I just bought a CLE like new with 40 CLE and 90 CLE and original flash and I'd like to use the flash as a fill in flash.If I use in automatic mode the flash will fire only if the time automatically selected is 60 or under and if i select a manual mode how is possible to use the flas as a fill in? thanks I find the CLE a great camera!

-- fabio scaglione (fabioscaglione@tim.it), February 10, 2002

Answers

Fill flash is not the CLE's strongest point. In manual mode, the flash will fire a full load only as the TTL flash function is disabled. The best way to use the CLE for TTL fill flash is to use 100 speed film or slower, stay fairly close to the subject, and close down the aperture until the 1/60 led lights up in the finder. Then the fill flash will fire and be metered correctly. Otherwise, use a regualar auto flash like a Vivitar, and set the speed manually to 1/60 and set the smallest f-stop the flash has an auto mode for.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), February 10, 2002.

Forgot to add, you need to turn the flash off while setting the correct aperture that will yield a 1/60 second ambient light exposure, and then turn it on again to do fill flash. I wish Minolta would come out with an updated version of the CLE with some of the current features we take for granted on an electronic camera, but it doesn't seem that Minolta has even the slightest interest in doing this.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), February 11, 2002.

According to my CLE manual you can dial in flash exposure compensation with the regular exposure compensation dial when the flash is enabled and mounted. I have not tried this yet, but it would seem you could dial in -1 stop of flash exposure for fill flash. Have you tried this, Andy?

-- Steve Rosenblum (stevierose@yahoo.com), February 11, 2002.

If you do that for fill flash, the ambient exposure will be underexposed as well. OK, there is a trick I know I have been holding out on. If you place a piece of tape on the left rear contact on the hot shoe of the CLE, the camera will still function TTL with the flash exposures, but it will not set the shutter speed for you and will fire on any speed. This way you don't have to turn the flash off to see what shutter speed the camera would choose for the ambient exposure. You would just change the f stop and watch the speed LED go down to 1/60 and then fire away.

Of course, if it goes over 1/60, it will not sync fully the whole frame. This is also a way to get the camera to do a low speed sync, which can be a very useful option. Remember to take the tape off when your done, or you'll get some very low speeds if you try to use the flash inside in very poor light.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), February 11, 2002.

Part of my last response was not right. Its been a while since I played with this trick, and I just tested it out again. The flash will still not fire at speeds above 1/60 even with the contact taped. It will fire at the slower speeds for slow speed sync, and you can at least see the speed it is choosing without having to keep tuyrning the flash off for easier fill flash.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), February 11, 2002.