Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: acs@csri.toronto.edu (Alvin Chia-Hua Shih)
Subject: Re: Need Pointers: Flash & Telextender
Keywords: Flash, FAQ, Ricoh, Telextender, Help
Date: 30 Dec 92 02:38:58 GMT

In <24493@alice.att.com> mat@alice.att.com (Mathew Pirz) writes:

>My current setup is the following:
>Ricoh KR30sp body
>28-100mm zoom
>70-210mm zoom

I'm not familiar with this particular camera, so I can only provide
general information.

>This is what I would like and what I know about:
>1. A 2X Telextender. I've been shown mostly Tamron equipment.
>Priced around $50-$60 (US). One store told me it would work
>in program mode, another said it would not.

Depends if the teleconverter is able to pass aperture information back
and forth (mechanically), and whether your camera has TTL metering
(which it should).

With a 2x TC, you lose 2 stops of light, so your meter should show
that.  Maybe you could just play with it in the store, and maybe shoot
a test roll.

>I would appreciate any comments on the price/equipment mentioned,
>as well as things which I should look for. I have been told that
>resolution suffers with telextenders, but how bad is it really?
>I'm not into pro work, so I don't need to worry about having
>perfect prints, but am I going to look at the results and
>say "Uck!" ?

I think Tamron makes 2 kinds of 2x TC.  One is a 4 element, the other
is a 7 element.  I believe the 7 element TC to be optically superior
(and also more expensive).

Whether you say "Uck" depends on your personal standards and the quality
of the teleconverter and lenses.  A teleconverter essentially magnifies
the centre portion of the image coming from your lens.  Thus, any faults
in your lens are magnified correspondingly.

Also, most teleconverters are designed to work with lenses with longer
focal lengths (which makes sense).  So, you probably won't get good
results with the 28-100.

>2. A flash. I've been shown a number of brands. Prices ranged
>from $50-70 for fixed head models, and $60-90+ for tilt head types.

>I'll be using this only so that I can get good indoor shots with
>say, film speeds of 100-400. The types of shots you get with those
>cheap little point and shoot cameras with the built in flash.
>(Yes, I own one of these, and up till now I've been frustrated because
>I NEVER have enough light indoors to use my good camera and have to
>use this little piece of...  Anyway..)

Just push process 3 or 4 stops... :-)

>I'm not sure whether to get a fixed or adjustible head. I may want more
>flexibility down the road, so if an adjustable head would give it
>to me, then I'd be willing to pay more for it now. Pointers here
>would be greatly appreciated. I also need to know what brands are
>good and what I should expect to pay (the price range seemed huge...).

If you can afford it, get the flash with the bounce head.  They're
typically more powerful, and bounce flash yields results *way* better
than direct flash (because of various things including nasty background
shadows, obvious light falloff, lack of texture in the subjects,
etc.).

Bounce flash has changed the way I take pictures.  I used to stand way
back and hit 'em with the direct flash, and hated the results.  Now I'm
willing to get into someone's face in order to make better use of
bounce flash.

Bounce flash is a bit tricky if you don't have TTL OTF metering.
You'll have to check your manual, and the flash manual for that.

As for which flash to buy, I cannot say.  I have the dedicated unit
that goes with my camera.

ACS
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