Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ray Moth writes: > You may have been unaware of this feature [flash > metering in F mode] if you're not familiar with > the R8. Correct, I was unaware of that. > Firstly, you select what you estimate to be > an appropriate aperture for the lens, select "F" > mode on the R8, switch on the flash in manual > mode and wait until it 'comes to the boil', aim > the camera so that the circle in the viewfinder > that indicates the selective metering area > covers the part of the subject you want > correctly exposed, then press down the depth of > field preview lever. This fires the flash, without > firing the shutter, and the viewfinder display > indicates how much over or under the exposure > would be. You can then adjust the lens aperture > in accordance with the display indication and > take the shot. Wow! I guess it is intended primarily for still lifes, eh? With the F5, you just point and shoot. I have no experience with external flashes (other than the one attached to the hot shoe on the camera), but I've heard that the F5 does extremely well with those, too, if you are using compatible flash units. > This doesn't give much opportunity for daylight > photography on weekdays, so I use flash more > often than I would ideally like. What about fast film and a fast lens? I assume there is no Noctilux for the R series (?), but with an M, a Noctilux, and fast film, you can take pictures by candlelight, if you have a steady hand. Needless to say, I abhor flash and will do just about anything to avoid using it to get a shot. And since flash management on the M is so much more difficult than on the F5, I especially avoid it on the M. Besides, using a flash with an M seems somehow disloyal, although I'm not sure why. I also have a psychological block that requires that Leica gear come into contact only with other Leica gear, never "foreign" gear, lest the Leica gear become ritually unclean. For this reason, I'd have to buy a Leica flash to use on the M, if I wanted to use flash with that camera. I use B+W UV filters on my Nikon, but only Leica UV filters on the Leica glass. The only exception I've made was for a tripod, and I had to bless the tripod before mounting the M upon it.