M D C Posted March 12, 2007 Share #1 Posted March 12, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi can anyone expand on some information I have been give re using my M8 with a Metz 54 mz4 and the sca3502 adaptor. I have been advised that there is a set up proceedure to follow before using this combination. Can anyone go thru this for me. Many thanks MDC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 12, 2007 Posted March 12, 2007 Hi M D C, Take a look here M8 and Metz flash. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 12, 2007 Share #2 Posted March 12, 2007 You have 2 choices. 1. Let the M8 do the flash calculation for you. NOTE: this will involve a pre-flash. When the Metz is mounted on the M8 -- and BOTH are switch on -- if you choose M(anual) on the Metz, you can "wheel" thru until you see a setting called GNC This is covered in some detail at http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/14467-m8-metz-54mz-4i-sca-3502m4.html?highlight=metz+gnc Under this setting, the M8 will talk to the Metz. When the shutter is pressed, the Metz will be instructed to fire a test flash so the M8 can measure the light, and the Metz will then be instructed to fire a specific flash, with the M8 controlling the light output. Pros: You don't have to think about this, the camera controls it Cons: There will be both a pre-flash and a DELAY before the "real" image is captured. My problem with the pre-flash is that the subjects tend to think the pre-flash is "it" and they lose the expressions I so eagerly sought for the shot. 2. You can set the Metz to automatic and dial in the camera settings: iso, aperture, and zoom. The Metz reads the returning illumination and shuts down the strobe when it senses enuf light has reached the subjects. Pros: No pre-flash. Has always worked for me. Cons: The Metz is controlling the flash. NOTE: with the D2, the Metz accepted input from the camera in this setting, controlling the settings with the iso, aperture, and zoom setting that the D2 transmits to it. It was really handy. I prefer not to have the pre-flash -- for most occasions. If I were shooting still subjects, it might be handy to use the M-GNC setting. BTW, GNC stands for guide number control. The M8 does not really do ttl flash in the sense that the M6-ttl and the M7 do. The M8 has to evaluate the pre-flash to calculate the desired amount of light and then issue the second strobe command. The film cameras are able to do ttl because the sensor measure the light bouncing off the emulsion during the actual exposure. This cannot be done with the sensor, and the white band on the shutter in the M8 doesn't assist in this endeavor. Regards, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M D C Posted March 13, 2007 Author Share #3 Posted March 13, 2007 Many thanks Bill I appreciate your time in explaining this to me and the depth of your reply. Best regards Malcolm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted March 13, 2007 Share #4 Posted March 13, 2007 Malcolm, a pleasure. The summary all comes from the referenced thread, by the way. Welcome to the Metz club! I finally acquired the 54 about 3 years ago, after a 20-year wait for a Metz. Mind you, my pair of Vivitar 283's still work perfectly, but they don't bring the same amount of Raw Power to the table. Metz is the Leica of the strobe world, no? I wish they had a 2 meter off-camera extension cord. I am in the process of learning to work with studio flash now. I agree with Ansel and don't care for double highlights in the eyes. John Hartman showed a phenomenal studio shot in a thread on this subject, and his suggestion to bounce off the wall behind the photog for fill was a revelation to me. I used this most successfully in a subsequent shoot. I also ache to do lighting with the skill of Guy Mancuso. Regards, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 13, 2007 Share #5 Posted March 13, 2007 Hi can anyone expand on some information I have been give re using my M8 with a Metz 54 mz4 and the sca3502 adaptor. I have been advised that there is a set up proceedure to follow before using this combination. Can anyone go thru this for me.Many thanks MDC Get another flash - full stop. I tried, I spoke to Leica, I took lots of advice from forum members and I spoke to Metz Germany and UK. In the end they agreed to take the 54 and 3502 back, admitting they are really not suitable. You can only use the flash in A mode or accept that you will get lots of under-exposures in GNC mode. It's better with an IR filter fitted. I didn't want to use an IR filter on my usual indoors lens, the Biogon 21 because of cyan vignetting problems. There is no EV compensation possible in GNC mode and GNC really does not work well on bounce. If you are prepared to live with having to set your aperture on the flash for every shot where you alter the aperture on the lens in A mode then fine, otherwise it is not really a user with the M8. I am now using a Leica SF24-D with a Leicagoodies SFILL softie. OK but not as good as the 54 would have been, if only they had got the interface right. The bounce on the 54 with the small fill in flash is a great tool but on other cameras. Metz say they have no intention of upgrading the interface at any time in the future. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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