[ Tech advise needed ] - E520 flash sync

[aungzawwin]

Hi from noob to Oly DSLR
I'm wondering how I can use fill flash when shooting in bright outdoors..
I was using P mode on my new E520 which I had got from a fren..
Exposure set by camera was 1/320 f6.3 I guess..
When I popped up the built in flash and shoot, the flash did not fire.. supposing shutter speed exceeded the flash sync of 1/180?
I thought the flash would fire at 1/180 and camera should adjust appropriate aperture when using in P mode+fill flash outdoors..
thanks for your inputs

 

[spidey89]

Hi from noob to Oly DSLR
I'm wondering how I can use fill flash when shooting in bright outdoors..
I was using P mode on my new E520 which I had got from a fren..
Exposure set by camera was 1/320 f6.3 I guess..
When I popped up the built in flash and shoot, the flash did not fire.. supposing shutter speed exceeded the flash sync of 1/180?
I thought the flash would fire at 1/180 and camera should adjust appropriate aperture when using in P mode+fill flash outdoors..
thanks for your inputs

Next time post in the four thirds sub forum for things regarding the four thirds and micro four thirds system, to answer your question, one reaosn is probably because the camera determins there is enough light and therefore didn't fire, I could be wrong since well, I wans't there to see what's going on, thread moved

 

[arctos]

Which mode was the flash in? If auto, then probably as spidey said, the camera detected sufficient light and so did not fire. From the settings of 1/320s F6.3 I guess the photo may have been taken in the day. For fill flash, cycle through the flash modes until you get the fill-flash icon (refer pg. 126 of the manual).

 

[albertri]

I know you can force the flash to fire maybe just adjust the flash intensity. Check your user guide as suggested by arctos

 

[aungzawwin]

oh.. well;
thanks. frankly, i haven't got the manual yet.. the camera was given to me to test.. if i'm satisfied with it, then i can settle the payment
i'll surf the manual and search for the fill flash option..
will come back if i still needed support from you guys..
thanks again

 

[Mikefellh]

You can download the manual here:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_download_manuals.asp

One thing you have to realize about cameras with focal plane shutters (dslrs and Micro FourThirds) is they have a limited shutter speed for flash use. In the case of Olympus' consumer dSLRs that's 1/180 or longer. If you get a TTL compatible flash it has an FP (Focal Plane) or HSS (High Speed Sync) mode which allows you to use faster than 1/180 shutter speeds, but at the cost of flash output, down to 1/3 of normal flash output.

 

[aungzawwin]

thank you all for your kind support
i;ve found the flash options by pressing the flash button second time (after popping up the flash by first press)..
it's also good to know that e520 can highspeed sync with an external flash..
i wonder if e520 works with 3rd party flashes? i mean more affordable ones rather than FL36 or 50..
i may need to dig old threads i guess.. will visit soon to this 4/3 world

 

[arctos]

Yes, there's the Metz and cheaper Nissin 3rd party options. But you'll need to check compatibility with those as some functions (TTL, HSS etc.) may not be available. Have fun with your 'noisy' camera. ;p

 

[Mikefellh]

i wonder if e520 works with 3rd party flashes? i mean more affordable ones rather than FL36 or 50..

Let's start from basics...you can use ANY flash you want that will fit into the hot shoe with regards to trigger voltage not being over 24v (a 2AA battery operated flash can have a trigger voltage over 200volts) and non-compatible TTL flashes (Canon, Nikon, older Olympus flashes for film cameras and older digital like the FL-40).

There are three types of flashes, manual, automatic, and TTL...with manual and automatic flashes you have to set a shutter speed 1/180th or longer and use the chart on the back of the flash to determine the aperture setting...IOW you have to use Manual mode on the camera and do all the setting yourself.

With TTL the flash and camera talk to each other...when you change a setting on the camera the flash will compensate, and vice-versa. Also with the FL-36/50 there's also automatic zooming of the flash when you zoom the lens, in the flashes' FP mode you can shoot faster than 1/180th (handy for fill flash use outside on a bright day) and also when focusing in lowlight the FL-36/50 will also emit a red glow to help the camera focus (rather than the strobing that's done by the internal flash). Just a note that other brands TTL (Canon & Nikon) are NOT compatible with Olympus digital TTL and can damage the camera and/or flash...also older Olympus TTL flashes like the FL-40 and those made for film cameras (like the G40, T20, T32, etc.) are also NOT compatible with today's digital cameras.
Personally I use the Olympus FL-36 for my every day shooting.

If I'm doing studio portrait shooting I'll use special strobes called monolights (these are units that combine a strobe with a halogen light and requiring plugging into a wall outlet). They operate like manual flashes with an adjustable intensity control, so again I have to do all the setting myself when using those, and use a handheld light meter to check the intensity of the strobes.

 

[aungzawwin]

thanks Mikefellh
i intend this camera & flash for simple, family use only.. for fun and to upgrade the P&S family camera that my wife & kids are using..
i think your advice helps me decide to go for an FL36 :lovegrin:

 

[Mikefellh]

Just note this flash is not meant for "machine gunning"...it takes 6 seconds to fully recharge.