Is there a trick out there that might help me?

I place my CP900 on a tripod. I mount my DS1 slave flash on the bar and take a low light (incandescent) exposure with the flash pointed directly at the subjects (seated 6-8 ft from the lens). They are washed out by the flash. I point the slave flash up at 90 degrees toward an 8' white ceiling and expose another. This one is way too dark. I try again at an angle half way between and expose again. The picture this time is still too dark. By now by subjects are tired of my fumbling around and return to their conversations. Does anyone have any thoughts (Other than I should let my wife take the pictures)? I would like to be able to set up and shoot in a minimal amount of time with good results like I can with my Nikon film cameras.

-- Bob Benson (benson@gbasin.net), February 11, 1999

Answers

I don't know the specs on the DS-1, is it an auto flash? (Sensor on front of flash to regulate the light.) The DSF-1 from SR Electronics is auto, so should adjust the light as needed. If your unit isn't auto, that's the problem: The light will vary all over the place when you bounce the flash, because it's always just putting out the same amount of light, and how much comes back depends on where/how its bouncing. OTOH, if it IS an auto unit, I'd try talking to SR Electronics, see if there's a problem with it.

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), February 13, 1999.