Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/13

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Subject: RE: [Leica] no one can help on this one?
From: Alan Ball <AlanBall@csi.com>
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 07:15:08 +0200

On Wednesday, May 13, 1998 8:38 PM, Bryan Willman [SMTP:bryanwi@seanet.com] 
wrote:
>...>CUT......
>    A flash like an SB26 lets you actually change the *power*
>     (as will any studio head.)

The problem with the SB26 is that its power management does not really help 
when using very wide apertures. If I remember well, it does not manage 
wider than f4 (or is it f5.6) with 400 ISO, except in TTL mode (not M6 
business). I use the 40MZ3 which allows better tweaking at large apertures. 
It works well, but it is heavy, and does not balance too well on a M6. So 
it does not get the usage it deserves. What is really needed is a much 
faster x-sync (1/250th) on the M system, which would in turn allow the 
usage of a compact light-weight unit, more appropriate with the M 
philosophy (travel light, stay small), especially for daylight fill-in: GN 
25 (in meters) would then be  enough to fill-in 50/100 ISO and f2.8/f4 
portraits in late afternoon for example. That sync speed would also allow 
daylight fill-in in bright daylight at smaller apertures (with a strong 
flash unit). Today it is simply not possible unless you travel with 
reflectors, tripods and assistant....