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Canon 550 or 580EX flash on M8 or R8/DMR?


imagist

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I've used the 580 on the DMR, no problems in synchronizing it, but you're flying completely manually (IOW, you set the flash to output manually, and figure out the exposure mostly by chimping ;)) Guide numbers help, but they're really, really a guide.

 

Didn't seem to cause any electronic issues, which I was worried about, to tell you the truth. A Metz autoflash is a lot easier to work with and you can get a Canon module as well as a Leica one.

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George,

 

Just to see if it would work, I used my 550 on the M8 without a problem. And as Jamie said, it's a totally manual operation. I've also used monolight studio flash with great success. The M8 makes astoundingly good files this way -- just ask Guy Mancuso.

 

Larry

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Thanks Jamie and Larry. My main concern was about unindentionally frying something in the M8 through the hot shoe. I've used the M8 and R8 with Quantum radio 4i triggers and studio flash, as well as various other portable strobes to very good effect. However, I remember hearing horror stories about voltage issues and hot shoes. Probably not an issue with more modern hot shoe strobes.

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canon is coming out with an update to the 580 that will include an auto function for use in non-ttl situations and an pc-in connection, overdue.

 

This will make it the one flash solution for the bag where a 5D/Mkiids and M8 reside. I am waiting....

 

In the meantime I bought the pentax off shoe adaptor and cord, which although it has extra pins, works fine with my sunpak 444D. Also lets me mount the accessory finder for my 21mm. But having two strobes in the bag is a pain.

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yeah its a bummer. But I like that it bucks the trend of not including auto on all these TTL flashes, lots of people have multiple systems, and carrying all dedicated gear is redundant, when auto is often good enough. Heck that minolta flashmatic guide number system was perfect iirc, just focus and shoot and that was the 70's!

 

The weird thing is that leica could do a similar thing with the M8, if the focus cam had some sort of electronic part to communicate distance, you would have everything (shutter, iso and distance) except aperture, and the blue eye and the meter could probably infer the aperture to a close appoximation, enough to let the ttl do its stuff.

 

btw, as reported on another thread, the pentax off-shoe cord and adaptors are really great, built well, and the hotshoe part does not raise the accessory viewfinder much. Only pain is that the cord comes out to the right, not sure why that is, it would be hard on any camera to hold the flash in your right hand. It should come out to the left.

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  • 1 year later...

I just tested a 580EX II on auto thyristor mode on my M8. Works fine.

 

The locking pin in the shoe lines up, and sync to 1/250th works fine.

 

The flash will also go down to f1.0 for my Noctilux! :)

 

Even though 160 ISO is supposed to really be 200 ISO sensitivity, setting the flash to 160 ISO seemed to be more accurate.

 

Now it's getting really heavy! Perhaps I should use a bracket. :)

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  • 9 months later...

Hello!

i have never used external flash light before so I have probably one of the strangest questions on the forum:

Please let me know how can I attach an external flash light from canon (speed light 480)to leica M8.2? I was at our local camera shop and the guy selling the cameras was clueless. Thanks for any ideas.

 

Nenad

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Hello!

i have never used external flash light before so I have probably one of the strangest questions on the forum:

Please let me know how can I attach an external flash light from canon (speed light 480)to leica M8.2? I was at our local camera shop and the guy selling the cameras was clueless. Thanks for any ideas.

 

Nenad

 

Um...you put it in the flash shoe, turn it on, and shoot :)

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I know how it goes. I was asking if it shoe fits the flash light.

And I made a mistake on the model: i'd like to buy 580EX II.

 

Thanks.

 

N.

 

Nenad,

 

Yes, this has been discussed on the forum many times (if you search it you will find the threads). In fact, the post above yours says exactly the same thing!

 

The Canon 580 EX2 is a lovely, auto-exposure (NOT TTL) compatible flash with the M8. It fits and locks in the shoe (unlike the SB900 from Nikon) and works extremely well.

 

Unless you mean something weird by "the shoe"? The Canon flash just fits into the M8's hotshoe.

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Nenad,

 

Yes, this has been discussed on the forum many times (if you search it you will find the threads). In fact, the post above yours says exactly the same thing!

 

The Canon 580 EX2 is a lovely, auto-exposure (NOT TTL) compatible flash with the M8. It fits and locks in the shoe (unlike the SB900 from Nikon) and works extremely well.

 

Unless you mean something weird by "the shoe"? The Canon flash just fits into the M8's hotshoe.

 

Thanks for the info. I saw the post just when i pressed "Submit reply" :)

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