R8 with flash

[TomM]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I recently purchased a used R8 from a forum member (overseas, but assured me that the camera is fine). I have tried to connect my Metz 45 CT-1 to the camera through the cable connection. If the flash ready-to-fire light on the flash gun is on it immediately goes out; if it is not ready when first connected then the light will also not show once the flash gun has been turned on. There is not a complete short in the circuit otherwise the ready-to-fire flash would actually fire when connected to the camera. Also, I cannot get the flash to fire during an exposure. Is the camera faulty or is the flash gun not compatible? I have tried the flash with my M5 and it works properly. I would appreciate hearing a comment from anyone who has experienced this with an R8 and a similar non-dedicated flash gun.

Thank you.

Tom

[giordano]

I recently purchased a used R8 from a forum member (overseas, but assured me that the camera is fine). I have tried to connect my Metz 45 CT-1 to the camera through the cable connection. If the flash ready-to-fire light on the flash gun is on it immediately goes out; if it is not ready when first connected then the light will also not show once the flash gun has been turned on. There is not a complete short in the circuit otherwise the ready-to-fire flash would actually fire when connected to the camera. Also, I cannot get the flash to fire during an exposure. Is the camera faulty or is the flash gun not compatible? I have tried the flash with my M5 and it works properly. I would appreciate hearing a comment from anyone who has experienced this with an R8 and a similar non-dedicated flash gun.

 

Early 45 CT-1 units had a high enough trigger voltage to fry most electronic synch circuits so the first thing to do is to check whether yours is one of those. Either use a digital or good analogue multimeter to measure the voltage directly or find the relevant serial numbers at www.metz.de. The voltage is likely to be over 200 or less than 20; if the latter it's safe and the problem is most likely with the camera.

 

If the voltage is 200 or more (and there have been reports of 600V) it's possible that the flashgun fried the camera circuitry when you first connected it. Connecting the synch cord while the flash or camera are turned on is likely to increase the chance of this. The fact that the ready-light went out is a worrying sign.

 

So the next thing to do is to get hold of a modern flashgun with a low trigger voltage and see if the camera triggers that both via the synch socket and via the hotshoe. If it works OK and yours is a high-voltage 45 CT-1, either get a Wein SafeSync which will reduce the voltage to a safe level or buy a younger 45.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[TomM]

John,

 

Thank you for that information. I measured the Metz voltage at 215V and that of an old Vivitar gun that fits the hot shoe at 130V. I had already tried that on the camera and it did not work either. It doesn't look good at all. I'm surprised that you can ruin a reasonably modern circuit that easily. I cannot be the only person totally ignorant of these limitations! Perhaps the operating manual had a warning but unfortunately I don't have that and couldn't find one on Leica's site. I will have to try a modern flash first but am rather dreading that this is a major repair. I very much appreciate your advice. Happy New Year!

 

Tom

[giordano]

Tom, there's a downloadable copy of the R8 manual (along with hundreds of others) at http://www.butkus.org/chinon/. Unfortunately it states clearly "maximum ignition voltage of 24V".

 

With luck, there is a safety circuit that will prevent overvoltage damage and things will work normally once you attach a low-voltage flashgun. Fingers crossed!

[Guest DD]

I recently purchased a used R8 from a forum member (overseas, but assured me that the camera is fine). I have tried to connect my Metz 45 CT-1 to the camera through the cable connection. If the flash ready-to-fire light on the flash gun is on it immediately goes out; if it is not ready when first connected then the light will also not show once the flash gun has been turned on. There is not a complete short in the circuit otherwise the ready-to-fire flash would actually fire when connected to the camera. Also, I cannot get the flash to fire during an exposure. Is the camera faulty or is the flash gun not compatible? I have tried the flash with my M5 and it works properly. I would appreciate hearing a comment from anyone who has experienced this with an R8 and a similar non-dedicated flash gun.

Thank you.

Tom

 

Tom,

 

I purchased a new R8 in 2001 with all the necessary lens and flash___the SF-20 and had great luck with it. Unfortunately within days I realized I did not like the R8 put in back in the box after only shooting 4 rolls of film. It is a "beast" in size.....But in those few rolls I was able to shoot some great pictures. With and without the flash. For my tastes just too large. So it sits in the the camera closet in the box. The Leica dealer I purchase from would of course Not take it back. (After having purchased several Leica's from him over a 30 year period.) But the SF-20 worked out fantastic on the R8. Just a another user here. Not a expert by any means.

Cheers on your new camera. I went back to my M7 and now the M9.

 

Dave

[TomM]

Thank you to those that tried to help me with this problem. I have just tried out a Wein Safe-Sync Hot-Shoe to Hot-Shoe High Voltage Synchronizer on my R8 using the inbuilt cable connector for the Metz flash and the flash triggerred properly. The good news is that there does not appear to be any damage to the camera circuit and the fix is thus very satisfactory. Strangely enough neither Leica nor Metz had an answer although for both of them this should be childsplay! Perhaps the holidays did not help. I hope someone else can also benefit from this information.

 

Tom

[giordano]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

That's good news. It shows that, as I hoped, there's some sort of safety circuit in the R8 that was protecting the rest of the electronics from the high trigger voltage on the old flash.

[Dukeviolin]

Useful information thanks John. I just bought a Braun VarioZoom 340 SCA for my R8, so hope that sorts it out. 
Also have an M5 and curious how that works with the same flash.