Questions about the FZ5

Hi everyone. It's been a long while since I've posted here. Moved across country and took a while to get settled. Just starting to take pictures again and I have some questions about my FZ 5.

Can anyone tell me if you can some how use an external flash with this camera since it doesn't have a hot shoe?

Also, how do you use different lenes and filters on this camera without any lens threads? Do you just use the adaptor or did you make modifications to it?

I will post a few images of our time at the country's largest Free Fair down here in Washington Parish in Southeast Louisiana.

I am trying to get some help on the retouching forum to sharpen the one of the kids in the race car, but their expressions are priceless to me!

Thanks for all who reply.
Deidre

HI Deidre...

while I don't know about the external flash...I assume you would need a flash bracket.

But as for the lens and filters....I have the adapter that came with the camera , but I also have a protective lens on that to protect my lens of the camera...that protective lens has threads on the end that allow me to attach a tele lens or my macro lens. While I have not made any modifications to the adaptor, some people have and are happy with that and doing so...I cannot bring myself to mess with the camera like that.

Love the photos of the kids in the race car..We have something exactly like that here at the Beach Boardwalk...I would leave the photo...it's just one of those priceless photos, that although not perfect, you feel the moment of excitment of the kids...also the one of your daughter on the merry go round is priceless as well!
dbuzbee wrote:
Kim K

Hope this pics. can help:

FZ5 with filter, plus Olympus WCON-08 wide angle, plus Sunpak Remote Lite II, flash. There should be others choices too.





BTW very nice kids.
Regards

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nico
http://www.pbase.com/agostinho

You should be able to search on "slave flash" and turn up quite a few threads. Here's the one that I bought:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=311150&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

how this slave works on the camera? Does it screw into the tripod mount? If so, how does it get it's power and what triggers it to flash?

I am sorry if these sound like stupid questions, but I am new to this and I need to learn how to use all these accessories!

Thanks again for the photos...lets me know my little cam is versatile and expandable.

Deidre

Hi, the flash bracket that come with the flash you can attached it to the FZ5 tripod mount, or used it a little far from each other, but not too far I guest. So when you fire your's onboard cam. flash it will trigger the "slave flash", so you won't need wire connection. But pls. take note that the flash shows by my pic. is not very powerfull, if you need more reach, you should find one with more power, and may I sugguest you to take your cam. with you to the shop and try it with the flash you wish to buy, cause some "slave flash" may not fire with the cam. And the downside of this kind of flash ie if there are others shooters, using flash, it may trigger your flash as well. Good Luck.
Regards and sorry about the english.
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nico
http://www.pbase.com/agostinho

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Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~

great pic!

I use an FZ5 with a Vivitar DF200 slave flash. It can detect the two flashes that are made by the FZ5 as well as any other digital. (based on the light bouncing back I would assume). It is pretty powerful for the price as well. It has always worked well indoor as a bounce flash.

I did have mixed results at first when shooting outside on an open football fied at night. I think that the slave flash photosensor couldn't always detect the camera flash from farther distances. So based on some of the other posts I have seen on this forum, I decided to get creative. I opened the slave flash unit and found the photosensor. I wired into it to connect another phototransisor that is now placed in a film canister covering the camera flash. This works every time now and also prevents some other flash from setting of my slave.

I will see if I can find a site to post a photo of the set up if you are interested.

Is that a Nikon 28DX ? (I have a extra one of those laying around!!) and what Sunkpak bar is that? If I can find that bar I might be in the flash thing cheap (since I already have the flash!!)

Thanks...

Jay
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'Look kid, I'll give you $5 to shut-up and smile'