Metz Flash

[faisal]

Will a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital mounted on a Pentax K10D trigger a Canon 430EX through any mode???

[Rhys]

Nope... Not unless you use an optical trigger on the 430EX. Even then the optical trigger has to be chosen wisely as many won't work with the Canon kit purely because the shoe voltage is so low. I measured mine at less than 1v.

[cdifoto]

Silly question:

Why in sam hill would you mount the Metz to a Pentax K10D, or any other body, when you're just optically firing it with another flash on the body in-hand? Are the K10Ds cheaper than light stands these days? :D

[faisal]

Not really a silly question....just something I'm looking into for helping a friend and myself. I own a 430EX...so if my friend was to buy a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-1 and wanted to run a two light setup with only one being off camera, I was wondering if my 430EX could be used...this way I could use the Metz when I wanted and my friend could use the 430EX whenever required saving money for both us for some time....

[Elisha]

get something cheap like the YN-460. the optical trigger although mounted on the flash head is ultra sensitive even with a diffuser on it.

[faisal]

Elisha...do you mean this http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/220077229/Flash_SPEEDLITE_YN460.html???

[cdifoto]

You could definitely use either one with wireless triggers and in Manual mode. I'm not sure how easy or reliable or even possible the optical versions of that would be and I KNOW the E-TTL method would be a no-go since they'd be separate systems (Pentax P-TTL isn't the same as Canon E-TTL).

[faisal]

I was not thinking about E-ttl....I was indeed thinking more in the line of optical triggering in manual mode...the reason I asked this question cause a single unit of Metz can be used on any brand of camera from what I think I know....so was wondering if that combo was possible!! No harm trying to save money ;)

Triggers I have, that's not the problem....thanks!!!

[cdifoto]

Any unit of Metz can be used on any brand of camera providing you have the Metz designed for that brand of camera. In other words---it's like how Sigma makes the same models of flashes and lenses for every major manufacturer's cameras, but you need the right mount. So if your friend got the Metz 58 for his Pentax, you couldn't stick it on your 400D and have E-TTL.

Or you can get the old school auto type flashes but that tech is available on Vivitar 283s, 285s, Sunpak 383s, and a billion other cheap flashes out there. You can get optical triggering on a cheap flash with a cheap optical trigger add-on.

[faisal]

Oh that way!!! and that stupid sales guy said it's compatible with all cameras...I should stop listening to salespersons!!!

We get the Nissin range here....still need to find Vivitar or Sunpak flashes.....I tried a cheap optical trigger that looked like this and worked like crap

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:_8-UZO41lHsQ5M:http://vox.be/images/vox_import/HAMA-6967.jpg

[Elisha]

Elisha...do you mean this http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/220077229/Flash_SPEEDLITE_YN460.html???

that's the one. i have one and it works great. get it from ebay it may be cheaper: http://shop.ebay.ca/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=yn-460&_sacat=See-All-Categories

I have a Sigma 530 Super as well and when used a purely as a manual slave, the optical sensor is not as sensitive as the one for the YN-460.
also look for the Vivitar 285HV or the Lumo which is more expensive.

[cdifoto]

Oh that way!!! and that stupid sales guy said it's compatible with all cameras...I should stop listening to salespersons!!!

We get the Nissin range here....still need to find Vivitar or Sunpak flashes.....I tried a cheap optical trigger that looked like this and worked like crap

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:_8-UZO41lHsQ5M:http://vox.be/images/vox_import/HAMA-6967.jpg

I have one of those and it works fine. It's limited though as all optical slaves are. That's why it's in my bag only as an emergency backup to the Skyports.

[Elisha]

or you can get a wireless trigger set where some of the receivers have a built in optical slave as well like the CTR-301P made by the same people that make the YN-460.
So in that case if you decide to use off camera lighting only you can use the transmitter to fire you flashes that are connected to the receivers.
Or if you decide to use a hotshoe mounted flash, you can still set the receivers to just be optical slaves and it will fire without the transmitter.

[faisal]

Maybe the one I tried locally was crap. It was for $10 and didn't trigger my 430EX 2 out of 5 times when it was just 2 meter away. They use line of site...just like the canon system...am I right??


or you can get a wireless trigger set where some of the receivers have a built in optical slave as well like the CTR-301P made by the same people that make the YN-460.
So in that case if you decide to use off camera lighting only you can use the transmitter to fire you flashes that are connected to the receivers.
Or if you decide to use a hotshoe mounted flash, you can still set the receivers to just be optical slaves and it will fire without the transmitter.

Thanks for that information.......I already have phottix triggers...so I can mount a optical trigger on them if I want if I find good ones....

[cdifoto]

Maybe the one I tried locally was crap. It was for $10 and didn't trigger my 430EX 2 out of 5 times when it was just 2 meter away. They use line of site...just like the canon system...am I right??
I could be wrong but I think they have issues with Speedlites whereas regular hot shoe flashes from Vivitar, Sunpak, and even the cheap YongNuo type stuff is okay. They don't use line of site but they do have to see the light from the triggering flash when it's fired.

Also, the one I have was $35 or thereabouts. It could be your $10 version was indeed a POS. Or maybe I paid too much for mine. LOL. Mine is exactly like the one in the picture except it's branded "Kaiser" on the side.

[faisal]

The ones I tried were brand less made in china stuff....possible POS!!!

[Rhys]

The problem is the low shoe voltage of the Canon speedlites. Normally, for example, the HiViz kits need a 22K resistor but for use with Canon units, a 1K resistor is required. This ties in with my measurement of the voltage at less than 1v whereas most other units are higher (some very much higher).

[Csae]

Aaah, i have some of those, mine are a slightly different brand, and the pc port is ontop for some reason which makes them slimmer but it means if i have a flash on the hotshoe i cant connect anything to the pc port, not a big problem.

I paid 20$/each for mine and they work 100%, i use them over my cactus in-studio because they are less prone to interference and can actually get the 1/200th.

The only real issue they have is the cold, when it was -10C one started triggering randomly and constantly, and of course its not line of sight since the light from flashes bounces around, but they do require a certain amount of light to trigger.

Mind you, my 3 lines of attack are my cactus, my optical slaves, and then good ol cords. They are by far the most reliable :P

[Elisha]

The only real issue they have is the cold, when it was -10C one started triggering randomly and constantly, and of course its not line of sight since the light from flashes bounces around, but they do require a certain amount of light to trigger.

P

you may be able to pop them open and coat them with dielectric grease or Vaseline. that should give you some additional sealing from the cold!

[mattdm]

Not really a silly question....just something I'm looking into for helping a friend and myself. I own a 430EX...so if my friend was to buy a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-1 and wanted to run a two light setup with only one being off camera, I was wondering if my 430EX could be used...this way I could use the Metz when I wanted and my friend could use the 430EX whenever required saving money for both us for some time....

That won't work, unfortunately. However, if you were to invest in a different line of Metz flashes, there's an option. Most Metz flashes except those in the AF series (e.g, Mecablitz 48 AF-1, Mecablitzh 58 AF-1) use something called an "SCA" module. This was apparently an industry standard thirty years ago or so, but now only Metz is left.

The basic idea is: you buy a flash, and then you buy different system-specific modules which attach to the base of that flash and interface with the camera. So you could buy a Mecablitz 54 MZ-4i (http://pttl.mattdm.org/models:metz:54-mz-4i) and the SCA adapter #3702 for Pentax, plus #3102 for Canon. Or, for the second flash, SCA adapter #3083, which is only for slave flash — either as a dumb slave or with Metz's own wireless TTL protocol.

One interesting thing is that the small and cheap Mecablitz 28 CS-1 (http://www.metz.de/en/photo-electronics/mecablitz-models/slave-flash-units/mecablitz-28-cs-2-digital/product-information.html) supports this protocol, and having a couple of those could provide some very interesting and flexible lighting options.

This isn't necessarily an overall cheap solution, but may be interesting if you're going between brands a lot. Particularly in Europe where Metz prices are a lot better than they are in the US.

[lukeap69]

Mecablitz 58 AF-1 for canon will work just like 580EX. On camera, it can trigger the 430EX. You can try it in shops Faisal. I saw some stocks in Perfecta or if Grand Store will let you try one, better.