sillbeers15 Posted February 3, 2014 Share #1 Posted February 3, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I get totally 'white' picture (I think it is due to over exposure by flash) when my SF58 flash (set on TTL) is attached to my M240 hotshoe via a 3rd party hotshoe adapter (to provide PC sync) that is suppose to be for Nikon and pinned at correct location as Leica M240 & SF58. However I do get the 'flash is ready' dot appearing in my view finder to indicate flash cycle recharged. With the hotshoe adapter removed, everything is fine! Correct exposure. Anyone knows the cause? I observed the two lower pins are further apart in left and right but not by much. Any solution to 'work on adapter'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 3, 2014 Posted February 3, 2014 Hi sillbeers15, Take a look here Help! Hotshoe adapter not functioning. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
StephenPatterson Posted February 3, 2014 Share #2 Posted February 3, 2014 Obviously the problem is with the adapter cable, but I have never used TTL with Leica. Honestly there is so much more control and creativity available when using manual flash that I would suggest you not worry about TTL, except for on camera snap shots. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted February 3, 2014 Obviously the problem is with the adapter cable, but I have never used TTL with Leica. Honestly there is so much more control and creativity available when using manual flash that I would suggest you not worry about TTL, except for on camera snap shots. Thanks Stephen! I'm thinking about combining both TTL/HSS capability of my SF58 with off camera manual flash which I've tried and love the illumination effects. For my next challenge of illuminating my car in a low lite backdrop, I need to fire my on camera flash as well! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 3, 2014 Share #4 Posted February 3, 2014 Thanks Stephen! I'm thinking about combining both TTL/HSS capability of my SF58 with off camera manual flash which I've tried and love the illumination effects. For my next challenge of illuminating my car in a low lite backdrop, I need to fire my on camera flash as well! There are some flash triggers which are advertised as "TTL pass through", in that the flash attached to the receiver trigger will only operate in manual mode, but a flash attached to the shoe on top of the transmitter will still operate in TTL mode. I have used this with my Canon in the past, but again I much prefer to use all my flash in manual mode. Once you get the hang of it you will never go back to TTL mode. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttheinz Posted February 9, 2014 Share #5 Posted February 9, 2014 Was it a sc-17 or sc-29? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted February 10, 2014 I did a Nikon hotshoe to Leica hotshoe mapping and found that there is linear misalignment between Nikon hotshoe pins over Leica M240 hotshoe as shown below: So for those of you using the Nikon hotshoe extention cord or adapter, is this the same experience? Leica vs Nikon Hotshoe by sillbeers15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Miller Posted February 10, 2014 Share #7 Posted February 10, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) So for those of you using the Nikon hotshoe extention cord or adapter, is this the same experience? Yes - your illustrations confirm my suspicions and match my experience. I get reliable function if I free hand the Leica flash using the Nikon cord, but if I mount the flash on a bracket problems arise with the SF-58. The SF-58 will eventually shift slightly in the cord's hot shoe and contact with one or more pins will be lost. As near as I can tell there is not a cord that matches the Leica configuration. Nikon flashes work fine in the Nikon cords as you might expect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamiji Posted February 10, 2014 Share #8 Posted February 10, 2014 Because of this thread I took my SC-17 and SC-28 out of the closet. I have had no problems with the SF-58 or the 24D for that matter with either of these cables. I have used them for years. Until I discovered PocketWizard. I have always used the SC-28 on my M, as the wire goes over the left side of the camera, where as the wire on the SC-17 goes front, over the lens. The SC-28 has locking pins and the SC-17 does not. I usually use the SC-17 as an extension cable attaching it to the SC-28. So I put the 58 or 24D on either the SC-28 or SC-17, with out any problems at all. Today I tested them with the M240, and had not a bit of problems. Pins locked, and both flash reacted correctly to change in ISO. I jiggled the cables on both end, to see if I could break contact, but it continued to work correctly. My test photo exposed correctly. Mine are actual Nikon cables, maybe I got lucky... I don't know. But I do know I could not get them to fail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pajamies Posted February 10, 2014 Share #9 Posted February 10, 2014 The SC-28 + SF58 on the Leica M works fine Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted February 10, 2014 The Nikon hotshot adapter in pic is actually a Metz site pic. I fabricated a paper template to map my actual and finding is consistent. Are you using TTL or HSS-TTL setup? I'm certain manual or A mode if fine as only the x contact in the middle is required. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamiji Posted February 10, 2014 Share #11 Posted February 10, 2014 Are you using TTL or HSS-TTL setup? I'm certain manual or A mode if fine as only the x contact in the middle is required. TTL/GNC. If the flash responds to your change of the camera's ISO, then it's talking to the flash. In A mode the Flash decides what power to use based on what light it measures. Ah, yes... Shutter speed to "A" The flash symbol appears in the viewfinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pajamies Posted February 10, 2014 Share #12 Posted February 10, 2014 The SF-58 is set on TTL. The Leica M top dial is on "flash". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Miller Posted February 11, 2014 Share #13 Posted February 11, 2014 I suspect the different results reported from use of flash sync cords comes from differences in the flash model and how the flash is used. Generally I can use the SF-24D successfully in any application with any cord. I attribute that to the light weight of the flash that does not place much torque on the foot/shoe connection. My SF-58 is a different story, however. My typical use when using a sync cord is to mount the flash on a camera-mounted bracket so the flash can be rotated in order to stay above the lens in both landscape and portrait orientation. This rotation can put enough torque on the foot/shoe connection so that over time there will be enough movement to break contact. With my SF-58 proper operation can only be achieved when the flash is mounted far enough into in any of my cords that its locking pin is just forward of the matching hole in the flash shoe. When working the flash on the bracket it will eventually shift slightly and the pin will drop into the hole. At that point communication is lost and the flash must be remounted. If I tighten the flash locking ring as tight as I am physically able, I can extend the time before communication is lost, but not prevent it. I have no doubt that if I used a cord to mount the SF-58 on a lightstand or to freehanded it I would have no difficulty, since that usage does not put much torque on the connection. I get excellent results with the SF-58, but use it exclusively in the camera's hotshoe. I always bounce its output so I rotate its head when going to portrait orientation. If I find myself in a situation where bounce is not possible and I must use a bracket, cord, and direct flash I would use one of my Nikon flashes in Auto mode. Actually I'm using Auto most of the time now even with the SF-24D and SF-58. I find I get much more accurate exposures when there is a bright background or light source in the frame. This is with the M9 - may not be applicable with the M-240. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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