Metz 54 MZ-4 SCA Flash with Leica M7 Manual Camera

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My question is if Metz 54 MZ-4 works with a totally manual camera without the SCA adapters. As I see, the SCA adapters is for the TTL (automatic) functions. If my camera is manual, I have to use the flash in manual mode, so it doesn't have to be using the SCA adapters, as by what I understand.

Its a Pentax 35mm manual camera, with manual lenses (manual zoom and focus).



Thanks guys! :)
 
You need to use the Standard SCA module; this way you can connect your camera to the flash via the PC cord (X-sync), and you can use either the flash's Auto or Manual mode. Using the Auto mode works just fine if you dial in the focal length of the lens you're using, ISO and f-stop; the flash can also be set to "compensate" its internal flash zoom for the film format (35mm, APS-C, 6x6, etc.)

Now, why is it "Auto" when you have to dial in all those things? It has its own sensor. It will try to engage the proper exposure for the subject in front of the flash given the parameters you've dialed in.

Hope that helps, Unregistered. ;)
 
Gabriel, so there's no way of using the flash directly to the camera, you must use the SCA adapter?

The auto mode works, even if the camera is totally manual? :confused:
 
Well, I use Metz flashes (MZ40-2), so maybe I can help: there is a standard SCA foot (SCA 301) for Metz flashes, which has only one contact for the one contact on the hotshoe of your standard, non-TTL-camera; you just set the flash to A (automatic - you set the same aperture on the camera and the flash) or M (you'll have to do some calculationg with apertures, guide numbers and distances), and fire away (same thing if you use a camera without hotshoe, only that the connection is made with a cable from the camera's PC-socket to the standard shoe's PC socket);
now, if you have a dedicated SCA foot for your camera brand (I use the SCA 3701 for Pentax), it will have additional contacts on the foot, to couple with those on the camera's hotshoes, and provide all the additional functions that the camera offers (TTL, second curtain flash, E-TTL, etc - this depends on the camera, not on the flash); in theory, if you now set the flash on A or M modes, and use it on a camera with standard hotshoe, it should work normally; in practice, I would shoot a test roll first before really relying on that... ;)

Roman
 
Sure, that's the beauty of Metz flashes: get one flash, and the special dedicated SCA foot for every camera brand you own (those slide on and off the flash), and you can use all the bells and whistles (with regards to flash functions) that your cameras provide.
The pretty good Metz homepage will tell you which adapter you'll need, and what funtions are supported by your camera/adapter/flash-combo:
http://www.metz.de/en/photo_electronics/

Roman
 
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