Re: [Leica] no one can help on this one?

["Jeff S" <segawa@netone.com>]

- -----Original Message-----
From: Five Senses Productions <fls@5senses.com>

>So you use a Nikon SB-26 on your M6?  So I guess you really do have
>to buy a bigger, more expensive flash to get a little bit of extra
>functionality,
>even on an M6.

I rarely use flash myself, but had been considering this SB26 also--pricey
versus a Vivitar, but very slick, what with it's built in slave sensor,
reflector card, etc! I do occasionally enjoy doing flash-illuminated
nocturnal landscapes. Of course the disadvantage of a flash of this size is
that it seriously overbalances the M6! Maybe use the small camera-mounted
flash to trigger larger slaves?

On the flash I have, a Nissin $40 unit, there is a dial for
>the
>film speed and a scale that says what f-stop you need for a particular
>distance.
>I tested it with the flash meter though, and the light output does not
change
>just because I move the ISO dial.  Whether the flash is at ISO 25 or 800,
it
>puts out the same light

Franco, I have a small Vivitar flash (252) and if your Nissin is anything
like it, I can tell you that the calculator dial is just that--it has no
effect whatsoever on your flash output. But this is not to say that it can't
be controlled: There is a mode selection switch on the front, and it's
nothing more than a means of "stopping down" or capping the flash sensor.
Normally, small "apertures" are used at close range, large ones are used for
distance, and when entirely blocked (manual mode) it's always firing at
full-force. If you leave it "wide open" when shooting at close range, you
will effectively get a nice, partial-power fill flash, though you need to
experiment to get a feel for the specifics--with my unit, it's going to be a
rather subtle fill.

On such a small flash, I'd probably not use any sort of diffuser or filters
over the tube, as the output is tiny already--maybe better to more
delicately control output by partially blocking the flash sensor to achieve
desired results. Remember: More blockage = Higher output.

Your calculator dial is, unfortunately, not likely to cover this sort of
tweaking!

Oh, and for the matter of larger apertures for daylight flash situations,
well, this could be a good excuse to run out and get Leica's new polarizer,
which should make a dandy variable ND filter :-)

Jeff