Digital camera accessories

[ken212]

  I bought a Phoenix slave flash for my Olympus c 770 digital camera. Unfortunately it does not do hardly anything it claims it would. I was told I could use it on my hot shoe, but due to it's size if I put it on my hotshoe than I can not get my camera's pop up flash to pop up. I was also told it would work with the red eye reduction, but not matter what I do it will not flash at the correct time. It always flashes with the pre flash, which does no good. But since the company will not take it back I am stuck with it.
 So now here is my question. It comes with a flash bracket and when you use that the flash is to the side of the camera. Isn't the best position for the slave flash to be above the camera and the built in flash? Since I am stuck with it I may as well make the best of it. So if it does need to be higher than the camera and the built in flash I will get a different bracket. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[ShutterbugGail]

 Isn't the best position for the slave flash to be above the camera and the built in flash?  

No, not necessarily. In fact, putting the slave flash on the bracket may be the best way to use it. This helps reduce red-eye and can provide a broader flash coverage.

I sometimes hold my slave flash in one hand, the camera is the other, and point the flash upward to the ceiling so the flash "bounces." This also helps reduce red eye and eliminate shadows behind a the subject.

[Deb]

 I bought a Phoenix slave flash for my Olympus c 770 digital camera.  ... It always flashes with the pre flash, which does no good.

Hi there, thought I'd pop in.  

Some cameras use two pulses to set the exposure and take the image while other cameras use only one. (One pulse or pre-flash is made to set the exposure and WB and the other to flash the scene.) It sounds like the slave flash unit you have is triggered by the first pulse and isn't recycling fast enough to flash the scene.

Maybe there's a work-around this.    Which Phoenix flash unit do you have?

[ken212]

ShutterbugGail-
 If I point the slave flash upwards as you suggested should I use auto flash or red eye reduction on my built in flash? I am guess auto since the slave flash goes off with the preflash when I use the red eye reduction. Than when the real flash goes off there is nothing. Hope I asked that correctly. Do you normally use the flash as a bounce? One other question, if I am in a gym or autotorium would I still point the flash up? Thanks

Deb-
 I have the D92-BZS model. I has stich on back for N S1 and S2, whch are supposed to do with the preflashes or pulses. But with my red eye reduction flash it doesn't work properly in any of those.

[Mike54]

if I am in a gym or autotorium

If you're any distance from the subject the flash isn't going to do any good. If you're more than 10 - 15 feet from the subject it's just going to create an error in the exposure and give you a dark image.

[Deb]

One other question, if I am in a gym or autotorium would I still point the flash up? Thanks.

In addition to Mike's reply above, when you use your flash as a bounce flash you need to have a reflective surface fairly near for the flash's burst to reflect off of ie a white ceiling (at standard height) in a room, etc. The ceiling distance of the gym is too high for the bounce technique to be effective.

Deb-
  I have the D92-BZS model. I has stich on back for N S1 and S2, whch are supposed to do with the preflashes or pulses. But with my red eye reduction flash it doesn't work properly in any of those.

Yep, you're right. Those modes are supposed to compensate for one and two pulse cameras. As for the red eye reduction issue, I'm at a loss. I'll see if I can find any documentation on that unit.

[Deb]

Say, can you turn off the red-eye reduction feature of your camera (flash=OFF) and try using your Phoenix flash (connected to the hot shoe) as the dedicated rather than as a slave flash? Let it do the red-eye reduction. I wonder if that'll work?