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How to Use SF-20 Flash with an M7?


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I'm thinking about getting an SF-20 to use with my M7. What exactly would I need to do to make this setup work correctly? I have searched all over, but I can't seem to find any simple layout of the steps involved. Do I need to always use the same shutter speed? How do I transfer the light reading from the camera or my meter to the flash unit? Let's say I am framing a shot and the meter reading without flash would require 1/30s shutter speed at f/2.0? What would I do next to use the flash?

 

Thanks and apologies for my naiveté. I have never used any sort of flash before.

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(Disclaimer: I have never shot flash with a Leica, so I'm basing this upon my experience with other camera systems)

 

To start simple, all you need to do is set your chosen aperture (say, f/5.6 for some dof), choose the Flash sync speed on the shutter speed dial (in between 1/30s and 1/60s, actually 1/50s on the M7), and then set the Leica flash to auto (or TTL mode). Using the TTL metering, the flash will be able to adjust the output to match the requirements the scene has.

 

Of course you can also play around with different settings to get more creative. For example, the flash will only provide enough output to illuminate a certain range within the photo - for example with the settings above, maybe it will only light between 1m and 2.5m. This means that everything behind 2.5m will be exposed as if you were had no flash attached, and were just exposing at 1/50s and f/5.6. If the photo was being taken inside, this might work as there is typically some incidental light in the room as well, or you may just end up with a well flash exposed foreground, and a dark background.

 

This is where you can be creative - you already know that the incidental exposure is 1/30s at f/2 (or, in our example, around 1/4s at f/5.6), so if you set the shutter speed for slightly under that, say 1/15s) instead of flash sync. you will still get the well exposed foreground from the flash. and your background will also start to light up (watch out for camera shake here of course). This can look especially nice if you are taking a typical tourist type shot of someone standing in front of a tourist attraction at night.

 

There's lots of stuff you can do to play with flash. Another example would be high speed flash - where you need to sync the flash at a higher speed than 1/50s, for example to stop motion. Whilst I don't think this is possible with the SF20, I believe a newer Leica flash (the SF28?) and some of the Metz ones do allow you to sync right up to 1/1000s to allow this.

 

When you have perfected the standard stuff, you can start to use off camera flash, multiple flashes, manual flash output etc to get the effects you want......

 

Hope that points you in the right direction.....

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Thank you for the response. I still think I will need to figure out a bit more. I don't believe the SF-20 has TTL support. What does that mean w/r/t your example? Can I still use the flash sync setting on my M7 or will I need to manually dial in the shutter speed?

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The SF 20 does have TTL. You can set the SF20 to TTL mode, the camera to AUTO and everything will work. Obviously there are fine turnings that you will be able to make on the flash unit itself, but otherwise everything will be easy and seamless

 

http://www.angelfoto.com.br/file/catalogo_leica/sf20.pdf

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey, I was in the same position literally about a month and a half ago. Leica M7, looking at the SF20, not sure how to do it. But I went for it and bought the flash. It was worth it! It's really easy to use. Like. REALLY easy, so don't worry.

 

I wrote a little piece about my experience here if you'd like some more information and example shots!

 

I hope it will be helpful to you!

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I'm thinking about getting an SF-20 to use with my M7. What exactly would I need to do to make this setup work correctly? I have searched all over, but I can't seem to find any simple layout of the steps involved. Do I need to always use the same shutter speed? How do I transfer the light reading from the camera or my meter to the flash unit? Let's say I am framing a shot and the meter reading without flash would require 1/30s shutter speed at f/2.0? What would I do next to use the flash?

 

Thanks and apologies for my naiveté. I have never used any sort of flash before.

 

I haven't read this whole thread, but I asked a similar question just a few weeks ago and got very thorough replies.

 

http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126949

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