TTL Sync Cord for Leica Flash

[Luke_Miller]

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When the "Which Sync Cord for my SF-24D or SF-58" question comes up a common response is "get any Nikon cord." And "Any Nikon" has been my answer a number of times. Now my answer would be "It depends."

 

My initial use of my SF-24D and SF-58 was free hand TTL flash work. That works fine with the Nikon cords. Recently though I've been experimenting with mounting the flash to an Arca-Swiss rail attached to my M9 using the same Nikon sync cords. That is when I began to experience problems. While the Leica flash foot contacts are similar to those of a Nikon flash, they are not identical. Specifically, the two contacts closest to the rear of the foot are slightly closer together than their Nikon counterparts. So it appears that they barely touch their counterpart contacts in the Nikon flash shoe. This is then compounded by the fact that the Leica flash foot is not a tight fit in the Nikon flash shoe.

 

In use my SF-58 will slightly shift position in the Nikon shoe as I rotate and tilt the flash head while bouncing its output. Eventually contact will be lost with one of the contacts in the shoe and the flash will quit functioning in both TTL and Auto modes until its foot is repositioned. It appears to still function in manual mode, but the ready light no longer appears in the M9 viewfinder. In my opinion this is not a Leica or a Nikon issue, but the result of mating two devices that were not designed for use together.

 

The problem is much worse when using my SC-28 cords. Not so bad when using an SC-17. If I really tighten down the SF-58's locking ring (tighter than I prefer) it will generally hold with the SC-17. I cannot get it to reliably hold with my SC-28 no matter how hard I tighten it down. I've ordered a "universal" TTL cord that appears to have larger diameter contacts. Hopefully that will resolve this.

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[iliahi]

The SC-17 cord that I use with the SF-58 appears to be stable so that firing is consistent with the M6ttl. The fit is rather snug. Could it be that the flash foot/contact pins is damaged to allow such play for mis-contact? Photo example: Off-camera using said equipment.

 

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[Luke_Miller]

The SC-17 cord that I use with the SF-58 appears to be stable so that firing is consistent with the M6ttl. The fit is rather snug. Could it be that the flash foot/contact pins is damaged to allow such play for mis-contact?

 

I don't believe I have a problem with my flash since I can duplicate the issue with my SF-24D as well. I've had the best results with the SC-17, particularly the earlier version that does not have the hole for the locking pin. The SC-17 was produced during the time when the Nikon flashes had a plastic foot similar to the ones on the Leica flashes. They do fit the Leica flash foot tighter than the later SC-28s I tried.

 

The real issue is that the contact pin spacing is different between the Leica and Nikon flashes. The Leica pins are just a bit closer to the front-back centerline of the flash foot than those of the Nikon flashes. So the pins in the Leica flash are just barely making contact when the flash is in a Nikon TTL cord. If the foot fits snugly enough there will not be a problem. But it doesn't take much movement to break communication between the flash and camera.

 

If I am using my SF-58 on a flash bracket and flipping the flash for vertical shots or rotating the flash head for various bounce shots - enough torque is placed of the foot to cause it to shift slightly in the cord's hot shoe. Then the flash quits working. If tighten the SF-58s locking ring as tight as I can physically turn it seems to work fine (SC-17 only - not with an SC-28), but I'm not sure it would for an entire shoot. I never had the problem when I was hand holding the flash. And of course it works perfectly fine in my M9's flash shoe.

[Luke_Miller]

After a lot of experimentation with my SF-24D and SF-58 I have concluded that consistant TTL performance is only achieved when the flashes are in my M9's flash shoe. All of the TTL sync cords I've tried (three SC-17s, two SC28s, and a Vello universal) produce inconsistant exposures with both flashes, which perform perfectly in the camera's flash shoe.

 

The Leica flash contacts look to be just enough different from those of the Nikon that the Nikon and universal cords don't make contact 100% of the time. Much of the time they work, but I get too many underexposed images and images where the flash did not fire. Any of my Nikon flashes set to A or M mode will work fine with the cords above. The Leica flashes may work in M (not tested), but not reliably in TTL or A mode with my cords. In A mode the Leica flashes receive the ISO setting from the body via the TTL cord and so this issue affects that mode as well.

[masjah]

This is just a suggestion. I've got a cheap SC17 knock-off (Jessops own brand). It's got the exact Nikon pin-outs, so presumably it's not a universal one. It works just fine on my R8 and R9. If Leica are consistent in their hot-shoe tolerances across their range, then you might be OK by trying another Nikon knock-off if you can get one. It would be so cheap that you could regard it as a shot to nothing anyway. Cheap and nasty might mean that the tolerances are out in just the right direction!

 

(It doesn't have the locking pin facility, you just have to tighten a wheel, and it doesn't have the PC socket that I think the genuine Nikon cord ha, but it was dirt cheap.)

[Luke_Miller]

I have now experienced the same flash failure with my SF-24D while it was in the M9's flash shoe. So it appears that the SF-24D problems that described above which I attributed to my TTL sync cords are in fact a different issue altogether.

 

Also I stated in a previous post that A mode with the SF-58 was a problem due to the TTL cord issue since the body sent the selected camera ISO to the flash. While true, the ISO can also be set manually on the flash when in A mode.

[Wolf96]

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It might be a great idea if Leica can provide such cables or maybe a better idea since they are very close to the NIKON connection shoe use their flash line.

it is also good for guys like me which use a NIKON, don't need to buy / carry a second flash

 

Wolf

[Luke_Miller]

Based on my recent experience I think my recommendation would be to use a Nikon flash in auto or manual if a TTL cord is needed.

[Luke_Miller]

I have now experienced the same flash failure with my SF-24D while it was in the M9's flash shoe. So it appears that the SF-24D problems that described above which I attributed to my TTL sync cords are in fact a different issue altogether.

 

I read an interesting post in another forum by an M9/SF-24D shooter who had issues with inconsistent flash performance. He sent both to Solms for testing and says Leica told him the problem is caused by a low camera battery. He reports that as long as he keeps freshly charged batteries in the camera the flash works fine, but issues start once the charge drops below a certain level.

 

That may very well be what I experienced. I will re-test with a freshly charged battery before I write off my SF-24D as defective.

[masjah]

I read an interesting post in another forum by an M9/SF-24D shooter who had issues with inconsistent flash performance. He sent both to Solms for testing and says Leica told him the problem is caused by a low camera battery. He reports that as long as he keeps freshly charged batteries in the camera the flash works fine, but issues start once the charge drops below a certain level.

 

That may very well be what I experienced. I will re-test with a freshly charged battery before I write off my SF-24D as defective.

 

Luke, I suppose that makes sense. If the signal voltages on the camera hot shoe are a bit on the low side (though this does surprise me a bit, given that digital "high" and "low" states are supposed to be reasonably tightly defined) the additional voltage drop caused by the resistance of a longish cable and another set of contacts might be significant. Just a thought.

[Guest]

I read an interesting post in another forum by an M9/SF-24D shooter who had issues with inconsistent flash performance. He sent both to Solms for testing and says Leica told him the problem is caused by a low camera battery. He reports that as long as he keeps freshly charged batteries in the camera the flash works fine, but issues start once the charge drops below a certain level.

 

That may very well be what I experienced. I will re-test with a freshly charged battery before I write off my SF-24D as defective.

 

I think a similar problem would occur with a battery which was getting to the end of its useful life. I use a Nikon sc28 and have not had any problems on the few times I have used it. It suprises me that Leica do not supply a cable as a lot of people would buy it ,if only to avoid problems.

BrianP