Flash with FM2n

Winston · 1st November 2003

Using FM2 w/o any flash was a pretty straight forward,

1) turn the ISO dial to the film's rating
2) Set the Aperature on the lens
3) Turn the dial for shutter speed
4) Check to see the exposure meter reading is showing "o"
5) Wind the film advance lever and depress the shutter release.

However when I mounted on an SB-80DX flash, I was confused.
I know the flash will only work in Manual mode and Auto mode.
So if I set the flash to "Auto" mode how will I know if the exposure is correct or not?

I noticed that when I mount on the flash and turn it on, it did not reflect on the exposure meter of the FM2n, it still shows "-" for underexpose even though the flash is ON and the shutter speed is 1/30, f/2.8, ISO 400 when I am pretty sure it will be overexposed if I do depress the shutter.

I have seen many professional photographers using manual cameras, some even using it for wedding shoots, so I am puzzled as to how they know what is the correct setting to set for the camera and flash for different shooting conditions (like daylight, under the shade, at night)

Any manual camera users care to share?

3er · 1st November 2003

The exposure meter shows ambient light. So the subject will be properly lit by the flash and the background will be dark (almost pitch black). If the exposure meter shows "o" then the background and foreground will blend in nicely.

To determine how your subject is properly exposed, you check the LCD on the SB-80DX (assuming "A" mode). Set the ISO before hand to match your film speed (eg. 400) and set it to the aperture value you are using (eg. f/2.8). You can ignore the shutter speed for the time being cos it only affects how much background /ambient motion blur - so long as you have it between 1/60 and 1/200 (on FM2) or 1/250 (on FM2n). So all you have to do is to make sure your subject is within the distance shown on the LCD screen by checking the distance markings on your lens. And the SB-80DX will automatically adjust the flash output. Too far (eg. infinity) and it will be underexposed; too near (eg. 1m) and it will be overexposed.

Hope that helps.

1st November 2003	#1
Winston Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 663	Flash with FM2n Using FM2 w/o any flash was a pretty straight forward, 1) turn the ISO dial to the film's rating 2) Set the Aperature on the lens 3) Turn the dial for shutter speed 4) Check to see the exposure meter reading is showing "o" 5) Wind the film advance lever and depress the shutter release. However when I mounted on an SB-80DX flash, I was confused. I know the flash will only work in Manual mode and Auto mode. So if I set the flash to "Auto" mode how will I know if the exposure is correct or not? I noticed that when I mount on the flash and turn it on, it did not reflect on the exposure meter of the FM2n, it still shows "-" for underexpose even though the flash is ON and the shutter speed is 1/30, f/2.8, ISO 400 when I am pretty sure it will be overexposed if I do depress the shutter. I have seen many professional photographers using manual cameras, some even using it for wedding shoots, so I am puzzled as to how they know what is the correct setting to set for the camera and flash for different shooting conditions (like daylight, under the shade, at night) Any manual camera users care to share?

1st November 2003	#2
3er Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 62	The exposure meter shows ambient light. So the subject will be properly lit by the flash and the background will be dark (almost pitch black). If the exposure meter shows "o" then the background and foreground will blend in nicely. To determine how your subject is properly exposed, you check the LCD on the SB-80DX (assuming "A" mode). Set the ISO before hand to match your film speed (eg. 400) and set it to the aperture value you are using (eg. f/2.8). You can ignore the shutter speed for the time being cos it only affects how much background /ambient motion blur - so long as you have it between 1/60 and 1/200 (on FM2) or 1/250 (on FM2n). So all you have to do is to make sure your subject is within the distance shown on the LCD screen by checking the distance markings on your lens. And the SB-80DX will automatically adjust the flash output. Too far (eg. infinity) and it will be underexposed; too near (eg. 1m) and it will be overexposed. Hope that helps.