Flash with M6 TTL-Is it worth it?

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casualuser

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What experience with a flash do you have on an M6 TTL ? Can you control the output of available flashes (bounce or not) well enough to keep from over powering the subject? My FM3A does a nice job of providing info to a Nikon 22S ttl flash to keep things in line. What is the closest rangefinder equivalent?

(this may have been in an earlier psot but I keep hitting the "not making the 3 word limit" in the search function despite the number of words I type in)

Thanks
 
in my experience, yes. when i had an M7, i used an sf-20 flash off-camera occasionally. dialed the flash compensation down -2 stops for fill. works well. cannot comment comparatively to the nikon ttl system - i'm a canon slr user.
 
casualuser said:
What experience with a flash do you have on an M6 TTL ? Can you control the output of available flashes (bounce or not) well enough to keep from over powering the subject? My FM3A does a nice job of providing info to a Nikon 22S ttl flash to keep things in line. What is the closest rangefinder equivalent?

(this may have been in an earlier psot but I keep hitting the "not making the 3 word limit" in the search function despite the number of words I type in)

Thanks
Click to expand...

Flash with an M6TTL is a good idea. In fact, while you cannot bounce light, the flash allows you to dial compensations and control the light output. The only drawback is that you're only able to use shutterspeed of 1/50 and below.

The Leica SF-20 flash can work with the M6TTL is TTL mode, Auto or Manual, so you have more choices to do what you want.

I use Nikon AF SLRs, and their flash system is glorious, but you must let the camera do its job. I don't have enough experience yet, but if you're willing to take my word, the Leica TTL system is the closest there is to the Nikon flash in terms of results. To me, the best flash photograph is the one that does not show that it was taken with a flash... and I've managed to do this with my M6TTL and my SF-20.

I hope this helps!
 
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"...the best flash photograph is the one that does not show that it was taken with a flash..."

I too think this way -- but I still have a great deal to learn. Sometimes I have come close to it with my DSLR; but with my M2 the flash is always too damn obvious unless I use a cumbersome multi-flash set-up.
 
I don't use M6TTL but I use M6 classic non-ttl with a nikon SB 22.

When I use my SB22 on my M6, I set the flash the same way as when I use it on my FM2, i.e, in Auto mode. The only way I can control the exposure is to set the flash to Auto mode, set the lens aperture following the GN (or the guide on the back of the flash body), bounce the flash and use a bounce card (I use a modified Demb bounce card).

One thing to remember when bounce the flash is to open up the lens aperture 1 stop wider than the GN suggests. So if the GN suggest f/5.6, use f/4 instead. I find that when I use the suggested aperture, I tend to under expose.

You might also consider using an off-shoe cord. You can control the flash better when it's off the camera. Here's an example, a picture of my daughter taken on the new year's eve using M6, 50mm summicron at f/4, Sb22 with canon off-shoe cord, fuji superia 200. Speed is 1/30 I guess. Film scanned by local lab.

Bob
 

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I find the SF-20 on the M6TTL to be fantastic. I have gone and made a gel kit for it, a mini softbox made out of a jello box and gaffer's tape that is invisible for street or reportage work until the flash goes off using a black sided scrim on the front. I use the SF-20 with a Nikon SC-17 cord for off camera and bouncing and it works killer.

It is one of the main reasons I find the M6TTL to be one of the most professionally oriented M's ever.

But beware, the use of the TTL flash circuit on the M6 TTL drains the camera's meter battery *significantly* faster than when not in use.
 
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KM-25 said:
I find the SF-20 on the M6TTL to be fantastic. I have gone and made a gel kit for it, a mini softbox made out of a jello box and gaffer's tape that is invisible for street or reportage work until the flash goes off using a black sided scrim on the front.
Click to expand...

great DIY concept! it'd be great if you could post a pic or two of the softbox.

+1 your call for off-camera use. allows bounce and other directional positioning of the flash. also used the nikon sc-17 and can recommend it - very reliable, never a short or other problem.
 
I've used a Nikon SB-26 on Canon & Nikon cameras for a couple of years. They are excellent flashes. They have fully manual mode, TTL mode for Nikon cameras, auto-mode for non-TTL, and an optical slave function as well. Very useful!
 
@ KM-25 and MCTuomey: the Nikon sc-17 allows you to use the SF20 in TTL mode off camera? If so, what's your system for getting correct exposure?
 
Thanks for the link.

For non-ttl Reply #12 (in the link Serpia provided) mentions using the flash on manual and setting it to 1/32 to help reduce the flash look. This may be a dumb question but I thought setting a manual flash for a smaller aperature is actually instructing it to put more power out not less. Any comment?
 
"But beware, the use of the TTL flash circuit on the M6 TTL drains the camera's meter battery *significantly* faster than when not in use."

Why?

I have the SF24D and a Metz 40 Mz 3 for my M6 and M7's. The SF24D without any add ons is straight flash and you have to be really good to avoid the dreaded shadow. The Metz unit with swivel and tilt head is much better along with its second fill flash head. If your going to do a lot of flash with a TTL Flash Leica get a Metz unit.-Dick
 
casualuser said:
Thanks for the link.

For non-ttl Reply #12 (in the link Serpia provided) mentions using the flash on manual and setting it to 1/32 to help reduce the flash look. This may be a dumb question but I thought setting a manual flash for a smaller aperature is actually instructing it to put more power out not less. Any comment?
Click to expand...

In manual mode you're setting the total flash output. In this case the flash would output 1/32 of it's total available power. No absolute flash output recommendation a guarantee of a proper balance between the flash and ambient light, however as stated, lower power settings are more likely to reduce the obvious flash lighting look.

In automatic mode, your thought is correct - a setting of f32 causes the flash to output more light than would a setting of f2.8.

To the original posters question, I find the flash circuit in the M6TTL to be a great tool. The results are consistently excellent and well worth the time invested in experimentation & learning to achieve them.


-J.
 
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The Vivitar 283, first introduce about 1972, may be out of production but the 285 is supposedly back in production again. It has a built in variable angle head and built in power output in manual, both lacking on the 283. Both of my 283 Vivitars were purchase in the late 1970's and still crank out the flashes. You should be able to pick one up second hand. They made millions of them, fo real! A new 285 will cost you under $100 shipped.
 
Andrew Sowerby said:
@ KM-25 and MCTuomey: the Nikon sc-17 allows you to use the SF20 in TTL mode off camera? If so, what's your system for getting correct exposure?
Click to expand...

yes andrew, the cord allows full ttl. assuming you're using an M6-ttl or M7, set the flash unit to ttl. dial in flash exposure compensation to taste (i use ~ minus 2 stops). half-press the shutter to send the aperture info to the flash. set the s/s to sync speed (1/50). that's it.
 
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Al Kaplan said:
The Vivitar 283, first introduce about 1972, may be out of production but the 285 is supposedly back in production again. It has a built in variable angle head and built in power output in manual, both lacking on the 283. Both of my 283 Vivitars were purchase in the late 1970's and still crank out the flashes. You should be able to pick one up second hand. They made millions of them, fo real! A new 285 will cost you under $100 shipped.
Click to expand...

These units will not be able to use the TTL flash circuitry in the M6TTL or M7. For the Metz units you need a specific Leica adapter and not all Metz Leica adapters are the same.-Dick
 
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Hi,
If you want a proper setup for flash photography with M6TTL then the Metz flashes with Leica TTL shoe's work beautifully.
I have the largest shoe mount version, the54Mz-4i. I get full aperture range, down to F1 on my Noctilux inTTL mode.
The most important feature for this flash is the swivel head. It allows the use of bounce flash BEHIND and to the right of me to allow an image that does not look 'flashed'. When doing this flash technique a larger unit is necessary to provide sufficent power for illumination if used as a main flash. For fill, smaller units are ok.
The ergonimics become top heavy of course but with a TA grip+/rapidwinder it balances well.
Simon
 
I use a Metz 32-Z2; the TTL adaptor lets me dial down flash output by two stops and it'll do bounce in any direction. The big Metz 45 and 54 flashes will do the same but they're a bit huge. I wouldn't bother with a flash that wouldn't tilt/swivel _and has enough power_ for bounce.
 
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