Reading mode: Light Dark

FL56AM problems...

Go to last post
In the examples all were ISO 400, F/4, 1/60s...

Anyway something more strange is that if I force the EV in the camera, I have the same results, same underexposure.

In the last picture, the flash was being forced to EV+2, I really don't see a difference...

I know I can expose manually, in fact, I do that most of the time, the formulas are really really simple, (GN=A . d) so no problem... thing is I don't like having such an expensive "toy" that doesn't work as its promised.

Worse thing is, if this unit is damaged, I can't use warranty, Sony Mexico won't care about Sony's USA warranty... isn't it wonderful how we live in a "globalized" world? Commerce is global, Internet is global, currency is global, but warranties are local.

--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
 
...I'll check...

I rarely use RAW, for most of my "family pics" and "day by day" pics JPG is more than enough, I only use RAW when in advance I know I'll be shooting something "out of the common", but of course I'll try, and maybe RAW will be my "default flash setting".

Thanks!
--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
 
eye-spy said:
I use 5x 5600 hsd and 3 metz 54 mz3 flashes to light up real estate
interiros here are some links to my posts with examples from my set
up and info you might find uselful (from the minolta forum)

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=21082567

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=21712019
Click to expand...
Eye-spy,

Perfect shots...very impressive. Now just show us where your strobes are located. ;-)

I presume you set power manually?

I'll likely need to do this sort of stuff for my wife. I sold my third 5600, and am looking at buying the Metz...but looks like I may need more than 3, eh?

Greg
 
I thought the reflective idea was a good one too because my flash had a few moments of it's own, a string of underexposed flash photos when I first used it. I decided to try and get it to do underexposed flash on demand (I tried every mode and setting I could think of), including windows and mirrors to try and isolate some particular mode setting, or condition. I took about 50 shots.

It proceeded to behave itself, (a couple of iffy ones, but nothing that wasn't predictable based on the conditions) and basically has done so ever since.

Have a look at this example. The setting is a quite dimly lit restaurant with reflective bits and pieces nearer to the camera than the subjects are??? This is a direct blast from a 56 flash from across the other side of a narrow table, and no overflash evident either, I was very impressed with it.

The OP's photos are terribly underexposed, it's like the lens closed down to f/22 for some reason.
Mine 56 flash chucked a few wobblies but can't remember anything quite that bad.

But the more I used it the better it got, it was as if the flash & camera combo learnt as time went on. Maybe that will work just take heaps of flash photos.
Greg

 
Gregory King said:
eye-spy said:
I use 5x 5600 hsd and 3 metz 54 mz3 flashes to light up real estate
interiros here are some links to my posts with examples from my set
up and info you might find uselful (from the minolta forum)

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=21082567

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=21712019
Click to expand...
Eye-spy,

Perfect shots...very impressive. Now just show us where your
strobes are located. ;-)

I presume you set power manually?

I'll likely need to do this sort of stuff for my wife. I sold my
third 5600, and am looking at buying the Metz...but looks like I
may need more than 3, eh?

Greg
Click to expand...
hi greg

to light interiors like i do you will need that metz!

the metz has an uncovered sight sensor making it far more sensitve to the on camera flash trigger signal therfore you can place it much farther away from the the camera in wireless in some shot i just use the Metz flashes as the 5600 wont trigger.

there was a "how to set up" in one of my replies however i have just been to a magnificent house today so i'll try to make a new post with some examples and a clear set up guide ASAP
 
..."When the correct exposure has been obtained for the photo just taken, [OK] is displayed in the data panel for approximately four seconds"

In my case, it doesn't lit, it just "flashes", should it be a "steady-light", or a flashing one?
--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
 
luisferfranco said:
I don't see how the EXIF might help in this problem. In all cases,
the camera was on tripod with kit lens and remote release. There is
no PP other than resizing the full image.

1) The subject w/o flash, ISO-400, 1/3s, @35mm, pattern metering



2) Using internal flash, ISO-400 1/60s, 35mm, pattern mettering



3 and 4) I tested the four combinations: ADI/TTL and AUTO/FILL the
results were very similar:





5) Finally, I compensate the flash with EV+2 (not camera), all
other settings were the same.



Any idea?
--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
Click to expand...
Hello, luisferfranco!

Try this, please: Remove the lens from your camera. Face the camera against a white wall, or a white paper, distance ca. 0,75 meter. Turn of AntiShake, turn the mode dial to M, set the ASA to 100 and the shutterspeed to 1/160 sec. and take a picture of the wall. At playback the camera should display an all white washed out image. If you get an image of the wall looking like you weren't using flash at all, I guess your flash isn't syncronizing correctly with your camera. (Your pictures look like you are using FP sync. instead of X sync.) If you do get an all white washed out image then put the lens back on and try again from the same distance, first with the lens wide open and then some closing down the lens. You could also take some pictures of yourself with the camera in a mirror. Then you can see in the playback if the flash is fireing like it should. I hope this makes sense to you...
Regards
 
Hi,

Is your flash not at full power?

It seems like your flash is set to reduced power ... 1/32?

Did you try it with another lens?

Are you using a diffuser?

Are your contacts ok? Maybe flash is not getting the exposure info...

Quick test -

TTL flash, exposure for Ambient + Flash, Auto flash

Flash in TTL mode (I have occasionally forgotten this ...)
single flash, 1/1 power, Auto zoom, wireless off, HSS off, Ratio off

Take the same picture as before only take it from a little left so that you are not front and center but to left...

Cheers,

N
--
It is funny how, everyone who agrees with you seems so much smarter
 
BackToSlr said:
Is your flash not at full power?
Click to expand...
Yes.
BackToSlr said:
It seems like your flash is set to reduced power ... 1/32?
Click to expand...
Nope. I thought that also... I double checked.
BackToSlr said:
Did you try it with another lens?
Click to expand...
Yes.
BackToSlr said:
Are you using a diffuser?
Click to expand...
Both cases.
BackToSlr said:
Are your contacts ok? Maybe flash is not getting the exposure info...
Click to expand...
That's possible... I don't know how to check them.
BackToSlr said:
Quick test -
TTL flash, exposure for Ambient + Flash, Auto flash

Flash in TTL mode (I have occasionally forgotten this ...)
single flash, 1/1 power, Auto zoom, wireless off, HSS off, Ratio off
Click to expand...
The only thing different here from my setup is HSS which is On.
BackToSlr said:
Take the same picture as before only take it from a little left so
that you are not front and center but to left...
Click to expand...
I didn't get this?

--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
 
Ok. Since everything else is in order...
I have a suspicion that the contacts are not clean...
Do you have any other flash?
luisferfranco said:
luisferfranco said:
Take the same picture as before only take it from a little left so
that you are not front and center but to left...
Click to expand...
I didn't get this?
Click to expand...
There is wooden ledge that is reflecting a long streak of light. Go to a position such that that light is not directly incident on the camera. Go left (or right, somehow left seems more correct for me ;) ) and take the picture as you did before...

Take the same
Cheers,

N
luisferfranco said:
--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
Click to expand...
--
It is funny how, everyone who agrees with you seems so much smarter
 
First lets do some tests to check if it is getting exposure info.

Put on a zoom lens (between 24 and 85 mm) change the focal length and see that it is shown in the flash panel.

Does it change when u change the zoom?

If you see focal length and aperture correctly then contacts are ok (atleast some are ok. I dont know what all the contacts do...

Cheers,

N

--
It is funny how, everyone who agrees with you seems so much smarter
 
...damn flash... it crashed... time to take it to service, I only hope Sony Mexico has a remote idea on what to do with it.

I did a very simple test, and found the damn flash is not fully charging. When I put the dial (the one that has the test modes and the "hold", in the lower right end) into model flash, I remember it used to fire lots of "small flashes" for a period of two seconds.

Now, the flash shots once, and about a second later it flashes again... so the modeling flash is not working any more (it used to work), so I'm deducing the flash is not fully charging, so, when the metering system tells the flash to shoot at 1/4, it really is shooting at 1/16 or 1/32... so it underexposes...

makes sense isn't it?

Only thing that puzzles me, is why it is perfectly working in manual mode... ?????

--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
 
luisferfranco said:
...damn flash... it crashed... time to take it to service, I only
hope Sony Mexico has a remote idea on what to do with it.

I did a very simple test, and found the damn flash is not fully
charging. When I put the dial (the one that has the test modes and
the "hold", in the lower right end) into model flash, I remember it
used to fire lots of "small flashes" for a period of two seconds.

Now, the flash shots once, and about a second later it flashes
again... so the modeling flash is not working any more (it used to
work), so I'm deducing the flash is not fully charging, so, when
the metering system tells the flash to shoot at 1/4, it really is
shooting at 1/16 or 1/32... so it underexposes...

makes sense isn't it?

Only thing that puzzles me, is why it is perfectly working in
manual mode... ?????

--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
Click to expand...
Hmm strange one...

Take it you tried in PASM all the modes?

Well I picked up a HVL-F36AM the other day..and its spot on nails the exposure, perfect 99% of the time. And bounce works perfectly too.

Though this is with the KM5D...should make no difference.

I would get it sent away.......sounds highly defective to me....

Tried it on any other A mount cameras or another Alpha at all?

--



Clint is on holiday! Soon to return! ;-)
 
Yes, there was a time when the flash exposed correctly (I may post some shots later, when at home), though most of the time I used it wireless...

In the wedding I was talking in the first message, was the first sign of problem... it suddenly stopped working... in several pics the flash didn't fire at all... I thought it were the batteries, I changed them, and started working again... and that's where all this underexposure problems began.

Yeah... I think I must take it to service...
--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
 
I have Sigma EF-500 DG super. To work on A100, I have to set flash mode to FP (WL on camera) even it is attached to camera's hot shoe. In this way flash exposure was perfect. Otherwise, shots always got over exposed. TTL/ADI did not affect exposure. I don't have Sony flash and wonder if it has to set to WL as well. BTW, real wireless exposure was good as well on EF-500.
 
Bought a FVL-F56AM here in Bangkok the other day. Fortunately Sian from Viewfinder Camera (www.viewfindercamera.com) made sure I tested it before I took it from the shop. Everything was fine until we got to testing the wireless. It was dead straight out of the box.

Sian managed to find me a new replacement from Sony Thailand (which works fine) before I leave here.
 
luisferfranco said:
luisferfranco said:
Is your flash not at full power?
Click to expand...
Yes.
luisferfranco said:
It seems like your flash is set to reduced power ... 1/32?
Click to expand...
Nope. I thought that also... I double checked.
luisferfranco said:
Did you try it with another lens?
Click to expand...
Yes.
luisferfranco said:
Are you using a diffuser?
Click to expand...
Both cases.
luisferfranco said:
Are your contacts ok? Maybe flash is not getting the exposure info...
Click to expand...
That's possible... I don't know how to check them.
luisferfranco said:
Quick test -
TTL flash, exposure for Ambient + Flash, Auto flash

Flash in TTL mode (I have occasionally forgotten this ...)
single flash, 1/1 power, Auto zoom, wireless off, HSS off, Ratio off
Click to expand...
The only thing different here from my setup is HSS which is On.
luisferfranco said:
Take the same picture as before only take it from a little left so
that you are not front and center but to left...
Click to expand...
I didn't get this?

--
http://flickr.com/photos/luisferfranco
Click to expand...
You said in a previous post that your shutter speed was 1/60th correct ? why is HSS on? it should be OFF, automatically.
Even if you didn't turn it off yourself.

From all my experiments I have found it is very easy to get a flash underexposure with high shutter speeds, maybe it is actually using a high shutter speed?
Greg
 
if I understood correctly, the flash seemed to work when in wireless mode? Then probably the light came from the build in flash, not from the external one?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top