Pass Right On Through With The New Pocket Wizard IV

Transmitters and receivers for sending signals between cameras and flash units have been legion in the last few years, but few of them have combined all of the features that people wanted - now PocketWizard have released their new Plus IV and it looks as though it redresses the situation.

What it provides:

Radio-frequency command between your camera and your flash out to a long distance.

TTL through-put to a flash mounted on the camera - in other words you can send out a manual signal to outboard units while your TTL flash on camera does the usual measuring and quenching thing.

                                               

   

Control  for 4 separate flash groups.

Control for 32 channels.

Note that you get an orange back-lit panel when you press the Mode button. When you are using flash in dimly-lit venues any on-board illumination is a blessing. Rocket Wizard have decades of experience in the field.

Auto sensing for pairing the transmitter and receiver.

Two-stage remote camera triggering. Just like the shutter button on your camera - half and full-press and then turns off to save battery power.

Receiver will accept and fire up to 14.5 FPS.

Runs on 2 x standard AA batteries or you can put external power in through a Mini-USB port on the PocketWizard IV.

And best of all - they have lain the body of the thing down forward instead of making it stick up like their old units. Much easier to move about with the camera if it lies along the top of the lens. Note that they have been wise enough to make the battery door a hinged fair rather than a slide-off cover that would be lost and trampled on.

 

1/4" screw socket on the bottom and TTL hot shoe on the top. A stand-alone independent outfit.

Find it online or in-store!

The Ins And Outs Of The New Nikon Flash

The new Nikon SB-5000 flash has just been demonstrated at Camera Electronic and there is an example of it in the big yellow cabinet. Here are a few of the external clues to the internal values:

a. There is a new connectivity for standard flash synch - the pc socket at the side of the camera teams that studio users and people with older cameras will be able to trigger this flash in the Automatic and Manual modes.

The advent of the hot shoe was a wonderful advance for on-camera shooters but in some instances means an extra equipment link for the off-camera people. Of course now that the new radio trigger flashes are so efficient, people forget that there are long cables that will do the firing as well. These are particularly valuable in areas that may have high shielding or radio interference. You can't beat good old hard wire.

b. You need more power? You need power for a longer period? You've got a battery pack that clips on your belt? Welcome the new provision for power input on the front of the SB-5000 flash. A dedicated one-way plug is available for this.

c. Would you like to use it as a wireless R/C unit? Yes, it does that, with suitable cameras.  And you don't need a degree in electronics or graphic design to access the controls. that big LCD screen presents all the options as you select them.

d. You need a medium size unit? This is medium size. look at the body shape compared to the SB-700. Just about the same bulk. Look at the flash tubes - here zoomed forward to the widest setting.

We'll be bringing more news of this professional-quality unit for Nikon shooters as the weeks go on - and include some examples of jobs shot with it in the studio and the field. Be sure to come down to Camera Electronic with your Nikon camera to test it out ( that's always a sure-fire chance to see what you get before you get it...) or order one on-line from our online store.

Flash News - Day Four Of the Madness

If you are studio flashing it or speed-lighting it it out at an Easter party, drop by the shop today for bargains up to 78% off of selected lighting sets and accessories.

Theres some quirky bits on offer, as well as some standard flash units. Heavy-duty professional stuff, light shapers, portable continuous lighting, speed lights, etc. Even the video people are catered for.

In store goods, one sale one day...today's the day.

Never mind the chocolate eggs - stock up on lighting now. Surprise the bunny.

Bow Chicka Wow

This piece of sexy equipment from Camera Electronic needs an eighties soundtrack and purple satin sheets. Okay, we got the sheets, but you'll have to add the music in your heads.

It's a flash bracket. A very flash bracket. Perhaps the most high-tech OOT flash bracket that you will ever see in your life. It is a tribute to high-grade aluminium, the wonders of CAD CAM, and a childhood studying H.R. Giger machines. It is not steam punk but it may be Techno punk...If The Terminator took wedding photos he'd use this flash bracket.

There are two reasons for this design:

1. Event photographers need to balance their flash above the axis of the lens on both portrait and landscape orientation to allow the flash shadow to fall behind the subject.

2. They could.

The mechanisms that on other flash brackets might be simple hinges or 1/4" bolt holes are here developed into artistic delights. Look at the stainless steel keeper that secures the interchangeable camera plate to the main casting. They did not need to do that with such complexity or precision but they did. Likewise the indexing bolt that stops the motion of the vertical piece in the tow basic positions - it is reminiscent of the recoil mechanism of a 1.1" multiple antiaircraft gun on a pre-war USN treaty cruiser. You gonna get that from anyone else? No.

The main casting and the adjusting trigger are also suggestive of the aircraft cranes on the same cruisers - leading me to suspect that the designers may have pilfered the plans from the Bureau of Ships. - or the plans to the Brice-Partington submarine for that matter. I shall institute discrete enquiries within the Admiralty.

I am a little taken aback by the name engraved on the side of the casting - is this a blatant attempt to market it in Australia? Will it pop up in the Canadian market as The Beavershot? Or in the German shops as Der Adler? Are there enough wedding shooters in South Africa to sell it as The Giraffe?

Well, no matter - buy this now and you'll never buy another - because you'll never need another - it is built with more precision than your motor car. And you will never be confronted with some amateur at the wedding using a better one. Image is, after all, something that you can trade on.

Now isn't that a Happy Ending...

Memoirs Of A Flasher - With Promaster

" Well, Officer, it was like this...it was all dark and I wanted a picture of it and I had a digital camera and  Promaster flashgun and it was all over in a minute. You wouldn't have a cup of coffee and a doughnut, would you? "

Okay, now that we have your attention, you'll note that there is an advertisement in the newspaper from our shop for the Promaster flash guns - all different sizes and lots of fittings for different cameras. We can fit out Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and Pentax users and do it in TTL style.

Lots of cameras have small flashes that pop up from the top of the mirror housing or top plate of the camera - some on articulated arms that look like the pantographs on electric locomotives. These are fine as far as they go, but they do not go far. Use them for catchlights in eyes or macro work, but don't expect to light a group of people with them. For that you need a bigger tube and more power.

The Promaster flashes have guide numbers that range from 20 to 58 ( in metric terms )so they can suit a number of situations. If you don't know what a guide number is, Mr. Google is your friend. The TTL provision in many cases obviates the need to worry about it but there are still times when you need to know it to see if you have enough illumination power for your proposed exposure. Just be thankful that you do not have to juggle the mathematics of flash-bulb type vs guide number vs aperture vs subject distance vs reflector size vs subject reflectivity that was once the lot of the film worker. It was not uncommon for the photographer to burst into tears trying to do the equation and throw all the gear into a snowbank and go away searching for strong drink...

The other advantage of using a Promaster flash is it works on AA batteries ( rechargeable or one-use ) and thus does not draw down on the li-ion battery in your camera - more shots per charge. Some of the models can be switched to manual control and you can then use wireless control accessories to get an off-camera result.

And all Promaster gear has a lifetime no-quibble replacement policy.

THAT'S PRETTY FLASH!

The Humble Slave - Promaster

With all of today's TTL, Wireless, Air, and Radio control of the flashes, we often overlook simpler things - items that have been developed from older technology.

Suppose you wanted to use several old flash guns for a portrait setup and they were of different makes - perhaps they have no TTL connectors on the bottom at all. Maybe they don't even have hot shoe connections - just a PC synch cord coming out of one side of he flash.

Also suppose you have very little money in your pocket. How are you to synchronise the extra flashes to your camera? With one of these:

This is a simple little electronic cell flash synch. It completes the basic flash circuit when the sensitive cell on the front of it detects a pulse of light. It has a 1/4" threaded socket on the bottom, a hot shoe on the top, and a PC connector on the side - you can cater for all the old flashes you want to.

Fire a basic master flash from your camera - it can be the in-built one or something that you sling on the top. You needn't even let the light from this hit your subject - you can shield it with a piece of alfoil or cardboard. As long as the light of that basic flash reaches the electric cell on the humble slave, it will fire off whatever is connected to it.

Cost? $ 18.95.

Strobin' With Fujifilm

The "strobist" fad went through here a couple of years ago and was quite popular for a while - but I suspect it was before its time in some respects.

You see, the little clip-on and strap-on accessories that we sold for speed lights were all very well - for the most part they did modify the light output - but they were accompanying large, heavy regular DSLR cameras. In some cases the DSLR's were bearing even larger and heavier lenses. It might have been fun, but it wasn't balanced.

The fad seems to have passed - some of the manufacturers have stopped making the accessories, and other fads have appeared. Yet - the time is right to take this up as we have smaller and lighter mirror-less cameras to use now...we can achieve balance.

I went to see the toy cars on Sunday. While I paid for an adult entry ticket, I didn't want to be an adult - it's hard enough keeping up the pretence all week here in the shop...I did take a mirrorless camera with one lens and a speedlight with a couple of strobist accessories. And I had a whale of a time.

The camera was the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and the flash was the EF 42 from Fujifilm. It is a speed light that has an easy manual program you can change with two push buttons. The right lens for he job was the Fujinon 35mm f:1.4.

The strobist accessories were a wireless trigger set that allowed me to shoot with the camera in one hand and the flash in the other, and a bounce panel above flash tube. This was one of the nylon/cloth panels that attach to the speed light with a velcro strip - very lightweight and easy to pack away. In yesterday's case I used a 5" size.

Note that these sorts of reflectors were made by Honl and are still available from Rogue.

Exhibitions and shows can be crowded places and you don't have much room to set up tripods or light stands. The ability to have one good diffused flash that you can shift around on the end of your arm is priceless.

f:11 was no problem with this setup - and you need all the depth of field you can get for tabletop subjects at close range. It worked so well, and with such a light weight to carry, that I experimented with it here in the shop's mini studio set. I am quite impressed with what it can do in one shot. Even simple shelf shots are better with the diffuser.

Wanna know more? Come in and see me.

Uncle Dick

The Open Flash Question For Digital Shooters

Digital shooters can be be spoiled by the wonderful developments that the major manufacturers have made with camera sensors and electronic circuitry. As time has gone on the cameras have been given the ability to make pictures under darker and darker conditions with cleaner and cleaner results. In many cases digital shooters have never thought to turn on any additional artificial light. And many have eschewed it as being somehow "impure"...

Those of us who shot film, and old film, had no such qualms. When we needed light indoors we put over-run incandescent bulbs into domestic lamps, set up photoflood lights, or reached for flash guns and flash bulbs. The lucky and adventurous had access to studio strobe outfits that looked like they came out of either a Thunderbirds set or the ark... I say adventurous because they were working with strange cables, industrial plugs, and high voltages. It was never a good idea to stick your fingers in there...anywhere...

The portable reflector guns sometimes had folding fan reflectors or polished round metal bowls. You plugged in AG-1, Press 25, or other bulbs in them, added a 22.5 volt battery and tried to synch it to your shutter. Sometimes the designer of the flashgun and the camera had agreed on the sort of synchronising connector they wanted to share - sometimes not. There was a large range of proprietary designs for plugs and sockets and frequently you were holding a gun that would not attach to the camera. Even Leica was guilty of this sort of thing...

The low-tech let out for this was to take a picture in dark conditions - dark enough so that you could use one second for the shutter speed. Probably a tripod situation, though if it was dead dark you could get away hand-held.

The trick was to fire the shutter on one second and during the time that the shutter escapement was buzzing away you fired the flash by means of an "open" button on the back of the gun or simply shorting out the terminals of the synch cord with the tip of a Biro. The picture was illuminated by the flash and the negative did not know that you were the sort-of-wireless link in the process.

No relevance today? Not so - I frequently need to shoot studio stuff with lights in several paces and sometimes they need to be small lights concealed in structures. I turn out all the lights, open the shutter, and then use a portable speed light to pop wherever needed. Many of the speed light flashes can be shot in Manual mode and throttled down to 1/64th or 1/128th of their full power. These and low ISO settings mean you can have quite a degree of spot control.

Even if the need is more flash power altogether with big studio units, you can use the same  procedure. Dark studio, open shutter, then flash once, twice or four times to get two more stops of power past the top wattage of the units. It pays to turn off modelling lights unless you need more warmth in the scene or if you are frightened of the dark.

But anyone who used some of the old Lumedyne or Norman flashes isn't afraid of dark. Lightning, yes...

" Does It Come With Batteries?"

Today's post is occasioned by an enquiry that I had last Saturday from a customer. It pointed out that there may be some misconceptions regarding modern cameras and their sale - misconceptions that we may be able to clear up. Here goes.

1. Does it come with a battery?

If it is a modern digital camera, yes. All the manufacturers include a battery with it. Generally it is the rechargeable Li-ion type. If it is a camera that runs on 2 or 4 of the AA batteries they generally include a set of alkaline ones in the box.

If you are going to do anything with your camera past leaving it in a dresser drawer - ie actually go out and take pictures - you would be very wise to purchase a second rechargeable battery or a second set of AA's for it. They don't cost that much and if you are on a trip you can leave one battery to recharge while you go on with the other. Which leads is to the next question...

2. Does it come with a battery charger?

As they say on Radio Yerevan " Basically, yes..."

Most manufacturers do include an A/C charger block and connecting cords. You pull the battery out of the camera, pop it into the charger, and plug the charger into the wall.

Some clever clogs makers have decided to have the battery charge within the camera and include a cord from an A/C adapter to the side of the camera. NOT clever, clogs. It ties the camera to the A/C just when you might want to be out using it. Owners of these cameras need more batteries and sometimes need an additional off-camera charging block to free them for field use. It might be tempting to think that you are avoiding taking a charger on your trip, but that electricity has to get in there somehow...

Note: Many people lose the chargers from their cameras when they leave their hotels. Every hotel concierge has them in store. If you forget, ask to borrow one from the concierge.

3. Does it come with a case?

As they say on Radio Yerevan " Basically, no..."

The good old fitted never-ready case that we got free with the 35mm camera was made of leather by wizened old craftsmen. Whether it is the leather or the craftsmen that has disappeared, they are no more. The one exception to the rule in the last few years was the case with the LE edition of the Fujifilm X-100 camera. Wonderful and nostalgic, but mine sits in the box unused as I take the camera out and about.

You can get bags and in some cases, cases from independent manufacturers. We have a wall of them and there is a shape and size to suit all tastes and pockets. Knock yourself out.

4. Does it come with a strap?

Yes. The big cameras will have neck straps and the small ones will have wrist straps. If you get a crick in your neck from the maker's strap, you can always purchase a Black Rapid, Joby, Lowepro, or Op/Tec strap to spread the load.

When it comes to attaching the strap to the camera be prepared to expend language - or ask one of the staff members nicely and we will do it for you. We know language...

5. Do I need to buy batteries for my flash?

As they say on Radio Yerevan " basically, yes and no..."

Yes, if you want your new portable electronic speed light to flash. You will need to put 4 AA batteries into it. Fresh batteries. Two up, and two down.

We have the excellent Toshiba AA batteries for sale. Also the excellent Powerex rechargeable AA and chargers for sale.

No, if you are content to leave it in the box and not use it.

6. Do I need to buy a memory card?

See answer #5. None of the manufacturers put a memory card in the box as a matter of course, though they occasionally panic around the end of the Japanese financial year and have been known to throw a tiny one into a deal to boost sales. It is never big nor fast, and it is never enough.

Memory cards are not expensive in monetary terms and extremely cheap when set against the value of the time and effort taken to make images on them. DO NOT STINT YOURSELF by purchasing a no-brand card. You will regret it. Get a good one.

7. Does it come with a lens?

If the camera design does not have an interchangeable lens, yes. Yes it does. Turn it on and go for it.

If the design has an interchangeable mount, it comes with a lens if you buy a lens. Sometimes the lens and body are in one box as a kit, which is a good idea, and sometimes they are separate and you can choose what you like, which is a good idea. You'll know hat you need.

Please note that we have not got into the subject of wifi, Bluetooth, near-field connectivity, or Pilsner beer. These are delightful topics but beyond the scope of this simple posting.

Yongnuo Duo Fire Flash Fast

No, I didn't just replace the colour in Photoshop Elements - though I could have... The Yongnuo people have colour-coded their transceiver set packs for either Nikon or Canon users.

In either case they work effectively with the respective TTL flash systems for these camera types. They provide 7 channels in 3 groups - can throw out AF lights to help focus - and can do high speed synch. Of course you can always switch to manual control as well.

You'll not on the packet that it shows a separate PC connector socket at the side of the transceiver - this is very useful if you are also triggering off studio flashes or older -odder - units. As with many of these control boxes, the more options you have the more useful it is - there are all sorts of things that we think up later on in using external flashes, and the less adapters and blocks you need the better. It gets to look like Heath Robinson as it is.

B2 Or Not 2B - That Is The Question With Profoto

There's nothing quite like a B2 arriving at night...

So last night we had a Profoto B2 plus pilot here at the shop for a demonstration of the new system. Over 50 photographers attended the session and the mission commander...Saul...gave us all a briefing about what it is and what it is going to cost.

The pilot - Stefan Gosatti - had taken the new equipment for a spin at a red-carpet affair, on a fashion shoot, and out to do twilight coverage of a sports event. He had examples on screen and printed out to show what the coverage and power of this new unit can do.

The flash is the even-more-portable off-camera flash solution from Profoto. They make a great battery-powered monohead called the B1 that can fire out 500 watt/seconds from an on-board lithium-ion battery. Heart-stoppingly short flash duration and takes all the big Profoto light shapers.

The new B2 is a battery pack system that supports the use of two small portable heads - much smaller in overall size than the B1 heads. Surprisingly, they have been moulded to still take the large Profoto light shapers....but the makers have also provided a new range of lighter-weight shapers and modifiers to match the portability.

Make no mistake - this is a pack system that you can carry round on your belt or shoulder all day but is capable of firing 250 watt/seconds - divide it between two heads as you like. It dials down to an incredibly small amount of light as well so it would be suitable for lab as well as studio use.

Okay - how did Stefan fire it? He used a Profoto Air TTL with his camera - Profoto can supply the Air TTL controllers for both Nikon or Canon DSLR cameras. If he had chosen the Profot Air without the TTL provision it could have been used on any brand of camera - I'm sure he would have been fine because he knows what light can do and how to set it for his results, but even he said that it was helpful in fast-moving situations to have the TTL to help out.

Note: we suspect other camera manufacturer's TTL system requirements will also be addressed in the coming months with Profoto Air TTL versions - don't know which ones but we'll find out eventually.

The heads have standard 1/2" light stand mounts or can be unscrewed from these for even smaller specialised applications. they are small enough to mount above the DSLR on an arm - this is the deal for he gunadrun event photographer. One head on 250watt/seconds is about 10 times the light of a speed light so you can work brighter in darker spaces...

The Profoto light modifiers for the new B2 are deliberately lighter than the studio ones - there is a new range of grid sets, barn doors, soft boxes, and beauty dishes. the soft boxes have been designed with integral diffusers and rods for very fast set-up.

Stefan found that he got nearly 200 shots from each battery charge - had he turned the power down on the lights the number of flashes would have been very much greater. Note that the charger will fill up the battery in an hour - and you can get a car charger as well if you need to top-up between jobs on the road.

My conclusion as a staff member lounging behind the counter was that the new flash is a clear winner in this class of photography. This in spite of my brand loyalty. It will become the standard of the industry for portable shooters.

Real World Batteries - Toshiba And Fujifilm

I screwed up my courage last week and asked Ernest about batteries for flash guns. Then I took his advice...and bought a set of the Toshiba AA cells for a weekend shoot. $ 4.80.

The advice proved good. I used the 4 cells in a Fujifilm EF 42 flash with my Fujifilm X-Pro1 and an 18mm lens. I set the ISO to 320 and wandered around Big Al's Poker Run car show for 4 hours. The camera was set to do forced flash - it fired every time - frequently on +1 or +1.5 flash boost due to the nature of the harsh light contrast.

Over 280 shots on the day. I should have expected 120-140 from the set of batteries. But there is the 280 on the card and in my hard drive.

Whether this is due to the sterling nature of Japanese electricity or the Fujifilm flash is remarkably economical, I don't know - but this sort of performance means that I'll be using the combination in the future. I can't remember getting anywhere near this level of performance with alkaline Duracell or Eveready in the past.

Some Flashy Deals With Elinchrom

I love writing advertising copy for this place. I get to use all the corny old tabloid headlines as they are appropriate to the products advertised. As yet, I have not been able to incorporate WAR ENDS! in 100-point black bold at the top of the sheet, but I am still hopeful...

Coming away from that, here's good news for anyone contemplating some studio or portable flash to give them a little more oomph than speedlights...Elinchrom has a series of deals for January and February that will put money back in you pocket and new gear in your hands.

We've just gotten the tear sheet for the following:

1. Purchase any Ranger Quadra Lithium-ion 2-head set and get a $ 500 cashback from Elinchrom.

2. Purchase any Ranger Quadra Lithium -ion 1-head set and get $ 300 cashback from Elinchrom.

3. Purchase a bundle offer with ELC 500 or 1000 set and get a free 44cm beauty dish with dedicated grid.

4. Purchase a bundle offer with the D-Lite RX 4 To Go set and get a free Spyder 4 Pro.

5. Purchase a bundle offer with the D-Lite RX 4 To Go set and get a free SpyderCheckr 24 and a SpyderLensCal.

6. Purchase a bundle offer with the D-Lite RX One To Go 3-head set and get a free Spyder 4 Pro.

7. Purchase a bundle offer with the D-Lite RX One To Go 3-head set and get a free SpyderCheckr 24 and SpyderLensCal.

8. Purchase a bundle offer with the BRX 500/500 To Go set and get a free Spyder 4 pro.

9. Purchase a bundle offer with the BRX 500/500 To Go set and get a free SpyderCheckr 24 and a SpyderLensCal.

All of these things work good in themselves and the combinations of them is even better. Hop in for your chop.

No Flash Permitted

Every photographer's had that awkward moment when someone comes up to you just before you start a job and announces that there will be no flash. This is no problem if you are going to shoot a car show in the Swan Valley at midday - see previous blog post  - because you WILL have light. But bob down the road to St. Grubby's church in the park and get told that you'll have no flash and windows the size of postage stamps...and here comes the the bride...

The  church problem was solved by having the bride's mother savage the vicar, but one cannot always enjoy oneself like this - sometimes we have to suck it up and put away the flash.

Case in point was a dance show this weekend - the big school theatre where it was held had stage lighting, but it was way up in the rafters. Some additional towers were put on the stage - but again these were modest output. The lighting equation would have been pretty well unsolvable had I been using regular sorts of films or regular sorts of digital camera. Dancers move fast and you can't do long exposures.

Fortunately I found out last show that the Fujifilm X-E2 could go to 3200 ISO without coughing - and this time it went to 6400 with acceptable shadows -and a DR of 400%.
As well, the Auto white balance nailed the mixed stage lighting very well - as soon as it went through Aperture 3 or Lightroom all the jpeg files fell in place.

I noted that this does not seem to be the case with other images posted from audience members - they have been forced into some pretty grim colour. Presumably the results are from smaller compact cameras or older digitals that don't quite have the newer circuitry or capabilities.

I reflected at the time that Nikon pro users would have been as well or better served in the same circumstance - the low-light capabilities of the D3, 3s, 4, Df, and D750 are justly lauded. 'Course they would have been hauling heavier iron than I was and that does make a difference if you're holding it for 3 hours or are lazy...

So the conclusion is, get Fujifilm, or Nikon, or plead for permission to use flash. Or bring the bride's mother...

Fongarein, Fongarehere, Fongaregood

All Hail The Mighty Fong!

This universal diffuser claps onto the font of any speed light flash to diffuse the light and fill it into the shadows of your picture.

No more Panda Eyes on your bridal portraits and no more couples caught like rabbits in the headlights at parties. Soft fill in that goes out to the edges of an interior - but doesn't burn out the main subject.

The new universal velcro strap secures it to any flash - I know because I just got up from the laptop right now to try it on a new Nissin i40 - and you have a far better fill than could be obtained with the little box diffusers.

We've got a stack of them in store right now.

Pursuant To Our Previous Communication...With Nissin

This is the only time in your life when you will read good news that starts with " pursuant to our previous communication...".

Yesterday I tested out the Nissin i40 flash with my Fujifilm X-10 here at the shop. Today I gave it a further wring-out in Stirling Street in bright sunlight. Make no mistake about that - Western Australian sun is bright and hot, as you'll have found out yesterday.

The sun plays hell with exposures when you need to get detail into deep shadow areas - hence the use of fill-flash for this time of day. The Nissin i40 has a setting called Slave Digital that takes its command from a digital camera's on-board flash. You set it up for whatever power you want and then hold the flash out to wherever you think you need fill from.

But does it work if the camera's flash is just a dinky little thing and there is an overwhelming external light? Wouldn't that be the worst possible scenario? Well, have a look.

Even in the toughest test the i40 responded. In the past I have had to cobble up shades and put slave flashes in improbable positions to get communication, but this one just goes off when wanted without fuss. And I know that if it will work in Stirling Street at 10:30 AM in summer, it will work every blessed where.

Kerboom!....With Nissin And Fujifilm

Well, it works.

I have just given the new Nissin i40 flash a run with the little Fujifilm X-10 that takes the editorial photos for our shop - and i am impressed. Impressed enough to fork out some of my own money for one.

It slotted onto the hot shoe and went into TTL mode flawlessly - no big surprises there. Tilt, auto zoom, all the bells and whistles we expect from modern flashes.

Then I turned it to Manual and shot the sequence of flashes you see in the photos. 1/128, 1/16. and 1/1. But you see how it worked? - no cord connection - the flash operates as a slave from the X-10's little weeny on-board flash.

So, you can hold it in your hand, shoot your main from the end of your arm, and have the little on-board peeper as a fill. Or put it on the shoe, dial it up to 1/1 and do fill flash out in full sunlight. With the X-10, 20, 30 or X-100 series cameras you can synch up to at least 1?100 - I tried it. Woo Hoo.

It's got a video light there, and an auto setting for non-TTL cameras...and a metal shoe for reliability.

And if you are a micro 4/3 person, there is a version of this for your camera. Also if you are a Canon or Nikon person.

$ 295 looks like a real bargain for this much Kerboom.

High Speed Synch - Profoto Flashes Onto the Stage

We've just had a heads-up from the wholesalers of the Profoto flash range that something new is here. They launched  a High Speed Synch for the Profoto B1 Off-Camera Flash on the 15th of this month.

It opens up the ability to shoot in many new areas with any aperture and any shutter speed up to 1/8000 second. This means you can shoot wide open even in bright sunny conditions ( like Western Australia in the summer...) without getting blown-out skies.

If you're using it to capture movement in mixed lighting you can get super-stopping power without motion blur that might have been occasioned by ambient lighting. The HSS works for Nikon and Canon and has been tested for all common camera models.

The launch consists of firmware upgrades for the B1 and Air Remote TTL-C/N.
 the firmware will be made available on:

www.profoto.com/myprofoto

and can be upgraded by the customer via USB. There are no hardware upgrades involved and the same flash tube can be used.

What a nice present for Christmas! And what a stunning flash system!

Boost Your Flash Power With Rogue

Way back in the dim days of 35mm film I clapped some Fuji film rated at 800 ASA into my Voigtlander caemra and put on the fastest lens I cold find - and headed for the Quarry Amphitheatre in Floreat. There was a bellydance show in the evening and I needed to stop the action. I also called on a Metz 45 CT-1 with a Televorsatz to light it.

The Metz flashes were the best of the hammerhead style at the time - might still be, for that matter. They had a massive guide number and in manual mode pumped out a real blast of light. When you attached the Televorsatz it acted as a light concentrator and the ASA rating boosted up to 1600.

This might not sound exciting in these days of the Nikon D4s or the big Canon cameras but remember at the time most hovels in Western Australia were still being lit by pine torches and small oil lamps. At least I know mine was...

Okay - reel forward to now - lots of people have DSLR cameras that have inbuilt flashes positioned just above the penta-prism. They pop up on command and provide a decent level of light for close-up or fast people shots. But they are nowhere near powerful enough for distance work. Leaving aside the obvious solution - buy a dedicated TTL flash for the camera and have done with it - we come to the modern version of the old Metz Televorsatz.

The Rogue Pop-up Flash Booster attaches to the hot shoe on top of your DSLR, and if there is a pop-up flash inside there it pops up inside the booster. The light it emits fires out through a fresnel lens on the front of the booster and this concentrates it into a stronger, smaller beam. The packaging promised up to 8X more light but that sounds like creative confusion - reckon on a doubling of ISO.

The joy of this is that the TTL system in the camera that monitors what is coming back to the lens from the subject is unaffected by the accessory - it just benefits from more light returning. Thus you use up less power each time you shoot.

The packaging says it is optimised for lenses over 100mm focal length. Should be delightful for stage shooting or sniping out individuals at big party events.

In-store now at $ 39,95.