dkCambridgeshire Posted June 22, 2013 Share #1 Posted June 22, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm considering acquiring a compact flash for the X Vario but also need other accessories too - thus trying to keep the 'big overall spend' within budget. Therefore looking for alternative options to the £270 (new) and £150 plus (used) Leica SF 24D flashgun. One possibility is a used Metz 28 CS-2 which appears to be a very versatile flash by virtue of its 'fold out' camera bracket and built-in flash slave - plus the programmable tweaks. The slave should work fine indoors with the XV's pop up flash set to 'studio mode' and minus 3 exposure compensation. However, has anyone used the XV or X1/X2 outside with the Metz 28 CS-2 and if so how did you activate the slave with no apparent reflective surfaces (walls) nearby? Would a group of people offer sufficient reflectivity to activate the slave? And how would the slave cope with eg very dark low reflectivity subjects? I am also wondering exactly where the slave is on the Metz 28 CS-2. There are two sensors on the front of the gun one of which is for 'cordless flash control' .. is this the slave? If it is, it should be a fairly simple matter to make a fibre optic link from the pop-up flash to this sensor to ensure consistent off-camera flash operation outdoors. Any thoughts/opinions/experiences appreciated - especially as to exactly where the Metz 28 CS-2 slave cell is situated. Best wishes dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 22, 2013 Posted June 22, 2013 Hi dkCambridgeshire, Take a look here Flashgun for X Vario. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dkCambridgeshire Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share #2 Posted June 26, 2013 A secondhand Metz 28 CS-2 arrived from the Scottish Leica dealer this afternoon. The flash is is very easy to set up and use; its slave can be actuated by the Vario X pop-up flash so same was set to minus 3 EV for the first close-up experiment ... just to see if everything works and to ensure that the camera's pop-up flash did not over-influence the exposure. The flash has a wide diffuser accessory so it was attached - just for the experiment - and 'WIDE' was also set on the flashgun. Flash was also set to ISO 200 and f8 - same as that set on the camera; the Metz 28 CS-2 was actually used "off-camera" i.e. set up in front of the subject - my D-Lux 5 in the 4th picture. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Lighting is rather 'hard' but it works OK ...needs a bit of tweaking for any future close-up experiments. However, main use will be when attached to camera for groups of people ... and as a fill-in light if photographing interiors. I plan to try it in Peterborough Cathedral - when will also be exploring the X Vario's ISO 3200 and 6400 capabilities. So far the flash seems to be a good £49 worth of pocketable accessory - and the built in slave will make it very useful for off-camera use when necessary. Best wishes dunk Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Lighting is rather 'hard' but it works OK ...needs a bit of tweaking for any future close-up experiments. However, main use will be when attached to camera for groups of people ... and as a fill-in light if photographing interiors. I plan to try it in Peterborough Cathedral - when will also be exploring the X Vario's ISO 3200 and 6400 capabilities. So far the flash seems to be a good £49 worth of pocketable accessory - and the built in slave will make it very useful for off-camera use when necessary. Best wishes dunk ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/207330-flashgun-for-x-vario/?do=findComment&comment=2359061'>More sharing options...
miatadan Posted June 26, 2013 Share #3 Posted June 26, 2013 A secondhand Metz 28 CS-2 arrived from the Scottish Leica dealer this afternoon. The flash is is very easy to set up and use; its slave can be actuated by the Vario X pop-up flash so same was set to minus 3 EV for the first close-up experiment ... just to see if everything works and to ensure that the camera's pop-up flash did not over-influence the exposure. The flash has a wide diffuser accessory so it was attached - just for the experiment - and 'WIDE' was also set on the flashgun. Flash was also set to ISO 200 and f8 - same as that set on the camera; the Metz 28 CS-2 was actually used "off-camera" i.e. set up in front of the subject - my D-Lux 5 in the 4th picture. [ATTACH]384103[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]384104[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]384105[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]384106[/ATTACH] Lighting is rather 'hard' but it works OK ...needs a bit of tweaking for any future close-up experiments. However, main use will be when attached to camera for groups of people ... and as a fill-in light if photographing interiors. I plan to try it in Peterborough Cathedral - when will also be exploring the X Vario's ISO 3200 and 6400 capabilities. So far the flash seems to be a good £49 worth of pocketable accessory - and the built in slave will make it very useful for off-camera use when necessary. Best wishes dunk found this in pdf manual of X Vario Studio mode - This mode is intended exclusively for wireless firing of additional flash units, e.g. studio flash units equipped with a slave function. They are fired optically by the camera flash. The function cannot be used for normal flash photography. Is this the mode you are using for Metz 28 CS-2 ? also found this option: Digital Midi Slave Flash for Digital Cameras Shoot with greater range, smaller f-stops and increased depth of field. Morris Slaves are triggered by any flash and deliver extra light for contrast control and backlighting for interior photography. Their small size also makes them the ideal companion for compact point-and-shoot cameras, adding no extra bulk to your camera bag. Hide Morris Slaves anywhere in the picture, they offer endless possibilities for the imaginative photographer. Dan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted June 26, 2013 found this in pdf manual of X Vario Studio mode - This mode is intended exclusively for wireless firing of additional flash units, e.g. studio flash units equipped with a slave function. They are fired optically by the camera flash. The function cannot be used for normal flash photography. Is this the mode you are using for Metz 28 CS-2 ? also found this option: No ... I forgot to investigate the 'Studio mode' ... just used -3 EV Digital Midi Slave Flash for Digital Cameras Shoot with greater range, smaller f-stops and increased depth of field. Morris Slaves are triggered by any flash and deliver extra light for contrast control and backlighting for interior photography. Their small size also makes them the ideal companion for compact point-and-shoot cameras, adding no extra bulk to your camera bag. Hide Morris Slaves anywhere in the picture, they offer endless possibilities for the imaginative photographer. Dan Thank you ... I'll check it out Best wishes dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted June 28, 2013 Share #5 Posted June 28, 2013 I would be interested to know where you got your Vario handgrip from? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share #6 Posted June 28, 2013 I would be interested to know where you got your Vario handgrip from? FFFFfordes ... where also found the flashgun dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.