Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/09/14

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Subject: [Leica] Flash Synch
From: Gary Elshaw <gary.elshaw@vuw.ac.nz>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 15:03:06 +1200

Hi All,

I've been reading the posts for the last few days and seemed to remember
something about the physical impossibility of synching above 1/50. After
consulting the trusty Matheson, and Morgan and Morgan here it is:

Matheson, Andrew 'The Leica and Leicaflex Way' 1972. P. 248

"Flash units connected to the electronic flash socket or X contact on the
Leica M receive their firing pulse the moment the first blind is fully
open. This is therefore perfect for the negligible firing delay of
electronic flash. However, since the flash is so short, the shutter blind
must fully uncover the film; and the fastest speed at which this occurs is
1/50 second. At shorter exposures, with the shutter travelling across the
film as a slit, only a strip of film would be exposed by the flash."

So there it is i'm afraid, we're just going to have to put up with our
antiquated 'old style' rangefinder cameras a while longer. Damn, I hate
having to use these old cameras.

Take care,
Gary

____________________________________________________________________
"to be yourself, in a world that tries, night and day, to make you just
like everybody else - is to fight the greatest battle there ever is to
fight, and never stop fighting" -- e.e. cummings

Gary Elshaw
Post-Grad English/Film student
Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand

http://members.tripod.com/~elshaw/index.html
____________________________________________________________________