off camera flash

[mdlen]

Can someone suggest a flash unit for the M8 that can be used off camera. For many years I used a Vivitar 283 with my M6. There must be something newer but as versatile out there. Thanks in advance.

[blakley]

The Vivitar 283 is still a great flash. I use a Nikon SB-28; the newer digital-optimized Nikon flashes are also very good. I use Elinchrom skyport radio triggers to synch with off-camera flash - they're cheaper than pocket wizards & a lot smaller.

Here is an example of a photo taken with the M8 and an SB-28 triggered via the Elinchrom.

[sean_reid]

I use a Vivitar 285 (with the cord and remote sensor) and buffer the trigger voltage with a Wein adapter. I also use a Canon 430 sometimes and set the power manually on the flash itself.

Cheers,

Sean

[dcsang]

I've recently used the Canon 580EX with decent success by, as Sean suggested, setting it manually.

Using the Canon Off-Camera Shoe cord and a bracket seems to do the trick.

Dave

[usayit]

I have used the 550EX with a battery pack. Works great as a primary flash with offshoe cord (also Canon) and interchanging it with my Canon system is a plus. The disadvantage is that changing the power output of the 550EX is a bit cumbersome but from what I heard the 580EX improves on this feature.

I also use a Vivitar 422D using the same Canon offshoe cord. Flash operates in full manual and there is a convenient slider on the back to adjust the power output of the flash from FULL to 1/16th. Be aware that I said 422D and not 422. I hear the Vivitar 422 might have a high trigger voltage. Disadvantage of the 422D is that it lacks a zooming head.


One thing to note about Canon EX flashes is that they will not trigger wirelessly when operated on the M8 (or any other non-Canon camera body). I was a bit dissappointed as I thought it would be neat to leverage the wireless triggering of the 550EX/420EX set I already have for my Canon.

[wparsonsgisnet]

I use both a Metz 54 and a Vivitar 283 with my M8.

As implied above -- MAKE SURE you use a Wein safesync or HSHS adapter to keep excess voltage from reaching the M8 -- when using the Vivitar.

You can see voltage (dump) values here:

Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages

and the Vivatar 283 has been reported as dumping as much as 600 V back into the hotshoe.

My method is to use a sensor in the hotshoe (with HSHS if it's the Vivitar sensor) with an extension cord and to set the Vivitar to Auto and the iso to the camera's setting. If it's the Metz, the extension cord reads everything except the aperture from the camera.

For both flashes, I use f8, 1/250, and iso 160 if possible.

The Metz will do something called GNC that is supposed to approximate TTL-flash. This is because the M8 can't do TTL. I don't use the GNC feature for people because a pre-flash is used by the camera to calculate a necessary strobe output, and I find that pre-flash generally ruins portraits. The subjects see the first flash and go somewhere else in their minds.

I find the Metz flash fantastic. It brings MUCH more POWER to the equation.

Regards,

[Jamie Roberts]

You don't have to worry about voltages or the safe-synch (which I find often drops out of the M8 shoe) if you're using a recent Nikon or Canon flash. You can mount it directly on the hotshoe.

There are a ton of threads on this already, but the newest Canon 580 v2 has an auto-mode which can be used nicely with the M8 (all the Nikons do too, I think, though the new Canon has the most control in terms of fstops and ISOs).

You can use any of them off camera with the M8. The pocket wizard is the tool of choice, and has a ton of advantages over the safe-synch thing.

I use a PW in the hotshoe and then the auto 580 in a cold shoe on a bracket from the M8. It's synched by the PW "local flash" output to the 580 V2 via the PC input on the flash with a Paramount mini-jack to PC cable.

Of course, the key about the PW is that then you can use as many remote flashes as you like, where you like, with the M8.

I have to say I tried Sean Reid's "I'm going to hand-hold the flash off the M8 with a synch cable" on the weekend, but since I use auto mode on the 580 (not manual) it was a PITA to keep the sensor pointed towards the subject but bounce the flash (I rarely, if ever, point the flash head at the subject, since I don't like the flat, harsh light that you often get that way). It would work fine with M exposure on the flash, of course.

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by Jamie Roberts

I have to say I tried Sean Reid's "I'm going to hand-hold the flash off the M8 with a synch cable" on the weekend, but since I use auto mode on the 580 (not manual) it was a PITA to keep the sensor pointed towards the subject but bounce the flash (I rarely, if ever, point the flash head at the subject, since I don't like the flat, harsh light that you often get that way). It would work fine with M exposure on the flash, of course.

Hi Jamie,

The trick with that is to do one of the following.

1) Use a Vivitar which allows the metering cell to be mounted on the camera itself. I mount the metering cell in the Wein and that way it stays (roughly) pointed where the lens is pointed. I use the 285 that way. The cord essentially runs from the metering cell to the hand-held flash.

2) Go to manual flash control. That's what I do most often.

I'm writing an article on flash right now.

Cheers,

Sean

[grober]

Hey Leica:

Pay attention to all the NON-Leica strobes mentioned in this string!

Please bring a flash unit to the Leica market that has a tilting head.

-g

[jannec]

Does anyone know if I can use Canon STE2 Speedlite on M8? Thanks. Jan

[usayit]

Originally Posted by grober

Hey Leica:

Pay attention to all the NON-Leica strobes mentioned in this string!

Please bring a flash unit to the Leica market that has a tilting head.

-g

Yeh.. I do hope they are listening... Perhaps SF-24D with a tilt head and a bit more power would be REAL nice.

[usayit]

Originally Posted by jannec

Does anyone know if I can use Canon STE2 Speedlite on M8? Thanks. Jan

ST-E2 is not a speedlight but a IR transmitter for the Canon wireless flash system. IIRC, it won't work.

I know some here might grin on the idea, but the cheapo Cactus V2s works pretty well and is pretty darn compact. Its an viable option if you require wireless once-in-a-while and don't see pocket wizards as a good investment.. yet. Wouldn't recommend it for professional work though.