T3 flash tricks

[Guest]

Last summer I went backpacking and brought the T3 and a Rollei 35S. T3 was loaded with B&W film and a medium yellow filter; Rollei with color film and UV filter. Once I arrived at 10,500 ft, I understood why I had gotten rid of my Canon SLR gear. My friends/co-backpackers were blown away by the pictures. Zeiss Zeiss baby!!!

Now all I need is a Giotto "Monopod come Tripod" that I can also use as a hiking pole.

Niki

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"That was exactly the setup I was envisioning, Niki-Tuan. I'm thinking that, for noncritical shots, i.e., landscapes, cityscapes, and non-flash situations, I'd have a camera no bigger than a pack of playing cards (or Luckys), yet, if I wanted, I could have a full-blown TTL setup with softbox and gray card, if that was what I needed. I'm pretty much set; as soon as I get my tax check, I'm ordering a T3, black, of course."

 

[Guest]

According to the "Specifications" page of the T3 Instruction Manual, it's "flashmatic and Guide Number control". The "TTL" selection on the TLA200 is applicable with the G1/G2 bodies. When used with the T3, it's flashmatic.

BTW, although I haven't tried it, the SA-2 bracket does work with other off-brand flash heads. In manual mode (full power), the user calculates the aperature base on GN, distance and film speed. If the flash has its own sensors, then no worries.

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"Is the T3/SA-2/TLA100 (extension cord)/TLA 200 setup flashmatic or TTL? The spec sheet for the TLA 200 specifically states that it is TTL only, but, of course, Contax could program a flashmatic circuit to control their own TTL flash if they chose. SO...is the T3 flashmatic or TTL? If anyone can check, the TTL sensor would be inside the film chamber, most likely just below the shutter pointing up at the film plane."

 

[Guest]

Hmmmm.... are you buying the T3 as a P/S camera? ;-)

Here's what I do to use the TLA200 *almost* exclusively: According to the Manual, with ISO 100 film and Aperture closed down to at least f5.6, a subject at a distance of ~3.25 ft and further is out of range for the built-in flash. The same distance works for ISO 400 with Aperture at f8 minimum. Of course, if you want shallow DoF, this trick doesn't apply.

BTW, the T3 will try to focus no matter what. In low light, its Passive AF system will shoot an infrared beam on the subject to attempt focus.

Hope this helps.

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"What I'm thinking is that, either way, I can use my pet emulsion--Fujichrome Velvia (ISO 50)--and AE exposure mode on the T3 to force it to f/5.6. If my understanding of the built-in flash (which I dearly wish I could simply deactivate in favor of the TLA 200) range, ~7 feet at ISO 100 and f/2.8 is the tale of the tape. If I take away one stop of this range on the film (ISO 100-->ISO 50), then two more by forcing f/5.6, then the effective range of the built-in flash would be ~7 feet÷2÷2÷2, each two corresponding to a full stop. If my calculations are correct, the built-in flash range would then drop to ~.875 feet, or, in practical terms, zero, since the camera will not focus, and thus not flash, closer than 1.1 feet. If I wanted f/2.8, I could use a neutral density filter and exposure compensation to get the two stops back. I could also, of course, use my other favorite emulsion, Ilford Pan F Plus (also ISO 50) in exactly the same way."