an admittedly ignorant question

[morocco]

i am an amateur photographer who has usually done available light

photography. simple stuff, really. kids, parties, etc. i use a

leica m6ttl - it is my only camera.

 

i am not married to the idea of only avilable light photography,

though this is nearly blasphamous (?sp) on the leica forum. not

always happy with available light, i have had a metz 54mz4 for >1

year that i use fairly regularly. i hate direct flash, so usually

bounce it off the ceiling for a less extreme look.

 

so i would like more interesting lighting, but i do not want to

change camera systems or invest significant time and money into an

outfit that i will use once a year to take my kids christmas

pictures. a single continuous softbox seems smart, but in the photo

store they said it would be terrible for the subject(s) secondary to

the heat produced and bright light in the face. strobes are the way

to go, they say.

 

is there a way to take my metz 54mz4 and put it off camera many feet

away (not the 3 feet long adapter i have seen to put the flash on a

camera mounted flash bracket)? if there is, can't i somehow put the

metz flash on a rig that fires into a softbox or umbrella?

 

i do have a 42" reflector and stand that can throw some of the light

into the shadows created by this light.

 

i am an amateur who would love to work with equipment that i already

have, and to take advantage of the TTL flash capabilities that my

flash and camera have when the flash is in the hot-shoe.

 

thanks in advance.

 

bill morocco.

[jeff bishop]

I find it hard to imagine that Leica doesn't have an TTL extension cable (like the Nikon SC-17)? So I'm assuming that it's something you don't want to buy.

 

If this is the case, you could use regular sync cord to get the flash away from the camera. You would need to manage flash exposure on your own at this point. This could be accomplished with either a flash meter or math using the guide number of the unit.

 

I personally would start out low-tech in this situation, by simply attaching a white card to the head of the flash and aim it up at about a 45 degree angle. As simple as this may sound (doesn't look too fancy either) it may actually give you the light you are looking for. The cost would be low, one rubber band and one heavy paper card. You might actually be impressed with the results.

 

Hope this helps.

[picturesque]

Look up Marc Williams, who posts in the wedding and Leica forums. He can probably tell you what you would need. Also look at the following post.

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00EeMx&tag=

[michael_madio]

You have the basis for a surprisingly effective portable studio.

 

Use good ISO 400 film, a 36" reflector umbrella at approximately 45 degrees off camera, a reflector opposite the umbrella, and either a TTL extension cord (probably expensive) or a normal sync cord, manual flash control, and a basic flash meter (used Wein 500 will work - available on eBay for cheap) to determine correct exposure. My personal preference is to use manual flash control and the light meter as you will generally get more consistent results.

[morocco]

michael,

 

what specific equipment do i need to fire my metz 54 flash into an umbrella? obviously i need an umbrella. but how do i mount the umbrella and flash onto a tripod? my shopping list specifically includes: 10' sync cord, flash meter, and what else?

 

i understand there are different brands and sizes of umbrellas... i don't need a specific reccommendation on this. but what parts do i need? do i order a tripod with some sort of "hot shoe tripod head" with an "umbrella attachment"? are there different types of umbrellas (reflective vs. not)? sorry for my ignorance, and thank you for your help.

 

bill.

[michael_madio]

Bill,

 

To get your flash on an umbrella, you need the following:

 

- Umbrella

 

- Umbrella Clamp

 

- Light Stand

 

- PC to Hot Shoe Adapter - http://www.adorama.com/FAPCHSA.html?searchinfo=hot%20shoe%20pc&item_no=3

 

- PC Sync Cord Extension (male on one end, female on the other)

 

- Hot Shoe to PC adapter if your camera doesn't have a PC sync connection - http://www.adorama.com/FAHSPCA.html?searchinfo=hot%20shoe%20pc&item_no=4

 

To save time, you can get a kit with umbrella, light stand, and clamp like the following: http://www.adorama.com/PFUK45R.html?searchinfo=umbrella%20kit&item_no=8

 

Regarding umbrellas, you have 3 main varieties - shoot-through, white reflector, and silver reflector. Frankly, they will all work. Which one you use is a matter of personal preference. I find that shoot-through umbrellas reflect as much light as they pass which makes it difficult to control. Reflected umbrellas act much like a typical parabolic reflector, with white having more diffuse light than silver. Regarding size, anything from 32" to 45" will work well.

 

I hope this helps.

[michael_madio]

Bill,

 

One more thing, you may want a modelling light so you can see what the final lighting pattern will look like. Just get a simple spring-clamp light socket and 100W light bulb from the hardware store and clamp it beside your flash. It's definitely not high-tech, but it works!

[morocco]

michael,

 

thank you for the specifics. the links are great. looks like just what i need.

 

i'll let you know how it goes.

 

bill.