ktmrider2 Posted January 14, 2018 Share #1 Posted January 14, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) As shown on another thread, I just purchased a Leica MP240. My daughter is getting married in late May and the ceremony is outside and it will extend into the evening hours. What type of electronic flash works with the 240? I don't use flash often but would like something that does TTL and produces good results. Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 14, 2018 Posted January 14, 2018 Hi ktmrider2, Take a look here Update Me on Electronic Flash with Leica 240. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
LocalHero1953 Posted January 14, 2018 Share #2 Posted January 14, 2018 You have a challenge ahead of you. You can only use a Leica flash for TTL - no other flash can communicate with the camera for TTL. And, IMO, with any camera you will struggle to get "good results" with on-camera flash outdoors (i.e. no nice white ceiling or walls to bounce flash from). That scenario is a recipe for hard, flat, unforgiving portraits! Other than that, I hope your daughter's wedding goes well. I've married off three of them and enjoyed them all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted January 14, 2018 Sounds like I might be better off putting a f1.2 lens on the camera and cranking the ISO up to 3200 or so and take what I can get. Since I have to be "in" the wedding, there will be a pro there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 15, 2018 Share #4 Posted January 15, 2018 You can use f/1.4 or f/2 at 3200 iso but higher isos are too noisy unless you shoot B&W. No problem if you have steady hands and don't use long telephotos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 15, 2018 Share #5 Posted January 15, 2018 You have a challenge ahead of you. You can only use a Leica flash for TTL - no other flash can communicate with the camera for TTL. And, IMO, with any camera you will struggle to get "good results" with on-camera flash outdoors (i.e. no nice white ceiling or walls to bounce flash from). That scenario is a recipe for hard, flat, unforgiving portraits! Other than that, I hope your daughter's wedding goes well. I've married off three of them and enjoyed them all. Why should you use TTL? Any SCA flash works brilliantly on "A" and costs peanuts. My preference is the Metz 32CT7 (SCA 300 type), but there are many different SCA flashguns around. The SCA 3105 adapter is still available AFAIK, at any rate easy to find. Do use a diffuser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UFGy3F2Suc Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Miller Posted January 15, 2018 Share #6 Posted January 15, 2018 Why should you use TTL? Exactly. Direct TTL flash often causes blinkies and "A" mode gives me more consistent exposures with my M bodies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted January 15, 2018 Share #7 Posted January 15, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Agreed - my choice would be A mode. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share #8 Posted January 15, 2018 Well, I posted over on RFF but I owned a Leica M6TTL with SF40 flash back in the mid 1990's and actually thought it worked pretty well. Since I don't use flash much if at all (probably ten years since I have had one attached to the camera) I thought Leica might have made some strides in this area. Guess not so maybe I will just put a very fast lens on the M240 and take what I can get or use my Fuji X70 which does flash fill quite well. I mean it only took Leica 30 years to add AE to a camera when Minolta offered it on the CLE back in the 1980's. What a fool I am. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richardgb Posted January 15, 2018 Share #9 Posted January 15, 2018 (edited) Remember, too, you will be busy with 'official' duties, so make your camera + flash combination as easy and foolproof as possible. One lens will be enough, too! Edited January 15, 2018 by Richardgb Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECohen Posted January 15, 2018 Share #10 Posted January 15, 2018 M240 set to A ISO1600 DNG and brighten as needed in post 35 Cron set it to 2 Snap away for fun and leave the photography to the folks you hired. Enjoy yourself Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider2 Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share #11 Posted January 16, 2018 (edited) I found a Visitor 2800 in the photo cabinet and just put batteries in it. It fired right up and works just fine with one of my film M's. Is it safe to use with the M240? Have not had it on a camera in ten years at least. 35 Cron is a bit slow. I am thinking 35f1.2 Nokton. But the 50 Cron is the fastest 50 I own so I am sure it will see some use at the wedding. Edited January 16, 2018 by ktmrider2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugby Posted January 17, 2018 Share #12 Posted January 17, 2018 (edited) On my M240 I use the Mecablitz Metz 40MZ-3i with the SCA3502-M5 adapter, in fully Automatic "A" mode on the flash.This Metz has twin reflectors , the main flash has 90% of the light and can be bounced, the second is a fill-in with 10%. It is very reliable light source without the usual light "hardness" of single reflector flash guns. Edited January 17, 2018 by dugby Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted January 19, 2018 Share #13 Posted January 19, 2018 I have a slew of flashes that play nice with the M240,including Vivitar 2800, the redoubtable Vivitar 283 and Sunpak 383 Super, and a couple Metz 54 MZ3's. The latter has the original M1 Leica R8 module, which communicates ISO (and zooms for focal length IF the lens is coded). I use them all in AUTO mode. Because of the need for pre-flash, I find TTL slower, and annoying to the subject. A Nikon SB24/25/26 will work fine in AUTO mode also. What I don't like about those big shoe-mount units is how top-heavy they are, and thus how much strain they put on the camera's top plate. I prefer the SF24D, of which I have a couple used ones bought for around $125. I use these only in A mode. They have 2 downsides though. One is they don't take rechargeable AAs, however the Li batteries while expensive and not that widely available, are light weight and long-lasting. The other downside it no tilt for bounce flash. However a Sto-Fen Omnibounce model "C" friction-fits on top and acts like a dandy diffuser. The same model also fits Metz 54 MZ3/4, Nikon SB24/25/26, and Canon 380GX. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted January 20, 2018 Share #14 Posted January 20, 2018 (edited) I use an ancient Nikon SB-25 flash and a wireless flash trigger set [ https://www.amazon.com/Phottix-Ares-Wireless-Flash-Trigger/dp/B00A4BR7KG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1516465998&sr=1-2&keywords=phottix+ares+wireless+trigger+set ] with my MP-240. If you go that route, you can use pretty much any flash unit. Off camera flash with a diffuser eliminates the harsh spotlight look that on camera flash produces. Off camera flash works best if you can enlist the assistance of another wedding attendee to hold the flash while you photograph, but you can do it alone if the need arises. As for high ISO shooting, I would not go higher than 1/3 of the M-P 240's maximum ISO in order to avoid having excessive noise in your images. If you want to go with existing light outdoors during evening hours, I would recommend using a monopod with the fastest lens you own or can borrow/rent and a maximum ISO of 1600 or perhaps 2000 at the outside. Edited January 20, 2018 by Herr Barnack Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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