Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] SF20 report
From: InfinityDT@aol.com
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 16:52:22 EST

In a message dated 11/18/99 4:16:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
imxputs@knoware.nl writes:

<< Non-TTL test: 3 apertures: 2.8 and 5.6 and 11. On the test equipment 
 the flash output at
 1 meter distance 1/3 stop underexposed
 2 meter distance OK, but the f/11 was far off (beyond the GN of 20!)
 4 meter distance is was OK till f/4. That is 5.6 was beyond the GN 
 reach. The SF20 is very sensitive to this: just beyond maximum range 
 the output drops dramatically.
 
 The TTL version gave at 1 and 2 meter distance results 1/3 to 1/2 
 stop underexposure. The f/2 position however gave a 2/3 stop 
 overexposure.
 The 4 meter position worked till f/4. >>

Questions:

1. What "test equipment" was used?  If a flashmeter was it an incident or 
reflected reading?  (An incident flashmeter will differ as much as 1 stop up 
or down from an auto-sensor or TTL flash that reads reflected light, 
depending on the subject.)

2. What ISO was the test made at?  (We need to know that to interpret the 
results).

3. Doesn't the SF20 and/or the M6TTL have some kind of an indicator LED which 
advises when the flash has fired at either minimum or maximum output and over 
or under-exposure (respectively) has still occurred, thereby alerting the 
photographer to the need to choose another aperture, distance or film speed?  
If so, was it saying "good exposure" even though the exposure was "off"?

4. Have you tested that the M6TTL's TTL flash system is accurate with other 
flashes so as to be certain the discrepancy is due purely to the SF20's 
electronics?

I've been thinking about one of these little flashes but it doesn't sound 
like it works as accurately as my off-brand pee-wee auto-flash I got at a 
swap meet for $5 :o(

DT