140 / Detailed guide / Record mode
Flash photography
Taking photographs with the built-in flash unit
The LEICA DIGILUX 2 has a built-in flash unit (1.5) that
rests folded up in the camera housing when it is not in
use. For flash photography, it must be partially (see
p. 142) or fully folded our and thus switched on.
Flash exposures are controlled by the camera using a
pre-flash measurement. For this purpose, a metering
flash is triggered immediately before the main flash.
The amount of light reflected then determines the
strength of the main flash through guide number
adjustment.
Depending on the exposure mode used (see p. 134)
and depending on the synchronization moment
chosen (see p. 143), up to seven different flash modes
are available for various photography situations
(see Table).
D
Automatic flash activation
This is the standard mode. The flash is
always activated automatically when,
because of poor lighting conditions, long
exposure times on freehand shots could
lead to blurring, for example, in a dimly lit
room and outdoors, at twilight or in poor
weather.
E
Automatic flash and pre-flash activation
to reduce “red eye” effect.
“Red eye” effect is caused by light from the
flash reflecting off the cornea straight back
to the camera and can occur when taking
portrait and group photos. It is therefore
best if the people being photographed do
not look straight at the camera. As the
effect is worsened when the pupils are wide
open in conditions of low lighting, when
taking photographs indoors for example,
you should switch on as much room lighting
as possible, so that the pupils become
narrower.
Due to the pre-flash, which is triggered
shortly before the main flash by pressing
the shutter release button, the pupils of the
person looking at the camera contract to
reduce the “red eye effect”.
K
Manual flash activation
For backlit pictures, where your main sub-
ject does not fill the frame and is in shadow,
or in cases where you want to moderate
high contrasts (e.g. in direct sunlight) (fill-
in flash).
As long as this mode is activated, the flash
unit is activated for every picture, regard-
less of the prevailing lighting conditions,
otherwise the functioning corresponds
exactly with those modes with automatic
flash activation.
In this case, flash performance is controlled
depending on the outdoor brightness me-
tered: in poor light as with the automatic
mode, with increasing ambient brightness,
however, with reduced output (up to a max-
imum of – 1
2
/
3
EV). The flash then works as
a fill-in light, for example to illuminate dark
shadows in the foreground or backlit sub-
jects, in order to obtain more balanced
lighting overall.
M
Manual flash and pre-flash activation
For the combination of the situations and
functions described most recently above.
