The definitive equipment listing for Prakticas on the internet
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| Accessories -> Flashes ->Manual for Praktica DZ265 (Archiver DZ265, Berotron 2500) thrystor flashes and similar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
About the flash - Using the flash with which Praktica camera? - Using the flash with non-dedicated cameras (Prakticas and others) - Using the flash with dedicated Praktica cameras - Using the flash with TTL-Prakticas - Accessories, battery type and technical data |
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| 1. About the flash
The Praktica DZ265 is a dedicated thrystor computer flash with zoom function (for higher guide numbers with telelenses) and the possibility of flashing indirect for softer flash light and less dark shadows. The thrystor circuit saves energy when not flashing full power and decreases the charging time. |
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| 2. Using the flash with which Praktica camera?
You can use the flash with all Praktica cameras and as well with all other cameras with a flash hot shoe. But if you want to use the dedicated function or the TTL function, you need one of the following cameras:
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| 3. Using the flash with non-dedicated cameras (Prakticas and others)
After having fixed it onto the camera, turn the flash on. If you use it with an sync cord, make sure you use the X-contact and not the F-contact if your camera has more than one. Set the shutter speed to the flash symbol or a speed lower than the flash symbol (depending on the camera, flash shutter speed is from 1/40 (Praktica super TL and other cloth shutter models) to 1/125 (Praktica VLC, e.g.)). If the flash is ready to fire, the "ready" LED will glow. There are two ways to use the flash: a) Manual mode. The switch at the front of the flash has to be set to TTL/M. The flash will fire always with full power. To ensure that a picture is not over- or underexposed, you'll have to use the guide number. For example: If the reflector is set to N (a 'N' will be shown at the display), the guide number is 26 (meter) or 84 (feet) at ISO 100/21° . The guide number is equal to distance * aperture. This means, With an aperture of 4 the flash will expose correct all things with a distance of 26/4=6.5m (84/4=21ft). A guide number table of different reflector positions and different film speeds will be found at chapter 6. b) Auto mode. Set the switch at the front of the flash to the red or blue point. On the display on the top of the flash you can set the film speed. The orange and the green triangle will show you the aperture you have to use. For instance, at ISO 100/21°, the aperture for the blue mode is 5.6, so you have to set the aperture of your lens to 5.6 when using the blue mode. If you use a film with ISO 400/27°, your aperture has to be 11. With this flash, you cannot increase the range by using faster films. At the blue mode, the flash will fire correctly with object distances of 1m to 4m (3ft to 13ft). There are two automatic modes available so that you can decide if you want a larger dept-of-field or not. When using a zoom lens, the blue mode is more recommended at films up to ISO 200/24° as lenses should be stopped down 1 to 3 apertures, normally for better results. When using fast prime lenses (or fast films) you should prefer the orange mode for managing longer distances and saving energy. In Automatic mode, you are able to test whether the flash is able to manage the distance preferred. Just press the ready LED and the flash will fire. Attention: Make sure that you do not have a finger onto the metering cell at the front (it is better to use the left have for the test flash). If the distance is close enough, the auto check LED will glow for a short time. The check LED will also glow at the "final shot". |
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| 4. Using the flash with dedicated Praktica cameras
The dedicated mode is pretty similar to the non-dedicated way of use with one difference: The ready-sync of the flash will be submitted to the camera. By pressing down the shutter of the camera you see the flash LED glowing in the view finder. It is easier to see whether the flash is ready or not as you can always look to the viewfinder. In automatic mode (not available at Praktica BMS, Praktica BM and Revue BC2) the camera automatic automatically switches to the flash sync. Additionally, after the shot, the flash LED in the viewfinder will blink to show you that the film is exposed properly. Note for users with winders: If you make serial shots with winders, it is better to set the flash speed manually. If the camera runs in auto mode and you keep pressing the shutter, the blinking flash LED will confuse the camera electronics: The camera thinks that the flash is ready, not ready, ready, not ready when the LED blinks. So it can be that the shutter will pen when the camera has no flash ready sync and will not switch to flash sync. You can avoid this when waiting until the LED stops blinking or when setting the camera to flash sync manually. |
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| 5. Using the flash with TTL-Prakticas
With TTL, the camera meters the light and you are more independent by selecting an aperture. If you use it in TTL mode, you cannot use the test function of the flash! The only way is to press the shutter down and make a picture... You can use the TTL cameras as well in auto mode and manual mode (see notes at chapter 3 and 4). But when using the flash in manual or TTL mode, the position of the switch on the back of the flash is important! Set the front switch of the flash to TTL/M and select what you want on the switch on the back (left position is manual, right position is TTL). |
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| 6. Accessories, battery type and technical data
Originally, the Praktica DZ265 comes with four filters: a red, a green, a blue and a transparent filter. The coloured ones are intended for effect photography (but hardly ever been used as they make only sense when using multiple flashes), but the transparent one is needed for using the wide angle position of the reflector and quite important. If you put one of the filters onto the reflector, the distance scale switches to "W" (note: if "use w position" is shown, the reflector was not set to "N" when putting on the filter). With the wide angle filter (and the coloured ones, too) you are able to light angles for at least 28mm lenses. The disadvantage is, that the guide number in wide angle position is lower than in normal position. When using the coloured filters pleas note that the guide number will also decrease once more, too. When using the normal position, you can use 50mm lenses and above. If you use telelenses, you can use the position ST (at least 70mm) or the position T (at least 85mm). The big advantage is that the guide number (and thus, the possible distance of the flash) will increase. Guide numbers of different film speeds and reflector positions (in feet/meter; 1ft = 0.305m):
Ranges in auto are shown at the display of the flash. There, you can calculate the guide number for the current reflector position and film speed as well: Range (meter/feet) * aperture = Guide number (meter/feet). When using another reflector angle than 0°, please not that the guide numbers above will decrease very much, so it is better to use the T-position and/or fast films and only the orange mode or TTL with large apertures. The best is to check with a test film if the flash has enough power to manage the situation. Use only light (best: white) reflectors as dark reflectors (or a dark ceiling or wall) compensate too much light! Metering angle of the flash metering cell is about 20°. So make sure that the object in the middle of the picture is not to dark or to light. If so, please open ore close the aperture for compensation measuring failures. When using the TTL mode of the camera, you can adjust over and under exposure as the same way as at normal exposures. Just check the camera manual for more information about. Enlighted angels:
The flash needs 4 batteries type R6/LR6 (AA, mignon) 1.5V like the Praktica winders. Rechargeable batteries will do the job well, too. In manual mode, the flash glows 1/1000s, in auto and TTL mode, it glows 1/5000s to 1/1000s. With full batteries, the charging time for one flash is between 6s (manual or full power) and 0.2s (thanks to the thrystor circuit). When batteries are low, the camera sync may not work properly and charging times will be extremely long. With alkaline batteries, you can fire up to 140 full power flashes. |
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