Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/08

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Subject: [Leica] Forbidden Territory - Flash and the M3//
From: "W Larsen" <wlarsen@ocsnet.net>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 21:09:57 -0700

I have had an M3 since 1967.  The first
three years of use I took several
thousand pictures with it using a Braun
Electronic Flash.  The Braun flash I
used consisted of a heavy battery pack
and a flash head and arm.  The pictures
were not particularly artsy, but were
basically formula publicity shots.

You will note that the M3 has two flash
plugs.  One is for bulbs and the other
is for electronic flash.  The original
M3 flash plugs are not standard and you
will need either a special flash cord,
or a much readily available adapter (a
couple of US dollars from places such as
B & H).  I like now use a Vivitar 283,
mounted on a adapter from the tripod
mount with a flash handle at the right
side of the camera.  This way, I can
take the handle off and hand hold the
flash to get some modeling as opposed to
having the flash mounted on the
accessory shoe (note that it is not a
hot shoe, unless it has been converted).
This way I can get some control of the
modeling light rather than have it from
directly above the lens.

The 283 is quite cheap and does the job
for which it was designed.

If you want to have a real blast, and
can find flash bulbs, try those.  They
will give you control of the flash
output through both shutter speed and
aperture.  You are no longer constrained
by the shutter synch speed.  You will
need a table showing shutter speed/bulb
burning characteristics to get close to
a correct exposure though.  (The flash
output is determined by the burn time of
the flash bulb...the M synch speed is
delayed to get the maximum output of the
bulb...different bulbs have different
burn rates).

Hope this is of some help.  I think I
will also post it to the LUG so that
they can critique any misinformation.
Of course if they don't like flash...TS.

Regards, Bill Larsen

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