Learner Posted August 30, 2011 Share #1 Posted August 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello, I have just bought an SF 20 flash for my M7. I'm still trying to figure it out, but do I have it right when I say that the range (throw) of the flash is in proportion to the size of the aperture "dialled" on the camera itself, that the larger the aperture, the further the range? Also, how far beyond the furthest target (subject) should the flash extend? Let's say one is taking a picture of a table of 6 people ... The person nearest the flash is 2 metres from the flash and the person furthest person is 4 metres away... How far should the range (throw) of the flash be? How far, if at all, beyond the furthest person should the range extend? Also is the width of flash produced controlled by the focal length of the lens? In other words is the flash from a 24mm lens wider than the flash from a 35mm lens? Is it so that that the wider the flash the less the range? Maybe I'm barking up the wrong trees? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 30, 2011 Posted August 30, 2011 Hi Learner, Take a look here Flash newbie (SF 20 on M7). I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
madNbad Posted August 31, 2011 Share #2 Posted August 31, 2011 The best thing you can do is to shoot a test roll with your favorite film. Using a gray card and a color scale is very useful but any items you can compare either color or shade to will do the same. You are correct, a wider aperture will give you more distance with the flash but you also stand the chance of washing out people or items in the foreground. My M6 TTL has an indicator in the viewfinder to confirm a proper amount of light has fallen on the subject. There is also a scale on your flash which allows you to select the aperture you wish to use. There should be two adapters. One for wide angle and one for telephoto. The adapter will either widen or narrow the throw of the flash for lenses wider than fifty or longer than seventy-five. The SF-20 isn't a very powerful flash but it is good for fill and has enough strength for an average room. A useful accessory is a Nikon SC-28 or SC-17 extension cord. Attach one end to the hot shoe of the camera and the other to the flash and you are able to sync off camera flash. Good luck and you certainly have found the place for answers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted August 31, 2011 Share #3 Posted August 31, 2011 Fuji Pro 160C TTL-mode M7 SF24. Last picture can give you an idea. Elmarit 2,8/28mm. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/160698-flash-newbie-sf-20-on-m7/?do=findComment&comment=1780676'>More sharing options...
budrichard Posted August 31, 2011 Share #4 Posted August 31, 2011 Do you have an instruction manual? If you do, read it, if not obtain one If your SF20 is like the later SF24, you should have two accessory attachments that either widen the flash area for up to 24mm or narrow for 90mm, I believe. Do you have the attachments? The SF20 and M7 communicate, the Flash tells the M7 the correct shutter speed if the both are in Auto and TTL Mode. The M7 tells the flash the ASA set on the camera. You can view the distance range on the flash with a corresponding f stop but you don't need to set any f stop on the flash, the M7 uses TTL to do that. Yes if the flash angle is wider, than the range is smaller and conversely. The combination works quite well together and I frequently use them.-Dick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted August 31, 2011 Share #5 Posted August 31, 2011 Budrichard: Isn't there also a test button that will tell the photographer if the subject can be properly exposed? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJohnE Posted August 31, 2011 Share #6 Posted August 31, 2011 User manual LEICA SF 20 - User guide LEICA SF 20 - English - Diplodocs You can download a manual for that flash (and many other things) freely from that Diplodocs website. John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted September 1, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) From the OP: I would like to thank members for attempting to help me overcome my technical difficulties. I shall not pretend to understand all the replies but I shall study them; I shall persist. I do have a manual. I'm not sure whether it's me or my addled brain, but I find it difficult to understand parts of the manual. I wonder, for instance, if there is a contradiction regarding the setting of aperture : On page 34 (3rd para) the manual says: "The aperture does not have to be set on the flashgun for a correct exposure in TTL mode." On page 40 (2nd para.) it says: :On all cameras... the aperture set on the lens must be manually adjusted on the flashgun." Perhaps this relates to Manual Mode... It's not clear if it does, but this text falls under the sub-title "Setting the Working Aperture". What is meant by "the working aperture"? Help. a) Does it matter what aperture is set on the camera? Must the flash's aperture match the camera's aperture? If I want to use flash in a pitch black environment, what aperture should I set? Also, when I look into the camera, to the left of the flash (lightning bolt) I see a left-pointing arrow. What does arrow mean when flashing? When no flashing? Is it telling me to increase the size of the aperture. I have increased the size of the aperture, but the arrow persists. Also, I do not understand the function of the cable port at the top mid rear of the camera : If you attach a cable to the camera, where does the other end of the cable go? An external flash? How do I control a flash in one hand and a camera in the other. I'm out of my depth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted September 1, 2011 Hello fotohuis: I like the pictures, but do not understand what a flash has to do with the building. Tfe flash cannot illuminate the building. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted September 1, 2011 Back to the manual... Page 44, 1st para: What's the angle when the diffuser is not present? Page 44, 3rd para: "The guide number is reduced to 14 when the wide-angle diffuser is attached." What is the "guide number"? 14? I understand that the SF 20 comes with only one diffuser, while the SF 24 comes with two. ======== It seems that page 50 (3rd para) settles somewhat the exposure setting I discussed previously when it says that in TTL mode: "Transfer the aperture adjusted on the lens manually to the flash gun so that the correct shooting range is indicated on the LC display." This prompts me to ask the question: Is the aperture setting, regardless of whether it's on the camera or flash or both simply to control range? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted September 1, 2011 Share #10 Posted September 1, 2011 After a brief scan of the SF20 manual, it becomes obvious that the SF20 was designed for the M6TTL and before the M7. Therefore the shutter speed on the M7 must be set to 1/50 or less for correct operation whereas on the SF24D,it is set correctly if the M7 is in AUTO, now it may work and be a hidden feature so try it and see if the ARROW is displayed in the finder. The SF20 should work in TTL MODE on the M7 and not require the same f stop on camera and flash as that is the purpose of TTL flash. The requirement for both to be the same is to view the flash range. As I don't have an SF20, that is about as much as I can help with. It appears to me that the SF24D is a much better flash to work with the M7. But the SF20 should work in TTL MODE with the film speed set on the camera transmitted to the flash and any f stop set on the camera. Match the camera and flash to view the range. Yes the GN is 14 with WA attachment installed but do you have a 24mm lens, if not then its superfluous.-Dick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted September 1, 2011 Share #11 Posted September 1, 2011 I like the pictures, but do not understand what a flash has to do with the building. The first picture is a B timing in the night of the emmergency generator house of the hospital I was in for 3 months. The second picture my hotel in Prague/Praha, with the SF-24 flash and the M7. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted September 1, 2011 Share #12 Posted September 1, 2011 Together with the M7 put the SF-24D on TTL/GNC and the M7 on flash or auto and it's working in full automatic mode. The diffuser for W.A. goes to 24mm which I normally let it on the flash unit. Only my C.V. SWH 15mm is of course a problem with flash light. The lighting with the Elmarit 28mm is perfect (with diffuser), so also the Summicron 50mm and Summarit 75mm I have. For the M7 I could only recommend the SF-24D if you want a compact flash unit for a few meters. On the other hand a Leica M is not often used with a flash at all. BTW the unit has been made by Metz, not Leica because they are the specialists in Europe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted September 2, 2011 Share #13 Posted September 2, 2011 "On the other hand a Leica M is not often used with a flash at all" I routinely use an SF24D with M cameras and even use a Metz unit with a 21mm f2.8 ASPH Leica lens on an M6. There seems to be an 'Urban Legend' that has been created that M cameras should not be used with flash for whatever the reason and this 'Legend' keeps popping up whenever a flash for an M camera is discussed.-Dick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzo Posted September 2, 2011 Share #14 Posted September 2, 2011 ....... whenever a flash for an M camera is discussed. .............................................................................. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted September 2, 2011 Share #15 Posted September 2, 2011 Where most other camera's have a mirror and a zoom with a not very wide aperture, Leica M can be used till 1/15S on hand and the glass goes till 0,95. So in practice there is less reason to use a flash unit early when light conditions are not very good anymore. I have the M7 + SF-24D but I am not using it very frequently, however it's a very handy and compact flash unit with optimum preformance in combination with an M camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted September 2, 2011 The Rad Arrow Continued thanks to my technical advisers... With flash attached, what does the red arrow in the camera's viewfinder mean? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted September 3, 2011 Share #17 Posted September 3, 2011 Arrow or lightning bolt? The arrows are for exposure the lightning bolt confirms the flash has fired and a sufficient amount of light has reached the subject. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share #18 Posted September 3, 2011 Both the left pointing arrow and the lightning bolt appear at the same time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted September 3, 2011 Share #19 Posted September 3, 2011 The left arrow is on indicating under exposure the lightning bolt indicates the flash is attached and the TTL recognizes it and is ready. When the flash fires with the proper exposure the bolt will flash several times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share #20 Posted September 3, 2011 Thank you MadNBad, I couldn't get rid of the left-pointing arrow; that suggests under exposure, but the lightning symbol flashed many times suggesting correct exposure. I still don't get it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.