[Leica] Nifty Little Flash

[Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@marketingcomm.com>]

A couple weeks back, there was some discussion on the list of a little
flash from Olympus, the S-20, thought to be the same as the upcoming Leica
SF-20. Being curious, and since it cost just $49.00 at B+H Photo, I ordered
one.

First, it is not the same as the SF-20. It is the same as the CF flash for
the Minilux Zoom. It's covered in black plastic rather than titanium, no
Minilux TTL, no red dot. But it's $100 less than the CF flash, and it comes
with an adapter covering a 24 mm lens' angle of view, which the CF does
not. It runs on a pair of AA batteries.

And this thing is tiny! At 2" wide x 3" tall x 1" thick, it can get lost in
a shirt pocket. But with an ISO 100 guide number of 20 in meters or 66 in
feet, its power is decent -- plenty good for most fill -- and better than
some much bigger flashes out there. The controls are simple and limited,
covering just manual and two automatic ranges.

Its specs, in terms of angle of coverage and power, are identical to the
SF-20. The SF-20 has more controls, but I'd bet it will have similar
limitations on useable aperture ranges in automatic (not TTL) mode. For
example, Leica's specs list useable auto-mode apertures on the SF-20 as
2.8, 5.6 and 11. The Olympus flash has a selection of auto use at 2.8 or
5.6 at ISO 100; 4 or 8 at ISO 200; 5.6 or 11 at ISO 400. And the SF-20 will
be somewhat bigger. Specs from the pdf file on Leica's web site place the
SF-20 half-again bigger in each dimension.

I'm guessing the SF-20 will prove to be a bigger, more complex version of
this Olympus/Minilux flash, with the principal appeal of TTL operation on
the new M6s.

But the appeal of the Olympus flash is having a decent amount of power in a
miniscule size with simple operation. Like most of the folks who commented
when the flash was first discussed, I rarely use flash. I always look to
use natural light and will always turn to a faster lens or a faster film
first. But once in a while, I'll find an artificial burst of fill can help.
This little flash isn't going to take much space at all in a camera bag or
pants pocket when not in use. I find it a nifty little thing to have
available just in case. Just the right size for an M6.

Larry