best TTL mini flash for the Q2?

[Kostia]

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Hello everyone, my question is in the title.  I'm looking for a TTL mini flash to use to light outside portraits on my Q2. I've seen that some people use the GODOX Junior, but it's not TTL. For street photography, I don't have the time to adjust it. Do you have any advice for me?

I read a previous topic that recommended Leica 20 and 24 flashes, for example. So I'm looking for a small, lightweight flash that doesn't take up much space.

Thank you very much and good photos to everyone.

Edited April 25, 2024 by Kostia

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[Simone_DF]

The only flashes that offer ON CAMERA TTL are the SF40 and SF60, which are old models sold at an exorbitant price. 
 

For OFF CAMERA TTL, both Godox and Profoto offer compatible triggers. 

[Kostia]

I heard of the Contax TLA 200... Good or bad choice ?

Edited April 25, 2024 by Kostia

[Anbaric]

13 minutes ago, Kostia said:

I heard of the Contax TLA 200... Good ot bad choice ?

I wouldn't buy one for a Leica. The TTL mode is only for Contax G and there's no 'A' mode, just 'M' (manual). There are any number of other small flash units from that era that give you both 'A' mode and 'M' modes, and are much cheaper than this one. It's only expensive because dedicated flash units for Contax G aren't very common. If you want to spend that much, you'd be better off with the Leica SF40, which is also overpriced but at least gives you dedicated TTL flash on the Q series.

[Trankster]

10 hours ago, Kostia said:

Hello everyone, my question is in the title.  I'm looking for a TTL mini flash to use to light outside portraits on my Q2. I've seen that some people use the GODOX Junior, but it's not TTL. For street photography, I don't have the time to adjust it. Do you have any advice for me?

There is none.  Your only option is a manual flash.  I use the Godox Jr. on the rate occasion I need flash with the flash and camera all set in manual mode.  It just takes some pre-planning and getting familiar with your flash. 

[Siriusone59]

There is a seller on Amazon that will occasionally discount the SF40.  I managed to get one two years ago at a 10% off regular price.  Like you I spent a lot of time looking for small, less expensive but still having TTL compatible with my kit.  Nothing to be found, even the earlier Leica units that others claimed would work were going for a premium price.  The SF40 works very well on my Q and M10r but I rarely use it.

[Kostia]

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Thank you all, I've spent a lot of time reading forums and flash descriptions on the internet. I'm going to go for the Godox Junior, non TTL, but it has just the right dimensions for what I want to do in fill in (or even more).

[Pelu2010]

Hey, 

I use the new Jinbei Hi5 retro. 

https://en.jinbei-sh.cn/product/205.html

 

it uses usbc for charging and lasts a lot of flashes. 
 

so I am happy with this on the go speeedlight for street. 
 

and for the other stuff I use Godox and xpro trigger for Leica. 
 

if I need the flash to be remote : 

godox V350 is very nice …. 

[Luke_Miller]

8 hours ago, Pelu2010 said:

Hey, 

I use the new Jinbei Hi5 retro. 

https://en.jinbei-sh.cn/product/205.html

Can't tell for sure, but it appears that Auto on this flash is auto-thyristor mode, in which the flash automatically controls the flash exposure.  The user has to enter the camera's ISO setting and aperture and the flash does the rest.   Auto-thyristor is an early form of automatic flash exposure control, generally absent on modern flashes that are dedicated to a specific camera brand's TTL protocol.  

Edited May 1, 2024 by Luke_Miller

[Anbaric]

1 hour ago, Luke_Miller said:

Can't tell for sure, but it appears that Auto on this flash is auto-thyristor mode, in which the flash automatically controls the flash exposure.  The user has to enter the camera's ISO setting and aperture and the flash does the rest.   Auto-thyristor is an early form of automatic flash exposure control, generally absent on modern flashes that are dedicated to a specific camera brand's TTL protocol.  

I'm not sure what to assume here. From the manual:

Automatic mode
Move push the mode button 1 [13]
to position A to activate auto mode
while setting the camera to AUTO or P. The flash output will be the
same as in auto mode. In auto mode the flash output is F2.8 ISO 100

which is far from clear to me. With an old-school 'A' mode flash you would normally set a specific aperture on the lens and select the flash sync shutter speed manually. You wouldn't set your camera to 'Auto' or 'P' unless you were using a dedicated flash. Maybe they just mean this flash has a single auto range calibrated for f/2.8 at 100 ISO, or maybe something else. They claim compatibility with 'Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus, Sony', which may or may not mean anything specific.

There are many secondhand flashes that will definitely give you the old light sensor 'A' mode, either with a thyristor (unused charge isn't wasted when the flash automatically cuts out, so faster recycling and your batteries last longer) or the more primitive version that just dumps the whole capacitor charge when the flash automatically cuts out (slower recycling and more battery hungry). High trigger voltage flashes need to be avoided, of course, and potentially anything that has additional contacts that line up with Leica's dedicated contacts, which might do something unpredictable.

Edited May 1, 2024 by Anbaric

[Luke_Miller]

39 minutes ago, Anbaric said:

I'm not sure what to assume here. From the manual:

I agree.  It appears one can set aperture, ISO and distance on the flash.  I don't know why aperture and ISO would be needed if auto-thyristor was not a mode of operation.  Also, a sensor on the front of the flash is needed in order to capture the flash illumination reflected from the subject.  I don't see one.

I have a number of Nikon and Leica flashes.  The Nikon ones work on my M bodies in auto-thyristor , but my Q2 is not happy with them.  The display in the EVF keeps flashing.  The combination is functional, but I hesitate to keep using it.  Of the Leica flashes my SF-40 is the best match in terms of size and function.  It only offers TTL and Manual, but TTL works fine.  The Q2 recognizes it and disables PASM so the view through the EVF is bright.  I'm sure my SF-58 would work as well, but its size and weight affect the camera's handling so much as to make the combination barely manageable.  I expect my SF-24D would work, but I rarely use direct flash and the SF-24D does not tilt or swivel.

 

[Anbaric]

1 hour ago, Luke_Miller said:

I have a number of Nikon and Leica flashes.  The Nikon ones work on my M bodies in auto-thyristor , but my Q2 is not happy with them.  The display in the EVF keeps flashing.

I wonder if that's something to do with the dedicated flash circuitry? I believe the Leica and Nikon dedicated contacts line up, so perhaps the camera is receiving a signal it isn't happy with? Might be worth trying something like the JJC JSC-2 adapter, which will only connect the central hotshoe contact to the flash, or masking off the extra contacts in some way.

[Bortzle]

I have just purchased a Jinbei Hi 5 flash for my Leica Q.  The flash is well charged, and the flash works when I press the button on the flash.  The flash does not work when I release the shutter on the Leica Q whether the flash is to to Automatic or Manual. The camera is set to Auto.  Please let me know if I’m missing something or if there’s a compatibility problem with the Leica Q

Dan Bereskin

[jaapv]

Leica cameras only have full compatibility with Leica branded flashes. Other flashes can only be used on Auto, not TTL. Camera brands have proprietary flash protocols. If this flash has an Auto (non TTL) setting it should work. 

[Bortzle]

I have found the solution to the problem I posted about the flash not working. It turns out you have to turn off the electronic shutter on the camera.  The flash now works OK, but after I connect the camera to the Leica Fotos app,

the camera doesn't allow me to make a photo. I get a message on the camera asking if I want to turn off WLAN.  I'm going to try rebooting both the iPhone and the camera to see if that fixes things.  Sigh.

[Bortzle]

On 5/1/2024 at 2:08 AM, Pelu2010 said:

Hey, 

I use the new Jinbei Hi5 retro. 

https://en.jinbei-sh.cn/product/205.html

 

it uses usbc for charging and lasts a lot of flashes. 
 

so I am happy with this on the go speeedlight for street. 
 

and for the other stuff I use Godox and xpro trigger for Leica. 
 

if I need the flash to be remote : 

godox V350 is very nice …. 

I've just purchased a Jinbei Hi5 retro.  How do you know when the battery is fully charged?  The green LED on my unit flashes steadily. Also, does your flash unit work OK with Leica FOTOS?  When I connect my iPhone to my Leica Q with FOTOS, the screen of the Leica asks if I want to disconnect WLAN and doesn't allow me to make a photo.  

[Bortzle]

OK, I'm a slow learner.  I've finally figured out that the Leica Q does not work if it's connected to the iPhone via Leica FOTOS WiFi.  You have to turn off the WLAN for the camera to work.  Once you do that, the flash works fine both in Manual and Automatic modes.  The only thing I don't get is how to tell if the Jinbei flash battery is fully charged.  The instructions don't mention this fairly important issue.  I bought the Jinbei instead of the Godox Junior because the flash head had be rotated from horizontal, and because it has a built in a rechargeable battery.  Now that the flash works fine with my Leica Q, I'm happy with the purchase.

[LocalHero1953]

3 minutes ago, Bortzle said:

OK, I'm a slow learner.  I've finally figured out that the Leica Q does not work if it's connected to the iPhone via Leica FOTOS WiFi.  You have to turn off the WLAN for the camera to work.  Once you do that, the flash works fine both in Manual and Automatic modes.  The only thing I don't get is how to tell if the Jinbei flash battery is fully charged.  The instructions don't mention this fairly important issue.  I bought the Jinbei instead of the Godox Junior because the flash head had be rotated from horizontal, and because it has a built in a rechargeable battery.  Now that the flash works fine with my Leica Q, I'm happy with the purchase.

That's strange - I can't see a reason for such an incompatibility between Fotos wifi and flash use.

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[Simone_DF]

54 minutes ago, Bortzle said:

the Leica Q does not work if it's connected to the iPhone via Leica FOTOS WiFi.  You have to turn off the WLAN for the camera to work. 

This sounds like a bug to me. Have you asked Leica support about it?