afineman Posted March 1, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Does anyone have a better fix for using off camera flashes with the m8 with a wide lens other than using a hot shoe to pc converter and mounting the viewfinder above that? I am contemplating getting an m8 but I shoot 90% with wide lenses that will need a viewfinder and about 70% of that is with an off camera flash. Never had any problems with my film leica's since they all have built in pc sync's. Â I really don't want to get into a discussion of why or why they did not add a pc sync, i just want to know if there is a fix that I can do that works well and does not add paralax issues. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 1, 2007 Posted March 1, 2007 Hi afineman, Take a look here off camera flash and m8 with wide lenses. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
iomatic Posted March 1, 2007 Share #2 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Can't think of anything; if you can't use your hot shoe, you can't trigger a PW or a sync... Â ...long exposure, plus a flash pop? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 1, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Nikon extension cord works. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afineman Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share #4 Â Posted March 1, 2007 nikon won't work unless modified, i need to have a viewfinder for 21 / 28 on top of camera too. flash must sync with camera. Â i sent an email to a guy who makes custom strobe modifications that i found on the web, perhaps he has a solution. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMB Posted March 1, 2007 Share #5  Posted March 1, 2007 Aaron  I'm not sure if I have understood your problem because language (I'm spanish), but in any case, there is a small accessory of Hama (code 00 006951), "Center contac flash adapter" you can fit in the camera shoe and you have the possibility to conect a cable of flash and at the same time, on the top, you have a shoe to put the fiewfinder. May be this is too simple but you can search other similar accessories.  Of course no possibility to work ttl/gnc.  Bye,  Francisco. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 1, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Aaron, you have correctly identified the technical solution to flash plus viewfinder. Â Piece of cake. I have one of these adapters, myself. I would not venture to send my M8 to the Museum of Modern Art with the adapter attached. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesphoto99 Posted March 1, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Bill or Aaron, Â Could you post where to find this adaptor. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afineman Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share #8  Posted March 1, 2007 The "hama" adapter is sold at B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=89979&is=REG&addedTroughType=search  But I am trying to find something that is somewhat more durable and not as tall. Yes I want my cake and to eat it too, but I figure that if I buy a $5000 camera I should invest in something that will allow me to use that camera the way I want to use it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 1, 2007 Share #9 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Yup, that guy looks just like the one I have. Pretty isn't it. Â Probably works better with a chrome M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afineman Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share #10 Â Posted March 1, 2007 So, how bad is the paralax close up with that attached? And how do you keep your pcsync from falling out? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 1, 2007 Share #11 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Aaron, my long pc cord has a thingy like a carabinier that I use to take up the slack so the pc cord doesn't fall out. You could also tie a double-half-hitch around the adapter. That particular knot keeps horses from pulling their reins loose. 'Course, if you had a two-horse-power pull, it might not hold. Â I didn't use to worry much about parallax and in digital I worry even less. Take the shot and chimp. Take another shot. Â Since necessity is the mother of this invention, you don't have much choice. Â More seriously, I play around a bit before starting to take pix, to see what objective dimentions the M8 is actually going to capture at picture time. Using the rf viewfinder, the framelines are only an indication (not Leica's fault, shift happens). Â Actually, my biggest problem with the adapter you have linked to is that the corners are really sharp. Beware of stuffing it in your pant pocket too quickly. Â Regards, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afineman Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share #12 Â Posted March 1, 2007 Thanks for the info, I will have to dig back into my boy scout past to remember the knot but I am sure I will figure it out. If not then gaffers tape will solve that issue. Â I am very curious to hear what the guy who makes flash modifications can come up with. I have a feeling that if it is really good he will have a bunch of clients wiht m8 owners. Â The funniest part about all this to me is that I only recently discovered a great way to use a small flash shoe mounted with the viewfinder as well on my old m6 using a pc to shoe adapter and now that i have a bunch of those the new m8 does not have a pc sync. oh well, my pc sync on my m6's kept shorting out anyway. probably best not to plug those flashes into an m8. perhaps i will rig up a wireless sync mounted to the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera so as to not worry about pulling the pc sync out with my hand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 1, 2007 Share #13 Â Posted March 1, 2007 ... probably best not to plug those flashes into an m8. perhaps i will rig up a wireless sync mounted to the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera so as to not worry about pulling the pc sync out with my hand. Â Aaron, No, no, no, ... Â Run, do not walk to get a Wein HSHS adapter, about $55 on the web. I carry 2 of these with my M8 (and the D2 when I used it) at all times. Â This hot-shoe to hot-shoe (hence the name) adapter is similar to the one referred to above, except that in addition to fitting into the hot shoe, providing a pc socket, and providing another hot shoe, it PREVENTS voltages higher thnn 5-6 volts dc from getting into the camera. Some older flashes pass voltages of 100 volts or more back into the hot shoe. This would turn your M8 into scrambled eggs. Â If you are using older flash units, you MUST get one (or two) of these. Â Highly recommended. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickR Posted March 1, 2007 Share #14 Â Posted March 1, 2007 How about something like the Bronica RF double hotshoe adaptor? Link. It's made for the same purpose, to put both a flash and a viewfinder on a pc sync-less camera. You'd still need the wein sync to protect the camera from the non-dedicated shoe but it wouldn't affect the viewfinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted March 2, 2007 Share #15 Â Posted March 2, 2007 Isn't it strange that Leica, past master of 'plumbing' (i.e., adapters to put any one thing on any other thing) doesn't offer a PC + accessory shoe adapter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted March 2, 2007 Share #16  Posted March 2, 2007 Isn't it strange that Leica, past master of 'plumbing' (i.e., adapters to put any one thing on any other thing) doesn't offer a PC + accessory shoe adapter?  They should of course make a 'system' shoe-to-shoe cord available (or Metz, that would amount to the same thing). But they won't put a shoe for a finder on top of it. They don't make the handy bright frame finders anymore. They insist that everyone shooting a superwide must use the new Universal Wide Angle finder contraption. And you can guess what that monstrosity would look like on top of a hot shoe adapter!  Cosina/Voigtländer do of course make nice single-length bright frame finders. But that is rank heresy and the God of the Leicas would surely smite you (with an electronic flash, of course) if you committed it.  For the rest, I repeat: Leica should bring us a prime 16 mm lens of 4.0 or 4.5 or so, plus a useable finder, before Cosina do it.  The old man of the Age of Flashpowder Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afineman Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share #17 Â Posted March 2, 2007 So, a bit of an update in my hunt. Â The wein HSHS adapater (which I actually have 2 of for my other digital cameras) is too large and my viewfinders are loose in the shoe when i slide them in the wein adapter. Â The Bronica seems like the best ready made solution but they don't make that anylonger. I will try to find a used one and I will also try to contact Bronica directly to see if they have any old stock sitting around. Â I am not concerned with dedication and from my talks with Michael - the guy who does strobe modifications http://michaelbass.blogspot.com/index.html - I think dealing with dedication will have to wait. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted March 2, 2007 Share #18  Posted March 2, 2007 Aaron:  There are some Pentax parts that go together to make what you want and retain the automation. Some of us pet them together for use with the M6-ttl and M7. The system consists of a shoe that goes into the hotshoe, which also has a shoe on it, a cord and then a hotshoe to mount the flash into.  Pentax Off Camera Shoe Adpater F  Pentax Hot Shoe Adapter F  Pentax F5P 3' Extension Cord for Off-Camera TTL Flash with Pentax Cameras  You have to modify the stop on the pentax shoe slightly so the Leica pins align. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afineman Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share #19 Â Posted March 2, 2007 That Pentax solution seems great, do you know how "tall" the shoe that goes on top of the camera is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted March 2, 2007 Share #20 Â Posted March 2, 2007 That Pentax solution seems great, do you know how "tall" the shoe that goes on top of the camera is? Â A picture is worth a thousand words. this is the VC 15mm with Leica 21mm brightline. Â Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.