Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Popular Photography had an article about old flashes on new cameras a few months back (vary good reading for us luddites). In older mechanical cameras such as the Leica Ms, there was direct linkage to a mechanical operated electrical switch. Now that they have given us the TTL we have all been screaming for, the flash is controlled by an electronic circuit. Older flash units can develop a voltage as high as 250 volts across their sync contacts. This is simply too high for the circuitry to handle. Many other cameras are exactly the same and can even be permenantly damaged by hooking up an older flash. I recommend reading the article as it discusses this issue at length and shows you how to check your old flashes. It also recommends various adapter "boxes" to lower the sync voltage. > From: Stephen <cameras@jetlink.net> > Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 07:24:30 -0800 > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: [Leica] M6TTL Flash Probs ?? > > I received an email about M6 TTL flash compatibility. He has an early M6 TTL > # > 2467714. He writes: > > "suddenly my old faithful Braun 380 flash refused to fire, then later in the > dayit > fired again (nothing wrong with the flash, checked that at once) Confronted > with > this, through my dealer, Leica said: "oh, yes we know that some older flash > unitsnt > owning a Leica had developed. I insisted that Leica fixed the problem, > especially > since it says in the manual that you can use "any proprietary flash" no > mention of > any new and different standard for the (old fashioned, I thought) X > connector. The > solution was that Leica supplied me which am ugly, cheap looking conversion > box > slightly smaller than the old MR > meter, " > > does anyone else know of this problem, or what causes it? > > Stephen Gandy >