[zosxavius]

I have a metz 54 mz-4i with just the hotshoe adapter. Id love a pttl adapter, but they are $85. I will invest in one eventually, but in the meantime I just use the flash set to manual mode and try to match the focal length and aperture I'm running at. This generally works, but often the flash is too hot or not bright enough, so I'm almost forced to do test shots and adjust the ev compensation on theunit on the fly. I've found that running manual gives a lot more control over the x-sync. Ususally I lock shutter to 1/125 to 1/160. Any advice on how to improve my flash results with just a hotshoe would be appreciated. I'm really a newb when it comes to using flash as I have avoided it for many years because of my total disdain for it, but I am appreciating its utility in a lot of situations. Any advice would be great. Thanks. Sorry for any typos. Typed this on my phone.

EDITED: Updated to the right model name of the flash

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Last edited by zosxavius; 02-27-2012 at 11:59 AM.

[jase036]

I use flash almost always except when shooting landscapes. Since I use radio triggers, P-TTL is not an option for me, so I always shoot with both my camera and my flashes on manual. They key thing is to remember that due to flash duration, your shutter speed means nothing to what you are lighting with flash, it's the ambient light that gets affected the most with you shutter speed, so I usually just balance it out (or eliminate it if need be; here's where I'm bummed that Pentax cameras only sync to 1/180). So let's say you want more of the ambient light to be visible in your photo, then lower your shutter speed, want to get rid of a nasty green hue from flourescent light, use a faster shutter speed to cancel that light out. This of course works wonder for those nice sunset/flash lit portraits

I for the most part set the flash to an intermediate power setting such as 1/8 power and then I will control the intensity using the aperture; if the flash is too hot, I stop down the aperture, it's underpowered I open up a bit, provided of course I don't need the extra DOF.

In case I do need the extra DOF I will do one (or a combination) of 3 things: either up the ISO, increase the power on the flash or put the flash closer to the subject (the opposite goes for when the flash is too hot and I want to keep a shallow DOF). I do this because it's easier to change settings in the camera that having to go over to the flash and change something. Also setting the flash to something like 1/8 means faster recycle, less battery drain and longer flash tube life.

[RKKS08]

I don't know the 48-AF, but I am using a 32MZ-3 and a 40MZ-2 with my K200D. I am using adapters SCA3701M2 and SCA3702M, both from eBay for about $10.- each. Working features with both adapters are identical. Of course no P-TTL (neither the flashes nor the adapters are P-TTL-capable). But the flashes work like a dream in Metz A-mode. Every information which you can input at the flashes with electronic buttons is transferred automatically from the camera; unfortunately, with the 32MZ-3 this is only zoom, as all other things are controlled by mechanical switches. But with the 40MZ-2 I don't need to do any settings at the flash, as zoom, aperture, ISO are automatically taken over from the actual camera settings. With both flashes, also leading and trailing curtain work alright, and red-eye suppression, if set at the camera, too. And the Flash ready sign in the viewfinder works alright.

I am not sure whether the 48-AF is older or newer than my flashes. If it is newer, my solution should be working the same. I don't miss P-TTL, the Metz A-setting provides very good results. Of course, for macro work and multiple flashes P-TTL would be a big advantage (if you don't use older lenses without "A" setting).

[jase036]

I am not sure whether the 48-AF is older or newer than my flashes. If it is newer, my solution should be working the same. I don't miss P-TTL, the Metz A-setting provides very good results. Of course, for macro work and multiple flashes P-TTL would be a big advantage (if you don't use older lenses without "A" setting).

The 48-AF is a relatively recent (it has now been replaced by the more powerful 50-AF) hotshoe mounted flash. It is not modular like the MZ series and therefore you can't use adapters on it. Regrettably the 48-AF (and the 50-AF for that matter) do not have the Metz A setting (or AUTO), that setting is reserved for the bigger brother the 58-AF.

When mounted directly to the hotshoe (of when using a P-TTL sync cord with hotshoe adapter), the 48-AF features full P-TTL, including rear curtain and high speed sync as well as sending focal distance information for the auto zoom function. It also features a wireless slave mode which can be used to trigger the flash using the onboard flash on the Pentax bodies that have wireless flash mode, or by using the commander mode on the Pentax 360 FGZ or the 540 FGZ.

[zosxavius]

ok....I edited the subject on my original post. I was the metz 54 mz-4i. Please reframe my question around that model. Sorry. I had the 48af stuck in my head for some reason and remembered it was wrong.

Also I use mf lenses a lot with stop down metering. So manual flash techniques are useful I might add. I see metz sells a pttl hotshoe adapter for $85. Is there a cheaper way to get the camera to talk to this flash? Someone mentioned the pttl adapter cable.....

[zosxavius]

If I could get the A setting working with feedback from the body, I would be happier...don't want to spend $85 right now for that though.....

edit: thanks also for all the replies so far....

[mtansley]

The P-TTL adapter cable only works to extend the flash unit away from the camera hotshoe.

You still need the specific mount for the 54 mz-4i.

Does the 54 mz-4i have an 'auto' mode whereby you set the aperture on the flash and the camera and allow the flash to decide on the flash power & duration?

I use a 58 AF-2 with my K-5 and sometimes I still don't use the P-TTL option since I find the older 'A' flash mode works better. ('A' for auto on the flash, with this mode I generally use 'M' on the camera, set the aperture to match the flash aperture, or vice versa and choose a shutter speed for what I want, as long as it's 180 or less)

[zosxavius]

It does have the a mode. I believe the differences between the 54 and 58 are extremely marginal if I read correctly. With just the most basic hotshoe adapter there is no communication between the body and the flash other than to trigger though. I've been shooting in m mode and just inputting all my settings manually. The manual for that flash is not exactly easy to understand...

[mtansley]

Exactly right, just the command to 'flash' goes to the flash.The Metz flashes do have interesting manuals don't they.

With the 58 AF-2 and the Pentax mount the flash does track the f stop chosen on the camera but that's always easy to choose according to shooting conditions.

Might be worth picking up the correct adapter if you find one at the right price but otherwise aside from P-TTL and automatically following the zoom lens settings and other settings, you're not missing that much using just the the basics on the 54. I tend to find that P-TTL doesn't always work right for me.

[SOldBear]

Some general ideas/data:

- Metz 54MZ-4 or 54MZ-4i, with SCA 3702 M3, supports p-TTL but no wireless nor HSS.

- SCA 3702 M2 can be updated to SCA 3702 M3 at no charge (at least until a few months ago) by a Metz service center. Older versions of SCA 3702 can't be updated.

SCA 3702, regardless of version, has "smart auto" mode. The flash sets itself to the ISO and the aperture settings on the camera, but uses its own light sensor to determine the flash output. This works quite well. On my K-7, it is at least as accurate as p-TTL but without the annoying preflash strobe (Note: p-TTL on K10D and K20D is close to unusable).

"Smart auto" is great for indoor shooting situations in which the flash is the main source of light. However, when used as fill flash outdoors, "smart auto" has its own problem. It's not easily to trick the flash to adjust the ratio of ambient light vs light from the flash. With a generic SCA module, or with an SCA module for other cameras, the auto mode is "dumb". I always bring a long an SCA 3402 (for Nikon) just in case I need "dumb auto" mode.

Until you get an SCA 3702 (and probably even after that), you need to do what you've been doing: setting the shutter speed to 1/180 sec or lower, matching the ISO and the aperture settings on the flash and on the camera. That should work in most situations. If you want more light from the flash, just set the camera's aperture faster than that on the flash.

Note: you can use the SCA 372 with the 54MZ-4i. The SCA 372 can set the camera's speed to somewhere between 1/30 and 1/180 (depending on the focal length of the lens) if the camera is in Av mode. Note that the SCA 3701 (or any SCA module ending with digit 1) does not physically fit the 54MZ-4i.

[zosxavius]

thanks everyone. I guess I'm doing the right thing all along. I will just have to refine my technique and get a better feel for what works and what doesn't. Yeah, these are all indoors situations I'm dealing with.

[SOldBear]

I'm gonna steal this thread to ask RKKS08 this question:

... but I am using ... a 40MZ-2 with my K200D. I am using adapters SCA3701M2 and SCA3702M

Can you please do this test and let me know the result:

- In a room with low ceiling (e.g. 8 ft.).
- ISO 400, aperture f/5.6
- Distance to the object being photographed (e.g. a table top): about 5 ft.
- With the flash's head straight ahead, take a photo and verify the exposure is correct.
- Now, till the flash's head up 60 or 75 degrees so the light bounces back from the ceiling, take another photo.

Question: is the exposure correct?

Thanks.

[zosxavius]

I'm gonna steal this thread to ask RKKS08 this question:



Can you please do this test and let me know the result:

- In a room with low ceiling (e.g. 8 ft.).
- ISO 400, aperture f/5.6
- Distance to the object being photographed (e.g. a table top): about 5 ft.
- With the flash's head straight ahead, take a photo and verify the exposure is correct.
- Now, till the flash's head up 60 or 75 degrees so the light bounces back from the ceiling, take another photo.

Question: is the exposure correct?

Thanks.

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it would be underexposed since it has no way of knowing how much light is now filling the scene.....

[SOldBear]

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it would be underexposed since it has no way of knowing how much light is now filling the scene.....

In theory, the exposure should still be correct because the light output from the flash is determined by the flash's light sensor, which is still pointing at the scene being photographed.

I asked for this test because I think the 40MZ, at least the -2 and -1i versions, which I have, has a bug. I just need to verify my theory.

[zosxavius]

My theory is that it is only calculating flash for when the flash is pointed directly at your subject. As soon as you move the flash off the subject, I would imagine the exposure to go down. The flash's sensor is metering in front of you, but you are redirecting the flash. Correct me if I am wrong.