Non-TTL flash: How to use manual flash

[@zoomento]

Great tip on on how the angle needs to be calculated for distance on bounce flash.

[@etienneportail5122]

Thank you for the good explanation; eventually I understand the connection between distance and f-stop in manual flash!

[@markharris5771]

I have about 8 speedlights I use with my digital cameras, all with the usual gimmicks. But when I use analogue, and on the exceedingly rare occasions I use artificial light I have a Marianda, Sunpak and one I was given with a Praktica camera off my father in law which I use. I like the whole experience when I go analogue, it’s part of the fun for me but it’s far to rare an event for me to consider buying a Metz.

[@danc2700]

Mark Harris Hello Mark. I have a Praktica L and I want to get into flah photography. What flash are you using. Is the flash sync on your Praktica 1/30 as well?

[@markharris5771]

Dan C My Miranda and the unnamed flash my father in law have both died a few weeks ago, but I now only have the Sunpak 116 or my modern speedlights. The 116 is very basic so I need to go on eBay and buy some old speedlights. I've not shot with flash since I found out they were dead. Even when I had them I hardly ever used them preferring to push my film. I always work on 1/30 with all my analogue cameras and that is a safe speed and I'm not shooting anything moving too fast. I always have some way of diffusing my light, usually gels.

[@ackamack101]

This video was very helpful. I just got a Metz 36c-2 to use for off-camera flash with both a Fuji GF670 and a Lomo LC-A 120 with a PC sync cord and I have been trying to figure out how to set the flash. It wasn't making sense to me (I am new to flash photography) and your video helped me a lot.

[@robertknight4672]

The Metz is a very simple design very similar to my Vivitar 225 flash which is a little taller but still compact. Also has both hot shoe and PC sync. However it's strictly a direct flash. I also have a professional Sunpak 522 which comes with a bracket. It's PC sync only but you can use a hot shoe adapter that has a PC sync port. It is a little heavy but I don't mind using it.

[@bss6273]

You have the SE version 🔥🔥🔥. Nice

[@slimnics]

Thanks for this. I have been wanting to get into this way of shooting for a long time but i could not find a tutorial about it.

[@eagle112800]

Let me know if you have any questions. Every flash is a little different, but this covers the basics.

[@slimnics]

ok thanks. Are you familier with Bruce Gilden. he told me he used to use an old Vivitar, it's either a 283 or 285. I have a leica m6ttl and i like the idea of hand held flash in street photography. Problem is i could not find info on what chord i need or any tutorials at all for this type of set up.

[@dukenukem5768]

@1:28 _"Strangely they put an X here"_ . That is because in K1000 days there were still flash bulbs units in use, which required different types of synchronisation, designated "M" or "FP". This makes it clear it is "X" in this camera, which AFAIK means "Xenon". @8:04 As of 2020 Metz don't make handle flashes any more, no-one does, they've gone out of fashion. In fact Metz are going bust, unfortunately, and even Cactus are pulling out of flash production. Smartphones are killing everything.

[@btrdangerdan2010]

Thanks for the info. I’ll have to watch this again repeatedly to understand this concept. I just upgraded a my Minolta x-700 camera system to the Auto 360 PX flash unit, if there’s any info on this.

[@cloeneto]

I just bought the 360PX flash for my Minolta x-700! if you have any advice/tips or video recommendations that help you out a lot! I would love to know

[@btrdangerdan2010]

@@cloeneto it's the first flash to adopt TTL auto flash metering.

[@btrdangerdan2010]

@@cloeneto there is a semi automatic mode for three predetermined aperture values for different distances based on the calculator dial set for the ISO. And manual flash mode (full power).

[@btrdangerdan2010]

@@cloeneto you can control the flash intensity by switching the control from full power all the way down to 1/16th for motor drive flash sync.

[@SpideyWasTaken]

I have a very old one from the late 50's/early 60's called the Ikoblitz 5 made by Zeis Ikon. Can't find any tutorials on that. Hopefully you can figure it out?

[@eagle112800]

Looks like it is a flash bulb. So, this is next level complexity in analog flash usage. You will have to source the flash bulls, once you find those you will need to make sure the unit works. Most of the flash bulb units have a capacitor and a battery. You will need to make sure that the capacitor is in good working order. Okay, now you will need a camera that has more than just X sync, x sync is the connection port you would use if you had an electronic flash like the one in this video. You would need something M, or like on my Leica it just has a flash bulb image on the sync connector. Now that you have all of that set up, focus on your subject and use the distance on the focus ring to measure the distance to the subject and you will set your shutter speed to the sync speed of your camera and the aperture to the setting on the distance scale on the back of the unit. I hope you can make this work, I have dabbled in this and not been successful.

[@jenniferhong1598]

Hey, this was very helpful! Do you have any insight on the CAPRO FL5 flash with the dial on the side? Thank you!

[@eagle112800]

Thank you. I have never used the Capro, but it looks like it is a manual flash. So the scale on the side is a guide. Based on the power from the flash it will tell you the settings for the camera. Here is how to work it: first know and set your film speed on the dial. So if you are shooting 400 iso then set it there. Next set your shutter speed to the sync speed on the camera, often this will be on the shutter speed dial and have a little lightning bolt arrow looking thing, often about 60th of a second on many SLRs (sometimes faster or slower, you can always use slower). Now compose your image, focus the camera on the subject and look at the distance measured on the top of the lens. Use the distance from the top of the lens and the dial / scale on the side of the flash to find your aperture. Now you can set your aperture and take your picture. Hope this helps.

[@Justcris___]

Thank you! This helped out a lot!

[@dukenukem5768]

Although the title here says manual flash, the yellow, blue, and red modes are Auto modes. Only the M setting is Manual - that's what the "M" means. TTL is the third mode on some flash units but not this one nor with this camera. The most modern flash units don't have any Auto mode which is a shame. Flash fired @4:55 LoL! Good idea to turn it off while connecting things, especaily as it might be into your eyes.

[@eagle112800]

Yes, struggled with the title a little, but anyone who knows the difference between TTL, auto and manual flash probably won't get much out of this video.

[@yocampos1769]

Hello, I’m trying to buy an external flash for my Canon Ae1. My photos are coming out dark (indoors) even with a shutter speed of 60. Can you please recommend one ? Thank you!

[@paulterl4563]

Thanx!!! Very usefull. I have not seen this on the 'tube' around. So maybe you can dig in more on this topic. ....and related.Have a good light.

[@gregpantelides1355]

Thank you so much for this!

[@sergeantcrow]

Would I be right in thinking then that when using the 'Thyristor' and attaching a little soft cover the flash will compensate if we are sufficiently closer closer than the max distance for a specific F stop ?.. Maybe it just requires increasing aperture one stop when diffuser attached.. Sure all I have to do is go and experiment on DSLR : )

[@eagle112800]

Yes, the flash is able to compensate like that. When doing bounce flash it is the same concept, calculate the distance the light travels doing the bouncy and add some fudge factor.

[@sergeantcrow]

Thank you very much @@eagle112800 I know it must be so easy using modern equipment.. Sekonic meter, TTL radio controlled flashes, dedicated strobes etc., (Out of my reach at the moment..) but surely there is some educational advantage to struggle with old flashes and manual settings ? Please say it is so... well actually the truth would be better.. : )

[@randallstewart1224]

This, and probably any other working flash you could find today, have some form of automatic exposure settings which relieve the user of all of this BS when set on anything other than M/Manual. They usually offer the use of several f-stops to fit your need for such adjustments. At exposure, the flash, by itself, meters the flash light reflected from the scene and automatically terminated the flash output when an appropriate exposure is reached. None of this operation has anything to do with the features of the camera, which only commences the flash event with tripping the shutter. No one who uses flash today uses a manual flash output, except possibly someone using multiple flashes in a studio setup. They use a light meter to determine the collective effect of those flash units to set an f-stop for proper exposure. A video trying to explain manual electronic flash exposure today is as useless as one trying to explain the skin color of a dinosaur.

[@sergeantcrow]

@@randallstewart1224 Thank you for reply…. I don’t remember writing any of my comments here ! Memory on way out ! :)

[@MorganWeaver]

Where did you buy this cable release at? I can’t find one like this.

[@eagle112800]

The cable release or the sync cord? I bought the sync cord at a local camera store. There are tones of sync cord options, so finding the right one might be tricky. As for cable releases I usually by them at local stores as well, but they can be found online at BH Photo Video. I don't get paid by them to say that they are a good place to by things from. I have been ordering from them for about 15 years now and they do a great job. Also, a good place to by film from, if you need some.

[@brianb6724]

thanks so much. I was going crazy why my Pentax would sometimes flash and sometimes not. I didn't notice the red X...

[@tombruzo1494]

can pentax k1000 use automatic flash like vivitar?

[@honghanguyenthi8754]

great video! l have a mamiya c330 and leaf shutter lens but no sync speed so how do l use it with leaf shutter camera ? thank you so much

[@eagle112800]

You are in luck because leaf shutters don’t have a sync speed. So choose the best shutter speed for your situation. Just make sure that you are using X-sync.

[@parkervx1k]

Very helpful video my friend thank you. I'm still wondering. I have a Nikon f3 with a fisheye. I pretty much only shoot skate photos, so lots of fast motion and fast moving tricks. The f3 only syncs up to 1/80s. Am I going to have a problem capturing fast moving objects during night if I can only sync up to 1/80s?

[@eagle112800]

+Parker Boyes probably depends on the amount of flash to ambient light? Usually strobes are going to freeze motion. Also with a fisheye you don’t need as fast of a shutter speed. All and all I think you should be ok, give it a shot and see what happens.

[@VuLe-vb3vk]

May I ask why the shutter speed is fix at 1/60s. I want to test a vintage flash without TTL on my Sony nex. If I want to take picture at f/1.7 and iso 100 to blur the background, which value of shutter speed can I set?

[@thenexthobby]

1/60th was the fastest sync speed on most older SLRs. Set to anything faster and only part of the frame would be exposed by the flash. The way a focal-plane cloth shutter works on an old SLR is the frame is entirely exposed "at once" up to the flash sync speed. This is the fastest the shutter can operate in this way. Setting the shutter speed dial to a faster choice causes the shutter to operate as two curtains traveling across the frame. One curtain opens and the other closes behind it so that the frame is exposed with a slit of light moving across. Flash duration happens quicker than even a fast shutter speed however, causing only part of the frame to be exposed if the entire frame isn't exposed by the shutter. This is also why a longer shutter will not expose the subject more ... the subject is only exposed by the flash/aperture combination. You can easily choose a slower shutter speed with flash to bring out the background (and blur the background motion.) Think of shutter speed (and ISO speed) as how much of the background is lit (because the flash won't reach very far, but a higher ISO or longer shutter will) and aperture as a way of altering flash strength (because more or less light comes into the lens.)

[@thenexthobby]

To your question: Begin with your desired aperture and ISO, flash=OFF. Adjust shutter speed until the background has the amount of ambient light you want. If you want quite a bit of ambient background light you must accept corresponding motion blur if the room or night is very dark. Now add flash, increasing or decreasing to expose the subject. Your flash power would have to be VERY low power with the lens wide open so as to not overexpose the subject.

[@robertknight4672]

I used to have an Olympus om 2000 which was given to me in 2003. That could sync at 1/125.

[@AmuroUC0079]

Do I need a battery in my camera for it to work? Because my battery/light meter are messed up

[@eagle112800]

Maybe? It depends on your camera. Some cameras require a battery to work at all, the Canon AE-1 Program and the Pentax 67, but the camera in this video the K1000 does not require any battery to work. With the K1000 here the light meter is all that the battery is powering. So no battery needed to take photos, but you will have to use some sort of external meter or the sunny 16 rule if your meter is down.

[@richardjones5007]

I've just obtained a pentax mz-50. The problem is that when I press the small black button to raise the built in flash. It releases the flash but it doesn't lift to where it should be in fact its wobbly. Does it require new batteries or is it brocken. If its broken can I fix it?

[@eagle112800]

I am not a camera repair expert, but it sounds like the spring is broken or something is blocking it. I would take it to a camera repairman or just get an external flash and not use the pop up flash.

[@FranVianzon]

Hi, I use a Canon FT QL (the older version of the FTb) and it was made back when hotshoe mounts werent a thing yet, and I was wondering what kind of flash can I use with it? Do all auto flash units accept x-sync or do i have to find special flash units? Also, do pc sync cables differ from brand to brand or are they all the same? Hoping you could help! Nice video!

[@eagle112800]

Not all flashes have the option of a sync cord, but many do. I have been shooting with a vintage sunpak 321, it works well and has a sync cord built into it. A feature that comes in handy for use with my Leica M2 that has a cold shoe. There are other options available too, but that might be a decent starting point.

[@FranVianzon]

@@eagle112800 Thanks! Not a lot of people reply on youtube when people ask stuff like this, it's nice to see you care about your viewers! Thanks a lot!

[@someonemearth5197]

This should help me. I keep having my negatives come out half flashed photos. So I came here to see how I can sync my flash to my Minolta SRT-101

[@guillaumeaccari]

I have problems with my old flash i wanted to use it i put duracell batteries inside there was a weird noise in the flash and then the batteries kind of exploded (flash needs 4 aa batteries its a pentax af240z)

[@akbaralfiyan965]

i have a canon ftb ql, i want to use an external flash like this. But, i confuse when i want to look for what flash should i use. What kind of flash i should use with my canon ftb ql, you can recommend me

[@eagle112800]

Cool camera. You should find an auto flash. So you are lookin for a flash that you can place in a mode that allows it to use he sensor on the flash to expose the photo with the right amount of light. I have recently used a Sunpak 321 and it works great, they are inexpensive on he used market. However, any Auto flash would be great with this camera. Canon did make some auto flashes, but you can use most any auto flash you like. The TTL flashes will not work with that camera so I would avoid them. Manual flash works but is very very slow and time consuming to set up for each shot.

[@3liyyahu591]

I have a Pentax ME Super and tried to use a Pentax af200s flash with black and white film and all the exposures were over exposed. Am I doing anything wrong? I used the ilford hp5 film.

[@eagle112800]

A few questions: Are you using the 125x setting on the camera? Are you using the red or green mode? Did you set your aperture to 5.6 or 11 respectfully?

[@samueltcwhite701]

I bought the SF 200S for a pentax MX. However the flash does not work when i press take a picture, but does when i test the flash. HELP PLEASE?

[@eagle112800]

I would try cleaning the contacts on the flash and on the hot shoe. So then the next question would be is it the flash or is it the camera. Somewhere between the sync from the shutter to the flash circuit something is going wrong somewhere. It might be hard to figure out unless you have more than one flash and more than one camera, but hopefully you have a friend with a flash and a camera if you don’t have a collection to help you trouble shoot.

[@samueltcwhite701]

Film Purist thanks pal, will try it now. Great video, I would love to see some on the MX

[@hamonas1]

I have zenit ttl camera and vivitar 2800 flash but i dont have a cable. what cable should i use?

[@eagle112800]

You have two options. You could find a sync cord for your flash or you could get a PC to hot shoe adapter. The adapters come in various quality, but what I think you are looking for is a PC to Hot shoe adapter. If I were getting one I would get an adapter that fits in your accessory shoe mount. You should also consider if you want to use a flash bracket at this point too since you might go for one with a longer cord.

[@hamonas1]

@@eagle112800 thank you

[@BarbasMinecraft]

can you shoot with shutter 1/1000 with pc sync cable?

[@eagle112800]

+The Barbas nope, unless you find a camera with a leaf shutter that is that fast.

[@BarbasMinecraft]

Film Purist my mamiya rb67 have a leaf shutter with 1/400s, if i use a normal flash like (neewer vk750 ii) with a pc sync cord i would be able to shoot at 1/400s?

[@eagle112800]

The Barbas Yep, should work just fine. That is the advantage of leaf shutters they synch at every speed. Make sure you have it on X sync and it should be just fine.

[@BarbasMinecraft]

Film Purist you are the best, thanks for your knowlegde

[@eagle112800]

The Barbas Glad to help, nice camera!

[@muhammadenalaltrixdimitri6442]

what battery type?

[@eagle112800]

I use AA alkaline but lithium works too. Maybe a little fast cycle time with lithium.