Filter
Top Products
Miniportrait 203/403 Camera User Guide
10
Alternative lighting techniques
Electronic flash illumination
Use electronic flash with color film or Type
665 film.
Lighting techniques:
• Direct flash: The flash is aimed straight
at the subject. The flash unit should
have a guide number of at least 40
(in feet) for IS0 25/15
o
film, or 24
(in meters) for IS0 100/21
o
film
(1400 BCPS).
• Reflected flash: This gives a soft light,
minimizing lines and wrinkles and
avoiding harsh shadows. The light from
the flash does not strike the subject
directly, but is first reflected from a large
diffusing surface, such as a white card
or a lighting umbrella. Two typical
setups are shown (37, 38). You will
need a fairly powerful electronic flash
unit.
• See also Basic portrait lighting
techniques.
Electronic flash synchronization
The flash unit(s) can be synchronized with
the camera in one of two ways. Either
connect the flash unit’s sync cord to the “X”
socket on the camera, using the flash sync
adapter if necessary (see below). Or, rotate
the reflector on the camera flash upward,
and use it to trigger the off-camera “slave”
flash unit(s).
If your flash unit can be used for either
“manual” or “automatic” operation, always
set the controls for manual operation; do
not use an automatic-only flash unit.
The flash sync adapter
Some flash units have a different polarity
than the camera’s built-in flash. The
adapter reverses this polarity, to allow
proper synchronization.
To determine whether the adapter is
needed with your flash unit:
1. Plug the sync cord on your external
flash unit into the camera as you would
normally.
2. Turn on the camera. (If using the
camera’s built-in flash in addition to the
external flash unit, raise the flash, and
wait for the Ready light to go on.)
3. Press the shutter button. The external
flash should fire. (If the camera flash
was on, both flash units should fire.)
If the flash unit(s) did not fire:
1. Turn off the camera and disconnect your
external flash unit.
2. Connect the flash sync adapter to the
camera and to the sync cord on your
external flash unit.
3. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 above. The flash
unit(s) should fire.
Exposure
Set the shutter to either l/60 or 1/125 sec.
Set the lens aperture as indicated by the
guide number of your electronic flash unit
for the speed of film you are using. The
guide number will be in the instructions
provided with the flash unit. It will generally
refer to direct flash; for reflected flash, open
the lens aperture by two f-stops.