This will sometimes give you a shutter speed that you can work with The resulting image will be real dark so use your favorite photo editing software to adjust the lightness and contrast. Not the greatest image but better than nothing.

I set the camera to its lowest aperture and see what shutter speed that gives me. Using shutter priority see how slow you can get away without too much blurring of the action. Try some test shots at various settings to see what works for you.

Because of the slow shutter speed, the next key thing to do is try to capture the target when they are not moving fast, like during a turn or standing still. In Gymnastics that was either on the floor or the balance beam. Lets say in Basketball try to get them ready for a jump shot or free throw.

I found that most gyms have bad lighting for photography, I had to use a filter to remove the yellow cast from the pictures, again use the computer to do that.

If all else fails see if you can take some flash pictures during practice or warm-ups, but please ask the coach first.

A second option that I have used is to take a digital 8 video camera and take a video of the event. Then you can capture pictures off of it using one of the Dazzle products and a fast computer. The resolution isn’t real high no 8 x 10’s but you can get some great shots using the camera to step each frame until the action is just right, great for e-mailing pictures to relatives.

The only problem using the above technique is that it takes a lot of computer power, at least 256k memory, 1gig processor with a 64 meg video card and 20gig free on a fast hard drive.

I hope the above helps.

Craig F.

Maxven said:

Maxven wrote:
Hi Craig.

Have you any experience with gym shots with the FL-40? Any ideas on
settings when flash isn't allowed?

Maxven

Click to expand...