For Mark on Metz

[Nikonfreak]

Mark:

Seriously looking at the Metz 54 MZ-4

It looks like it has a lot of power (certainly more so than my Nikon SB 800). Are you using such on or off camera or both and if so are you using a bracket to elevate the flash on camera?

I'm impressed with the specs on that flash unit.

Julio

[Mark McCall]

Hey Dude....

I use the Metz 54MZ-3 for all my handheld work. (the last number designates the camera model, Canon, Nikon, Minolta, ect).
I use the Metz 45CL4 for off camera work.
Both either flash can be used on or off camera.

One of the coolest features is the wink flash on the front.
When the main flash head is pointed toward the ceiling, the wink flash provides fill to kill any racoon eyes on your subject from the bounced flash.

One thing that is paramount....order the flash with the Standard Adapter (some vendors call it the Standard Module). It's a whopping $17 US add on.
The adapter slides on the bottom of the flash, and is the hotshoe that attaches it to the body of the camera. It takes the place of the Nikon hotshoe.
You'll need this adapter to keep the flash and body from "talking" to each other for TTL, and it only has one pin on the hotshoe.

Yes, I use a flash bracket. For years I used a bracket I made myself because I hadn't found what fit my shooting sytle from any of the manufacturers.
A couple of years ago, I found the CB Junior made by Custom Bracket at the PPA National Convention.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search
I LOVE this bracket. Small, light, and provides a sharper image than "rotating" brackets because there's no rotating mechanizm with "play" in it.

I hate to admit it, but a flash on a bracket just looks more professional. Almost everybody has a digital SLR nowadays with an external flash. A bracket sets you apart. I know it's a crazy way to look at it, but perception is everything.

I'll post some more images using this setup as time allows. I just returned from being gone a week, and I'm trying to play catch up this week.

[Nikonfreak]

LOL... yes, perception is everything.

Well, I'm jumping in. I have one wedding in December and another in October.

Time to add to the repretoire as it were and I am somewhat concerned with Nikon's flash system.

So I'm seriously looking at the Metz. I may not need to use anything other than the Metz and one lightstand for off camera flash. (Remembering pocket wizards)

Had a third, but apparently they wanted it on the cheap and I simply am not going to consider doing a wedding and all the work involved for $500 .... so it seems that they are looking to have someone's sister who is an amateur photographer shoot the wedding. I can't wait to hear about it. Remind me to tell my wife that I won't do business with co-workers... especially those who want everything for nothing.

I may grab the 45 CL first.

Does the flash stay pretty well centered over the lens with that CB Junior? I don't really care if the camera rotates or not, I just want to make sure the flash is high and centered. Not a bad deal for $90

Julio

[Mark McCall]

Julio,
No TTL flash unit from any manufacturer is consistent enough for digital capture, especially in a wedding inviornment where things happen incredibly fast.
(unless used in full on manual mode, and who does that??)
I haven't seen any TTL based flash with a wink flash on the front. While not necessary, it's a gem in close quarters when your bouncing the main flash head.

I declined Canon's offer to sponsor one of my programs because, as part of the deal, I had to hype the 550 and 580EX flashes.
I couldn't do it, because I know they won't expose well enough or consistent enough for digital capture.
For the record, the 550EX is an awesome film flash where there's enough forgivness in the latitude to correct for the flash inconsistencies. I used it successfully with the EOS line of 35mm film cameras for years.

Yes, the flash is mounted directly over the lens with the CD Junior, in landscape or portrait angles.

[captlen]

I just took your advice, Mark, and got the Metz 54z I does really well.* The* documentation is not the best and I have been beating my head against the wall trying to find out what cord is needed to connect it to a microsync or pocket wizard so that I can use it off camera.* any ideas?

[Mark McCall]

There's a small hole on the left of the flash that looks like a small female plug attachement. (Looks like a Vivitar style), but I can't say with any certainty that's what it's for.

I'd get a hotshoe attachement that will slide onto the hotshoe of the flash, with a PC terminal outlet. That will allow you to fire it with a radio slave. I've seen them at my local camera shop. Should be pretty cheap. That'll do it.

[dvdowns]

At the last wedding of a friends cousin I went along and tried out the metz45-cl4 that I bought after reading your posts . I must admit I was not ready for it , besides the fact that the official photographer was in a bit of a state at first because my setup looked "bigger " than hers as she later admitted , which , as you say , is a psychological plus . Even though the D50 can synchronize at 1/500th it was under a white tarp and after looking back many of the shots were over 1/500th of a second [ about half at least ] . I am not confident enough yet to go that way again and will use the sb600 next time because it is more consistent than I am .. at the moment . I will be using the D70 along with wireless flash which is built in to the D70 and sb600 but my D50 will have the metz on it for when it gets really dark and I can be sure my speeds will stay down enough . That way I will get practice with semi-manual flash as well .

[Mark McCall]

Originally Posted by dvdowns

Even though the D50 can synchronize at 1/500th it was under a white tarp and after looking back many of the shots were over 1/500th of a second [ about half at least ] . I am not confident enough yet to go that way again and will use the sb600 next time because it is more consistent than I am .. at the moment .

Desmond,
Why use such a fast shutter speed?*
Remember,...regardless of how dark the room is, the shutter speed is controlling the brightness of your background. Your flash controls the brightness of your foreground, which is automatic when you dial in your desired aperture on the Metz.
For wedding work, 30th, 15th and an 8th are ideal. (some situations call for even longer or shorter shutters speeds, but 95% of my wedding work is shot using one of the three mentioned).

The Metz is actually simplier to use than the SB series flashes. Simply dial in the aperture you want to fire at, and forget it. You control the shutter speed manually in camera. Easy.

The TTL flashes for Nikon, Canon, Minolta are simply not accurate or consistent enough for digital wedding work.
Visit this website: http://www.shootsmarteruniversity.com
Pay special attention to their equipment list.
It's a real eye opener for anyone shooting TTL, ETTL, DTTL or off camera TTL.

[Mark McCall]

Here's my typical wedding reception routine:

I'll park my rolling camera case close to the DJ, and look for the brightest wall in the room. It can be spotlights, the DJ setup or anything that gives off or reflects light. (especially important if it's a dark reception hall).
That wall, or part of it, will be used as a background in many of the shots.

Set my Metz 54MZ to auto at F4, set my camera to F5.6 at one of the following shutter speeds...30th, 15th or an 8th.
The longer the shutterspeed, the brighter the wall will get, yet the subject's exposure doesn't change a bit.

Metz flashes have a tendency to fire one stop hotter than the readout says, so F4 is really F5.6, but it's incredibly consistent. Both of my Metz are the same way.

[dvdowns]

I had too much to process , my cpu is fast but I only have 32 meg of RAM so the cpu can sometimes go into slow mode when things start happening too fast :P
I was concentrating on using the sharpest aperture and had the camera on aperture priority , I wasn't cheacking the speed the pictures were being taken at and totally forgot about maximum synch speed . I had 75% of it right but the other 25% was shutter speed . The couple saw the pictures and were very impressed and their sister wants me to do her wedding next February , the composition and basics like that that impress the average person were all ok , I just know I could have done twice as well with the sb600 doing the thinking for me . We were inside , then outside , then inside again and , as I say , I was doing it 75% right but the other 25% I forgot to check messed up quite a few images . Maybe I shouldn't have had it in aperture priority ?[ but then I worry how much out the exposure will be on manual ]