Confused on Sony Alpha and Home Studio set-up

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JaffaB - 02 Dec 2006 17:52 GMT

Hello,

I recently purchased a Jessops external flash home studio system for
use with my Sony Alpha. The master flash head connects via a sync
cable, but the only connector that Jessops had was a "Minolta
dynax" hotshoe adaptor. This should have worked, as the Dynax is
compatible with the Sony Alpha.

However, when I connect it all, the camera does not seem to recognise
the flash unit.

The flash heads (master and slave) fire, but the camera does not show a
flash icon in the view finder. Also, it is not setting the exposure
for the flash, which means that I am going to always have to manually
set the exposure. If I don't do this, the exposure is trying to set
(in auto mode) for a 6 second exposure so everything is very badly over
exposed.

Is this correct? I would have thought that it should recognise that
the flash is charged, and therefore set the exposure automatically. Or
am I asking too much. I am new to home studio/portrait so getting my
feet wet.

Jaffa

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John McWilliams - 02 Dec 2006 18:37 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> am I asking too much. I am new to home studio/portrait so getting my
> feet wet.

You'll need to set everything manually if you are using a standard pc
synch wire. For studio work it's preferable anyhow. Do the flash heads
have a dial or buttons to stop them down?

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John McWilliams

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Wayne J. Cosshall - 02 Dec 2006 21:48 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Jaffa

With external flash that is not either the camera manufacturer's flash
system or a similar system the connection to the flash just triggers the
flash, that is all. There is no back communication with the camera. You
you need to manually set your shutter speed to whatever you wish to use
up to the fastest normal flash sync speed of the camera (it will be in
the manual and will be somewhere from 1/60 sec to 1/250 sec, probably
1/60) and set the aperture manually. You may need an external flash
meter you you do not wish to gradually dial the right exposure in each
time you setup by taking test shots and using the histogram display on
the camera.

Hope that helps,

Wayne

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Wayne J. Cosshall
Publisher, The Digital ImageMaker, http://www.dimagemaker.com/
Blog http://www.digitalimagemakerworld.com/

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Alan Browne - 02 Dec 2006 23:30 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> However, when I connect it all, the camera does not seem to recognise
> the flash unit.

The camera has no idea that a flash is connected to sync, only to the
Minolta "hot shoe" and only then if it is a Minolta compliant flash.

> The flash heads (master and slave) fire, but the camera does not show a
> flash icon in the view finder. Also, it is not setting the exposure
> for the flash, which means that I am going to always have to manually
> set the exposure. If I don't do this, the exposure is trying to set
> (in auto mode) for a 6 second exposure so everything is very badly over
> exposed.

You need to be in manual mode. In auto, in poor light, it's opening up
the time for an ambeint light shot. Set it to 1/125 or 1/160 at some
appropriate aperture (say f/5.6 to start). Shoot a test frame. Look at
the histogram and open up/close down (or adjust ISO or flash power
setting if there is one) appropriately. Unfortunately as you change
flash to subject distance the exposure will change too.

> Is this correct? I would have thought that it should recognise that
> the flash is charged, and therefore set the exposure automatically. Or
> am I asking too much. I am new to home studio/portrait so getting my
> feet wet.

Get an incident flash meter or do test shots as described above.

Cheers,
Alan.

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John McWilliams - 03 Dec 2006 00:30 GMT

>> Hello,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> setting if there is one) appropriately. Unfortunately as you change
> flash to subject distance the exposure will change too.

>> Is this correct? I would have thought that it should recognise that
>> the flash is charged, and therefore set the exposure automatically. Or
>> am I asking too much. I am new to home studio/portrait so getting my
>> feet wet.
>
> Get an incident flash meter or do test shots as described above.

OT part: both your and Wayne's post were quite similar to mine, many
hours earlier. Is there that much of a lag among news servers, or do you
choose to post that way for other reasons?

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John McWilliams

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Wayne J. Cosshall - 03 Dec 2006 03:30 GMT

> OT part: both your and Wayne's post were quite similar to mine, many
> hours earlier. Is there that much of a lag among news servers, or do you
> choose to post that way for other reasons?

Actually I though I had a bit more to say than yours, that's why I posted.

And yes there sometimes can be time delays on news servers, but that was
not the case with me at least here.

Why the concern?

Cheers,

Wayne

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Wayne J. Cosshall
Publisher, The Digital ImageMaker, http://www.dimagemaker.com/
Blog http://www.digitalimagemakerworld.com/

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Alan Browne - 03 Dec 2006 15:45 GMT

> OT part: both your and Wayne's post were quite similar to mine, many
> hours earlier. Is there that much of a lag among news servers, or do you
> choose to post that way for other reasons?

I saw your post and thought a little more detail was warranted.

But in any case, I often reply to posts where there appear to be no
replies only to find other earlier replies get posted much later.

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