Loyal Site Supporter Registered: August, 2010 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 59,099 | Review Date: September 18, 2014 | Not Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | simple, light weight, fits multiple systems, multiple exposure options | Cons: | poor instructions; overexposes terribly in PTTL | | Purchased because of compact size and wireless linkage (no separate battery/power unit on hot shoe and consequently no wire from the power unit to the flash ring). The unit is light, with simple controls, a nice focusing light that can be turned on/off as needed, and simple adjustment of right/left relative power output (1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, or 1:0, with higher power either right or left). Another very nice feature: the flash unit attaches to the adapter rings via squeeze-button latches. Pinch in with thumb & index finger, and the flash tube comes off leaving the adapter ring threaded onto the lens. So, the unit can be popped off when not needed, or quickly remounted on a different focal-length macro with a different filter thread and therefore a different mounting ring already attached. Neat! The "learning function" operates in "servo" mode, not in PTTL. So what exactly is "servo mode?" It seems to be a wireless manual mode, as unlike PTTL it is possible to manually adjust the total output power as well as change the right/left relative output.
The instructions are clumsily translated with lingering Germanic word order and some vocabulary that is confusing. The big disappointment was exposure in PTTL. At about 1:4 reproduction ratio, f16, ISO 100, mounted on my 200 f4 macro, it overexposed badly and required -3 EV on the exposure adjust. With that compensation, it provided correct exposure when F-stop or ISO was changed, or when the repro-ratio was changed from about 1:3 out to 1:10. BUT>>>>> when brought to between 1:2 and 1:1, it again overexposed, requiring an adjustment of about -41/3 EV. Absurd! How will it over expose on my 50mm macro at 1:2? If PTTL requires exposure compensation, and the compensation is different at different reproduction ratios, the unit is little better than a manual ring flash with variable power. A review published elsewhere reported the same overexposure problem using a Nikon, so the problem is inherent in the Metz flash, not the camera system. The flash has a micro USB connection for upgrades. Could Metz offer a revised program to correct the exposure problem? I may return the unit to B&H and get a Pentax ring light, but first I want to run a few more tests, especially to confirm suspicions that "servo" is simply wireless manual (wired manual is a separate mode).
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Veteran Member Registered: August, 2011 Location: Langwarrin Australia Posts: 382 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: November 5, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $324.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Interchangable beetween camera systems,Simplicity | Cons: | Instructions | | Once you get past the over complicated instruction manual this flash is so easy to use as it has a built in learn function.It can be used in Manual, P-TTL and Slave modes and with a guide number of 15 it can be used not only for Macro Photography. If you have camera's from other systems it can be also used with them also.
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