Use the Leica SF20 Flash

[john_woo3]

Hihi when I use the SF20 with the R8 in TTL (flash) and A mode

(camera), the LCD display on SF20 showing the distance and aperture.

Do I need to assess the object distance and adjust the lens'

aperture to the value which makes the distance display on SF20 to

the correct object distance please?? Or the distance display on SF20

only shows the maximum object distance which means that I can use

any aperture value as long as the object display is shorter please??

Thanks and have a happy new year.

[jay_.]

<<Or the distance display on SF20 only shows the maximum object distance which means that I can use any aperture value as long as the object display is shorter please??>>

 

That is correct.

 

<<I use the SF20 with the R8 in TTL (flash) and A mode (camera)>>

 

What you *can't* do with the R8 in TTL and A mode is use any shutter speed other than 1/250, meaning that to get balanced daylight fill you need to either go into T or M (or P and take whatever values the camera chooses). This is not the case with even the cheapest entry-level SLRs from Nikon or Canon. I discovered that about the R8 to my utter disgust while attempting to use flash with a tele-extender for daylight fill in wildlife photography, where I'd want to keep the lens wide open and have the shutter set itself. Using T mode meant I had to keep resetting the shutter speed so the lens was at maximum aperture. I ran into a couple of very famous wildlife pros at an NWR here in FL and asked them if they had any suggestions and they both offered to drop the R8 into the lagoon if I couldn't bring myself to do it ;>)

[john_woo3]

Thanks a lot for your kind advice Jay. So if I am not worried about the depth of field I can always set the lens to maximum aperture which has the longest distance available, then the SF20 would choose the suitable GN value with the real distance I focus with the lens, right please?? Thanks again.

[m_.]

john: theoredically you are right, although I never found that to be accurate, even with TTL. understanding how the flash works with manual control still works better for me. but again i hardly use flash these days.

[jay_.]

The main problem with an antiquated TTL flash system like the R8/9 is that it reads a center-weighted pattern at the moment of exposure so you get good flash exposure only if the subject is in the central image area and of middle tone. Modern, truely pro bodies like the EOS 1V and Nikon F5 do much better with their multiple sensors, but it's still not as sure-fire as AE-lock-recompose in ambient light. With subjects other than described above, I suggest making use of the R8's single novel, progressive feature: the F mode.