Steve'sDigicams

Quenaelin · Mar 19, 2009, 7:12 AM

Hi, I bought Sanyo Xacti HD700 while ago otherwise it is good hybrid video and still picture camera, but it has bad red-eye problem when using flash, it doesn't have any pre-flash or double flash which could prevent red-eyes in pictures. There is automatic correction inside camera but it doesn't always work and I don't like to edit any photos with computer afterwards. I just want to watch pictures directly from camera or through TV. Should I get external slave-flash, does it help to reduce red-eye problems? What kind of slave-flash is good for reducing red-eye effect, is Metz mecablitz 28 CS-2 good? I have never used external flash before so I would like to hear some experiences before buying expensive flash unit which might not work at all.

BillDrew · Mar 19, 2009, 3:36 PM

A slaved external flash might cut the red-eye, but if the camera's flash still is the dominate light source, it might not. You will also have to use manual settings and experiment a fair bit to get the exposure right since there will be no information sent to the flash beyond a simple FIRE NOW signal.

Flash is a right royal pain in the posterior and best avoided whenever possible.

dr_spock · Mar 19, 2009, 4:37 PM

I think the problem with the HD700 is the flash is right next to the lens. If your subject is looking at the camera, all that light is going straight to the inside of their eyes with all those red blood vessels and bounce straight back to the camera.

An external slave flash can reduce the red-eye depending on where you place it. You could put a white piece of paper in front of the camera's flash to keep the light away your subject and redirect it to trigger your external slave flash.

You don't have to buy an expensive flash. You can buy an inexpensive one and attach an inexpensive optical slave trigger to it. (see my avatar)

Quenaelin · Mar 20, 2009, 6:47 AM

Thanks, maybe I skip buying external flash, it is too cumbersome to carry around and attach to camera. I know I should have bought Sanyo HD1000 instead, it has better flash, but I tought Sanyo HD700 would be better with 7MP vs 4MP photos in HD1000, I didn't know that flash is so bad. Avoiding flash is nearly impossible when taking pictures indoors, I always get too grainy pictures with HD700. I am maybe saving for HD2000 model, it has 8 MP stills and both 1080p and 720p video together, maybe it is a bit too expensive to my budget, but I don't really want to carry two cameras when taking family pictures and video.

Quenaelin · Mar 31, 2009, 2:09 PM

I could not wait until Sanyo HD2000 is released here and wanted to see if external flash could solve red-eye problem, so yesterday I bought Nissin Di622 external flash for my old Canon EOS film camera, flash has also slave function for cameras like Sanyo. Flash is quite bulky and cumbersome but it removes red-eye problem completely, atleast in every picture I took with it, I put some semi-transparent tape in front of Sanyos flash so it doesn't bounce from eyes, it only triggers external flash.

No more annoying editing and fixing red-eyes with tricky software, it is too tedious to fix something with software which could be fixed easily with proper hardware. Maybe flash is heavy and bulky and I look like retro photographer from past when holding Sanyo in right hand and flash in left, but atleast it fixes red-eye problem completely :-)

You can also direct flash to ceiling (if there is one) and could increase overall lighting in dark rooms, so you get more light to pictures and could use lower ISO values and less grain.

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Mar 19, 2009, 7:12 AM	#1
Quenaelin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Helsinki, FINLAND Posts: 155	Hi, I bought Sanyo Xacti HD700 while ago otherwise it is good hybrid video and still picture camera, but it has bad red-eye problem when using flash, it doesn't have any pre-flash or double flash which could prevent red-eyes in pictures. There is automatic correction inside camera but it doesn't always work and I don't like to edit any photos with computer afterwards. I just want to watch pictures directly from camera or through TV. Should I get external slave-flash, does it help to reduce red-eye problems? What kind of slave-flash is good for reducing red-eye effect, is Metz mecablitz 28 CS-2 good? I have never used external flash before so I would like to hear some experiences before buying expensive flash unit which might not work at all.

Mar 19, 2009, 3:36 PM	#2
BillDrew Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hay River Township, WI Posts: 2,327	A slaved external flash might cut the red-eye, but if the camera's flash still is the dominate light source, it might not. You will also have to use manual settings and experiment a fair bit to get the exposure right since there will be no information sent to the flash beyond a simple FIRE NOW signal. Flash is a right royal pain in the posterior and best avoided whenever possible.

Mar 19, 2009, 4:37 PM	#3
dr_spock Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 597	I think the problem with the HD700 is the flash is right next to the lens. If your subject is looking at the camera, all that light is going straight to the inside of their eyes with all those red blood vessels and bounce straight back to the camera. An external slave flash can reduce the red-eye depending on where you place it. You could put a white piece of paper in front of the camera's flash to keep the light away your subject and redirect it to trigger your external slave flash. You don't have to buy an expensive flash. You can buy an inexpensive one and attach an inexpensive optical slave trigger to it. (see my avatar)

Mar 20, 2009, 6:47 AM	#4
Quenaelin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Helsinki, FINLAND Posts: 155	Thanks, maybe I skip buying external flash, it is too cumbersome to carry around and attach to camera. I know I should have bought Sanyo HD1000 instead, it has better flash, but I tought Sanyo HD700 would be better with 7MP vs 4MP photos in HD1000, I didn't know that flash is so bad. Avoiding flash is nearly impossible when taking pictures indoors, I always get too grainy pictures with HD700. I am maybe saving for HD2000 model, it has 8 MP stills and both 1080p and 720p video together, maybe it is a bit too expensive to my budget, but I don't really want to carry two cameras when taking family pictures and video.

Mar 31, 2009, 2:09 PM	#5
Quenaelin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Helsinki, FINLAND Posts: 155	I could not wait until Sanyo HD2000 is released here and wanted to see if external flash could solve red-eye problem, so yesterday I bought Nissin Di622 external flash for my old Canon EOS film camera, flash has also slave function for cameras like Sanyo. Flash is quite bulky and cumbersome but it removes red-eye problem completely, atleast in every picture I took with it, I put some semi-transparent tape in front of Sanyos flash so it doesn't bounce from eyes, it only triggers external flash. No more annoying editing and fixing red-eyes with tricky software, it is too tedious to fix something with software which could be fixed easily with proper hardware. Maybe flash is heavy and bulky and I look like retro photographer from past when holding Sanyo in right hand and flash in left, but atleast it fixes red-eye problem completely :-) You can also direct flash to ceiling (if there is one) and could increase overall lighting in dark rooms, so you get more light to pictures and could use lower ISO values and less grain.