Canon 430EX & M8 = "Fried" M8?

[jaapv]

Yes - any flash with A and/or M setting., if needed with a Wein sync. There is a new Hama thingy that will enable you to use wireless trigger as well.

 

[aniMal]

Hmm - I really trust your advice seeing where it comes from, so I might at least try a Metz...

I have some old, really small ones lying around, might turn one of them into a trigger somehow too.

 

[tmfabian]

i've used a 580EX on my m8 for a good 6 months now, fairly regularly with no issues. Aside from the fact that it takes a little tweaking to get the exposure right, it's been just fine.

 

[boy_lah]

I used my 430ex tonight with the m8. no probs - just have to manually adjust till exposure right. "M" mode of course.

 

[Dante_Stella]

No, no, no!

No, no, no!

The SF-24D is actually a pretty good flash.

I have to love that M8 owners are so often fixated on using the wrong (i.e. Canon) flash with the M8. It's wrong because Nikon's flash system is 100% more compatible with the M8 than Canon's is.

Why?

1. The hot shoe pins on a Nikon flash are in the right place. That's a good start.

2. The A (Auto) mode seems to be missing from most Canon flashes. Unless you are a serious guide number fiend, a flash with just TTL and M modes is clumsy. Nikon loves A mode, and most of its flashes have it.

3. The Nikon flashes have a pilot light pin that correctly activates the sync indicator (and if appropriate, sync speed) in the M8. The Canon flashes I have tried do not.

3a. The flash pilot indicator also tells the camera that it can (in Auto ISO mode) to drop the ISO to 160.

4. The flip-locking pins on newer Nikon flashes seem to function in the M8's hot shoe.

5. A lot of Canon flashes have very loud recycling noises.

A Konica HX-18W flash (from the Hexar RF) is also a workable flash for the M8 (although it only has two auto modes - i.e., apertures).

 

[Olsen]

The SF-24D is actually a pretty good flash.

I have to love that M8 owners are so often fixated on using the wrong (i.e. Canon) flash with the M8. It's wrong because Nikon's flash system is 100% more compatible with the M8 than Canon's is.

Why?

1. The hot shoe pins on a Nikon flash are in the right place. That's a good start.

2. The A (Auto) mode seems to be missing from most Canon flashes. Unless you are a serious guide number fiend, a flash with just TTL and M modes is clumsy. Nikon loves A mode, and most of its flashes have it.

3. The Nikon flashes have a pilot light pin that correctly activates the sync indicator (and if appropriate, sync speed) in the M8. The Canon flashes I have tried do not.

3a. The flash pilot indicator also tells the camera that it can (in Auto ISO mode) to drop the ISO to 160.

4. The flip-locking pins on newer Nikon flashes seem to function in the M8's hot shoe.

5. A lot of Canon flashes have very loud recycling noises.

A Konica HX-18W flash (from the Hexar RF) is also a workable flash for the M8 (although it only has two auto modes - i.e., apertures).

All this sounds fine - but: Can you shoot multi flash E-TTL with Nikon flashes on a M8..?

If not it is really no help. Just everybody can check the exposure with a certain flash/aperture set-up on the LCD. 'Auto' is really not needed today.

I shoot regularly with my three 550EX (set manual and reflected in the ceiling) together with my M8 - or my two 25 years old Vivitar 283 - and a bunch of other old flashes.

 

[Olsen]

All the good glass you can get for a M camera produces some high contrast results shot with several flashes. Micro contrast and resolution is what the Leica lenses are all about. Have one flash on the camera facing the ceiling - slightly tilted forward, and one or two flashes also reflected, but slightly 'facing the camera'. This to avoid the 'flat' light so typical for standard amateur flash shots.

Try it out this Christmas!

Examples bellow. I have left the flashes in there so you can see how it was done. I used three flashes, but it can just as well be done with two. One Canon 550EX on the camera and two others (one of them a Vivitar) also reflecting in the ceiling, but slightly facing the camera. The scenes should be familiar. I have shown them here before. The lens is a WATE.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Olsen gave some good advice. I keep rubber bands around around the heads of my 283's. They hold a small (3 or 4) stack of business cards nicely out of the way. When I'm doing the slightly-tilted-forward bounce thing I pull the top card part way out and bend it forward slightly to kick a little bit of fill directly at the subjects. When I want to give a card to someone I don't have to fish around in my pockets.

Don't be afraid to have those other flashes putting some back or top lighting on your subjects. You can get some dramatic effects by having a friend hold the flash on a lightstand, using the stand as a boom to position the flash above and slightly behind the subject for a nice rim lighting effect. You can also position the flash(es) off to the side part way back in a large room aimed toward the background so it isn't a lot darker than your foreground subjects. All the units can be set on auto. I've been using Vivitar 283's since they first hit the market over 30 years ago and the auto really works! I've never felt a need to modernize and make the switch to TTL flash exposure.

You might also look around for a Vivitar 2500 if you're looking for a versatile smaller flash. It looks like the Vivitar 285 in miniature. It gives one stop less light, uses two AA batteries instead of four, and only has two auto ranges instead of four, plus manual. It has the sliding variable angle head and comes with a clip on extra-wide adapter (usually missing or lost...LOL). It has contacts for a hot shoe and takes the same cords as the 283/285 flashes.

 

[Olsen]

Amazingly rugged these old Vivitar flashes. They go for 'a song' in the 2.hand market. Use standard flash slaves that are triggered by the flash on the camera. Then you avoid having cables lying about.