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Thread: Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

  1. #1

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    Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    Metz makes an 8X10 bounce card (60-33 Reflexschirm) for attachment to the 45 and 60 series fashguns. How effective is this in softening and diffusing the light from the flash at distances of 4 to 10 feet for hand-held candid portraits?

    In addition I note that there is a secondary flash tube for filling in small shadows on some Metz flashguns, adding a catch light to the eyes when bouncing the main flash from the ceiling (or the bounce card?).

    How much softer is this Metz solution that straight flash?

    Thanks in advance for any insights.

    Regards,

  2. #2
    Moderator Ralph Barker's Avatar
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    Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    An 8x10 bounce card is better than the straight flash, but would still fall short of "studio" lighting using larger softboxes and such. You could also fashion your own out of a piece of white foam core, of course. I'd make it more fan shaped than rectangular, though.

    The 45s and 60s have enough oomph that they can also be used on stands to light larger diffusion panels, increasing the effective size of the light source. And, if you're really creative, you can use other reflectors or mirrors to catch the spill and reflect it back as hair lights and such. I remember a video in which Dean Collins illustrated that sort of thing to do a fashion-style shoot with a single Metz 45. But, all of that strays from the hand-held candid objective.

  3. #3

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    Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    Works fine when you can't bounce due to ceiling height or room color or size. But it can be fairly easily displaced if someone or something brushes against it so a bit of gaffer tape to hold the mount securely to the flash and a couple of small pieces to hold the card onto the mount eliminates any displacements when you aren't looking.

  4. #4

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    Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    Henry. Any sort on camera or flash mounted diffusion device or bounce card does precious little to alter
    the overall quality of the light emitted from the flash unit. Here is the reason why, if you don't mind a bit of studio lighting 101. There are four basic parameters affecting the "look" of the light striking the subject.

    The light source's:

    1. Color temperature (i.e, warm, cool, or neutral in relation the the film used or white balance set)

    2. Quality (i.e., hard or soft)

    3. Quantity (i.e., over or under exposure)

    4. Angle (i.e., the position of the light/s in relation to the lens axis which is the
    imaginary straight line you can draw between your lens and the subject)

    Number 2, the light quality, which is your concern, is governed in general by the physical size of the device emitting the light, meaning the size of the reflector, flash lens, umbrella, softbox, etc. Given the same distance from the subject, a small light source, like a flash gun, will produce more direct, undiffused light, therefore harder shadows on the face and background. A larger lightsource, like the aforementioned umbrellas, etc, will produce less direct, more diffused light with softer shadows.

    So why won't the bounce card or diffusion device matter that much? Because it is still so small a source.
    You may notice a slight softening of edge shadows, but you won't achive the soft highlight to shadow transition that only true larger light control devices can achieve. All the second light does is provide a second catchlight to the eyes, which you may or may not notice, and provide a lower powered "fill" light so that the hard facial shadows that are cast are "filled" somewhat with additional light so they do not appear as dark.

    Your solution? Bounce lighting or on-axis flash. Bounce lighting means you swivel the flash head to bounce off a wall or ceiling, thereby creating a much, much larger effective light source (the wall) which will provide much more diffused light and softer shadows. The drawbacks are you need mondo flash power to do this, and white or near white walls, as their surface color will color the light hitting your subject.

    The best solution is on axis flash, meaning putting the flash unit as close to the lens as possible. Many third parties like stroboframe sell brackets expressely to do this. Because the light source to lens axis angle is minimized, so too are the shadows cast on your subjects. I've done many glamour shoots with (albeit) sophisticated ringlights that create near shadowless illumination on subject and background. Helmut Newton spent a good part of his crareer shooting precisely like this. Just do some test shoots first to see if redeye becomes a problem. If so, move the flash ever more slightly away from the lens axis until it disappears. Hope this has been helpful.

  5. #5

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    Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    Thanks for the helpful replies.

    I should add that I use a 4X5 film camera, and rarely shoot any wider than f16. I usually light location portraits with a Plume Wafer Hexoval softbox on my 1200ws Broncolor Mobil kit, bouncing the light from the second head off a wall or ceiling for fill. The results really do look like soft window light.

    There are times when I have to shoot quickly with a hand-held outfit (my 4X5 Linhof Technika has rangefinder focusing). On camera flash has to be powerful, and I often use flashbulbs, but the light is too harsh for candid portraits at relatively close range.

    Most on-camera flashes don't have enough power for bounce flash at f16, hence my interest in using the Metz 45 with a bounce card at close ranges (4 to 10 feet).

    Another option would be to use a 400ws Quantum Q-flash on-camera with a 12X16" Chimera softbox for close range candids. There is even a Plume Wafer SL (11X22") which could be attached directly to a Q-flash.

    Yet another option would be to use a Broncolor ringflash on camera (yes, it does work on a hand-held 4X5), but this gives a certain look...

    Regards,

  6. #6

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    Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    Henry,

    Bounce lighting is very good with either the metz or quantum. That little fill flash on the Metz works pretty good. Both units can easily handle f16 at 10 feet. In fact at that distance getting a wide enough spread might be an issue. I vote for a small softbox, either flash should work with one. Also take a look at using the Quantum as a bare bulb unit.

    Both are great flashes!

  7. #7

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    Re: Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    I did purchase a Metz 45 for my 4X5 camera and I am pleased with the results.

    Candid close environmental portraits with a wide-angle lens are softly lit by bouncing the main light off the ceiling and using the direct secondary light for fill. The auto exposures are all consistantly bang-on.

    At f16 with 400 ISO film the Metz 45 has just enough power for bounce flash.

    Regards,

    Henry

  8. #8

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    Re: Metz bounce card for flash portraits?

    Using a bounce flash with either the Metz or Quantum is easy to do and much better than going direct. If the ceiling height and color is suitable going off the ceiling works great also. The small catch light on the Metz is great for what it does. I often wished the Quantum had that also. It was suggested that a small softbox be used. I REALLY liked using one when I used to do these things on a regular basis. Go with the softbox and Qflash. That was my favorite combination.

    Mark

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