Preferred flash for Yashica Mat124G

[bob_everding]

<p>I just picked up a Yashica Mat 124G from a studio photographer about 90 miles away. I have ran the first roll of Fuji slide film through it and I certainly need a flash for the candid photos I am doing of the kids. Indoor lighting at ASA 200 isn't really a pleasant experience. I hate to admit 34 years ago I was running this camera for our high school year book staff and got amazing results using it around school with a very large flash....the one with the bag....heavy battery bag. I can't remember if it was a sunpack or not. A local pro set it up for us...he was our advisor and very good mentor.<br>

My question is, I have an older Vivitar 285 laying around with nothing to do, would that work with this camera with a PC cord connection out of the camera? Since it "senses" the bounce light could I not just use it like the old manual 35mm camera I had and set the f-stop and look at the dail on the flash to see if I am in shooting distance of my subject? And the flash takes care of the rest?<br>

I do have a Mamiya 645 Pro coming, so if I decided to get a "real" flash, anyone have a recommendation that I could use for both cameras? I was considering getting a 645 Pro TL body to use with all the stuff that came with the Pro, but you guys are the pros, got any ideas?<br>

Again, for now, my main subjects are around the house, mainly indoor....very limited outdoor shooting of the kids until summer and then ambient light should be ok, then of course we have fill flash to try and figure out. Of course there will be times for the usual Christmas and Prom shots at the house or maybe outdoors around the nieghbors flowers. So limited portrait work.<br>

Let me poke a few feelers. I know alot of you use the Metz flash for your Pro TL's, if I went that route I would have to use it in the manual mode for the Pro and the Yasicha, right? I would love to get a Pro TL body and then have a medium format Nikon F4 of sorts.<br>

Thank you for your comments.<br>

Bob E.</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>Your 285 will work fine, mine still works ok on similar vintage cameras. :)</p>

[vick_vickery]

<p>The Vivitar 285 will work just fine. Plug it into the pc outlet on the Yashica and you'll be ready to go. If I remember correctly, that flash can be used either in manual mode with the dial on the back for a guide or it will work on auto exposure where the strobe reads the light output and cuts off the flash when enough light has been put out; seems like the dial on back tells you what f-stop to use on auto also (it has been a long time since I used one of these, so the memory is a little hazy!).</p>

[martin_dake]

<p>Use the dial calculator on the side of the 285 to figure what aperture to use for the required flash coverage distance then set the appropriate color on the sensor dial on the front and finally the corresponding f stop on the camera.</p>

<p>Hook the flash to the PC coonector on the front of your 124G and now the flash is set for auto mode.</p>

 

[jimmy_english]

<p>How about something like this?</p>

<p>http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v57/Jim.e/?action=view&current=DSCF0412.jpg</p>

<p>or this?</p>

<p>http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v57/Jim.e/?action=view&current=zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-flash.jpg</p>

[bob_everding]

<p>Thanks for the responses. I will go to my local photo shop (one left in Oklahoma City now), and see if I can't get the proper PC cord to go between the camera and the flash.<br>

Jimmy I would say that the little flash is really all I would need, but I have to ask, is the Rubbermaid pie storage thing on top of that Sunpac outfit used to diffuse the light?</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>The Vivitar is fine, but I really liked using a potato masher type flash. When I owned a 124G, I used Honeywell and Nikon SB-11 flashes.</p>

[mark_farrell]

<p>I'm going to guess there's a good chance your local camera shop may not have the Vivitar PC cord. You can get one here....<br>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=1214&N=4294550949+4291125672">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=1214&N=4294550949+4291125672</a><br>

To mount the 285 flash, an "L" bracket might not be a bad idea, either something inexpensive and simply or if you can find a used Vivitar PG-1 bracket, it has a hole that a cable shutter release can be fitted to so it is like a finger trigger on the bracket. I have the Vivitar bracket that I use with a Yashica D TLR and a Bronica EC to mount a Vivitar 283.<br>

<a href="http://www.ofogartaigh.com/ebay/viv_pg1/vivbracket.html">http://www.ofogartaigh.com/ebay/viv_pg1/vivbracket.html</a></p>

 

[jimmy_english]

<p>Bob:<br>

Yes it is a good diffuser for close range photos. I cobbled it together to see if this sort of diffuser gave me the look I was after before shelling out the $$$$ for the Gary Fong (pro looking) one. I did get the Fong thing but I like this contraption better. The following pic was made with the $1.29 "salad bowl".</p>

<p>http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v57/Jim.e/?action=view&current=zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-highc.jpg<br>

Trouble is that my wife says I keep embarassing her with stuff like this.</p>

[sebastianmoran]

<p>Jimmy: To get that nice image look, you fill the big bowl with potatoes, right?</p>

<p>More seriously, I bought a Metz 45-CL4 for this sort of thing. The Vivitar works great, but you really need a grip like Mark's to hold it... A 285 would be really awkward hanging off the the side on the 124G. </p>

[bob_everding]

<p>Richard, would the Metz flash operate similar to the Vivitar flash in that you simply set an f-stop and away you go? I would perfer a big flash to work with this camera and my Mamiya 645 Pro that is in the mail as we speak. I understand that the Pro (and the Yashica too) are not TTL, so it should be back to the old way of using a flash. It would just be nice if the Metz would work like a Vivitar (set film speed, see what f-stop you need on your camera, turn on flash) and away you go. I just can't seem to pick up if the Metz does this or not.<br>

Since you have one, could you quickly share how you use yours and on what equipment you use it on. It would nice to have THAT powerful of a flash to really reach out and grab something in the dark....oh, I realize for the Mamiya, I would need that special adapter to interface between the camera and the flash.</p>

[sebastianmoran]

<p>@Bob, yes for the 45 CL-4. It has "Automatic mode" in which the flash sensor reads the flash light coming back from the subject. Yes, as easy as Vivitar. Note there are many models of Metz flash, each with different features.</p>

<p>I do not use the SCA adapters. Just a standard PC interface. I run the flash on Automatic. I also point it into an umbrella, set the output to Manual, and use a flash meter.</p>

[bob_everding]

<p>Thanks again for the help Richard. I finally got a battery for my 645 Pro and I absolutely love it. For roaming around the house it's nice to have the automatic and power of a Metz if I need it. I read the owners manual to the 645 Pro and frankly it isn't as straight forward as I would have liked, but I am sure they are expecting someone who would purchase this type equipment to have ALOT of experience. Using a simple PC cord and a CL-4 would be way to easy. Now, for sit down family type portrait work, I can deal with setting flash on manual because I found my flash meter which has been put away for many years....how big of umbrella do you use? Do you also set up a reflector on the opposite side of the flash too? In other words, could you tell me how you do your work with an unbrella?<br>

Thanks.....</p>