Csacwp Posted February 7, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 7, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'd like to experiment with using a handheld flash tethered to the camera for street photography. What options exist? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 7, 2018 Posted February 7, 2018 Hi Csacwp, Take a look here Handheld flash options. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
douglas fry Posted February 7, 2018 Share #2 Posted February 7, 2018 Any Nikon flash I think will work as they all have a pc socket (I get old ones on eBay for this purpose and set them to manual) and then a longer (coiled cable to keep it neat) to the hotshoe adapter..The camera is set to manual ISO and then do a few test shots...Before you know it you can change your name to Dougie Wallace :-) http://www.bjp-online.com/2015/10/dougiewallaceharrodsburg/ Although he has a flash above and below his Leica on a special rig, all neat and tidy so he can run away! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkcampbell2 Posted February 7, 2018 Share #3 Posted February 7, 2018 LightPix makes a tiny radio slave that will work with your existing strobe or they also make a strobe/radio sync combo. No TTL of course. Haven't tried one but they're fairly cheap and small size. https://lightpixlabs.com/ 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UliWer Posted February 9, 2018 Share #4 Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) Nikon SC-28 Remote Cord https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/flash-cord/sc-28-ttl-coiled-remote-cord.html Works perfect with all Leica flashs Edited February 9, 2018 by UliWer Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsuitus Posted February 9, 2018 Share #5 Posted February 9, 2018 I have had no problems using a radio trigger in the hot shoe of my Fuji X-Pro1 or my Leica M10 to fire my "brand agnostic" handheld flash. My Leica M10 provides 1st and 2nd curtain flash synchronization. My X-Pro1 body only provides 1st curtain flash synchronization. Off-Camera Flash by Narsuitus, on Flickr Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted February 11, 2018 Share #6 Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) I use a Nikon flash and a Phottix Ares wireless flash trigger set [ https://www.amazon.com/Phottix-Ares-Wireless-Flash-Trigger/dp/B00A4BR7KG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518384272&sr=8-3&keywords=phottix+ares+wireless+trigger+set ] with my M-P 240. Works like a charm, as long as you are careful to not inadvertently change the channel on the transmitter connected to the flash. If I get a misfire which is not very often, that's the first thing I check. Edited February 11, 2018 by Herr Barnack Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 11, 2018 Share #7 Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) An infrared filtered flash. It is a method practiced for seventy years already, but earlier with bulbs. If you want to use two or more flashes, use one on the camera and slaves on the remotes. No wireless required. (Slaves are IR sensitive) I don't really expect anyone here to understand. Ponder. Edited February 11, 2018 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narsuitus Posted February 12, 2018 Share #8 Posted February 12, 2018 An infrared filtered flash. It is a method practiced for seventy years already, but earlier with bulbs. If you want to use two or more flashes, use one on the camera and slaves on the remotes. No wireless required. (Slaves are IR sensitive) I don't really expect anyone here to understand. Ponder. If I understand you correctly, you place optical slaves on the remote flash units. You use one flash at the camera to trigger the optical slave flash units. You cover the one flash at the camera with a dark infrared filter (probably 950nm). When the camera fires the one flash at the camera, the infrared light output is not visible to the human eye. However, the optical slaves see the infrared light and fire the remote slaves. One possible disadvantage to this method is that if some else takes a photo with flash just before you do, it will prematurely fire your remote units and you will have to wait until your remote flash units have time to recharge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted February 12, 2018 Share #9 Posted February 12, 2018 Until the recently rumoured Leica SF60 & SF C1 Commander becomes reality (ie. available), the current wirelessly trigger by 3rd parties are only capable to support no TTL/HSS. I found the neatest set up to be Phottix Ares II trigger pair with Phottix Juno manual flash (with built in transrecever). The set up allows the flash to receive signal from the wireless trigger directly saving one the trouble to set up receiver to off camera flash link (which is crumble some and post reliability issue) for photographers on the go. Alternatively is to use a Nikon compatable hotshoe extention cord to link the camera to off camera leica flash, which you get TTL/HSS in a low cost and reliable set up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafael_macia Posted February 16, 2018 Share #10 Posted February 16, 2018 I would recommend a Vivitar 283, used with a VP-1 cord. The VP-1 plugs into the sensor hole on the flash. The other end of the VP-1 slips into the hot shoe. And the sensor, or Vari-Power module slips into the VP-1 end on the hot shoe. Exposures are calculated from the position of the hot shoe, no matter where you hold the flash off camera. You could of course use a remote trigger, but that is a perhaps cleaner method, but involves batteries. It is easy to find a mint 283, they made many of them. They work forever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted February 16, 2018 Share #11 Posted February 16, 2018 I've used a wireless trigger system for the past 4-5 years, with Pocketwizards and s/h Nikon SB28 flashes. I'm now planning to upgrade to remote wireless power control. I added a SF64 last year, which alerted me to how bad a manual flash interface can be - it takes about 5 operations on an insensitive touchscreen to change the power by a stop. So I was interested to hear the rumours of the new Leica system. The best guess is that it will be based on the Nissin i60a and Air 1 or Air 10s. I had a look at the i60a yesterday and thought it a bit flimsy, and the controls a bit small, but otherwise the functionality looks good and the interface a big step up. Its competitor in my mind is Godox, which is much cheaper, and has a bigger ecosystem of units which can talk to each other, but would lack the ability to get aperture/ISO/shutter information from a Leica body. It would also lack the ability to shoot HSS which would be attractive for shooting at wide apertures, but I suppose I could use ND filters. Technology is accelerating rapidly in the off-camera lighting sector. I should wait to check what Leica's system looks like. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
olgierdc Posted February 19, 2018 Share #12 Posted February 19, 2018 You can use Yongnuo YN560 III flash with transmitter RF-600TX for a very low price. The set works, of course, only in manual flash mode. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted February 22, 2018 Share #13 Posted February 22, 2018 I've used a wireless trigger system for the past 4-5 years, with Pocketwizards and s/h Nikon SB28 flashes. I'm now planning to upgrade to remote wireless power control. I added a SF64 last year, which alerted me to how bad a manual flash interface can be - it takes about 5 operations on an insensitive touchscreen to change the power by a stop. So I was interested to hear the rumours of the new Leica system. The best guess is that it will be based on the Nissin i60a and Air 1 or Air 10s. I had a look at the i60a yesterday and thought it a bit flimsy, and the controls a bit small, but otherwise the functionality looks good and the interface a big step up. Its competitor in my mind is Godox, which is much cheaper, and has a bigger ecosystem of units which can talk to each other, but would lack the ability to get aperture/ISO/shutter information from a Leica body. It would also lack the ability to shoot HSS which would be attractive for shooting at wide apertures, but I suppose I could use ND filters. Technology is accelerating rapidly in the off-camera lighting sector. I should wait to check what Leica's system looks like. Likewise I’m looking forward to the soon to be released SF60 & SF C1 Commander to do off camera HSS. In my wish list is for the system to have TTL setting memory & can be converted to Manual mode at the flip of a switch. TTL brings convenience but inconsistency, so when s test shot looked good on lighting and can be locked into manual, it saves time to measure the light output with light meter or more manual setting trials. Before the new flash system becomes available, I will continue to work on using manual flash to provider hyper sync coverage off camera on optical slave mode as my main light. With my SF58 mounted on hot shoe set at M-HSS acting as master flash and additional fill light. This set up allows me to break the camera low sync speed and use off camera lighting outdoors with bright ambient light. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brill64 Posted February 22, 2018 Share #14 Posted February 22, 2018 I use a small Leica SF26 mounted directly in the hotshoe. The flash is fully auto & works great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Miller Posted February 22, 2018 Share #15 Posted February 22, 2018 Normally I bounce the flash, so it works fine in the camera hot shoe. But if I am in a situation where I have to use direct flash, I employ the Sean Reid approach of hand holding the flash on a Nikon flash extension cord. That gets the flash off camera and allows me to create some directionality to the light and avoid the flat "flash face." Like Sean I add a wrist strap to the tripod mount hole on the flash end of the cord so the flash can dangle while I'm focusing. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rand Posted February 22, 2018 Share #16 Posted February 22, 2018 Like Sean I add a wrist strap to the tripod mount hole on the flash end of the cord so the flash can dangle while I'm focusing. I must be dumb as a stump. The only "tripod mount hole" I know of is on a camera body not "flash end of the cord". What am I missing? A pic would help a lot. Wouldn't be the first time I was found to be an idiot ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Miller Posted February 22, 2018 Share #17 Posted February 22, 2018 The only "tripod mount hole" I know of is on a camera body not "flash end of the cord". The Nikon TTL flash extension cords have a 1/4" - 16 threaded hole at the bottom of the end containing the hot shoe for the remote flash. This allows the remote flash to be mounted on a tripod, flash bracket, or lightstand. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted February 23, 2018 Share #18 Posted February 23, 2018 Normally I bounce the flash, so it works fine in the camera hot shoe. But if I am in a situation where I have to use direct flash, I employ the Sean Reid approach of hand holding the flash on a Nikon flash extension cord. That gets the flash off camera and allows me to create some directionality to the light and avoid the flat "flash face." Like Sean I add a wrist strap to the tripod mount hole on the flash end of the cord so the flash can dangle while I'm focusing. Hi Luke, I’ve been using the ‘Nikon’ extension cord approach and liked it a lot cause It is simple & reliable especially while I travel, I want to keep inventory to minimal. I attach the flash end of the extension cord to a Selfi stick with a wrist stripe. However there is distance limitation which will be fine for 50mm and shorter focal length lens. When I take the shot from 75mm onwards full body length shot, the off camera flash distance within an arm’s length diminishes. So a off camera triggering will be required. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rand Posted February 23, 2018 Share #19 Posted February 23, 2018 The Nikon TTL flash extension cords have a 1/4" - 16 threaded hole at the bottom of the end containing the hot shoe for the remote flash. This allows the remote flash to be mounted on a tripod, flash bracket, or lightstand. Thanks so much, did not know this. Learn something new everyday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff S Posted February 26, 2018 Share #20 Posted February 26, 2018 SF 60 and trigger are now listed and will be available soon Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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