Luke_Miller Posted January 6, 2010 Share #21 Posted January 6, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Not a TU user, but it appears the thumbs up shoe is a cold shoe only. So it does not pass through the four electrical contacts in the body's hot shoe. I suspect no flash would work since the M8/M9s (unlike the film Ms) have no other sync terminal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 6, 2010 Posted January 6, 2010 Hi Luke_Miller, Take a look here Flashes. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Jamie Roberts Posted January 6, 2010 Share #22 Posted January 6, 2010 The SB 900 works perfectly with the M8 / M9, though on my M8 it won't secure to the hotshoe with the new lock. Before you buy another flash, get the dedicated Nikon cord (that connects fine to the m8/M9) and hook the SB900 up. If you set it for A you can select aperture and ISO. It's awesome, but if you have it off camera, remember that the sensor needs to point to the subject. Remember too that camera sensitivities vary and you need to know what ISO your M9 actually is to use any auto flash. My M8 FWIW (dunno about the M9) is at least a third stop faster than my D3 at the same rated ISO I use the SB900 on manual though... just measure your ambient around 1-2 stops under, set the M9 on ISO 800 or 640 and try the (bounced flash) around 1/8 power @ f3,2 ish. See how it looks and adjust aperture or flash output. It's an awesome flash because you can bounce it all around. It's not that big (compared with, say, a Metz 54) and it's very powerful. You can easily use it as a fabulous key light too... not just for fill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share #23 Posted January 6, 2010 Not a TU user, but it appears the thumbs up shoe is a cold shoe only. So it does not pass through the four electrical contacts in the body's hot shoe. I suspect no flash would work since the M8/M9s (unlike the film Ms) have no other sync terminal. The Thumbs Up is a cold shoe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share #24 Posted January 6, 2010 The SB 900 works perfectly with the M8 / M9, though on my M8 it won't secure to the hotshoe with the new lock. Before you buy another flash, get the dedicated Nikon cord (that connects fine to the m8/M9) and hook the SB900 up. If you set it for A you can select aperture and ISO. It's awesome, but if you have it off camera, remember that the sensor needs to point to the subject. Remember too that camera sensitivities vary and you need to know what ISO your M9 actually is to use any auto flash. My M8 FWIW (dunno about the M9) is at least a third stop faster than my D3 at the same rated ISO I use the SB900 on manual though... just measure your ambient around 1-2 stops under, set the M9 on ISO 800 or 640 and try the (bounced flash) around 1/8 power @ f3,2 ish. See how it looks and adjust aperture or flash output. It's an awesome flash because you can bounce it all around. It's not that big (compared with, say, a Metz 54) and it's very powerful. You can easily use it as a fabulous key light too... not just for fill. Picked up the Nikon cord today. I'll give your thoughts/suggestions a run-through tonight. Thanks, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share #25 Posted January 7, 2010 Thanks for everyones help. The correct cord made a huge difference. SF24 and the SB900 are working as well as I expected. Thanks again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted January 7, 2010 Share #26 Posted January 7, 2010 Glad you found a working solution! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyscanlon Posted January 9, 2010 Share #27 Posted January 9, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) james R. if you are talking about the THUMBS UP with the "hot shoe" (that so many people insist on calling it). its properly referred to as a "cold shoe". there are no connections on it that will allow camera/flash communication. and this is why i am not using the thumbs up that i have. i also spoke to the inventor of the THUMBS UP and he said that the logistics/price point to make a hot shoe TU was not attractive to him when he looked at it (thats not a verbatim quote, but that was the gist of it). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D&A Posted January 9, 2010 Share #28 Posted January 9, 2010 Interestinly, on the relatively new CSEP-1 Thumbs up...which tightens (locks) down on the M8/M9 hot shoe via a hex screw right in the middle of it's cold shoe...at first glace I assumed the bottom tip of the screw must touch the camera's center hot shoe contact, as this is how the thumbs-up is locked down. Then when inserting a flash into the thumbs-up shoe, the flashes center pin touches the top of this hex screw. Unless I'm overlooking something, I assumed this would be enough for the M8/M9 to trigger a mounted flash this way...but it doesn't. I can't figure out why not? Is the top of the hex screw so hollow, that the flash pin ends up essentually inside the head of the screw? If so, Tim, the originator of the Thumbs-up could possibly modify the screw used in such a way, that a single center contact of a flash would make contact with the M8/M9 hot shoe via this lock down screw, when using the CSEP-1 thumbs-up with a flash. Just a thought. Dave (D&A) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted January 9, 2010 Share #29 Posted January 9, 2010 Dave, Unless I'm mistaken, the Thumbs-up is a solid piece of metal. This implies that the screw is threaded through this solid piece of metal? If this is the case, then a short circuit would then exist between the centre contact and the ground contacts. Any flash inserted would either fire immediately, or fail to fire, as it detected the constant short circuit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D&A Posted January 10, 2010 Share #30 Posted January 10, 2010 Nicole, You are correct! Silly me, after some thought and after reading your post, I recalled that the screw on teh XSEP-1 cinches down on a metal plate..which causes it to press against the cameras hot shot....so the bottom of the threaded screw doesn't actually touch the cameras hot shoe. A flash once inserted into the thumbs-up won't fire once tuned on and the shutter presed and if the flash is removed while the camera is on...it will flash when its cenmter contact touches any part of the meatl plate underneith. Something tells me it might not have taken much to make the CSEP-1 shoe a "hot one" for it's center contact..but then again maybe not...only Tim could answer this question for sure. Thanks! Dave (D&A) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James R Posted January 10, 2010 Share #31 Posted January 10, 2010 Dave, Unless I'm mistaken, the Thumbs-up is a solid piece of metal. This implies that the screw is threaded through this solid piece of metal? If this is the case, then a short circuit would then exist between the centre contact and the ground contacts. Any flash inserted would either fire immediately, or fail to fire, as it detected the constant short circuit. I've messed around with an SB900 and the TU. It will only flash when removed or inserted when on. My flash worked fine after removing the TU and mounting it on the camera's hotshoe, so, I don't think it does any damage to the camera or flash unit. Since the TU fits so tight, I no longer tighten the screw. This makes it easier to remove the TU and use a flash. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted January 10, 2010 Share #32 Posted January 10, 2010 I read through these post and I have to tell you guys, you can band aid together other manufactures flashes and come up with something, but Leica answered the complaints about the 24 and came out with the 58 and yet still, everyone wants to buy something else. I just don't get it. The 58 works perfectly. tdtaylor... you said it in your OP. You know the 58 is the answer. It is. It works great in direct, swivel flash, ttl, auto, and everything else. It works so well that once I understood how to use it, I just forgot about it all and set it to ttl and it gives great exposure no matter where I point the head. And, I agree with you that the SR third arm, wrist bracelet, is for the most part bogus. Just buy the 58 and go take pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eritho Posted January 10, 2010 Share #33 Posted January 10, 2010 I read through these post and I have to tell you guys, you can band aid together other manufactures flashes and come up with something, but Leica answered the complaints about the 24 and came out with the 58 and yet still, everyone wants to buy something else. I just don't get it. The 58 works perfectly. Just buy the 58 and go take pictures. Yes, maybe it works OK, but when mounted on the M9 the whole combo feels like a flash with a camera attached Trying to lift or hang the combo in the strap results in everything turning around and hanging upside down. Very awkward combination really! As red eyes is no problem any longer using LR or any other RAW-converter, it would be much better with a low flash like SB40 or the like. But I don't know any low flash working TTL with M9 (yet). Do you? Maybe it would be as good with "auto" mode? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Miller Posted January 10, 2010 Share #34 Posted January 10, 2010 Yes, maybe it works OK, but when mounted on the M9 the whole combo feels like a flash with a camera attached Trying to lift or hang the combo in the strap results in everything turning around and hanging upside down. Very awkward combination really! Exactly. I shot a family event last week with my M8.2 and a Nikon SB-25 in Auto. Bounced the flash and got great results, but very awkward to handle. With a flash that size I would rather use one of my Nikon DSLRs, which balance fine with it. Still working on an approach to bounce my SF-24D. That size/weight handles well and is as large a flash as I want to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted January 10, 2010 Share #35 Posted January 10, 2010 I read through these post and I have to tell you guys, you can band aid together other manufactures flashes and come up with something, but Leica answered the complaints about the 24 and came out with the 58 and yet still, everyone wants to buy something else. I just don't get it. The 58 works perfectly.The problem is it's a monster and completely unbalances the cam. You can see from post #11 that the little Nikon is hardly bigger than the SF-20. If Leica made a unit that bounced and was around the size of the SF-20 we'd be all over it in a flash! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James R Posted January 10, 2010 Share #36 Posted January 10, 2010 I read through these post and I have to tell you guys, you can band aid together other manufactures flashes and come up with something, but Leica answered the complaints about the 24 and came out with the 58 and yet still, everyone wants to buy something else. I just don't get it. The 58 works perfectly. tdtaylor... you said it in your OP. You know the 58 is the answer. It is. It works great in direct, swivel flash, ttl, auto, and everything else. It works so well that once I understood how to use it, I just forgot about it all and set it to ttl and it gives great exposure no matter where I point the head. And, I agree with you that the SR third arm, wrist bracelet, is for the most part bogus. Just buy the 58 and go take pictures. The reason I inquired about off brand flashes is the 58's recycle time. 5 sec is ridiculous IMO, especially if shooting an event. I admit to being spoiled by Nikon's CLS. Many thought the 400+ price tag for the SB900 was high, they would have a heart attack at 700+ without the flexibility. Anyways, I have a 58 coming from B&H. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 10, 2010 Share #37 Posted January 10, 2010 The cycle time of the 58 is a bit better with AA lithium cells but not dramatically so. This is the only real downside if you are prepared to live with the size. I assume that the external Metz power pack fits to reduce cycle time. I have a bracket/handle that fits under a camera on the tripod bush and has an adjustable angle cold shoe on the handle at the side. I am probably going to get a Nissin SC-01 cord to use the 58 on this, which I think will be better balanced. The power of the 58 is impressive, especially if combined with a f1.4 lens. You can light up a large garden. If you want to use on camera, it balances better with a longer lens like a 75 or a MATE. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share #38 Posted January 10, 2010 I read through these post and I have to tell you guys, you can band aid together other manufactures flashes and come up with something, but Leica answered the complaints about the 24 and came out with the 58 and yet still, everyone wants to buy something else. I just don't get it. The 58 works perfectly. tdtaylor... you said it in your OP. You know the 58 is the answer. It is. It works great in direct, swivel flash, ttl, auto, and everything else. It works so well that once I understood how to use it, I just forgot about it all and set it to ttl and it gives great exposure no matter where I point the head. And, I agree with you that the SR third arm, wrist bracelet, is for the most part bogus. Just buy the 58 and go take pictures. I will eventually end up with the SF58, but really was interested in a additional flash that you could throw in a pocket like I do with my little Nikon SB400- that embodies the philosophy of the Leica, small and good. When I do an event, in the past my SB900/800s/600s come out. Also, when I do an event, I don't mind looking like a photographer (cords, cables, etc.), but at other times I really just want to quickly pull out a flash, throw it on the camera and get a bounce flash. Maybe wishful thinking, but maybe Leica will come up with a small bounce flash :D:D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_R Posted January 10, 2010 Share #39 Posted January 10, 2010 How it is? Does M8, M9 cooperate with Olympus Panaconic flashes? With TTL? I saw few flashes on sale with description: Olympus\Panasonic\Leica. If yes, maybe FL-36 would fit in terms of size and with bouncing possibility? Or small FL-14 just for fill flash? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 10, 2010 Share #40 Posted January 10, 2010 How it is? Does M8, M9 cooperate with Olympus Panaconic flashes? With TTL?I saw few flashes on sale with description: Olympus\Panasonic\Leica. If yes, maybe FL-36 would fit in terms of size and with bouncing possibility? Or small FL-14 just for fill flash? I think those would be for Leica's P&S cameras, which are made for them by Panasonic. The only flashes which give TTL (GNC - Pre Flash) with the M8 and 9 are the two Leica branded flashes SF24D and the SF58D. The three Metz flashes the 44, the 54 (with limited functionality) and the 76, all when fitted with an SCA3502 -M5 module, will also work in GNC mode. Any flash with a hot shoe will work in either A or M mode. For example, if I only want to carry a shirt pocket flash, I use a tiny manual Minox 8 x 11 flash, which like all the other flashes above is made by Metz. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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