Looking for a Flash...

[T.J.]

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Has anyone tried a flash unit with their Q2?  If using one, any recommendations?  Or simply, who needs a flash?

[thinkscientist]

Being new to a Leica camera with the Q2 I didn't realize how much stress this was going to be...

I got asked to take some photos with my fancy new camera at a party the other day and I thought "Great, let me just go grab a flash". Things started to get muddy from that point onwards.... In the end I got a Lume cube to tide me over for the night as I was in a remote village in a Germany and no real camera store close by. 

However now I'm heading back to New York I want to ensure I don't have a repeat of this again and wondered what experiences people have had with getting a flash for this camera to date. Obviously I've searched on the forums here and a lot of the answers say, "only Leica flashes work". 

I wanted to check something, is it truly the case that the flash won't even fire unless it's a Leica flash or is this only for TTL? 

Also if I was to look for a second hand flash, would I still need to go for a modern leica model of flash for there to be compatibility? 

Thanks in advance!

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[Photon42]

Let me first say I do not have a Q2 (I had a Q, though, and own other Leica cameras). The most trouble free experience will indeed be an SF40/60. Overpriced, but very functional, yet not too large. You can of course use any other flash with a standard flash shoe - either in manual mode (do the math yourself) or the flash provides its own photo cell and measures the scene independent from the camera - in that case you need to manually transfer the aperture to the flash. A lot of the eighties flashes have this "auto" feature. Check the trigger voltage though, before using really old flashes. Some can endanger your Q2's electronic. The SF24 is an older flash which may work in auto mode. I had some issues with it and my Q.

[SonomaBear]

I use a very inexpensive automatic flash (and not very often), not TTL, but remember the old days when you dialed your aperture into the flash?  It still works today.

 

[Giguchan]

On 4/17/2019 at 6:08 PM, Photon42 said:

Let me first say I do not have a Q2 (I had a Q, though, and own other Leica cameras). The most trouble free experience will indeed be an SF40/60. Overpriced, but very functional, yet not too large. You can of course use any other flash with a standard flash shoe - either in manual mode (do the math yourself) or the flash provides its own photo cell and measures the scene independent from the camera - in that case you need to manually transfer the aperture to the flash. A lot of the eighties flashes have this "auto" feature. Check the trigger voltage though, before using really old flashes. Some can endanger your Q2's electronic. The SF24 is an older flash which may work in auto mode. I had some issues with it and my Q.

Thanks for this information...  I am very interested in  the  hotshoe controller  for my Q2- when i get it...  I was told that the SF40  WONT WORK...  I have to go with the 60...

[Photon42]

The SF40 won’t work with the controller but should do fine with the Q2. Unfortunately, in Leica world the flash options are poor, relatively speaking.

[jaapv]

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I think that size and performance-wise the

On 4/18/2019 at 12:08 AM, Photon42 said:

Let me first say I do not have a Q2 (I had a Q, though, and own other Leica cameras). The most trouble free experience will indeed be an SF40/60. Overpriced, but very functional, yet not too large. You can of course use any other flash with a standard flash shoe - either in manual mode (do the math yourself) or the flash provides its own photo cell and measures the scene independent from the camera - in that case you need to manually transfer the aperture to the flash. A lot of the eighties flashes have this "auto" feature. Check the trigger voltage though, before using really old flashes. Some can endanger your Q2's electronic. The SF24 is an older flash which may work in auto mode. I had some issues with it and my Q.

I rather doubt whether any flash can damage a Leica Q electronically. Other Leica cameras use high-voltage secure flash sync circuits. Check with Leica to make sure the Q does so as well.

[Kaiden]

I use Wireless Profoto Lighting (B10's, B1X's, and A1 Off Camera Of Course) with the Standard Air Remote.  Works Amazing! 

[Mr.Q]

I use a Fujifilm clip-on flash EF-X20. Works great in a pinch.

[maxtor]

I use Leica SF 40 and Q2 from a few days. Surprisingly small. Very good set. Excellent flash, but I need more experience with this equipment. TTL works excellent. I decided to buy SF 40 because I read a few bad opinions about Leica SF 26 flash.

 

[pavchoo]

Yes its brilliant  attached to my  Nikon sb600

[bags27]

The needs of the Q2 are no different than for the Q. 

If you want fool proof TTL flash, don't stint. I almost did, but folks on this site saved me. Spend the dough and buy the overpriced but excellent and idiot-proof (at least to my level of idiocy) SF 40. 

Edited May 8, 2019 by bags27

[Leica Guy]

Thr SF-40 is a pretty obvious and solid solution for a Q or Q2. I had an SF-26 and sold it. I have an SF-40 and it works well enough. 

[maxtor]

And another good information: SF-40 excellently works (TTL and FFP) with Q2 by Nikon SC-17 cable (used about 20$).

 

[bags27]

and lots of much cheaper knock offs of the Nikon cable. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by bags27

[jmschuh]

If you need TTL, you have to buy a Leica flash. But the results with TTL are no better than with an old automatic flash. I bought a Metz 36 C-2 on ebay for 15 Euro. Works perfectly.

The TTL solution at Leica is not well implemented, but that's nothing new. I like to photograph with Aperture Control and Auto ISO. As soon as a Leica TTL flash is mounted, Auto-ISO no longer works and the Q(2) automatically selects only ISO 100. This is very unfortunate, because less of the ambient light influences the exposure and the shots look very flashed, so very unnatural. If I only want one fill-in flash, I have to adjust everything manually. And if I have to adjust everything manually anyway, I can also use a manual flash with partial light output. They are available from Yongnuo or Neewer for about 30 Euro on the Internet.

In my experience so far I wouldn't pay 300-500 Euro for a re-labelled Leica flash which doesn't work optimally and which I wouldn't buy in the original version for 200 Euro less.

[Leica Guy]

I most often use flash as a fill. I use it in manual mode and just adjust the power output to suit my needs. When I’m really serious I put the Q in full manual also. It takes a little fiddling to get right, but then it works well most of the time. 

[ramarren]

On 3/28/2019 at 4:25 PM, T.J. said:

Has anyone tried a flash unit with their Q2?  If using one, any recommendations?  Or simply, who needs a flash?

I've never understood the desperate need for complicated, integrated flash units with digital cameras. Any flash unit works just fine ... I stick an RF transmitter trigger into the hot shoe and fire off any number of different flash units with it. One or two pops to check exposure, with or without a flash meter, and I'm ready to shoot. I haven't owned a dedicated flash unit since I bought the Olympus FL360 as NOS for my Olympus E-1 a dozen or more years ago, and I use that flash unit with any camera that comes along. My current flash units include that, a Nikon SB-30, a Sunday 444D, and a pair of Paterson Flash Panel units. All work just fine with any camera I fire them with. 

[Leica Guy]

1 hour ago, ramarren said:

I've never understood the desperate need for complicated, integrated flash units with digital cameras. Any flash unit works just fine ... I stick an RF transmitter trigger into the hot shoe and fire off any number of different flash units with it. One or two pops to check exposure, with or without a flash meter, and I'm ready to shoot. I haven't owned a dedicated flash unit since I bought the Olympus FL360 as NOS for my Olympus E-1 a dozen or more years ago, and I use that flash unit with any camera that comes along. My current flash units include that, a Nikon SB-30, a Sunday 444D, and a pair of Paterson Flash Panel units. All work just fine with any camera I fire them with. 

What RF transmitter do you use? I have the Canon RF transmitter. It does not work on the Leica. I assume you are also using receivers of the same brand as your transmitter under each flash. 

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[maxtor]

3 hours ago, ramarren said:

I've never understood the desperate need for complicated, integrated flash units with digital cameras. Any flash unit works just fine ... I stick an RF transmitter trigger into the hot shoe and fire off any number of different flash units with it. One or two pops to check exposure, with or without a flash meter, and I'm ready to shoot. I haven't owned a dedicated flash unit since I bought the Olympus FL360 as NOS for my Olympus E-1 a dozen or more years ago, and I use that flash unit with any camera that comes along. My current flash units include that, a Nikon SB-30, a Sunday 444D, and a pair of Paterson Flash Panel units. All work just fine with any camera I fire them with. 

Nikon SB 300 works well with LQ2 (only manual whether TTL) ? What transmitter ? 

Edited May 9, 2019 by maxtor