Flash metering (power, aperture and shutter)

badboy1984

badboy1984

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Setting up a small home studio for experiment off camera flash shots. I'm going to use a very simple setup, this consist: camera, flashgun and radio trigger.

I don't have a flash meter to calculate the flash power, aperture etc.

Is their any technique to manually calculate this to start me off? or shall i just buy a flash meter instead?

Say i set my camera to shoot iso 200 and aperture between f5.6 - f8. how to calculate the flash power? IS their a formula to do it or shall I do the old school method "Trial and Error"?
 
Hi, Assuming you are using one of the Nikon cameras mentioned on your profile. Both can be used in Commander Mode. It would help if you tell us what flash gun you are going to use, ie is it dedicated to the Nikon system. If it is then it can be controlled from the camera and for practice the cameras metering system will take care of it. You can always get an idea of your exposures from the cameras screen.

If it's not dedicated to the Nikon system then a good starting point would be to calculate your exposures from the guide number of the flash unit. ie feet/meters into the guide number will give you the aperture, obviously you must take into account the ISO speed you are working at.

If you are lighting your subject by flash alone then your shutter speed will have no bearing on the exposure, just make sure the shutter speed set on your camera is not faster than the maximum flash sync speed of your camera. If it is the camera will still fire the flash but you will get image cut off due to the way a focal plane shutter works which your cameras have.

Finally best of all try to get yourself a flash meter, by using one you will find just how versatile you can be with just one flash unit and a few light modifiers. And then just practice.

Hope this helps.
 
thanks man, i've already looking to buy a flash meter for stuff like that but would be good to know how to do it just incase i don't have one.

I use SB910 and SB700 flash but i do have a metz and yongnuo flash i may use.
 
Yongnuo rf603N. The N stands for Nikon and if you are canon shooter you go for rf603C
 
badboy1984 said:
Setting up a small home studio for experiment off camera flash shots. I'm going to use a very simple setup, this consist: camera, flashgun and radio trigger.

I don't have a flash meter to calculate the flash power, aperture etc.

Is their any technique to manually calculate this to start me off? or shall i just buy a flash meter instead?

Say i set my camera to shoot iso 200 and aperture between f5.6 - f8. how to calculate the flash power? IS their a formula to do it or shall I do the old school method "Trial and Error"?
Click to expand...

The guide number method should get you close under normal circumstances, but only works if the flash is fired direct - no diffuser or other modifiers, no bouncing.

But if you have just one flash, simply take a test shot and adjust exposure until it's right. Very quick and easy.
 
I am a little bit old school in my opinion, but I personally would just buy an entry level flash meter. You can't beat it for sheer speed and being able to quickly balance multiple light sources. It will also teach you much more about understanding light rather than just guessing for each set up. I know many will disagree, but a very solid flash meter vote from me.
 
I've got one coming to me soon, got a sekonic flashmate from a TP member. Hopefully it will arrive today to try it out :)
 
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