Anyone shoot an M1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 with a Flash?

[Pirate]

Just curious, I'm not going to buy one today, but I figure this is something I might want in my bag eventually.

What kind of flash is good for the earlier M series?

thanks,

P^)

 

[wilonstott]

A small one.
I use a Vivitar 2800--its been discontinued, but David Alan Harvey famously used one. Its an auto thrysitor unit. Cheap on ebay. I use it with color gel swatches--mostly CTO or amber-- that I got free from a stage lighting company, and sometimes a sto-phen omnibounce diffuser. M2 doesn't have a hot shoe--you need a plug adaptor (check B and H) and a cable.

Setup works great for me.

 

[Pirate]

I was thinking of the cable type when I wrote this. My M3 and M4 shoes are both cold. I actually have an old something-or-other cable flash from about 1970 that was used on my Mom's Mamiya-Sekor. I might have to give that a go. And I love the Sto-phen diffusers, I have one on my Nikon flash.

 

[hendriphile]

Nikon SB23. Tiny (140 gm).

 

[R.MacDonald]

I'll second a Vivitar 283. Cheap, Plentiful, and most of all functional. If one breaks buy another.

 

[cnphoto]

I have an old SB-800 i use on a Leica flash arm attached to my M3 using a PC sync cable. works like a charm. I've used this on my M4-P too. I prefer having the arm on the camera than having the flash sitting on top, easier to hold and feels more secure. I did put some electrical tape over the cold shoe on contact area on the flash arm though, else the flash will fire intermittently when its contacts make, well, contact with the metal cold shoe.

 

[varjag]

I use a compact Metz 20 BC-6. GN 20, automatic/manual, runs off 3x AA, no tilts or swivels. Usually shoot it off my left hand connected to the M4 with spiral cord. Much faster and flexible than using swivels on camera. An example here: