[Leica] Re: M6TTL fill flash

[Henry Ambrose <henryambrose@home.com>]

 A reply that came from off list wrote:

>The M6TTL can do fill-flash with the SF20 or a Metz flash and the SCA3501 
>module on either of which you can set minus compensation in fractions of 
>EV's 
>as you want.  The M6TTL does not do automatically-compensated fill flash 
>like 
>the Nikon, Canon or even R7 and R8 bodies.  Personally I have always used 
>manual compensation to set my fill ratio even with Nikons and R's, as I 
>think 
>even the F5 auto-balanced fill is too hot.  I like a -1.7 stop fill.  So 
>really, for me there's no advantage to all the auto-fill circuitry, the 
>M6TTL 
>would be just fine.  OTOH, the 1/50 top sync speed (I sometimes use 1/125 in 
>the vertical position outdoors because the place where the flash gets cut 
>off 
>is then at the bottom of the frame and still properly exposed by the ambient 
>light) is very limiting.  I use non-TTL M's with the flashes with 
>auto-sensors, using a higher ISO film speed to determine the aperture, 
>thereby "tricking" the flash into underexposing which gives me my fill light.
>
>
Thanks for your reply,

I often use -1.7 on my Nikon as well when filling in shadows outdoors. 
Thats where the high sync speed really comes in handy. I set ambient 
exposure manually then keep the flash set back to -1.7 or even less.

Indoors, I set my F5 manually for the ambient exposure and then add just 
a touch of fill, like maybe only -2 or -3 under. This means that I might 
be working at 1/30 at f2.8  and with a bouncy SLR mirror I sometimes get 
some shake/blur. Also when I don't need long lenses I would like to not 
have to carry my F5 outfit just to be sure I have  a great flash rig 
available.

What I want from the Leica TTL is equal (or near)  performance accuracy 
wise to the Nikon. The trouble I have with the non TTL M6s and little 
auto flashes is lack of choice in aperture and film speed and not 
wonderful exposure accuracy. I may have to use f4 or 5.6 which hampers 
fill flash work because the ambient exposure time is driven down too 
slow. Basically what I have now works for full power flash which I pretty 
well despise. It'd be great to shoot at f2 or 2.8 and 1/15-1/50 with 400 
speed print film and use -2 or even -3 to fill shadows and add to the 
exposure in general. In other words - available light shooting (indoors) 
with almost imperceptible fill. Just enough fill to sparkle things up a 
bit and help with color rendition.

The specs say the TTL M6 and the SF20 should do all this but I'd like to 
hear from someone who has experience with it. Rather than perform a $2000 
experiment!

Henry