Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 09:35 PM 1/13/2002 -0500, Rolfe Tessem wrote: >While you might use the TTL flash metering capability of the M6 TTL >occasionally, as I do, no professional in his/her right mind would use it >on on a real job that really required this capability for the successful >completion of the assignment. You'd be too worried that that the 1/50th >sync speed just wouldn't let you get the shot. The funny thing is, the 1/50th is only a problem for flash fill when photographing outdoors. When the flash is the main light (indoors), the 1/50th sync speed is of little consequence. Electronic flash's minimum speed is around 1/800th sec, for big studio flashes, and all the way up to at least 1/20,000th sec for small on camera flashes. They were used in the early days as "strobes" (hence the name) and people produced photographs of an apple exploding via a bullet. The flash froze the bullet as well. Or stroboscopic photos of a golf swing... Flash speed is based upon the farad capacity of the flash capacitor and the resistance of the flash tube circuit. Ohms law. Basically, a very large capacitor (big watt seconds - lots of light) gives a longer slower brighter flash. Small capacitors will give very high speed (but low power) flash. To get high speed and high power, one must use low resistance flash tubes and circuits and monster cable to get the electrons to the tube in a real hurry. Hardly what one would expect in an M camera twinky light. I think my Metz 60CT-4 goes from about 1/800th to 1/25,000th as I can dial the power from full power to 1/32 of full power (two clicks past 1/16.) I know numerous professional photographers that use their M6 cameras, with flash, on real jobs. Jim - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html