M6 hotshoe

[FrankS]

I attended a retirement party for a collegue last night and was asked to take pictures during the event. I wasn't being paid, so rather than use my Nikon F4, which I would normally use for an event like this, I decided to use my M6, and because it was indoors and in the evening, I'd use my Nikon SB-24 flash unit set to Auto (rather than TTL.) This would be the first time using a flash on the M6, and imagine my surprise when I went to mount the flash unit and it would not slide into the hotshoe the entire way, it's progress impeded by a stubby little pin located in the middle of the hotshoe near the front. Luckily the flash's shoe had enough purchase to stay in place and also able to acheive electrical contact.

So Leica placed this pin there simply to make using other manufacturer's flash units difficult if not impossible?

(Had this been a real job, I would have tested the new equip combo first, or used the tried and true combo.)

 

[ywenz]

Are you using the M6 TTL or classic? and did you try unscrewing the pin off?

 

[FrankS]

It's an M6, not an M6ttl.

(Right, Richard?)

 

[richard_l]

It's an M6, not an M6ttl.

(Right, Richard?)

Absolutely 100% correct! 😀

But that thingie on the top is just for accessory viewfinders, isn't it? 😕

 

[Mazurka]

Same thing with M6TTL

Same thing with M6TTL

Yeah, my TTL has the same darn screw. I guess Leica has to remind the user every time they use the camera and not only when they pay the credit card bill. :bang:

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Frank, not even the SF20, the Leica flash, goes all the way in the hotshoe. However, it is possible to use any non-dedicated flash on these bodies. I really don't know the reason why the little pin is there, but at least it doesn't cut the juice flow between the camera and the flash.

BTW, good you didn't use a Nikon SB-28 on your camera body. I heard a story of a guy who apparently fried his camera trying to use that very same combo.

 

[dcsang]

Hey Frank.. lemme try my Vivitar 283 on the M6..

Yep.. that little pin stops it but the flash works just fine on it 🙂

Dave

 

[Mazurka]

BTW, good you didn't use a Nikon SB-28 on your camera body. I heard a story of a guy who apparently fried his camera trying to use that very same combo.

I believe any Nikon (or Canon, for that matter) flash will fry the camera if used in TTL mode.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Oddly enough, you can use the SB-17 cable and a bracket with the Leica M6TTL and the SF20. I have done it, it makes up for the lack of tilt head.

Weird things with gear... 🙄

Thanks for the comment, Mazurka!

 

[Ben Z]

I have a number of small flashes which I use on my M bodies. I modified the flash feet with a small u-shaped cutout to clear the pin, as well as made a small bevel on the front edge because one side of the Leica's shoe is likewise bevelled.

 

[dcsang]

I have a number of small flashes which I use on my M bodies. I modified the flash feet with a small u-shaped cutout to clear the pin, as well as made a small bevel on the front edge because one side of the Leica's shoe is likewise bevelled.

Ya.. I'd much rather modify a $100 flash than a $1,500 body 🙂

I should give that a try..

cheers
Dave

 

[Hektor]

I have seen several cameras with that little pin, not just leicas.

 

[Hektor]

Hang on, brain cells are waking ......

If you go back in leica-time some of the pre-war cameras had a shoe with a corner cut off because of some obstruction under the top-plate.....

sooo, the foot on some accessories had a corner cut off too.....

That pin could be there to provide compatibility with earlier models which had the corner cut off. - sort of a depth-stop ?

 

[dcsang]

<snip>That pin could be there to provide compatibility with earlier models which had the corner cut off. - sort of a depth-stop ?</snip>

No no no...
you're getting confused with that evil moon shaped weapon from the Star Wars films..... 😀 😀 😀

chuckling,
Dave

 

[Hektor]

Hi yoda..(dave)....

maybe.........

wish I still had my MPP flash, instead of a Jedi Light Sabre though !

 

[lido]

Bessa R hot shoe is also too short for Nikon SB-600, so the flash shoe does not slide all the way in. But once you lock it, it works just fine. The funny thing is that if you don't lock the flash in place, it will not work.

Just my two cents.

doug.

 

[dr.kollig]

Very easy solution: get an M5, seems to be only one without pin!

Wolfram

 

[ywenz]

but the M5 is big and ugly..

 

[dr.kollig]

but the M5 is big and ugly..

Once more and I'll take out my M5 and .... 😛
I guess it was so heavy they had to remove the pin to turn it into a lightweight version.

Wolfram

 

[mad_boy]

As the Dutch say:
Meten is weten (to measure is to know).

I measured from three flashes the distance of center contact to front of shoe:
Osram C180: 8mm
Philips P36: 8mm
Leica SF24D: 8MM

And the distance on 4 camera's of dictance of centre contact to stop of shoe:
Pentax Super a: 8mm
Pentas K1000: 8mm
Leica M6TTL: 8mm (measured till the start of the screw)
Leica Digilux-2: 8mm.

It seems that the standard distance is 8mm. and that Leica adheres to this standard.
(and thus any mid-contact operated flash should work).
Now why they choose to execute the stop as a screw, and not (like most others) use the dimension of the recess in which the flash shoe is fixed I do not know.

Mad_Boy.