External Flash Workaround - Help

Micilin Muc

I have a Sony DSC-H5 (bridge camera) which has an internal flash, but no hot-shoe. The only connections the camera has are USB and AV Out.

Is there any way I can use an external flash unit with my camera? I've read a lot online about slaves and all that but I'm very confused!!

nilhg

Just about the only way I know of is one of these, goes on the external flash and is triggered by the built in flash of your camera.

You won't have any auto (ttl) functions, you'll have to set it up manually.

Micilin Muc

nilhg wrote: »

Just about the only way I know of is one of these, goes on the external flash and is triggered by the built in flash of your camera.

You won't have any auto (ttl) functions, you'll have to set it up manually.

I thought so. Thanks very much nilhg.

Have you or has anyone else on boards used an optical slave trigger?

nilhg

Only very briefly, IIRC the thing to look out for is to avoid is it being triggered by a preflash from your camera (digital cameras usually meter the flash by using a short preflash to calculate the proper flash power/exposure combination), you need to be able to turn this off.

Micilin Muc

nilhg wrote: »

Only very briefly, IIRC the thing to look out for is to avoid is it being triggered by a preflash from your camera (digital cameras usually meter the flash by using a short preflash to calculate the proper flash power/exposure combination), you need to be able to turn this off.

I can't tell if it has a preflash. As far as I can tell, it flashes two or three strobes in a split-second blast, not as slow as most P&Ss.

If I can turn off my preflash and can use the slave trigger, will the combination of my internal flash and the external flash not be far too strong, even with both flashes at their weakest setting? Can you remember how your photos turned out?

nilhg

Micilin Muc wrote: »

I can't tell if it has a preflash. As far as I can tell, it flashes two or three strobes in a split-second blast, not as slow as most P&Ss.

Sounds like a preflash, all happens very quickly.

Micilin Muc wrote: »

If I can turn off my preflash and can use the slave trigger, will the combination of my internal flash and the external flash not be far too strong, even with both flashes at their weakest setting? Can you remember how your photos turned out?

I was only messing with a friends slave, not taking anything serious, IIRC we were trying for the drop/splash effect.

If you described what you want to achieve with the combination it'd help advise you, maybe let us know what external flash you have.

melekalikimaka

i have an optical slave for a manual flash. try changing the cameras flash settings to one with out preflash, watch your sync speed and ya should be grand.theyre cheap as chips too