metering flash operation Leica R8, how?

[arnoud bakker]

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Hello you folks, does any body understand this, I tried a flash in the socket, camera on F, selective metering,  pushed the 

depth of field lever all the way down.. But then there should be a flash right.. What am I doing wrong? best regards, Arnoud.

[msh58]

Hello,

Have you selected shutter speed 1/250 s or longer?

 

 

[masjah]

Hello Arnoud. Are you getting any error messages in the camera viewfinder display?

 

[arnoud bakker]

no error,  it gives a number on the back.. like  -2 or +1.. but shouldn't be there a flash.. so it can measure  it or at least something? 

[masjah]

4 hours ago, arnoud bakker said:

no error,  it gives a number on the back.. like  -2 or +1.. but shouldn't be there a flash.. so it can measure  it or at least something? 

That sounds as if it worked properly, but yet there was no flash? I know this sounds a bit daft, but is it possible that there was indeed a flash, and that you didn't perceive it? Were you looking through the viewfinder at the time? Could you do an experiment to hold the camera away from your eye and then depress the stop-down lever? It's a very long shot, but I honestly can't think of any other explanation!

[arnoud bakker]

dear Masjah, there is no flash, but also the mirror does not flip up, so I don't have a blackout during the 'measuring' I tried also not with the eye on the oculair, does not make a difference.. no flash.. (there is a section in the manual, it says something about a cell in the second mirror. did you ever worked with this camera and light measure combination?  perhaps the 'f' means I can measure the light situation without the flash .. and I have to use the scedual (?) on the back of my flash... but that doesn't make much sense..

[masjah]

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Arnoud, I've just dug out my R8, put in some batteries, and attached my  little Leica SF20 flash on the hotshoe. Flash switched on and set to manual, shutter speed set to 1/60,  metering to "spot". I pressed down the depth of field lever, the flash fired, and I got a compensation reading on the back display. So I don't know.....

[masjah]

PS: The mirror is not supposed to come up for the F mode pre-flash. I think there is a meter cell in the second patterned reflector behind the main mirror and in front of the shutter, and the main mirror lets some light through. (I glean this information from my R9 user manual which has ray diagrams for flash use.) For normal TTL flash I think the light gets reflected actually from the film emulsion down to the main metering array. I think this is why you can't use normal  TTL flash with a DMR, because the DMR sensor doesn't reflect light back in the same way as film. (Additionally I think I'm right in thinking that the R9 has an additional meter cell up in the pentaprism for HSS, but that's another story.)

Can I ask what flash you are using, and does the flash fire OK when used as a "normal" flash using the camera shutter?

Also, can I ask, when you select "F" mode with the mode selector, do you get an F appearing in the viewfinder display?

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by masjah

[arnoud bakker]

Dear Masjah, thanks a lot! I tried it today with an other flash, and IT WORKED! thanks.. there was a flash and the metering was understandable, I did use my Bowens 1000ws with a wire, and it flashed on full power the camera said +3 so I closed the apeture for 3 stops, than I tried again, and I had to correct still a little, but apparently 3 stops is the max the camera wil measure. very nice... I m happy and the pre flash measuring works well! 😃 thanks again.