Does Leica S work with the Profoto B2 kit?

[erlingmm]

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Anyone with experience with this kit on the Leica S? If so, does it work with HSS?

 

 

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[jip]

No direct experience, when I do flash I usually just resort to the CentralShutter on the S. 

[albireo_double]

Of course it works, as any other studio strobe would. You can use the AirSync and AirRemote controllers to fire the heads.  The AirSync provides only basic synchronisation; the AirRemote allows you to control output directly from the controller (you can "group" your heads and control each separately, if you wish - Note: I use the B1 heads so I am not sure if you can use this separate head control feature also with the B2 - check in the online manual available on the Profoto website).

 

However, there is no AirRemote TTL for Leica yet - the TTL controllers are available for Nikon and Canon and allow fully automatic TTL exposure. With the Leica (and the compatible, more 'basic' radio controllers as per above), you need to use a flash meter or 'trial and error'. I have asked Profoto if they would consider launching an AirRemote TTL controller also for Leica (the physical arrangement of the hotshoe pins is the same as Nikon, so it is probably just a question of firmware) and got a generic reply along the lines of 'we regularly talk to camera manufacturers and seek to improve our products'.

 

As for HSS, no there is no HSS for the Leica (that is again available only through the TTL controllers - N/C only) but if you have CS lenses then you don't need it - you can sync the B2's  and B1's at any speed up to 1/1000s. It would just be very cool to be able to do this with TTL --- and we are back to the AirRemote TTL controllers, which are available only in N and C versions now. 

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

Of course it works, as any other studio strobe would. You can use the AirSync and AirRemote controllers to fire the heads.  The AirSync provides only basic synchronisation; the AirRemote allows you to control output directly from the controller (you can "group" your heads and control each separately, if you wish - Note: I use the B1 heads so I am not sure if you can use this separate head control feature also with the B2 - check in the online manual available on the Profoto website).

 

However, there is no AirRemote TTL for Leica yet - the TTL controllers are available for Nikon and Canon and allow fully automatic TTL exposure. With the Leica (and the compatible, more 'basic' radio controllers as per above), you need to use a flash meter or 'trial and error'. I have asked Profoto if they would consider launching an AirRemote TTL controller also for Leica (the physical arrangement of the hotshoe pins is the same as Nikon, so it is probably just a question of firmware) and got a generic reply along the lines of 'we regularly talk to camera manufacturers and seek to improve our products'.

 

As for HSS, no there is no HSS for the Leica (that is again available only through the TTL controllers - N/C only) but if you have CS lenses then you don't need it - you can sync the B2's  and B1's at any speed up to 1/1000s. It would just be very cool to be able to do this with TTL --- and we are back to the AirRemote TTL controllers, which are available only in N and C versions now. 

 

I use my Air Remote all the time and its a piece of piss......just set the Aperture to 5.6 and shutter to to ~1/500 and set the B1 head to 5............adjust to get the best results after that :)

[rickgrainger]

I agree that it would be fantastic if Leica and ProFoto (and maybe Metz) would work together to create a Air Remote TTL for Leica S and SL. Also, Air Remote (or Sync) built into a Leica-branded SF-64 would be wonderful for us wedding and event photographers.

[albireo_double]

I frankly find Leica and Metz's lagging behind in technology inexcusable, especially given that Leica positions the S system for the events/weddings/outdoors fashion etc. market. I bought the Metz 76 Mz5 hammerhead flash recently, believing the Leica S operating manual which states that all functions are be available with the M5 SCSA adapter. Well - the flash works as advertised (in TTL mode) with my M240 but does not work in that mode with the S007 or the S2. Some shots are out of sync (dark) even when the flash fires, others are badly overexposed. Works in the A mode, of course. The flash can read the aperture on the S but but does not recognise the focal length of the lens used.

I would have thought that two traditional German companies should be able to talk and cooperate (if speaking to the Americans at Profoto is too much for Leica, as it seems). I am not even talking about Quantum and other makers whose compatibility charts have stopped with the R9, as far as Leica is concerned. So, please Leica, get you flash act together as far as the S system is concerned!

[adamdewilde]

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No TTL... It's just the basic air remote that'll trigger the SL. The Canon one won't and either will the Nikon one. I have all three triggers, and only the generic one seems to fire the SL. 

 

The two TTL triggers of course work on their respective brands. But the weird thing is. The Canon remote cannot trigger the nikon. But the nikon remote can trigger the Canon and some film cameras (but not TTL obviously, and not the S/M/SL bodies either).