Two questions from a beginner

[JBA]

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KR-64 is Kodachrome 64, ISO 64. This is what I shoot most of the time. Kodak announced that it was "retiring" this flagship slide film on June 22, and its availability is spotty at best with Ebay sellers scalping like mad. There is only one lab in the world still developing it. Not a cheap or convenient film to use, but no film quite equals it. Velvia 50 comes close and so does Ektachrome E100 VS. Ektar's palate is quite similar to that of Kodachrome, though it can easily tend toward garish oversaturation.

 

Your flash should have a readout for the ISO and aperture for given distances. Your camera will tell the flash about the ISO and the shutter speed will be set automatically, but there's no way for your camera to tell the flash what aperture setting you have. You have to check the distance scale and set the aperture yourself. What I've done is set the focus and aperture and move to get subjects within range. This can actually work pretty well for street photography.

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[macaroniitfc]

OK. Showing my complete lack of knowledge here.

 

What do you mean by setting the distance scale? Can you explain more simply?

[JBA]

Focus on something and then check the distance scale in meters and feet on your focusing ring to see the distance to the subject. For subjects farther away, you'll need a wider aperture and for closer subjects, a smaller one.

 

I've used TTL flash with my R8, and that will also tell the flash what aperture I've set. Then the flash displays the distance for optimum lighting at that aperture. I set the focus at that distance and then fine tune focus through the viewfinder.

 

The M7 won't communicate the aperture with the flash, since M lenses don't have any aperture linkage to the camera, unlike an SLR.

 

To be honest, I don't know how TTL flash works with an M. I've got the flash previous to yours and use it in A mode with my MP (no TTL mode).

 

Learning the princple of the guide number may be helpful, though the flash will calculate this for you.

 

Guide number - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[stunsworth]

To be honest, I don't know how TTL flash works with an M.

 

I believe the camera measures the light reflected off the film when the shutter is open and adjusts the strength of the flash accordingly - remember the shutter is entirely open when using a standard electronic flash.

[macaroniitfc]

Focus on something and then check the distance scale in meters and feet on your focusing ring to see the distance to the subject. For subjects farther away, you'll need a wider aperture and for closer subjects, a smaller one.

 

I've used TTL flash with my R8, and that will also tell the flash what aperture I've set. Then the flash displays the distance for optimum lighting at that aperture. I set the focus at that distance and then fine tune focus through the viewfinder.

 

The M7 won't communicate the aperture with the flash, since M lenses don't have any aperture linkage to the camera, unlike an SLR.

 

To be honest, I don't know how TTL flash works with an M. I've got the flash previous to yours and use it in A mode with my MP (no TTL mode).

 

Learning the princple of the guide number may be helpful, though the flash will calculate this for you.

 

Guide number - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Thanks mate. Yep - understand that the aperture also control the amount of flash light that hits the camera, so having a small aperture will reduce the power of the flash. Thankfully I tend to like taking pictures of people when they are within a couple of metres of me, so hopefully f16 should be OK. I think at the end of the day this will be a trial and error process. Would like to borrow an M8 for a while so I can review the pics on there until I am proficient and then switch back to the M7, but not sure if I can be bothered to rent one.

[budrichard]

"Your flash should have a readout for the ISO and aperture for given distances. Your camera will tell the flash about the ISO and the shutter speed will be set automatically, but there's no way for your camera to tell the flash what aperture setting you have. You have to check the distance scale and set the aperture yourself. What I've done is set the focus and aperture and move to get subjects within range. This can actually work pretty well for street photography."

 

The Leica M7 has TTL flash capability. As long as the M7 is in AUTO and the SF24 in TTL mode, and the M7 is set to auto read the ASA, you don't have to do anything other than choose an aperature on the lens. You DO NOT have to set the aperture yourself on the SF24.

 

F16 may indeed work with ASA 400 film but at that speed i would consider using the M7 without flash, the camera will tell you the shutter speed and you can learn to handhold to slow speeds. its really up to you anyway but for slow films like K64 as I said F4 is better.

Flash is also dependant on the reflectivity of the area you are in. A closed room with light walls will need less light from your SF24 then an outdoor scene where there is basically no reflectivity. You will have to learn what works and what doesn't.

Of course using an M8 gives instant feedback.

 

Comments about K64 add nothing to this topic. Some of us have LOTS of K ordered before the annoucement, shoot lots of K and have no problem with sending the film to Dwayne's(at least until 12/2010).

 

The diffusers have a number marked on them which you can determine which is which or by the look but in any event, the SF24 is suitable for use without any diffuser for 35mm to 75mm so unless you have a lens ouside of that range put them in the box the flash came in.

For special effects like you want to do, look for the filter that has a cross hatch look or by the number. you can figure it out.-Dick