GLC Posted July 26, 2007 Share #1 Posted July 26, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Tried to use my sf20 today and when in ttl mode it just blinks A and will not fire. When in A or M it syncs and fires. I put the sf20 onto an m6 and it syncs fine in ttl. I put a 54 mz-3 on and it syncs fine in ttl ie it changes the iso but it will not fire. .. .. Anybody? Thanks, Grant Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Hi GLC, Take a look here SF 20 TTL not syncing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
mmk60 Posted July 26, 2007 Share #2 Posted July 26, 2007 I also have a SF20 but have not tried it on M8. I am uncertain about its sync voltage. I am kind of worried about frying the elec circuit with it... Do you know what it is? Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidomo Posted July 26, 2007 Share #3 Posted July 26, 2007 The M8 and SF20 are not supposed to work together. You'll need an SF24D for TTL mode. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mboerma Posted July 26, 2007 Share #4 Posted July 26, 2007 As far as I know is that the TTL mode of the SF-20 is not supported. You can use the A or M mode without problems. If you want to have TTL you will have to buy the SF-24D. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpattinson Posted July 26, 2007 Share #5 Posted July 26, 2007 Correct - TTL mode is not supported. I used Auto mode, but had some issues with the flash not firing occasionally. I suspect it's not the best chjoice of flash for the M8. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cme4brain Posted July 26, 2007 Share #6 Posted July 26, 2007 Tried to use my sf20 today and when in ttl mode it just blinks A and will not fire. When in A or M it syncs and fires. I put the sf20 onto an m6 and it syncs fine in ttl. I put a 54 mz-3 on and it syncs fine in ttl ie it changes the iso but it will not fire. .. .. Anybody? Thanks, Grant I have an SF 24D and it, on rare occasion in my wife's hands, does not fire when it should. I wonder if the speed of pressing the shutter release has anything to do with it. I press it slowly and smoothly; the wife presses it quickly as if jabbing it. Any flash should work (use a Wein Safe Sync to prevent excessive voltage from older flashes from damaging your camera) in A or M mode, provided the shutter speed is below 1/250th. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Essemmlee Posted July 26, 2007 Share #7 Posted July 26, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) What about a Metz 34CS2 - Digital; is this OK? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 26, 2007 Share #8 Posted July 26, 2007 I have an SF 24D and it, on rare occasion in my wife's hands, does not fire when it should. I wonder if the speed of pressing the shutter release has anything to do with it. I press it slowly and smoothly; the wife presses it quickly as if jabbing it. Any flash should work (use a Wein Safe Sync to prevent excessive voltage from older flashes from damaging your camera) in A or M mode, provided the shutter speed is below 1/250th. I find on the rare occasions it does not fire, that I have not pressed it all the way in. Somehow the tolerances in the flash-camera interface seem to be quite small. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted July 26, 2007 Share #9 Posted July 26, 2007 Grant, there is no ttl mode for the M8. Ttl works by having the camera's meter read the reflection of light from the film emulsion and make a decision about shutting down the flash. Digital cameras can't do this. With the M8 you have to use the flash in Auto -- or, if your flash supports GNC (guide number control?) you can fake a ttl flash. Warning -- in this mode the camera issues a preflash to assess the returning light, and then issues the flash it wants and takes the picture. If your flash can do gnc, AND you are willing to work with preflash, the M8 will do this very well. If you're photographing people, they usually lose interest and become less interesting after they see the first flash and think the picture is over. You get a choice of Auto (no jpreflash) or gnc (with preflash) if your strobe can do this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted July 26, 2007 Share #10 Posted July 26, 2007 Agree with Bill, the GNC flash control on the M8 is not something to get excited about. I think it boils down to a lack of sensitivity of the flash metering cells, reading light reflected off the grey shutter. That in turn demands a bright pre-flash and a pause for the flash to recover before the main flash. The photo-diodes used for this function are different from the main metering cell which I expect is much more sensitive but slower reacting. Nikon's iTTL on a D2x uses a much shorter, almost imperceptible pre-flash and the main flash can follow immediately after it. As they used to say on a late night news show I used to enjoy when holed-up in hotel rooms in the US, "not ready for prime-time"... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted July 26, 2007 Share #11 Posted July 26, 2007 Again, I find the auto function works very well. After all, the flash is just doing what the camera would have done if it could do ttl. Maybe ttl is more sensitive as a tool, but the ability to chimp makes up for a lot of this advantage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted July 26, 2007 Share #12 Posted July 26, 2007 Nikon's iTTL on a D2x uses a much shorter, almost imperceptible pre-flash and the main flash can follow immediately after it. As they used to say on a late night news show I used to enjoy when holed-up in hotel rooms in the US, "not ready for prime-time"... It's as if Metz (makers of the SF24D) read the description of the way the Nikon iTTL works and tried to implement it, without ever having the Nikon camera or flash in their hands. The actual sequence is the same, but the M8 includes an intolerable delay the Nikon doesn't share. Definitely "not ready for prime-time." --HC Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.