PhreeZone 15 #1 April 13, 2008 I'm wondering what others have been using as their flash power settings to get a nice fill light. What model and power level are you setting your flashes to?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #2 April 13, 2008 For tandems or what? I like to shoot tandems at 1/8 power on my 550 light. Adjust your fill flash according to the distance you will be flying from your subject. I also use a speed cycler ,an awesome tool! :) With the cycler i get fill flash on every shot the entire skydive. There are some cheaper ones out there for around 150.00 or so,but a nice lumidyne will be around 300.00 or 400.00 I have a 580 2, but i have not used it for free-fall. The 580 has more in between settings which is really nice. I added some files for example here. Take note of the fillings in the teeth! LOL :) A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laszloimage 0 #3 April 13, 2008 All of them! I use 580 EX's Sometimes I mount 2 of them on my helmet sometimes I use only one. The power setting and how many flashes I use depends by the camera's exposure setting, the lens I use (focal lenght), how many shots I want to take, and the most likely distance from my subject. Very very sometime I use the ETTL (auto) when I have to take pictures from very close and the person wears lots of white, then the next shot will be the opposite, farther out and darker colors. One flash at full power for a 20-way during daylight (...you really want to take the picture when the last person makes the grip, if you miss it the flash won't be ready for 3-5 sec and by then the formation might don't exist anymore): http://laszloimage.com/March_2008_NEW/pages/March_29th_08_MG_9607.htm (5D, 24mm, 1/320, f9, ISO100) AFF level-7 yesterday day light with half power. I took only 8-9 shots: http://www.laszloimage.com/April_2008_NEW/pages/April_12_08_MG_2465.htm (Rebel XT, 15mm=24, 1/320, f9, ISO100) AFF level-1 yesterday an hour before sunset with 1/4 power: http://www.laszloimage.com/April_2008_NEW/pages/April_12th_08_MG_2529.htm (XT, 1/250, f7.1, ISO100) -Laszlo- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #4 April 13, 2008 All of them is absolutely right too. :) I'd like to see your helmet setup with both flashes on it? I just finished a setup myself. I put my cycler inside my suit in a pocket ,wire to the flash has a break away plug on it . A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #5 April 14, 2008 Lonnie, why the speed cycler with a single flash? My only experince with them has been in flash timing to allow you to fire flash 1 then next shot flash 2 while flash 1 charges again and so on. In this manner they really are flash sequencers, I imagine you have to have yours set up differently though.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #6 April 14, 2008 I have fill flash on every single shot in free-fall with it when i'm shooting tandems or aff. Now if i do something bigger i pick and choose my shots a little bit more because i need a more powerful flash setting on those. I shoot an average of 70 to sometimes more than 100 shots on any tandem or aff. A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #7 April 14, 2008 Right but why the need for the speed cycler? I can get that many flashes on an old Vivitar on a low power setting like 1/8.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #8 April 14, 2008 Good god Lonnie, that helmet is huge. Have you considered that you may have a problem with riser slap, on both sides, at the same time?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,397 #9 April 14, 2008 Why does that 4th photo look like a night jump, but for the TI wearing shades that would make him totally blind? What time of day was it?"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laszloimage 0 #10 April 14, 2008 Lonnie, I don't have any pics of two flashes. But I can mount a one instead of the video camera (as you can see the HC30 in the pic) or even I can put another 580 between the video camera and the still camera (the video camera can slide out more to the right). Now I'm thinking to cut a hole on the left side of my helmet too, so I would be able to set up the second flash the same way as it is on the left side. The two flash+5D+video gets heavy though... but I jumped it a few times. Normally when I use two 580s I leave the video camera on the ground. For example if I need half power then I set 1/4 on each and fire them at the same time. So the two together give me 1/2 power but the recycle time happens at 1/4 speed. I also use NiCd rechargable batteries. They don't hold as mach charge as an alkaline batt. but they're deffinitely recycle the flash lot faster (I tested it many times). I have the fastest results with the Duracell 2650mAph rechargable. Normally these batteries are holding enough juice for 40-50 full power flash with 2-3 sec of recycle time at room temperature. When this time starts to decline normally after 30-40 recharge cycle then it's time to throw them away and buy new ones. One day I'll might try an external power source and have a cable run down from my helmet. (I sure it will be a better option for my neck...) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laszloimage 0 #11 April 14, 2008 Belive it or not it still doesn't stick out that far on the side as any other side mount video camera! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #12 April 14, 2008 QuoteOne flash at full power for a 20-way during daylight (...you really want to take the picture when the last person makes the grip, if you miss it the flash won't be ready for 3-5 sec and by then the formation might don't exist anymore) I'm curious why it would be that long. I have a 580 II... but barely used it on the ground yet and definitely not in the air. But even at full power in manual mode (with fresh batteries), it seems to flash every time, just as fast as my XTi can snap pictures. So ETTL works fine with the flash mounted horizontally? Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #13 April 14, 2008 I think it was getting dark on us . Pretty late evening :) A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #14 April 14, 2008 I'm using the duracell 2650's in all my stuff. I think dave mentioned the riser slap. But my old side mount setup was wider than this is now.I think this is a much cleaner setup . A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #15 April 14, 2008 It speeds up the recycle time so much that i never miss a shot .I always have fill flash in all my shots. A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #16 April 14, 2008 Lonnie, could you post a link to your speed cycler? I am failing to see how it can speed up the recycle time. The only ways I've ever heard of doing that are usually bypassing the low power capasitors via outside power pack or by having a flash unit designed for faster cycle times. Unless your speed cycler is also a battery unit it might just be extra weight you are carrying, have you tested it with out it? On a low power setting a 580EX II should be able to keep pace with just about all but the 1D series of cameras. Am I missing something that yours is giving your flash boost with?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sinjin 0 #17 April 14, 2008 phree, i have rebel xt, stock lens and 580 ex II, i just started experimenting and here are some recent ones. for outside freefly 5-10 away i used 1/2, 200, F8, ISO 100 - perfect for a 9 way RW round daylight 10' below, 1/1, 200 F8. ISO 100 -perfect for sunset hybrid (sun just falling below horizon) 15' away 1/2 , 200 , F8 ,ISO 100, and it was not enough (should have gone higher iso or 1/1. ) for full night jump, 10-15 away 1/1, 200, F8,iso 100, pretty good, have not used it for tandems yet,, i am using the rechargeable energizers fully charged for each of the jumps.dont let life pass you by Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velocityphoto 0 #18 April 14, 2008 http://www.adorama.com/CACBPE4.html I don't wear it on my helmet. Go's inside my suit in a pocket i made in the front. A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
