Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: orc73 on August 13, 2014, 04:46:54 pm

Title: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 13, 2014, 04:46:54 pm
Hello

What are the options for ttl with the h4d series?
Metz does have a module and supports the 75 mz5 one.

Best regards
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gss on August 14, 2014, 11:59:45 pm
Quantum has a TTL option with the T-5DR, not with the others.  The triggers are a bit over $100 and seem to fail often (3 times for me).  It's ok, but their non-TTL auto mode produces more hits.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gigdagefg on August 15, 2014, 06:00:37 am
I use the quantum T5D-R and am very successful with it. I've three flash heads and use them remotely for portraits and large group pictures as well as outdoors for light balancing
Stanley
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 15, 2014, 06:05:22 am
Thanks for your answers!

some say the Quantum are not very reliable and durable, well some say the same about the 76 Metz.
I do need an on camera flash for fill and to be able to shoot on locations where I can not build up my lights.
That's why I do look for TTL: if I move around with my prime lenses I always need to adjust the power on my on camera lights(currently ringflash or other brand speedlights).

Do you get the 400w out of the Quantum?
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gigdagefg on August 15, 2014, 04:47:38 pm
Truthfully, I don't know how to measure how many watts. I am getting on my flashes, but I sure as heck am getting more than I got with the Metz.
Stanley
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 16, 2014, 08:26:30 am
I just went through flash duration times, they are quite bad for both Metz and Quantum. Both drop far below the 1/800 at half power already(i guess thats even t.5). Canikonsony are better here, but, of course no ttl
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 16, 2014, 08:58:50 am
@gigdagefg

Which Metz are you comparing to ?
I see the  t5dr need a battery pack to be operated and their power may be different , depending on what pack and how many batteries are used.

Best regards
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gss on August 16, 2014, 09:04:51 am
I just went through flash duration times, they are quite bad for both Metz and Quantum. Both drop far below the 1/800 at half power already(i guess thats even t.5). Canikonsony are better here, but, of course no ttl

Canikonsony flashes are also around 50-60 Joules, whereas the Quantum T-5DR is 150 Joules and doesn't overheat.  Used as fill and/or as an event flash, the Quantum's slow flash duration doesn't really cause issues for me.

Perhaps you should also consider something like the Elinchrom Quadra as a supplement for when you need more power (400 Joules) and short flash duration (~1/930 s t0.1 out of the A socket at 400 Joules, ~1/2000 s t0.1 out of the B socket at 132 Joules, measured with a Broncolor FCC meter), and don't need TTL.

By the way, the Quantum X-5DR can get you to 400 Joules with TTL, but you have to use a larger and heavier battery than with the T-5DR.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 16, 2014, 09:18:44 am
Thx gss!
I really look for the ttl for on camera flash as fill. Because I change distance to the models I need ttl.

I do have a ranger already, if i use a static light source the ttl is not needed.

You wrote About the trigger failing, remote triggers? How about the ttl, is it reliable?

As written only on camera flash in ttl mode is what I look in this particular case.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gss on August 16, 2014, 09:33:26 am
I have had mixed results with TTL and Quantums.  However, Quantum also has an auto mode which uses a sensor near the base of the flash.  Auto mode works well for me, and I use that whenever I need TTL and don't have a modifier blocking the sensor.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gigdagefg on August 16, 2014, 10:47:55 am
I was comparing the quantum to the top of the line Metz as of five years ago. I can't refer Model number as I no longer have it.
Coincidentally I spoke to quantum earlier this week on the subject of flash duration. They advised me that at full power the slash duration with my sets of SC batteries is 1/300 sec and  at  1/64 power the duration is 1/6000 sec.
I wanted to use my flashes to freeze ballet dancers in flight, but must find another solution
Stanley
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 16, 2014, 02:42:10 pm
ok, so it looks like for Quantum, Auto has to be used.
Does Auto mode make sense if I move the distance to the subject or do I have to set the distance manually each time I move?
I did download the manuals but was not really able to understand.

Canon Speedlights could also be used in auto mode? that would be half the price...
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gigdagefg on August 16, 2014, 04:23:06 pm
I believe you will find that unless the distance varies considerably you will not have to adjust for fill in in Auto mode. I am aware that the intensity of the light source is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, but for fill in you don't need full power.
Why don't you rent one and discover for yourself
Stanley
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gss on August 16, 2014, 04:27:42 pm
I wouldn't say that auto has to be used, just that I prefer it when I can use it.  TTL still gets used.

Auto does work when changing distances.  It works like TTL except that the sensor is on the flash rather than behind the lens.  Use it the same way unless you have heavy filter factors.

I don't know anything about auto mode for the Canon speedlights.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: Joe Towner on August 18, 2014, 12:04:05 pm
One way to 'outsource' the TTL is to use a B1 with a Canon or Nikon setup (once the TTL-N is shipping) matching the exposure data, then shoot with the H4D.  The power level will be set the previous TTL shot, and the H4D will work fine - I had an issue due to a long mirror delay.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 20, 2014, 04:33:55 am
Thanks Joe, in this case meterin light or try and error will be a much easier way to reach the desired illumination :)
Anyway as written above the reason I need TTL is because I might change the distance to the subject while shooting, and the flash is on camera, so I would need to adjust after each move.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 20, 2014, 05:00:09 am
Ok for now the question is:

IF A FLASH IS IN AUTO MODE, DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE POWER ACCORDING TO THE DISTANCE TO SUBJECT?

I have no problem typing in the aperture and iso to the flash, as I will usually not change those setting during shooting a scene.
The only parameter changing will be the distance. So ist there a meter on the flash, that can read the distance to the subject withouth camera information? For this as I can imagine the flash would need to know, what I'm focusing on.


btw: I just opened a thread in the general forum about auto modes on flashes, still I think to make the thread complete for the future, this info should be in here too.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: gss on August 20, 2014, 09:04:21 pm
Ok for now the question is:

IF A FLASH IS IN AUTO MODE, DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE POWER ACCORDING TO THE DISTANCE TO SUBJECT?
Yes, as long as the sensor on the flash is able to see the subject.
Title: Re: Ttl on Hasselblad h4d
Post by: orc73 on August 30, 2014, 10:56:19 am
so I tried what I have access to here in Bangkok.
This was rather disappointing :)

- Canons all I could find don't have Auto mode
- The Metz I found did not have Auto mode as well(surprising)
- Nikon SB-800 was my big hope: The Hasselblad software went crazy. Whenever it was attached I go an error message from the camera: Lens Errors(each time a different Number), Back communication Errors, Viewfinder Errors.Restarting did not help, as soon the Nikon Flash was off, the problems disapeared.

So looks like anyway I have to go with the mentioned Quantum/Metz, if I want to have something like that.