Strobes and hot shoe adaptors

[Jamie Roberts]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

yes & yes.

 

with the M8, you can try auto mode which works pretty, you may play with the setting a little as every situation is different. Thank god there is a LCD review. full manaul mode also work if you are up to calculate the GN. I usually shy away from flash when I come to M8.

 

Albert,

 

Play around with A mode more; it works when bouncing too. You don't need ETTL to figure out things (wrongly) for you Even on the Canons, I tend to use M flash settings...

 

And Bruce D. is the master of this stuff--but one more tip for you. Lose the lightsphere, all it does is diffuse the light at source, but it doesn't really help for bouncing. In fact, it lowers the light output and creates less power (and more spill) so while it's a great "last resort" I've found I never actually use it

 

Instead, look for those large wall areas Bruce was talking about, and with the fast Leica lenses, you really don't need a lot of power.

 

I use an on-camera 580v2 and multiple radio strobes for hairlights, etc.. and the M8 shines here. For me, it's all about making the lighting look "not like flash" and the combination works really well.

[Albert4321]

Albert,

 

Play around with A mode more....

....Lose the lightsphere,

.... and with the fast Leica lenses,

 

...I use an on-camera 580v2 and multiple radio strobes for hairlights, etc.. and the M8 shines here. For me, it's all about making the lighting look "not like flash" and the combination works really well.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Yeap, I gave up on the LS long time ago as every monkey has one nowadays. :-) I am really into the Lowel id light when I can. and my trusty Canon ST-E2 for remote flash. I will look into the flash popper when I have time.

 

Back to the topic... for the M8, I only have 50lux ASPH and 28Cron ASPH. I love them for available light. I do need to play with it with flash to expand the horizon a little bit. I love the look of Jeff Ascough's older works when he used shot weddings with the M's film body, you can't really tell which images used flash.

 

Lighthing "not like flash" is something I want to achieve.

 

Cheers!

[Jamie Roberts]

Hey Albert--I just can't get used to the video light thing... maybe because I don't shoot with an assistant...

 

Anyway, I love all of Jeff's work, and he's done some new stuff with flash that is just outstanding. "Doesn't look like flash" is an understatement!

 

But the M8 and the 580v2 were made for each other, evidently (well, not really, but you know what I mean).

 

FWIW, the 580v2 rocks on the DMR as well

[Philinflash]

Where, oh where does this number come from for the M8?????? There's a honkin' great transistor in the M8 for the flash; I can see the mass produced pocket cameras wimping out and not including much of anything robust, but, the M8?????

 

Check out Mark Norton's dissection for a picture of it. I don't think that there was a transistor number visible on the picture; maybe Mark knows what kind of transistor it is.

 

I've gone through the on-line Leica info, and the manual a number of times, and Leica does not seem to care much what you put on top of the camera - leading me to believe that Leica have done their homework and have produced a good camera.

 

It would be nice to know what the max flash trigger voltage is for the M8 - IIRC I read that some cross-manufacturer spec says 12v.

 

 

I use my Vivitar 285HV flashes (3 of them) on my M8 without worry.

 

JohnS.

 

John, I too would like to know more from Leica on the subject of hot shoe voltage capabilities.

 

I have used three different flash units on my M8 before this thread raised my sensitivity level on the subject of voltage maxima. I have gone back and tested all three units and find that they have the following circuit voltage levels when cycled-up and ready to fire: 6.94v; 169v; and 174v. When the flash is fired, I cannot tell if it is spiking at some higher voltage level as my meter does not capture transititional maxima. However, it soon goes to zero (I suppose as the capacitor is drained for the light output) until re-cycled.

 

FWIW, my M8 was not fried after using any of these flashes, including the 2 higher voltage flashes, although I do not know if I have done any long-term damage.

 

How do we extract this bit of technical arcania from the good folks at Leica?

 

Also, should I be worrying about peak voltage running through the hot shoe (which I do not think I can measure) or is it just the open-circuit voltage that I should be concerned about?