Metz AF50 surprise

Sitting Bull · 12-25-2011, 12:07 PM

Well santa has been good once again. Got a Metz 50 for the K200d. Looking forward to trying to understand it. I am not the quickest at picking thing up but I am up to the challenge. Thank God for digital. This would cost me a fortune in film.

panoguy · 12-25-2011, 12:49 PM

Enjoy!! For Metz flashes, reading the manual is a painful *requirement* for proper operation. Get used to pushing those buttons together and separately...

Great recycle time and light dispersion, if it's like the older AF48 I have. Built like a (plasticky) tank, at least when compared to similar Pentax and Sigmas, too.

Kricket · 12-25-2011, 01:16 PM

I got the Metz 50 too! It's a great thing, but it's bigger than my k-r which is kinda funny. I figured out almost all the settings in a few minutes but I think that's because I was reading up on it for hours before I got the thing. The only thing that threw me at first was the wireless servo mode; if I can get it to fire without the body flashing having to go off that'd be perfect.

For some reason, you can swivel it all the way around and flash your face if you so choose, seems odd to me but whatever.

Aegon · 12-25-2011, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by Kricket

if I can get it to fire without the body flashing having to go off

using wireless P-TTL, K-5 menu option C21, "Flash in Wireless Mode" can be set to "2 Off".

I think the body flash still fires, but at a very low output level so that you won't notice unless you are doing macro.

I'm pretty sure the K-7 doesn't have this option. I don't know about other bodies off the top of my head.

RedPanda · 12-25-2011, 04:10 PM

I completely agree about having to read the manual! The AF-50 is a good flash but a pain when you come to use it after a month or two and you don't have the book with you.

I just re-checked my K-7 and it does have the same option to turn the on-camera flash "off", it's menu option C31.

One thing to beware of is the word "wireless". I think most people would expect this means some sort of radio link but actually it's just marketing-speak and the meaning is literal, i.e. without wires. In this application, the camera fires a coded pulse flash and this trigger signal is picked up by the Metz so you need to make sure the sensor on the Metz can 'see' the camera's flash.

Kricket · 12-26-2011, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by Aegon

using wireless P-TTL, K-5 menu option C21, "Flash in Wireless Mode" can be set to "2 Off".

I think the body flash still fires, but at a very low output level so that you won't notice unless you are doing macro.

I'm pretty sure the K-7 doesn't have this option. I don't know about other bodies off the top of my head.

Yeah that's what confused me, the low level output. I wanted NO on body flash whatsoever but I guess I can always block the body flash when need be.

mattdm · 12-29-2011, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by RedPanda

I just re-checked my K-7 and it does have the same option to turn the on-camera flash "off", it's menu option C31.

One thing to be aware of is that with the more-powerful flash of the K-7 and K-5, the control flash in this mode can be visible in the exposure even when it shouldn't be. This was much less of a problem on my K10D. With the K-7, the effect is noticeable whenever you have something reflective in the scene (including eyes in close-quarters portraits), and can even add unwanted shadows.

I now tape a layer of IR-transparent but visually-opaque gels over the pop-up flash. Unfortunately it won't close that way. I wish Pentax offered an option of having a filter like that permanently installed.

DaveHolmes · 12-30-2011, 04:08 AM

Originally posted by Kricket

Yeah that's what confused me, the low level output. I wanted NO on body flash whatsoever but I guess I can always block the body flash when need be.

Unless you're using radio/inf-red triggers you need that pop-up flashoutput to trigger the gun in 'wireless' mode... If you 'block' the pop-up the metz won't fire...
RedPanda nailed it when he said:

Originally posted by RedPanda

One thing to beware of is the word "wireless". I think most people would expect this means some sort of radio link but actually it's just marketing-speak and the meaning is literal, i.e. without wires. In this application, the camera fires a coded pulse flash and this trigger signal is picked up by the Metz so you need to make sure the sensor on the Metz can 'see' the camera's flash.

mattdm · 12-30-2011, 01:42 PM

Originally posted by DaveHolmes

Unless you're using radio/inf-red triggers you need that pop-up flashoutput to trigger the gun in 'wireless' mode... If you 'block' the pop-up the metz won't fire...

But you can block the visible light. I use multiple layers of Congo Blue gels combined with a few layers of Medium Red (to kill off any blue that gets through). I then attach this to my pop-up flash with double-sticky tape. I haven't measured closely but this does not seem to impact the controller function at all indoors, and makes a noticeable improvement when working with wireless P-TTL close up.

12-25-2011, 12:07 PM	#1
Sitting Bull Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 114	Metz AF50 surprise Well santa has been good once again. Got a Metz 50 for the K200d. Looking forward to trying to understand it. I am not the quickest at picking thing up but I am up to the challenge. Thank God for digital. This would cost me a fortune in film.

12-30-2011, 01:42 PM	#9
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	Originally posted by DaveHolmes Unless you're using radio/inf-red triggers you need that pop-up flashoutput to trigger the gun in 'wireless' mode... If you 'block' the pop-up the metz won't fire... But you can block the visible light. I use multiple layers of Congo Blue gels combined with a few layers of Medium Red (to kill off any blue that gets through). I then attach this to my pop-up flash with double-sticky tape. I haven't measured closely but this does not seem to impact the controller function at all indoors, and makes a noticeable improvement when working with wireless P-TTL close up. Last edited by mattdm; 12-31-2011 at 02:01 PM.

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12-25-2011, 12:49 PM	#2
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Enjoy!! For Metz flashes, reading the manual is a painful requirement for proper operation. Get used to pushing those buttons together and separately... Great recycle time and light dispersion, if it's like the older AF48 I have. Built like a (plasticky) tank, at least when compared to similar Pentax and Sigmas, too.

12-25-2011, 01:16 PM	#3
Kricket Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: South Florida Posts: 40	I got the Metz 50 too! It's a great thing, but it's bigger than my k-r which is kinda funny. I figured out almost all the settings in a few minutes but I think that's because I was reading up on it for hours before I got the thing. The only thing that threw me at first was the wireless servo mode; if I can get it to fire without the body flashing having to go off that'd be perfect. For some reason, you can swivel it all the way around and flash your face if you so choose, seems odd to me but whatever.

12-25-2011, 03:29 PM	#4
Aegon Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,416	Originally posted by Kricket if I can get it to fire without the body flashing having to go off using wireless P-TTL, K-5 menu option C21, "Flash in Wireless Mode" can be set to "2 Off". I think the body flash still fires, but at a very low output level so that you won't notice unless you are doing macro. I'm pretty sure the K-7 doesn't have this option. I don't know about other bodies off the top of my head.

12-25-2011, 04:10 PM	#5
RedPanda New Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Essex, UK Posts: 19	I completely agree about having to read the manual! The AF-50 is a good flash but a pain when you come to use it after a month or two and you don't have the book with you. I just re-checked my K-7 and it does have the same option to turn the on-camera flash "off", it's menu option C31. One thing to beware of is the word "wireless". I think most people would expect this means some sort of radio link but actually it's just marketing-speak and the meaning is literal, i.e. without wires. In this application, the camera fires a coded pulse flash and this trigger signal is picked up by the Metz so you need to make sure the sensor on the Metz can 'see' the camera's flash.

12-26-2011, 09:59 PM	#6
Kricket Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: South Florida Posts: 40	Originally posted by Aegon using wireless P-TTL, K-5 menu option C21, "Flash in Wireless Mode" can be set to "2 Off". I think the body flash still fires, but at a very low output level so that you won't notice unless you are doing macro. I'm pretty sure the K-7 doesn't have this option. I don't know about other bodies off the top of my head. Yeah that's what confused me, the low level output. I wanted NO on body flash whatsoever but I guess I can always block the body flash when need be.

12-29-2011, 08:44 PM	#7
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	Originally posted by RedPanda I just re-checked my K-7 and it does have the same option to turn the on-camera flash "off", it's menu option C31. One thing to be aware of is that with the more-powerful flash of the K-7 and K-5, the control flash in this mode can be visible in the exposure even when it shouldn't be. This was much less of a problem on my K10D. With the K-7, the effect is noticeable whenever you have something reflective in the scene (including eyes in close-quarters portraits), and can even add unwanted shadows. I now tape a layer of IR-transparent but visually-opaque gels over the pop-up flash. Unfortunately it won't close that way. I wish Pentax offered an option of having a filter like that permanently installed.

12-30-2011, 04:08 AM	#8
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501	Originally posted by Kricket Yeah that's what confused me, the low level output. I wanted NO on body flash whatsoever but I guess I can always block the body flash when need be. Unless you're using radio/inf-red triggers you need that pop-up flashoutput to trigger the gun in 'wireless' mode... If you 'block' the pop-up the metz won't fire... RedPanda nailed it when he said: Originally posted by RedPanda One thing to beware of is the word "wireless". I think most people would expect this means some sort of radio link but actually it's just marketing-speak and the meaning is literal, i.e. without wires. In this application, the camera fires a coded pulse flash and this trigger signal is picked up by the Metz so you need to make sure the sensor on the Metz can 'see' the camera's flash.