[Leica] How to avoid flash problems...

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> Not to become know as the group Luddite, but...
> 
> I've been a professional photographer, mostly commercial and industrial,
> since the very early seventies. I've taken a crack at several TTL flash
> systems, and been uniformly dissapointed. My  favorite flash getup was my
> 500CM and a Quantum T2. I shot mostly Plus-X and 160NC, and the little
> electric eye in the Quantum was flawless, although I understood that I got
> some wiggle room from the film.
> 
> Most recently, I used an SB800 with my D3, and while it was generally
> reliable, it just wasn't as dead on as with the Quantum. Whne I got my M9, 
> I
> didn't want to use the Quantum, as it was just TOO BIG, and the foot of the
> SB800 won't fit in the M9 hot shoe. So, I have a Metz 54, as nice a shoe
> mount strobe as there is. With the standard foot, it has it's own quto
> system, although not OTF.
> 
> I recently used it, and there are NO problems, NONE!
> 
> Not to be the Luddite, but I spit on TTL flash.
> 
> Bill Pearce 
> 
> 

I agree.
For me though at the end of the film age (the 20th century) I gravitated
towards using a 500c and  Norman 200c.
With a strip of white paper on the back of it with the distances and f stops
on it.
For full half and quarter power.

My first Vivitar TTL's were tricky as when the battery would lose power the
sensor would loose power and you'd just get full power flashes every time.
Also if the flash was off the shoe but just a tad which often happened you'd
also get full powered flashes every single time.
Those were fun to print! Though amazingly enough; possible to print.

I'd set my flashed to half power manual and use my 45mm 2.8 GN so at three
feet I'd be  shooting at f32 and be there and then as I focused further away
it was locked in so it would follow the inverse square law.
But if my focus was a little off so would be my exposure! And Id notice that
more at least on the contact sheet.

I miss f 32. And I didn't miss much shooting with it.
What was off in the distance may have been dark. But it was sharp.
Other people didn't get that.
I liked that. Bokeh? Never heard of it!

But the Nikon flash people got smarter than the Vivitar flash people in the
late 80's and 90's.
That stuff just worked.
The hot shoe connection was stronger.
You didn't need a separate battery pack because the thing was just so much
more efferent on regular AA batteries.
So I still use them.
And I just bought one not long ago the 800.

With the instant feedback of digital how high tech does a flash system need
to be though is my point?
If your shots are coming out a little dark you just adjust the setting so
they come out just right. There's only so much trouble you can get in.

And the dare I say "built in flash" on my cameras have saved my but on
numerous occasions as I find myself in a tunnel in fast moving dark
situations.

To me availed light is the light I have availed.
But I do respect the ones who have a more purist approach.

I just cant want to shoot sorting with Led's.
Not done that yet.
I just like the idea of it



Mark William Rabiner