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Any way to reduce the X100S flash power by more than -2/3 stop?

Started Jan 10, 2018 | Discussions thread
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AudiiDudii
AudiiDudii Contributing Member • Posts: 816
Any way to reduce the X100S flash power by more than -2/3 stop?

Both of my Sony RX1s are not working properly right now, so I have been forced to use my X100s in their place until I can afford to have them repaired.

It's a fine camera for what it is, but I'm frustrated because I want to reduce the power of the built-in flash more by than -2/3 stop, which is the maximum allowed. Is there anything I can do (other than adding diffusion material in front of the flash, which I'd prefer not to do)?

When I'm photographing my dog during our walks and hikes, I often add some fill-flash to balance my exposure (her fur is off-white) and add catchlights to her eyes. With the RX1, I set the ISO at 100, the aperture at f5.6, dial the flash power back by 2-2/3 stops, and let the auto-exposure do its thing ... voila! Here's a typical photo of her taken with an RX1 setup this way, the result of which I think looks very subtle and natural:

When I setup the X100s equivalently, though, the flash always ends up being too bright and I end up hitting her with too much light, such that my use of flash is very obvious. Here is a typical example:

So what is the secret here? Am I missing or overlooking something -- I confess to not being an expert when it comes to using flash -- or am I just running up against the limitations of X100's flash system?

Thanks for any pointers!

Fujifilm X100S Sony RX1
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