At the moment, I consider myself quite lucky in terms of (relatively) small flash units:
L-R: Metz 34 CS-2, Konica HX-18W, Konica X-14
The tiniest of the three, by a bit more than a whisker, is the Konica X-14 on the right. Purely manual, I mostly use it with a Konica Auto S3, which uses a nifty GN flash system that automatically engages when a flash unit is inserted into the hot shoe. The "14" in the model number happens to be the ISO 100 Guide Number in meters; adjust the flash GN setting on the lens, and the aperture is adjusted automatically according to distance. (A
highly advanced version of this was used many years later in the Hexar autofocus.)
The Konica HX-18W in the middle came with my second Hexar RF, along with the 50 f/2 M-Hex. Nothing particularly special: it automatically sets the flash-sync speed on the Hex RF, has two Auto modes as well as manual, and covers focal lengths as wide as 28mm. Reasonably powerful for its size (GN 18).
On the left is the Metz 34 CS-2. Somewhat bigger than the HX-18W, but
quite the powerhouse, with a Guide Number of 34:
Metz 34 CS-2, with flash lens accessory swung away
It's also the only flash of the three that has a P.C. socket (cord is separate, but included with flash) for using on cameras without a hot shoe (such as any Leica M prior to the M4-2). It comes with two accessory flash "lenses" for WA (out to 24mm, I believe) or telephoto use. To top all this off, it has a built-in slave-flash function, which has come in handy for me more times than I can count...and I've only had it for about a year. It has three Auto modes, plus Manual.
The only quirk with the Metz has to do with batteries: rather than the AA cells the other two use, this flash uses a pair of CR2 batteries. The downside, of course, is that a pair of CR2s cost a good deal more than a pair of garden-variety AA alkalines; the upside is that you get a
lot of flashes from those CR2s. (An additional bonus for me: both my Hexar RF bodies also use CR2s, and I tend to keep at least one spare pair tucked in my bag. Luckily, the Hexars
also go a long way on a pair of these batteries.)
- Barrett