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Which is the smallest flash available or compatible with Leica cameras?


Besprosvet

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Hi guys,

Sometimes I like taking flash photos in Terry Richardson or Jacopo Benassi's style.

Sooooo, sometimes I love using tiny direct flashes. The issue is that there's nothing really compact and lightweight on the market, so for now I'm using with mixed satisfaction the Godox Lux Junior.

My main complaint is that despite having a completely identical rendering of a tiny integrated flash, it's still too big and heavy, enough to get in the way of the ergonomy on my M246 + 35 1.4 nokton. I also bump with my forehead on the finder since it protrudes too much.

Fuji used to produce that cool vintage flash for the X100 series, but now it's out of production and reached crazy pricing (like X100V itself).

Do you know any super tiny alternative? I don't necessary need ttl, I just need a bit of artificial light!

Thank you

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The little Konica HX14 flash that was originally sold with the Hexar AF might be an option for you to consider.

Of course, the feature you are looking for, compactness, comes at the expense of versatility and light quality.

I use an Olympus FL600R flash, which is very compact for a flash that offers a tilt and swivel head, AA battery use and a full range of f-stops in non-TTL auto mode (no annoying TTL pre-flash) and I use with a Demb flash bounce modifier, which gets the flash head up even higher for better quality light.

This was taken with my M262 and 75mm f2 APO Summicron. I've been asked to shoot a work-related event this next Wednesday evening and I'll shoot 90% or more of it with the same body, flash and 35mm f1.4 FLE.

L1046493.jpg

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3 hours ago, Gregm61 said:

The little Konica HX14 flash that was originally sold with the Hexar AF might be an option for you to consider.

Of course, the feature you are looking for, compactness, comes at the expense of versatility and light quality.

I use an Olympus FL600R flash, which is very compact for a flash that offers a tilt and swivel head, AA battery use and a full range of f-stops in non-TTL auto mode (no annoying TTL pre-flash) and I use with a Demb flash bounce modifier, which gets the flash head up even higher for better quality light.

This was taken with my M262 and 75mm f2 APO Summicron. I've been asked to shoot a work-related event this next Wednesday evening and I'll shoot 90% or more of it with the same body, flash and 35mm f1.4 FLE.

Thank you, I may give a try to the Konica if I can find it for cheap, even thou it has just one power output, which may be limiting. The godox goes down to 1/64.

I wonder if those spare small units coming for free with some flash less mirrorless would work with Leica...

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I’ve been using the LightPix Labs variants with good results.

It’s affordable, easy to use and has a slew of features.

Here’s the latest one:

https://www.lightpixlabs.com/pages/x20

Not my photo but here’s a size reference attached.

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5 minutes ago, intangiblethings said:

I’ve been using the LightPix Labs variants with good results.

It’s affordable, easy to use and has a slew of features.

Here’s the latest one:

https://www.lightpixlabs.com/pages/x20

Not my photo but here’s a size reference attached.

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Thank you, I'll gite it a look.

Do you think that the voltage of the vintage flash Sunpak Auto 411 would fry my digital Leica? Looks pretty cool

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5 hours ago, Besprosvet said:

Thank you, I'll gite it a look.

Do you think that the voltage of the vintage flash Sunpak Auto 411 would fry my digital Leica? Looks pretty cool

Probably not, but I wouldn't risk it (I think the safety voltage on M's is pretty high). Here's a chart. Plenty of small older flashes within safety range (I wouldn't go over 50-100v) with auto thyristor function (if that's what you need) - you just have to do the search (and many of them now $$ due to A no longer being offered on modern flashes, a real shame). Otherwise that Lightpixel looks great if you're ok with Manual.

https://www.botzilla.com/page/strobeVolts.html

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N

On 2/5/2023 at 3:01 PM, Gregm61 said:

Looking a little further, scope out the Nikon SB30 too. Small and pretty versatile.

I had this little flash in a drawer, unused since 2010. New batteries (unfortunately CR123A) and it's good to go 🙂

Tested with the M11 and the auto mode is OK (4 ratios) and M mode has 3 levels (1, 1/8, 1/32). 

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I have this one small flash. It is the smallest I know. Works on 2 AA batteries.
DM me if you are interested.

 

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On 2/5/2023 at 5:22 PM, Besprosvet said:

Hi guys,

Sometimes I like taking flash photos in Terry Richardson or Jacopo Benassi's style.

Sooooo, sometimes I love using tiny direct flashes. The issue is that there's nothing really compact and lightweight on the market, so for now I'm using with mixed satisfaction the Godox Lux Junior.

My main complaint is that despite having a completely identical rendering of a tiny integrated flash, it's still too big and heavy, enough to get in the way of the ergonomy on my M246 + 35 1.4 nokton. I also bump with my forehead on the finder since it protrudes too much.

Fuji used to produce that cool vintage flash for the X100 series, but now it's out of production and reached crazy pricing (like X100V itself).

Do you know any super tiny alternative? I don't necessary need ttl, I just need a bit of artificial light!

Thank you

In the M10 forum , we've recently had a discussion on the smallest( & light-weight) speedlights (flashes) suitable for M10-R, the results of which are applicable to M240.

The smallest TTL speedlight would be the Leica SF 26.

The smallest non TTL Speedlights are Nikon SB30, Leica CF(Minilux), and Fuji EF-X20. The Nikon and Fuji are quite interesting with 1/32 and 1/64 strength controls.

For non TTL, There’s an informative “youtube by F/Stops” that explains how 1/64 and 1/32 strengths can be flexibly changed on the fly whilst utilizing ISO1600 and f4 with the EF-X20 on  a Leica Digital M

Edited by dugby
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On 2/14/2023 at 8:15 AM, dugby said:

In the M10 forum , we've recently had a discussion on the smallest( & light-weight) speedlights (flashes) suitable for M10-R, the results of which are applicable to M240.

The smallest TTL speedlight would be the Leica SF 26.

The smallest non TTL Speedlights are Nikon SB30, Leica CF(Minilux), and Fuji EF-X20. The Nikon and Fuji are quite interesting with 1/32 and 1/64 strength controls.

For non TTL, There’s an informative “youtube by F/Stops” that explains how 1/64 and 1/32 strengths can be flexibly changed on the fly whilst utilizing ISO1600 and f4 with the EF-X20 on  a Leica Digital M

Thank you,

as far as you know what about that tiny flash coming with the Leica d-lux(the panny-like compact)? Does it work also in ttl (both with M and Q)? Thanks

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On 2/5/2023 at 9:35 AM, Besprosvet said:

Something like the Fujifilm EF-X8? It used to come with some models with no integrated flash. If it communicates with the camera would be more than enough for me, and super lightweight

The EF-X8 does not trigger via center contact alone unfortunately as it needs a power source too (no battery). It would have been great if it did - it’s such a tiny thing. 

Edited by plaidshirts
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On 2/5/2023 at 1:22 AM, Besprosvet said:

Hi guys,

Sometimes I like taking flash photos in Terry Richardson or Jacopo Benassi's style.

Sooooo, sometimes I love using tiny direct flashes. The issue is that there's nothing really compact and lightweight on the market, so for now I'm using with mixed satisfaction the Godox Lux Junior.

My main complaint is that despite having a completely identical rendering of a tiny integrated flash, it's still too big and heavy, enough to get in the way of the ergonomy on my M246 + 35 1.4 nokton. I also bump with my forehead on the finder since it protrudes too much.

Fuji used to produce that cool vintage flash for the X100 series, but now it's out of production and reached crazy pricing (like X100V itself).

Do you know any super tiny alternative? I don't necessary need ttl, I just need a bit of artificial light!

Thank you

I’ve just sold an EF-X20 for a crazy price (over double what I paid for new 5 years ago) and got a Godox Lux Jr and a Nikon SB-15. The Nikon is slightly longer and wider but has an articulating lens and an auto function that works on any camera.

The Godox worked well, even connected to my M4, but felt too flimsy. It made me wonder how long the rear dial will last.   

I’ll probably return the Godox as Nikon seems to be all I need and was only $20. 

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2 hours ago, plaidshirts said:

I’ve just sold an EF-X20 for a crazy price (over double what I paid for new 5 years ago) and got a Godox Lux Jr and a Nikon SB-15. The Nikon is slightly longer and wider but has an articulating lens and an auto function that works on any camera.

The Godox worked well, even connected to my M4, but felt too flimsy. It made me wonder how long the rear dial will last.   

I’ll probably return the Godox as Nikon seems to be all I need and was only $20. 

Yeah, people are crazy for that Fuji flash, I abandoned the idea pretty quickly. To have no ttl I can literally get for like 20 euro any cool little vintage flash. I don't see the use of it even on the X100V (which I have) since the integrated flash with that crazy leaf shutter high sync can act like a way more powerful one, considering that for that style of flash photography Fuji's iso 12800 work perfectly so you can push it as far as you want. And I believe that the quality of light of the EF-X20 wouldn't be much different.

Anyway I have both the Godox lux junior and senior.

Lux Junior, this little guy makes me a bit unhappy for the "squared" form factor (doesn't seem flimsy mine, but I'm used to Yongnuo bad plastic flashes so maybe that's why), still a bit too heavy etc... But I believe it has a strong advantage over most old flashes (and especially over the EF-X20): Auto mode works, and even well. I've never been a ttl guy since I find my mind more precise than any system, but, it's nice to have it for situations like "I'm not on the job and this is dinner time family party with kids moving back and forth" and you really don't want to think about anything beside slight focus adjustments after having set iso shutter speed and aperture for the whole night. You just have to know that auto mode constantly underexpose of 1 stop at the given light Godox is asking you to use it, so Godox says "iso 100 f2.8, iso 200 f4, iso 400 f5.6, etc..." well, I use iso 400 at 4, problem solved. I don't know if there's an older flash for a few bucks as small as this Junior (or even more) that has a good auto function for this kind of situations, I would really consider it! That said, Lux Junior is still overpriced in my opinion. But Godox is the only one producing such an universal small flash good for cameras that have none, like our Leica M.

Lux Senior, I bought this one mostly for jobs (weddings, parties), I like the kind of light it produces and for a long time I desired a brand to do this kind of flash (finally! Thank you Godox!). As said, on the bright side there's the light it produces when you're close to the subjects, kind of WeeGee-ish. Also the form factor is vey nice. On the BAD side, its metal petals are very badly conceived and built (you can literally bend their "metal" with the strenght of your pinky finger), they don't stay in place if you move too fast (like when you're on the job). It even fell once (my mistake) so now the petals are even less stable, so I just bought for a few bucks tons of childrens' stickers, so at least when I work IT STAYS in place. Another minus is the non removable battery, but in low light I rarely need anything more than its minimum 1/64 power output, so I was able to shoot over 2000 photos and it still had plenty of energy left! I didn't try auto mode on this one since I never use it on the job but I believe it works the same as the Junior. All in all, I believe this one is overpriced as well, but it really has no competitors.

That said, as a pocketable walk around night tool, at the moment I'm coping with the Junior, until I find something less stupid to use where my head doesn't bump on it when I use the rangefinder.

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5 hours ago, Besprosvet said:

Yeah, people are crazy for that Fuji flash, I abandoned the idea pretty quickly. To have no ttl I can literally get for like 20 euro any cool little vintage flash. I don't see the use of it even on the X100V (which I have) since the integrated flash with that crazy leaf shutter high sync can act like a way more powerful one, considering that for that style of flash photography Fuji's iso 12800 work perfectly so you can push it as far as you want. And I believe that the quality of light of the EF-X20 wouldn't be much different.

Anyway I have both the Godox lux junior and senior.

Lux Junior, this little guy makes me a bit unhappy for the "squared" form factor (doesn't seem flimsy mine, but I'm used to Yongnuo bad plastic flashes so maybe that's why), still a bit too heavy etc... But I believe it has a strong advantage over most old flashes (and especially over the EF-X20): Auto mode works, and even well. I've never been a ttl guy since I find my mind more precise than any system, but, it's nice to have it for situations like "I'm not on the job and this is dinner time family party with kids moving back and forth" and you really don't want to think about anything beside slight focus adjustments after having set iso shutter speed and aperture for the whole night. You just have to know that auto mode constantly underexpose of 1 stop at the given light Godox is asking you to use it, so Godox says "iso 100 f2.8, iso 200 f4, iso 400 f5.6, etc..." well, I use iso 400 at 4, problem solved. I don't know if there's an older flash for a few bucks as small as this Junior (or even more) that has a good auto function for this kind of situations, I would really consider it! That said, Lux Junior is still overpriced in my opinion. But Godox is the only one producing such an universal small flash good for cameras that have none, like our Leica M.

Lux Senior, I bought this one mostly for jobs (weddings, parties), I like the kind of light it produces and for a long time I desired a brand to do this kind of flash (finally! Thank you Godox!). As said, on the bright side there's the light it produces when you're close to the subjects, kind of WeeGee-ish. Also the form factor is vey nice. On the BAD side, its metal petals are very badly conceived and built (you can literally bend their "metal" with the strenght of your pinky finger), they don't stay in place if you move too fast (like when you're on the job). It even fell once (my mistake) so now the petals are even less stable, so I just bought for a few bucks tons of childrens' stickers, so at least when I work IT STAYS in place. Another minus is the non removable battery, but in low light I rarely need anything more than its minimum 1/64 power output, so I was able to shoot over 2000 photos and it still had plenty of energy left! I didn't try auto mode on this one since I never use it on the job but I believe it works the same as the Junior. All in all, I believe this one is overpriced as well, but it really has no competitors.

That said, as a pocketable walk around night tool, at the moment I'm coping with the Junior, until I find something less stupid to use where my head doesn't bump on it when I use the rangefinder.

The Lux Senior looked fantastic but I'm glad I didn't get it looking at the build quality of Junior.

If that is too big and heavy, you'd better wait out the fervor for EF-X20 and get that if and when prices fall back down to earth. The qualityh of light is about the same as the on-camera flash of X100, just a bit more powerful and easier to adjust with a manual dial.

Most vintage flashes tend to be bulky and the Nikon SB-15 seemd to be the best compromise for the occasions I needed flash.

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On 2/21/2023 at 3:34 PM, plaidshirts said:

The Lux Senior looked fantastic but I'm glad I didn't get it looking at the build quality of Junior.

If that is too big and heavy, you'd better wait out the fervor for EF-X20 and get that if and when prices fall back down to earth. The qualityh of light is about the same as the on-camera flash of X100, just a bit more powerful and easier to adjust with a manual dial.

Most vintage flashes tend to be bulky and the Nikon SB-15 seemd to be the best compromise for the occasions I needed flash.

Hi, is the Nikon SB-15 an auto thyristor flash or only manual?

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Non-TTL Auto is available with the SB15 but I do think the ISO is limited to 400, which was pretty normal with the Nikon flash system at that time.

Not to mention this many years later most, if not all SB15 are likely in something less than optimal condition.

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6 hours ago, Besprosvet said:

Hi, is the Nikon SB-15 an auto thyristor flash or only manual?

It’s an auto thyristor type. 

5 hours ago, Gregm61 said:

Non-TTL Auto is available with the SB15 but I do think the ISO is limited to 400, which was pretty normal with the Nikon flash system at that time.

Not to mention this many years later most, if not all SB15 are likely in something less than optimal condition.

Max iso is 800. 

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