I forgot to mention that umbrella adapters are designed to mount on
light stands which have a 5/8" diameter stud on top. Like studio
lights, the adapter slips over the stud and locks with a set screw. If
you use a tripod instead of a light stand you need an adapter stud with
a tripod screw in one end. Like this
<http://cgi.ebay.com/1-4-3-8-Light-Umbrella-Flash-Bracket-Screw-Adapter-/160456076394?pt=Camera_Flash_Accessories&hash=item255bed6c6a>
This is a cheap aluminum one. Better quality brass ones are also available.
But the best deal may be a package with light stand, umbrella and
adapter such as this one which does have a shoot through umbrella.
<http://cgi.ebay.com/Flash-Holder-Light-Stand-Mount-Umbrella-D6B-/260559728677?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3caa91f025>
Chuck Norcutt
On 9/28/2010 12:08 PM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> I would encourage you to reproduce your old setup (or something close to
> it) with OM flash gear but forget the automation. It's not necessary.
> I would also encourage you to fix your tripod or buy another. It
> doesn't need to be expensive or heavy duty to support an E-500. It
> could be as simple and inexpensive as this. Note that the things I'm
> about to show you on ebay are not my recommendations for sellers but
> just to illustrate what's available. Here's a tripod.
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/New-50-Inch-Professional-Tripod-Camera-Camcorder-/170544429024?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b53d77e0>
>
> Whatever setup you had to trigger the T20 and two T32s should be
> perfectly usable on the E-500. I assume you must also have a T20
> auto-connector to mount the T20 on a tripod or light stand. I suggest
> leaving the FL-50R out of the mix as unnecessary and incompatible with
> OM TTL sync cables.
>
> With 3 flashes firing I expect the TTL auto exposure was very, very
> short (fractions of a millisecond). Your problem in manual mode with
> flashes that have no manual power control (the T20) or little manual
> control (the T32s) will be to cut the amount of light. First, set the
> T32s to low power. Next, set the camera to max sync speed. That's to
> help exclude any possibility of ambient light contributing to the
> exposure. Not likely given the high flash power used but exclude it any
> way. Then control the exposure with aperture and low ISO. If that's
> not enough to keep the large amount of light under control you'll have
> to move the flashes away from the subject and/or use some sort of filter
> over the flashes or the lens. Your T32 ND filters may be useful but
> could cause some imbalance since you can't apply equal filtration to all
> flash units. But that too may be solved by the simple expedient of
> moving the flash units closer or farther away. However it's done the
> point is that there is a simple method of using your OM flash gear but
> in manual mode rather than TTL auto.
>
> As to setting exposure you have a very fine exposure evaluator on the
> back of the camera in the form of the histogram and, of course, loading
> the JPEGs at various apertures into the camera and evaluating them for
> what looks pleasing to the eye.
>
> Some sort of light stands, umbrellas and umbrella adapters will increase
> your cost if you don't already have them. But maybe you don't really
> need them. For example, maybe a simple $2 plastic flash stand like this
> will work if set on some other support like a table or simple wooden
> stand made from a few pieces of light lumber. You can't stick an
> umbrella in front of the flash with this method but maybe your walls and
> ceiling will make better diffusers anyhow. If the walls produce too
> much of a color cast perhaps you can cover them with bed sheets or large
> pieces of white paper. Tape them to the walls if necessary using the
> type of painters masking tape that won't damage the paint when removed.
> This may also help to reduce the intensity of the manual flash
> exposure as well as serving as even larger diffusers. Ignore Nikon in
> the link below. Any flash foot except flashes for later, AF Minoltas
> and Sonys will fit.
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/Flash-Light-Stand-Mount-NIKON-SB900-SB800-SB26-SB28-/220665386411?pt=Camera_Flash_Accessories&hash=item3360ae95ab>
>
> If you do decide to go with light stands, umbrellas and umbrella
> adapters you can get inexpensive stuff there too. This looks like a
> serviceable adapter for less than $6.
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/Flash-Shoe-Umbrella-Holder-Swivel-Light-Stand-Bracket-B-/330359029161?pt=Camera_Flash_Accessories&hash=item4ceaeebda9>
>
> Here's the same umbrella adapter complete with an umbrella and light
> stand for GBP 11.
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/Swivel-Flash-Shoe-Light-Stand-Mount-Holder-Umbrella-/330477335487?pt=UK_Photography_DigitalCamAccess_RL&hash=item4cf1fbf3bf>
>
> If you'd like to reduce the cable connections (and, in particular, the
> need for the T20 auto-connector) you can use an optical slave trigger on
> two of the flashes
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/Slave-Trigger-Hot-Shoe-Flash-Optical-New-/310086097467?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4832925a3b>
>
> Also a couple of my own shown here. Note that the flash head can be
> installed such that the trigger's window is facing forward or back.
> <http://www.chucknorcutt.com/gear/Homemade%20bracket%20&%20various%20hotshoe%20adapters.jpg>
>
> About umbrellas: They are available as totally reflective or as
> semi-transparent referred to as "shoot through" which is what I use.
> The type is dependent on the circumstances. If you use umbrellas, shoot
> through on pass some of the light and may help in reducing the light
> level. But in a small room the reflected light can still bounce off the
> far walls and come back but with reduced intensity.
>
> I'm not why you said you'd choose to use a white background. OK if
> that's what you want but don't confuse the background required with
> setting the white balance. Set the white balance on the camera
> independently of the subject exposure and use any color background you
> want.
>
> If anything is unclear just ask away.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
> On 9/28/2010 3:45 AM, Olaf Greve wrote:
>>
>>
>> Firstly regarding the light sources: I hear you. Back in the good 'ole
>> film days, I had a very nice set-up using two T32s and one T20, all
>> off-camera, firing into small white painted umbrellas, throwing highly
>> diffuse (bunced) light from all angles on the subject. The camera
>> would then also work nicely in with auto-aperture (when focusing wide
>> open) and my tripod was still in full working order. Now, all of these
>> things are crippled: flash-wise, I have the FL-50R (one of them),
>> which is a good thing, but I don't have any cables/shoes to set it up
>> off camera. Possibly a set-up could be made using the T32s and T20
>> again? It would have to be in some manual mode, I guess...
>> Then, I don't think I still have the small white painted umbrellas,
>> though I might. My tripod is broken anyway, and the 50/3.5 can only be
>> used with small apertures when directly closing the diaphragm; makes
>> for harder focusing, and without a solid tripod this is a nightmare...
>>
>> So much for the set-up limitations.
>>
>> I shall try indoor shooting, and seeing if I can find a workable way
>> of having the single FL-50R fire into a white umbrella, from right
>> above the subject. Any suggestions as to how to get additional flashes
>> helping out would be very welcome. I have lots of OM gear for this (1
>> F280, 2 T32s, 2 T20s, 1 T28 twin flash, 3-cable divider block, 3 long
>> Oly cables 2m/5m, one set of Oly flash filters ND 2, ND 4 and
>> polarising (I think?))...
>> Anything that I can make work (easily) with the E-500 body with that
>> gear?
--
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