> Dr Flash's comments are duly noted and appreciated. I can understand
> that manual works extremely well in a studio or fairly static
> environment (inside or outside). I suspect that it's more cumbersome for
> ad hoc shooting - street shots (e.g., my Chinese night market shots) and
> "parties/gatherings". I can also see how using manual is easier with
> digital than with film.
Not trying to beat Chuck to the punch, but let me comment on this.
Probably the ONLY time I can think of where auto-flash is truly easier is
when the flash-to-subject distance is constantly changing Otherwise, it can
actually be a hindrance rather than a help. One of the best ways to make
manual-flash work easier for you is to avoid usage of a zoom lens. When you
have a prime lens on the camera, you do tend to shoot from a relatively
fixed camera-to-subject distance. For me, that's around one body-length,
sometimes two body-lengths. This is why a 35mm focal length works so well
for me.
The key to survival is the exposure guide that's somehow mounted or printed
on the flash itself. It gives you a triangulated calculation of ISO,
Aperture and Distance. If you are shooting ISO 100 and the subject is 4
meters distance, it's an easy thing to glance at flash to know what aperture
to choose.
Really, flash calculations as well as fill-flash calculations are a matter
of simple algebra. The idea is to define as many variables as you can so it
leaves just one letter to calculate for. Sometimes this is a reiterative
process. Assuming your Pen-F for a minute:
For the given flash-to-subject distance (which is the same as
camera-to-subject distance for on-camera flash), we always start with ISO.
What is the film-speed of what is loaded in the camera? ISO 100? Great. We
can work with that.
Secondly, what is the distance to the subject? Since you are using a prime
lens which may force you to a given camera-to-subject distance, let's say
for this discussion it's 2 meters distance. OK, that gives us two out of the
three things needed for flash exposure. Looking at the on-flash calculator,
we see that the flash at ISO 100 and 3m distance requires F5.6. (or
whatever, but this is my story).
You adjust the camera lens to F5.6. That takes care of two of the three
camera settings. We have ISO, we have aperture, but now we need
shutter-speed. Since this is the Pen-F, we can choose any supported speed.
So, we meter the scene and decide we want the background to be -2 stops. But
the exposure meter says that a normal exposure of the background is ISO 100,
F5.6 and 1/4 of a second. Subtracting two stops from that means we either
adjust the ISO, the aperture or the shutter speed. Since we are shooting
film, the ISO is fixed. Can't change that. The aperture is determined by the
flash calculator, so we can't change that. So we get to adjust the shutter
speed instead! In this example, a proper (non-flash) exposure of the
background requires 1/4 of a second, so we subtract two from that going to
1/16 of a second....
OK, you are right. Auto flash is easier...
AG
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