Analog Product Photography Fail

Back to the Roots

Slide film was the de-facto standard for commercial photography before digital. So I said to myself: Why not add some high-end product shots on slide film to the commercial portfolio? My Nikon F4 was still loaded with Fuji Provia 100F from a previous project so I decided to give it a go (not that I was drowning in work during another lockdown in Vienna).

Setting It Up

I decided to start with the most difficult subject first: A chrome Wahl Hair Clipper (100-years edition). Armed with a blower and a polishing cloth, I made sure everything was nice and clean.

I metered meticulously and made sure that the exposure was spot on (its slide film after all) and the reflections were where I wanted them to be.

A quick tip: Always use a grey card and a handheld light meter for studio product shots. Its an easy and precise way to determine the amount of light hitting the subject from all sides separately.

A Gossen Sixtomat F2 and a grey card - my best friends for studio photography

Fail

But when I tried to take the shot with the Nissin Air 10s flash trigger mounted on the F4, I was shocked to find out that the flash did not fire. No matter whether I cleaned or how much I wiggled the trigger back and forth, nothing happened. Even the flash icon in the finder lighted up indicating that the F4 was aware of a mounted flash, however, the wireless trigger did not trigger anything except me.

Happy End

Without further ado, my D800 switched places with the F4 and I at least got the shot which took me so long to set up.

The Wahl 100 Year Anniversary Clipper - not on film, but beautiful nonetheless.

Moral of the story: Always check for compatibility - especially if you intend combining 30 year old film camera with a state-of-the-art wireless trigger.
Note: In the end, it turned out that it was a technical defect in the Nikon F4. So the Nissin Air 10s can be used with any camera.