using flash on E-M5?

Is anyone using the E-M5 with flash on? I rarely use flashlight, but last friday evening, I had to take photographs at a diner and even though I was using the 1.7 20mm, I had troubles getting a fast shutter speed. I bumped the ISO to 3200 and still the shutter speed was very slowm around 1/8...

So I was thinking, maybe I had to use the flash. But we all know that using flash will wash out the picture. But sometimes it's necessary. When I see professional photographers with a DSLR, they also have to use flash, isn't it? And even though they are using the flash, their pictures aren't washed out at all...

So does anyone in here have experience using the flash on the E-M5?

mr pina said:

Is anyone using the E-M5 with flash on? I rarely use flashlight, but last friday evening, I had to take photographs at a diner and even though I was using the 1.7 20mm, I had troubles getting a fast shutter speed. I bumped the ISO to 3200 and still the shutter speed was very slowm around 1/8...

Click to expand...

One of the cogs menus is flash-specific, giving you the ability to set a maximum and minimum shutter speed for flash and the camera will not go below that speed UNLESS, you have slow speed sync turned on. I believe the default floor on my E-M5 was 1/30 second. I often adjust it, depending on what I am shooting, but usually have it somewhere around 1/60 second.

It sounds like, whether you knew it or not, you had slow speed sync on and the camera was setting an exposure for the ambient light and using flash to "fill in". What you describe above is exactly what slow speed sync does, and that would not have been correct for what you were trying to do.

What you want is to have the flash option in the Super Control Panel set to just the lightning bolt, which is forced flash, meaning it will fire every time and use the minimum and maximum shutter speeds you have previously selected.

--
"There's shadows in life, baby.." Jack Horner- Boogie Nights

Hello,

just tried the EM-5 flash exactly few hours ago at a home birthday party with 20 1.7.
Forced a sync of 1/125 to be sure to better freeze the moments,

WB set to flash, pumped up the exposure compensation to +0,7EV (I can confirm that as per IR findings at 0 EV the flash underexposes).
Results: washed out (as usual and, sadly, as expected).
By shooting RAW I'm sure I will recover at least more natural color tones but

I'm definitely not a flash lover and I really prefer some ISO 5000 shots instead.

I always wonder how the hell pro shooter are able to get nice results with the flash, even knowing that they are better photographer, using better (and multiple) flashes with light diffusers, reflecting screens or whatever...
Any advice is welcome.
Ciao

I'd only use the flash for fill. For better results a bounce is needed.

Use flash a lot on my Nikon but never direct unless for fill light outside. You have to get a flash with the ability to bounce and you'll be able to get nice flash photos. If you go for a wireless flash you'll get even more opportunities.

Unfortunately people will often spend lots of $$ on lenses but nothing on a flash which could often make a huge difference!

--
Kåre

OM-D E-M5, 12-50, 45/1.8, 75/1.8, D200, AF-S 35/1.8 G and a lot of old stuff

Hello,

I agree and, yes, I can imagine, but I dont' know if the OP was asking only for a more general extended flash usage (where I'm of little help) and/or even asking about the little flash included with the EM-5.

It' s clear that I was only giving a little feedback regarding a limited normal-user experience with the bundled flash, where bounce is not a possibility...
Ciao

The supplied addon flash is really weak. I was trying to get some nice fill in daylight of some friends but background was very bright. I dialled in negative EC to darken background, and was only 2-3m from them and the flash would still underexpose them considerably, no matter what I did. I just had to get closer which was annoying.

actually both
But I think the included flash is (as always) too weak for good results...

I've always been against using flash but my brother-in-law uses an SB900 almost all the time on his D90 with good results. This weekend I went to a wedding reception and decided that having a flash was the only option to get decent photos and I was right.

I bought an Fl-600R and watched as many YouTube tutorials as I could including reading the strobist lighting 101 ( http://strobist.blogspot.fr/2006/03/lighting-101.html ). When I got to the wedding I set my camera on manual to allow for the ambient light and then put the FL-600R into TTL mode. I bounced the flash and, even though the ceilings were extremely high, I got reasonable results.

I still have a lot to learn about flash photography but I am no longer a flashophobe. If your photos look washed out then you are doing it wrong!

There is nothing about the EM-5 that is peculiar regarding flash. If you can make good flash photos with other cameras, you can do the same with EM-5. The opposite is also true; if you struggle for results on something else, you will struggle on the EM-5. One response mentioned Strobist. I recommend the site and its participants highly. Flash need not be mysterious, but it does require learning to do it moderately well. Strobist can teach you.

By the way, while there might be reasons to increase the shutter speed (make it faster), that reason is not to stop action. The flash impulse will almost always be faster than the shutter, and unless you expose fully for ambient light to use flash for fill, this will be the case.
--
DelK
community photographer
Current project: http://clemsonphotos.org

I use the Olympus Fl-14 as I got it in a deal 3 years ago for under a bill. It was designed for the Pens and although it really can't do what the E-M5 is capable of, it is small, more powerful than the kit flash, and adequate for my needs. I take quite a few shots in restaurants of people and fine cuisine so I like a small and unobtrusive set-up.

I use both the kit flash and the FL-14 and have flash exposure compensation programed into the dial. I use shutter priority when I want a really fast shutter speed or I use aperture priority, usually set to f5.6, and then I bump up the flash exp. comp. What's really cool is to experiment with manual priority, as you can virtually choose shutter and aperture.

mr pina said:

Is anyone using the E-M5 with flash on? I rarely use flashlight, but last friday evening, I had to take photographs at a diner and even though I was using the 1.7 20mm, I had troubles getting a fast shutter speed. I bumped the ISO to 3200 and still the shutter speed was very slowm around 1/8...

Click to expand...

mr pina said:

So I was thinking, maybe I had to use the flash. But we all know that using flash will wash out the picture. But sometimes it's necessary. When I see professional photographers with a DSLR, they also have to use flash, isn't it? And even though they are using the flash, their pictures aren't washed out at all...

So does anyone in here have experience using the flash on the E-M5?

Click to expand...

--
Dave

mr pina said:

So I was thinking, maybe I had to use the flash. But we all know that using flash will wash out the picture.

Click to expand...

NO! if you do it correctly (eg. no direct flash), you'll hardly notice it.

You need to think: "how to soften the light from the flash"? We all know, direct light is bad, it's the reason why we all avoid shooting under the harsh sun light. same principal goes for flash.

Some people choose to bounce off the wall/ceiling, some use the portable ring flash (esp for outdoor), some use big bounce card etc.

also google: dragging the shutter method.

For more info about how to use flash, read more on neilvn blog - neilvn uses nikon and canon, but the same principal applies.

mr pina said:

So does anyone in here have experience using the flash on the E-M5?

Click to expand...

em5 flash system is pretty okay - it can do the job, but not efficiently (requires a lot of trial-and-errors). I found it's really a world apart from Nikon:

1. No flash-lock. It's very important to have this esp in wedding or events when time is essential. Yet Oly and Pana do not have this. I don't want to get the correct flash exposure for the whole scene (which is affected by the background lighting, clothing etc), but only on people's face.

2. Olympus flash is pretty "ancient" and sub-par to Canikon equivalent. I have Olympus 50R which is dubbed the most powerful Oly flash. But, when i compared to SB900, it's at least 1 stop less powerful.

In one of the paid event, I tried to use EM5 + FL50R, but at the end, I gave up using it. Slow recycle and unpredictable TTL behaviour are the main culprits. At the end, I used my friend's D7000 (which is supposed to be a backup) + SB900 instead.

Let me bump this thread for now, I was wondering whether someone in here is using an external flash for their E-M5 (not the one flash that came with the package). Or even recommend a suitable one for the E-M5?

The way to go for *indoor* pictures is to bounce the flash off the ceiling. That requires a light ceiling (light color, doesn't have to be white, but not dark like black). In any case the light reflected off the ceiling is only a fraction of what you send up there so you need a really powerful flash for it to have a significant effect.

I use the Metz 58 which is one of the more powerful ones. Works very well.

I have also seen people use very large bouncing setups that go over the flash. Not as large as an umbrella, but still... I have no personal experience with these.

mr pina said:

mr pina wrote:

Let me bump this thread for now, I was wondering whether someone in here is using an external flash for their E-M5 (not the one flash that came with the package). Or even recommend a suitable one for the E-M5?

Click to expand...

I got the 300R refurbished from Cameta for ~ $90. Intial shots at home seem it can do 1 stop or more better than FL-LM2 flash. Definitely wider & more even coverage at 14mm lens setting, even without wide panel used. Can do ceiling bounce shots (horizontal only, no swivel for verticals), tilt forward for macro and folds flat when not needed. It's silver only so stands out on a black OMD (wish it was available in black).

Hopefully someone I know will have another party where I can give it a full workout & some comparison.

SonyForNow said:

SonyForNow wrote:

SonyForNow said:

mr pina wrote:

Let me bump this thread for now, I was wondering whether someone in here is using an external flash for their E-M5 (not the one flash that came with the package). Or even recommend a suitable one for the E-M5?

Click to expand...

I got the 300R refurbished from Cameta for ~ $90. Intial shots at home seem it can do 1 stop or more better than FL-LM2 flash. Definitely wider & more even coverage at 14mm lens setting, even without wide panel used. Can do ceiling bounce shots (horizontal only, no swivel for verticals), tilt forward for macro and folds flat when not needed. It's silver only so stands out on a black OMD (wish it was available in black).

Hopefully someone I know will have another party where I can give it a full workout & some comparison.

Click to expand...

The FL-300R is a great carry-everywhere flash, it's with me all the time instead of the FL-LM1 (on my E-PL5). To get better range for direct or bounce flash then set the ISO to 400 or 800 or even more. Experiment with the highest ISO you can endure and then you get better range, better battery life and faster recycle times.

As for batteries I use the Sanyo Eeneloop type of slow self discharge rechargeables, usually sold with a "ready-to-use" message on the packet whatever brand it is. I have used Sanyo, Varta, Eveready and Aldi brands and all work the same.

The only "problem" is that the FL-300R cannot do FP flash for speeds faster than the normal max sync speed. To do that you need the FL-600R or the older FL-36R bigger flashes.

Regards....... Guy