Flash for D1H
- Thread starter cableguy55
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Why do I need to check the histogram when I'm viewing off a calibrated screen which should give me what I want when I print? Histogram doesn't tell about warmness, it only tells about exposure. Unless you got s/w for RGB-histogram in NC.jnet6 said:espn:hammer:jnet6
Check out the histogram for the direct flash.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
jnet6 said:just for information on Metz 54MZ4 compare to SB800.
Notice the warmess and the more powerful of the flash is more on the metz54mz4 to sb800?
I will start a new thread to show the difference of SB800 and Metz 54MZ4 flash with lots of pictures.
wa bro... can't see the difference leh..
anyway, u've got a LS?
by any chance, are the diameter of the flashhead of the MZ4 similiar with the SB800?
can the MZ4 do CLS???
Cheesecake
Senior Member
still think SB800 is enough for me.
:thumbsup:
thanks for the heads-up guys...!
go go go!
:thumbsup:
thanks for the heads-up guys...!
go go go!
cableguy55
Senior Member
Haiya
Thanks all for the wonderful information
I finally bought a good condition SB=80DX for about $180
Will try and let u guys knw
Have to fiddle with it first
Cheers
Thanks all for the wonderful information
I finally bought a good condition SB=80DX for about $180
Will try and let u guys knw
Have to fiddle with it first
Cheers
Cheesecake
Senior Member
cableguy55 said:
basket. y all ur nikon gears so cheap?! :bigeyes:
Cheesecake
Senior Member
jnet6 said:
orrrr... thanks!
sykestang
Senior Member
The 'old' wooden chair is not a good example to show case the power of Metz flashes. Better choice of subject would be a human portrait.
Metz flashes is well-known for giving good warmer skin tone. Best use for wedding photography cos it will not blown out the highlights of the wedding gown. Unlike the SB800, the skin tone color is a little on the bluish cold side. Thus the SB800 would be better off attached with a LS to actually warm the skin tone colours. But by attaching a LS, you'd lose even more as the LS actually cuts down a great due of light from the flash head.
The Metz 54MZ4 has the benefit of working on different camera systems, just get the compatible SCA adaptors for your camera system and model no. of your camera. On the other hand, Nikon has the benefit of being specific to Nikon which this is used to be my rule of thumb. Lenses, accessories, etc, all must be Nikon. I believe most Nikonians here does agrees with me right? ;p
Here are some of my comparison between the SB800 and 54MZ4 after using the 54MZ4 on a couple of official shoots as testing, and I still lurk the SB800 with me, just in case.
Although both sb800 & 54MZ4 are auto-zoom flashes, ie, zoom your lens to 50mm and the flash zooms to 50mm, automatically. However, the Nikon SB800 only does a 1:1 zooming (50mm is 50mm regardless). This is maybe the SB800 is designed to be use on both FF and Digital 1.5x crop factor bodies. Designing the SB800 to be a 1:1 is only logical move so that the SB800 would be downward compatible for the older bodies.
Whereas on the Metz 54MZ4, it understands the sensor size, so with the APS-sized sensor in the our digital camera, you can set the flash for APS and when you zoom your lens to 50mm the flash will actually zoom to 75mm to give you the 1.5x crop extra depth. Thus the picture will be more accurately exposed as compared to using the SB800 which is slightly under-exposed in some situations.
The Metz 54MZ4 also has a secondary sub-flash built in so that you can bounce the main flash off the ceiling or wall and still get catchlights in the eyes of your subject. However this works in 'A' mode of the flash. On the other hand, the SB800 is a little weak in this area where it tries to simulate this 'catchlights' with the little built-in bounce card.
Although the Metz 54MZ4 being a slightly better off flash, it does has some little 'incompatible' issues at times. Eg, If you did not wait for the battery to fully cycle up from the previous shoot, you might get total black pictures results from a un-sync flash with the shutter. I get this kind of pictures even on my Metz 60CT4 at times when I shoot fast, at 5fps, etc. Lucky thing is that I somewhat feel the Metz flash seems to cycle/charged up at a faster rate as compared with my previous SB800 using just 4x NiMH batteries on the 54MZ4 and 5x NiMH batteries on the SB800.
However on the SB800, when the flash is not fully cycled/charged up, and when you fire the next shoot, although the sync is still ok, but you'd result in a very under-exposed picture.
The above are just some comparison I found between the SB800 & the Metz 54MZ4 flash after really bring out the 54MZ4 for a actual offical shoot. For some who might be interested, I have been using the SB800 flash all along and the Metz 60CT4 mainly for commerical events as I need its powerful reach. And I always find that I prefer pictures colours from the Metz over the Nikon SB800. As such due to the recent aquistion of this batch of Metz 54MZ4s + full accessories, I'm actually keeping 2pcs for my use and has already sold off my Nikon SB800 after testing the 54MZ4 on a couple of official shoots in my office.
I still prefer the Metz over the Nikon anytime.
Metz flashes is well-known for giving good warmer skin tone. Best use for wedding photography cos it will not blown out the highlights of the wedding gown. Unlike the SB800, the skin tone color is a little on the bluish cold side. Thus the SB800 would be better off attached with a LS to actually warm the skin tone colours. But by attaching a LS, you'd lose even more as the LS actually cuts down a great due of light from the flash head.
The Metz 54MZ4 has the benefit of working on different camera systems, just get the compatible SCA adaptors for your camera system and model no. of your camera. On the other hand, Nikon has the benefit of being specific to Nikon which this is used to be my rule of thumb. Lenses, accessories, etc, all must be Nikon. I believe most Nikonians here does agrees with me right? ;p
Here are some of my comparison between the SB800 and 54MZ4 after using the 54MZ4 on a couple of official shoots as testing, and I still lurk the SB800 with me, just in case.
Although both sb800 & 54MZ4 are auto-zoom flashes, ie, zoom your lens to 50mm and the flash zooms to 50mm, automatically. However, the Nikon SB800 only does a 1:1 zooming (50mm is 50mm regardless). This is maybe the SB800 is designed to be use on both FF and Digital 1.5x crop factor bodies. Designing the SB800 to be a 1:1 is only logical move so that the SB800 would be downward compatible for the older bodies.
Whereas on the Metz 54MZ4, it understands the sensor size, so with the APS-sized sensor in the our digital camera, you can set the flash for APS and when you zoom your lens to 50mm the flash will actually zoom to 75mm to give you the 1.5x crop extra depth. Thus the picture will be more accurately exposed as compared to using the SB800 which is slightly under-exposed in some situations.
The Metz 54MZ4 also has a secondary sub-flash built in so that you can bounce the main flash off the ceiling or wall and still get catchlights in the eyes of your subject. However this works in 'A' mode of the flash. On the other hand, the SB800 is a little weak in this area where it tries to simulate this 'catchlights' with the little built-in bounce card.
Although the Metz 54MZ4 being a slightly better off flash, it does has some little 'incompatible' issues at times. Eg, If you did not wait for the battery to fully cycle up from the previous shoot, you might get total black pictures results from a un-sync flash with the shutter. I get this kind of pictures even on my Metz 60CT4 at times when I shoot fast, at 5fps, etc. Lucky thing is that I somewhat feel the Metz flash seems to cycle/charged up at a faster rate as compared with my previous SB800 using just 4x NiMH batteries on the 54MZ4 and 5x NiMH batteries on the SB800.
However on the SB800, when the flash is not fully cycled/charged up, and when you fire the next shoot, although the sync is still ok, but you'd result in a very under-exposed picture.
The above are just some comparison I found between the SB800 & the Metz 54MZ4 flash after really bring out the 54MZ4 for a actual offical shoot. For some who might be interested, I have been using the SB800 flash all along and the Metz 60CT4 mainly for commerical events as I need its powerful reach. And I always find that I prefer pictures colours from the Metz over the Nikon SB800. As such due to the recent aquistion of this batch of Metz 54MZ4s + full accessories, I'm actually keeping 2pcs for my use and has already sold off my Nikon SB800 after testing the 54MZ4 on a couple of official shoots in my office.
I still prefer the Metz over the Nikon anytime.
Thanks Sykestang,
That's explain some of my guess about SB800.
Regards,
Arto.
That's explain some of my guess about SB800.
While using SB800 (direct flash) with D70s' kit lens 18-70mm, minimum SB800's fl coverage without built-in diffuser is 24mm (with built-in diffuser, SB800's fl coverage is 17mm). For D70s (DSLR), actually it is covered already without need to use built-in diffuser (1.5x crop for 18mm became 27mm). I wonder why no vignet when I use 18mm and forgot to use built-in diffuser. NO NEED TO USE BUILT-IN DIFFUSER WHEN USING SB800 (DIRECT FLASH) WITH 18-70mm LENS. It is good not to use built-in diffuser in direct flash, since built-in diffuser decrease flash's GN.sykestang said:
Regards,
Arto.
I shoot professionally with 2 D2h's. You do not need to shell out for an sb800. I would suggest using any flash which offers a PC synch and manual control. But more importantly, learning to use it off camera. That is the biggest difference between amatuers and pro's that I have seen.
There is a Lighting 101 section on this site, if you want to learn more.
There is a Lighting 101 section on this site, if you want to learn more.
hi strobist , have seen yr site and like yr ideas for off camera flash setup but to mainly determine a pro from a amatuer just by judging if they are using off camera flash is abit way too underrated imho . Why do i say so is because i feel that in times where speed and precision is the main key factor to survive that fleeting moments its not very feasible to do so .strobist said:
Just my 2 cent worth , i am no pro as compared to yr experience :cheers:
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