How to use a flash on an M2?

[squirrel$$$bandit]

This is hopelessly newbish. I got a small Vivitar auto-thyristor (what on earth does that mean?) 550 for free with a camera I bought on eBay. It's my only flash, and I'd like to give it a whirl on the M2.

Can this be done? Or, rather, can most flashes be used on any camera? Could someone, perhaps, give me a quick primer on how to use a shoe-mounted flash on the M2, and, if this one isn't going to work, recommend a small, bright flash that will?

 

[payasam]

Mabelsound, if your flash has a wire ending in a PC plug, there's no problem: assuming you also have a little thingy that fits in the M2's flash socket to convert it to what is now standard. I have a flash that has only a hot foot and no sync lead. I recently bought on eBay an adapter that fits in the accessory shoe. It has contacts at the top to connect with the flash and a wire coming out at one side which goes into the flash socket. The irony is that it is made in India by a company based in the city in which I live. Coals to Newcastle, as it were. The brand is Sonia.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Ah, no, there's no sync lead. This would plug into one of the sockets on the back then? Forgive me, I'm a Tri-X-in-daylight kind of guy.

I will look into that adapter--but, should I find one, this flash will indeed work with the M2?

 

[payasam]

It will work. If it's a thyristor kind, it's probably meant for one particular aperture (or more), and your lens should be set to that (or those). Be a good idea to look for instructions, or even a description or a review, on the Net. Shutter speed dial on the arrow between 1/30 and 1/60. You'll use the socket nearer the eyepiece.

 

[gdi]

I got a small Vivitar auto-thyristor (what on earth does that mean?)

It means the flash has a sensor on the front that measures the light reflecting back from the subject and shuts itself off when proper exposure is achieved.

My M3 came with a Vivitar that had been modified with a Leica sync cord added - I have never used it.

 

[Nokton48]

Mabelsound,
Unless your M2 has been modified by a repairman, you will need a "socket adapter" as well as the "hotshoe to PC cord adapter". I just bought one from Heavystar, and here it is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110309832333&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&viewitem=&salenotsupported

I also prefer a flash bracket, to get the flashtube about 12" above the center of the lens, which throws the shadow -below and behind- the subject, which hides it. Much more attractive, that way. For close shooting, a diffuser helps -bigtime-. As you back up, the light becomes specular, no matter what you do.

 

[benno]

The good thing about shooting with a flash like this is that the aperture and focus distance can be set and forgotten about, and the flash will automatically adjust it's power output for accurate exposure. It makes it very easy and fast.

 

[JNewell]

Bulbs. You have to use bulbs. They are still out there. They work. They will teach you things about photography, lighting and life.

Really, I am serious.

 

[Paul C. Perkins MD]

Flash . . . on an M-2 . . . ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

[Al Kaplan]

Some M cameras have been "upgraded" with an M4 style socket, which will accept the standard PC cords found on most flash units. Otherwise you'll need the Leica M to PC adapter.

The earliest auto exposure flashes use a "dump tube", actually a second flash tube, inside the flash. Every time you fired the flash the condensor discharged completely. When enough light had hit the subject the remaining power went into the dump tube and I guess it got REALLY bright inside the flash...LOL The invention of they thyristor allowed the flash sensor to cut off the condensor's discharge. The condensor only fully discharged at long distances. This meant that recycling times at closer distances ewere extremely short. You could shoot a fast series of frames and it greatly increased battery life.

As for bulbs, yes! They are still available. Supposedly they even still make them in Eastern Europe. They're big, bulky, and it costs a lot to use them. On the plus side a few big flash bulbs will light up a huge auditorium. They are BRIGHT.

 

[drewbarb]

Don't listen to the available-light-only snobs like Paul C. Perkins, (who needs to tell us all he's an MD...) Although the M's flash sync is a little slow for some applications, it's very useful for fill flash in all but very bright light. Used correctly, flash can open many possibilities and add lots of creativity to your photography with any camera.

As other posters have written, to use a flash with your (I'm assuming unmodified) M2, you'll need a sync plug adapter and some sort of cord that fits to your flash. If you are lucky, you might find an old dedicated Leica M sync cord, and do away with the extra piece. I found one on ebay a while back which has the Leica M3/2 plug on one end, and a household male plug on the other end. I got it for next to nothing, and it works great with small flashes mounted to a hotshoe to female household adapter. If you can find a dedicated cord and do away with the M/PC adapter, so much the better; the old M2/3 style sync is a very solid, positive connection- it's actually much better than the PC, if less convenient for being non-standard. The best option- though a little expensive- might be to have Paramount make you a cord. Go to www.paramountcords.com, and check out the custom cords options. They offer the Leica M3 (same as M2) plug as an option for one end. You can get whatever type of adapter for the other end you could want- as well as a whole range of lengths in straight or coiled cords to go in between. I have a couple of these. I find the M to female hotshoe, with a 3 foot coiled cord to be very useful; the coil pulls the cord pretty short so it's not in my way when mounted on the camera or a small straight bracket, and when I want to use the flash farther off camera, it stretches out to about the full length of my arm. Cost is $77, but they are very well made cords, and I've found them to be worth the cost.

Anyway, with some sort of adapter/cord combo, flash on the M2 is a breeze. If you have enough cord and use a small bracket, or just hold the flash in your hand, you can really get creative with where you place your supplemental light. Of course I love my Leicas as available light cameras- but sometimes you want or need more light, either just to get good exposure, or to add creative control to an image. Don't be afraid of flash- it can be a very useful tool, and one that all photographers should know how to use. Good luck, and have fun!

 

[Paul C. Perkins MD]

Drew,

You have a problem with MDs? And if you do - is this any place to make a dumbass remark?

This fellow wants to use flash with an M-2 - its' his call. I just realized I never have. That doesn't make me a snob - just inexperienced.

Paul

 

[Graybeard]

Mabelsound asked for help and it isn't obvious to me that his questions were answered. At the risk of repitition let me offer these comments.

Most modern electronic flash units use what is called a set of "hotshoe" electrical contacts to tell the flash when to fire. This is a bullseye sort of thing in the accessory shoe of camera.

The Leica M2 and M3 do not have a hotshoe. In order for the flash to fire properly, you need to have the flash connected to an electrical contact on the camera with a short wire. The contacts on the M2 are on the right of the viewfinder window on the rear of the camera.

The M2 and M3 used a proprietary Leitz electrical contact socket that is nothing but a pain in the neck for today's Leica users - everyone else used something called a PC terminal. You can buy a simple adapter from B&H (and others) that will let you plug a PC cord into your M2. This goes for about $8 and you should buy a couple of them as they are easy to lose and their future availablity in uncertain. Some M2's and M3's were modified to have PC terminals but, IMHO, your camera probably wasn't modified.

Vivitar and Metz (no doubt others as well) provided a short electrical cord to connect the flash to cameras that did not have a hotshoe. One end was a male PC connector and the other a slim audio connector of the type used on the MP3 players and the Sony Walkman. The audio connector does into a little hole, usually near the bottom, of the flash, The PC connector goes into your M2 lightning bolt socket (probably with the $8 adaptor).

If you don't have the electrical cord, then buy (again from B&H or your local camera shop, should you be fortunate enough to have one) an adaptor that has a hotshoe on one end (that will slide3 into your M2's accessory shoe) and a wire with a PC connector on the other. The PC connector goes into the lightning bolt socket on the M2 (with the $8 adaptor, if needed) and the adaptor slides into the M2 accessory shoe. You'll put your flash into the accessory shoe on top of the adaptor, SET THE SHUTTER SPEED TO 1/50th) and fire away.

Mabelsound, if you have more questions, please ask them.

I suggest that Paul exhibit some gravitas and let sleeping dogs lie regarding "MD comments". You are far too easy a target and those of us with academic qualifications that rival or exceed yours may find themselves unable to resist temptation.

 

[MCTuomey]

drew and gray, most informative posts! flash + leica = something extra for that fine leitz glass to bite into ...

 

[JNewell]

Very excellent post by Graybeard.

I was, and wasn't, kidding about the bulbs. You can buy one of the fan-type bulb units for almost nada these days and I really think that if you have any interest in how pictures were made when available light didn't exist when the M2 was in current production you owe it to yourself to spend a $20 or maybe two experimenting. Think about it in terms of what you spend on coffee every week and where the coffee winds up and it doesn't look so extravagant! 😉 On the other hand, your subjects will never forgive you...but that's part of the learning.

If you look at modern electronic flashes, make sure they have a socket for a PC cable. At least one flash I've got has only hotshoe contacts (can use an adapter between it and the camera with a socket, though.)

Personally, flash lighting as the primary lighting source is often very flat. I'd rather risk "poor" exposures with available light, but flash is part of the education. Whatever you do, enjoy both the process and the results.

Some folks here need to prescribe themselves a chill pill, grow and thicker epidermis and/or watch their language?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Thanks, guys. I think I get the idea. I could always just use the M2 for available light, and the flash with my Bessa, which does have a hotshoe, right? But that would be too easy ;-)

 

[drewbarb]

For those who think of flat, front (over) lit pictures when they hear the words "flash photography", consider these ideas: first, move the flash off the camera. Try bouncing the light off a ceiling, wall, or other light-colored object. Try diffusing the flash, with an opaque piece of plastic or fabric (think of all those light domes, diffusions sheets and boxes, and other flash modifiers on the market). Try dragging the shutter (shooting at a slower speed than the fastest flash sync- like 1/30th, 1/15th, even a full second or more) to bring in more available light. Try setting the flash at very low power and shooting at or about the same aperture/shutter settings you'd use without the flash. Try taking the flash and moving it way off the camera- point it at your subject from the side, or even from behind. Try combining some of these techniques. Flashed pictures don't have to be boring and flat.

As for my pot-shot at Paul, I'm sorry. Of course I have no problem with MD's- I like that there are doctors in the world. I snicker at folks who like to tell others of their qualifications in situations where those qualifications are irrelevant- but I realize this is rude of me, and has no place here. There are all sorts of reasons folks could take pot-shots at me here, and I wouldn't appreciate it either. I'll try to be more civil- I know we are all here to try and be helpful to each other. Forgive me.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Yes, Paul seems to be a very insecure sort of guy to be trying to lord over us with the "MD" appendage to his name. Next thing, we'll be told to address him as DOCTOR Paul? I don't think so. Anybody whose writing ability results in this:

"Flash . . . on an M-2 . . . .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ............................................"

doesn't engender much confidence in his abilities and knowledge. Sounds to me like the kind of dude who tells you "Yeah, there's a lot of that going around." as he hands you a 'script saying "take two of these four times a day and if there's no improvement by the middle of the week we'll try something else."

 

[Melvin]

thyristor |θīˈristər|
noun Electronics
a four-layered semiconductor rectifier in which the flow of current between two electrodes is triggered by a signal at a third electrode.
ORIGIN 1950s: blend of thyratron, denoting a kind of thermionic tube (from Greek thura ‘gate’ ) and transistor .

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

thyristor |θīˈristər|
noun Electronics
a four-layered semiconductor rectifier in which the flow of current between two electrodes is triggered by a signal at a third electrode.
ORIGIN 1950s: blend of thyratron, denoting a kind of thermionic tube (from Greek thura ‘gate’ ) and transistor .

Well that clears that up then!