A question for the Sony users

Jaffster

Jaffster

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Danny
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Last night was filled with frustration. I was near to the point of removing the camera from the tripod and throwing it.

Before we went out, I'd had a mess with my Sony A300 and the flashgun on wireless mode. Pretty cool stuff.

I went out with a friend togger and instead of the usual landscapes the attention turned to portraiture. I'll zip forward around 4 hours when I'm at home, noticing that all the images have red-eye.

No matter WHAT I tried... the flash on the camera wouldn't switch off. If I switched the on-camera flash off then it switched the wireless flashgun off too. What is the meaning of this? I went through every menu and changed every ********* option and not one worked! I even tried covering the camera flash with my hand... but the camera knew and didn't fire any flash at all! outsmarted by a £300 piece of technology!

So, what's the secret?
 
Have you changed the flash mode from wireless to normal or off ? If the camera is set for wireless, then the onboard will probably pop up to trigger a wireless flash.
 
as said...any flash gun will only work wirelessly IF the onboard flash is up and working(it is this that fires the flashgun)one thing you can do is cover the onboard flash with something that will act as a diffuser to remove the chance of redeye...or invest in some triggers so you won't need the onboard flash.
 
stan the man said:
as said...any flash gun will only work wirelessly IF the onboard flash is up and working(it is this that fires the flashgun)one thing you can do is cover the onboard flash with something that will act as a diffuser to remove the chance of redeye...or invest in some triggers so you won't need the onboard flash.
Click to expand...

I now think I mis-read the original post, I took it to mean that after you had finished using the wireless flash and wanted to use the camera without it you had a problem with the flash always firing.

If you are saying the pop up flash always fires when you are using a wireless flash, then as Stan states it has to as it controls the off camera flash.

When I had an a200 I found you could use a small piece of cardboard and some blutack to stop the light from the pop up showing on pictures. You have to leave a gap as the wireless flash needs to see some light to trigger.

There are even small devices made for this purpose, this is the Nikon version. But this would not fit a Sony because of the different hotshoe's

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-nikon-sg-3ir-ir-replacement-panel-for-built-in-flash/p1030321
 
that device may work...so long as it will fit into the hotshoe...but as said,something like some cardboard etc..in front of the onboard flash to prevent it falling onto the subject,but not prevent the signal to be sent to the wireless flash would do the job :thumbs:
 
I have a much cheaper solution for the pop-flash that works a treat!!!

Get a piece of developed film negative and use it to cover the popup flash.
It filters the flash to let the flash signals through, but stops the flash adding to the exposure.

I think I read it at:
http://www.friedmanarchives.com/flash.htm

Or might have been in Fred's Dynax 7D Manual.
 
stan the man said:
simon....where would be the best place to get some developed film negative to cover said flash?

edit: and how do you hold yours in place...?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I get my film negative from.... hmm... the ends of my old film :)

I still have some old film negatives lying around so just snipped a bit of the ends. The stuff is so robust (and doesn't matter if it gets creased etc) that I just kept some lying around in my bag for when I needed it.
[most of my film shots were pretty bad- so wouldn't really matter if I chopped through a frame!! ]

As for holding it in place, I used sticky tape. Not the really sticky tape, but the other sort you get that is more robust that peels easily away and sticks back again easily. And when not in use, remove from the camera and wrap the tape around the other side of the film.

OK it did look a little bit Blue Peter, but it did do the job and do it well.

I did think of using sticky backed velcro, but seem to remember thinking the popup flash probably wouldn't go down properly.

If you are really hard pressed for finding a bit of old film, PM me your address and I'll pop some in the post. Maybe I should sell these 'kits' on Ebay for a £5 LOL :lol:
 
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