Have I bought the wrong camera? or Do you shoot kids with E-PL1?

[shoturtle]

the nissin can not be control with ttl when used as a slave. But it can still be trigger to fire with the built in flash. As it operates as a optical slave. Which allot of non dedicate slave flash can do.

the new metz 44 AF-1 has full ttl function. So when the epl-1 built in flash, fires the pre flash with the info form the camera. The metz picks it up and adjust itself with the ttl data before firing.

Also the metz has a guild number of 44m vs 33m with the nissin. Meaning the metz is more powerful, and can bounce better off high ceilings. The metz can tilt and swivel the head to bounce at different directions.

I am not sure about the AF assist beam with the epl-1 or epl-2. I actually email olympus about the AF assist beam, and weather it works on either of the camera if the flash has that ability. Hopefully I will hear back about weather it will work on a flash with AF assist on monday or tuesday.

 

[shoturtle]

On mirco 4/3 it is spray and pray, but on a dslr it is sports shooting at it's best. with AI Servo.

burst mode. (aka spray and pray)

 

[mushmorok]

So, as we are at my wife's parents for the weekend, I took a couple shots while the little guy was having fun with his grandpa As you can see the results are not very good (nor too bad in fact ...).

First I've made some shots with the flash turned on (ISO 200; F5.6; 1/60; Flash: Fill In):

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The photo is not that bad, but what bugs me here are the colors - will they change (for good with some more powerful and better external flash?

Second shot without flash (ISO 3200; F3.5; 1/30)

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ISO 3200 and F3.5 was the only way to get the shutter to 1/30, that allowed me to freeze the photo (and it took me a dozen of tries before succeeding ... )

Both shots were made at A mode, WB set to auto and with all available lights turned on inside the room. I really like the colors on the second photo, but it is quite grainy at that ISO level ...

 

[Luckypenguin]

Can you elaborate what are the main differences between this flashes? If I got it correctly the Nissin Di466 cannot adjust it power when used as slave and triggered remotely with the built-in camera flash. The other thing that was mentioned is that the Nissin cannot swivel - is this important and why? [/url]

A swivel head means you can frame a picture with a potrait orientation and still bounce the flash from the ceiling. If it swivels 180 degrees you can also shoot virtually directly downwards and bounce off the ceiling (just remember to close your eyes when you press the shutter button!).

 

[shoturtle]

A external flash will give you more pop in the color. I would push it up to 800iso and see how the results are. The extra stop of iso will help the built in flash more.

 

[mauve]

Both shots were made at A mode, WB set to auto and with all available lights turned on inside the room. I really like the colors on the second photo, but it is quite grainy at that ISO level ...

Step down your flash a notch or two (-0.7 ev) and use custom WB toward more yellow lights - in fact the auto WB is correct in the 1st picture, but it doesn't looks like an indoor shot because you miss the yellow cast from bulb lights which we are accustomed to but shifts the 'true' colours of the scene. About 7.200 °K might be a starting point to suit your mood.

Cheers,

 

[mushmorok]

I actually email olympus about the AF assist beam, and weather it works on either of the camera if the flash has that ability. Hopefully I will hear back about weather it will work on a flash with AF assist on monday or tuesday.

Will you share the answer when you receive it, please?

 

[shoturtle]

I will

Will you share the answer when you receive it, please?

 

[mushmorok]

Today I've continued to experiment with the built-in flash as this seems to be the only "weapon" that I currently have that can help me get blur free indoor pictures. I've followed the comments given yesterday (thanks again for them ...) and this is what I've got. My main focus was on getting decent colors with the built-in flash, as it seems that this is the main problem with it.

What I found out is that the only thing that you need during the day, where there is natural light anyway in the room, the only thing that you really need to do is to boost up the ISO to 800, as shoturtle suggested.
Here are three reference photos:

1. iAuto mode with flash (ISO:200; WB:Auto; F5.4; 1/80; Flash: Auto):

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2. A mode (ISO:800; WB:Auto; F5.6; 1/60; Flash: Fill In)

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3. A mode w/o flash (ISO:800;WB:Auto; F5.6; 1/25)

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But then in the evening when the most light comes from the flash, I had to additionally boost the WB to 7400, as mauve suggested, to get the warmer colors that I am accustomed.
Two comparison shots in iAuto and A mode with WB@7400:

1. iAuto

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2. WB 7400

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Other things that I've noticed that during the day definitely you may need additionally to step down the flash a little (-0.3/-0.7 ev) during the day and boost (+0.3/+0.7 ev) it during the evening.

As I've really started enjoying the Oly I've wanted to share some of the shots that I've taken today (and didn't missed and was happy with (both taken with the built-in flash turned on):

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Again thank you for all the tips, they are may be obvious, but at least for me they were not. So if you have further comments, I will be more than happy to read them as I'm willing to learn :smile: ("Understanding exposure" is already in my reading list ... )

 

[mauve]

Nice pictures, kids look quite natural. Keep on experimenting, there's no right nor wrong, just what you like to see. And if you wish to know how to achieve something, don't be afraid to ask, there are always skilled people around here willing to share knowledge, and that helped me getting in sync with my camera in the beginning too.

 

[BBW]

mushmorok, I don't know if you have checked out our Image Works forum, but if you haven't yet, I think you'd find it quite helpful. There are some extremely worth while and helpful threads in there - including this sticky thread: A Primer on Aperture, f stops, EV compensation and ISO. In addition, it is the forum in which it is ideal to post photographs and ask for specific help. You also might want to check out the Image Quests, past and present.

P.S. I'd also like to invite you to stop by our Welcomes and Introductions forum for your "official" welcome.

 

[mushmorok]

mushmorok, I don't know if you have checked out our Image Works forum, but if you haven't yet, I think you'd find it quite helpful. There are some extremely worth while and helpful threads in there - including this sticky thread: A Primer on Aperture, f stops, EV compensation and ISO. In addition, it is the forum in which it is ideal to post photographs and ask for specific help.

Thank you for the heads up - I'll continue the discussion there if I need further help on the subject after I read through it.

I'm glad that this thread answered the first question Unfortunately I'm not able to change the thread topic and strike out the first part of it

 

[shoturtle]

Olympus got back to me about the flash. The CAF system the pens's use does not respond to an AF assist light, so if the flash has one and fires, it will do nothing for the CAF to improve AF. So a flash with AF assist, the feature is just not used.

Here is the email they sent me

Thank you for contacting Olympus Technical Support.
The AF-Assist beam on the FL-36 and FL-50 is designed to work with the Phase Detect AF system of our DSLR cameras. The Imager-AF AF system of the Pens does not respond to the AF assist beam.


Best Regards,
Jim

Olympus Technical Support
Olympus Imaging America Inc.
Toll Free Technical Support Hotline 1-888 -553-4448