ustein Posted February 19, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted February 19, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I hardly ever use flash. But sometimes it may make a difference. What would be a smaller but still useful flash for the M8? Â Please post your opinions. Â Â Uwe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 19, 2007 Share #2 Â Posted February 19, 2007 Uwe, as we're covering elsewhere (Nikon SB800), the Leica flash is the only one which currently integrates with the M8 TTL flash metering and that works best with coded lenses. Downside is cost, for the power/build quality/feature set you get, but mainly the fact that the head does not tilt or swivel. I find shots with it tend to be rather harsh. Â Hopefully, there will be a better offering in due course but it doesn't look, from comments elsewhere, that Leica and Metz are talking to each other... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nryn Posted February 19, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted February 19, 2007 The SF24D isn't a bad flash with a diffuser such as the SFILL. Of course, with the SFILL, you're not going to be filling the room with light, but it's great for fill flash or close subjects. Â I just ordered a 3502 foot for my 54-MZ3, but I don't suspect I'll be using it much. Â I'd like something along the lines of the SB-50DX I had a long time ago. Metz, where are you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfredo Posted February 19, 2007 Share #4 Â Posted February 19, 2007 I just discovered that my Lecia SF20 flash won't work on the M8 on TTL mode, so that's probably not the best way to go. Â Cheers, Wilfredo+ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roderik Posted February 19, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted February 19, 2007 With A the SF20 works fine.. Just as easy as TTL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted February 19, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted February 19, 2007 I used to do a lot of flash work, both as mainlght and fill. PR type stuff. Always used dedicated units to whatever camera was the tool. Mostly Hasselblad (that dates me!) and nikon. Latterly Leica R8 and now M8. My later experience demonstrates to me that 'A' mode in nearly all situations is just as good as TTL. I surprised myself as to why I used to be so pedantic about having TTL. Honestly, I can't retrospectively pick the difference. So, I am content to continue using my Metz 40MZ-3i with SCA 3501 adapter in 'A' mode on my M8 IF I need flash. Try it. You could save a bundle if you don't upgrade for "just the occassional" flash shot. Or even more serious work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal_meheut Posted February 19, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted February 19, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) A mode works fine but with the M8, you need to synchronize the f-stop on the lens and the flash yourself. With the risk of forgetting, moving it on the lens without noticing and so on... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 19, 2007 Share #8 Â Posted February 19, 2007 Yes, that's the advantage of the TTL/GNC mode, just set the aperture on the lens. What does surprise me is how bright the pre-flash is, subjectively, it doesn't seem much different from the main flash. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted February 19, 2007 Share #9 Â Posted February 19, 2007 Yes, of course that is very true Pascal, but is that not the beauty of Leica "non auto" philosophy? Â In actual (past) reality I have been a great user of that very totally auto feature, but Leica has introduced me to the true world of 'available light' and I am not dependent on flash anymore. Well, hardly ever. A bit of self discipline keeps the balance between flash and aperture in place. Good memory work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 19, 2007 Share #10  Posted February 19, 2007 I hardly ever use flash. But sometimes it may make a difference. What would be a smaller but still useful flash for the M8? Please post your opinions.   Uwe  Until either forum members or Metz arrive at a better solution to the current under-exposing problems with the SCA3502 + 54 MZ -4i, I could not recommend that you spend around $5-600 on this combination. Yes you can use IR filters, if they ever arrive and that may cure the exposure problems but as I use a 21mm Biogon for many of my indoor shots, it will be "hello cyan corners". I agree with other posts, the current best solution is probably the small but expensive Leica SF24-D. It does have its downsides in that unless you leave the wide diffuser mounted, it can be rather harsh and it has no bounce mode. It does however have extraordinary battery life, certainly on my D2, exposure was spot on almost every time and it is very small and neat. I had hoped mine would be back in the post today to try on the M8 after my disappointments with the 54MZ-4i but no - maybe tomorrow.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 19, 2007 Share #11  Posted February 19, 2007 I hardly ever use flash. But sometimes it may make a difference. What would be a smaller but still useful flash for the M8? Please post your opinions.   Uwe  Uwe,  If you want to go REALLY small the attached image shows my "shirt pocket" solution. It is a Minox 8 x 11 flash on an ME-2 adapter. You can find both of these on eBay. You will see that I have stuck a table on the side for settings but I can remember most of them. flash synch is 1/125 second for this flash.  Wilson  PS you may see the table is for 200 ASA as this is the flash I use on my Leica IIF. For the Zeiss lenses I add 1/3 of a stop for 160 ISO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riley Posted February 19, 2007 Share #12  Posted February 19, 2007 why not, cut and shut a SF24D flash so that it bounces ? also, it looks like a generous Stofen would fit right over it  (nice wallpaper Wilson ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 19, 2007 Share #13  Posted February 19, 2007 why not, cut and shut a SF24D flash so that it bounces ?also, it looks like a generous Stofen would fit right over it  (nice wallpaper Wilson )  Riley,  We have done the wallpaper thing before. Pete Taylor (elansprint72) was particularly complimentary. When we built on a new bedroom for my son about 14 years ago, I took over his old bedroom for our servers and as my digital darkroom - Photoshop 3. a Photek scanner and a Hewlett Packard Paint-Jet, where you had to strip the tractor feed holes off the side of the paper after printing - remember those?  I have never got round to changing the wallpaper - not too good on the decorating thing.  I have just been up in our loft and hoped to find an old Speed Graflex flash we had, that used to take Large Edison Screw PF100 flash bulbs. Thought that might look nice on the M8 but I seem to recall it may have been appropriated for use as a "light sabre".  When the SF24-D comes back, I will get out the hacksaw, Dremel and soldering iron and give the "cut and shut" a go - maybe.  Leica Goodies used to do a sort of shield to go in front of the SF24-D to soften it but it more than doubled the size of the unit.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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