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New User R9/DMR/Metz-54 Any flash tips


Chrislad

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Chrislad:

 

No real tips to speak of - I have an R8 and must use the Metz 54 in "A" automatic mode with the DMR of course. I think this is true also for the R9 - the TTL metering system will not accurately read the light. This works wonderfully well as the 54 is very accurate in this mode.

 

Use is pretty transparent. There do not seem to be any differences in using the flash with film or DMR other than as noted regarding the TTL.

 

I normally use a Stoffen diffuser on the flash or sometimes a bounce card to reduce the harsh flash effect - but that is a personal choice given the subject and location, not anything to do with the DMR.

 

The 54 system offers a lot of control over light output. Also, the use of additional slave units is made so easy with accurate automatic exposures.

 

Are you having any particular problems?

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Actually, I'm new to the Metz 54 / DMR and I find it quite nostalgic, and, more importantly, more predictable after Canon's 580s in ETTL... at least the light output seems more consistent in A mode than the 580 did in ETTL (where it would always tend to be underexposed).

 

Except when you compensate... On the Canon 1 series, you can mix available light (spot meter) with flash output from the camera, which is very nice.

 

On the Metz / DMR, you have to turn down the flash manually, even in A mode. So I've found if there's anything strange here, I have a wee bit of trouble turning the 54 "down"--literally.

 

For some unknown (to me) reason, evey now and then on a job the flash will refuse to accept negative compensation, which is very odd. And with highly reflective subjects indoors in mixed light (and higher ISOs and shooting wide open), the flash needs to be turned down a lot--like -1.3 stops.

 

This is very different than shooting with the Canon, where a compensation of about -0.6 would do the trick and ISO and aperture didn't really matter.

 

But other than that--which admittedly is a fairly big switch on the job--I love the Metz, it looks like my old Metz "potato mashers" from the 80s, and has tons of output! Nothing at all wrong with that, but I'm more used to off-the-film-plan metering.

 

I think next I'll just put it on manual and dial it way back. Good old digital :)

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