GX9: TTL with a Metz 15 MS-1

damianip wrote:

Has anyone found a way to get the Metz 15 MS TTL to work with the GX9? It works fine manually with a hotshoe sync cord adapter.

I thought I could just use the internal pop up to trigger and control it as demonstrated with the GX7 by David Thorpe. However, it seems that the GX9 cannot do this.

So, I decided to try my DMW-FL70 from my LX-100 as demonstrated by Joseph Linaschke using a GX8.

It turns out that the DMW-FL70 is completely incompatible with the GX9 according to Panasonic's compatibility chart. I verified this: the flash will not even fire although it works fine on my LX100.

So, I was thinking of picking up a Godox unit but, while it seems like it's Olympus (Panasonic) compatible on the cameras, it appears that it will only communicate with their own products wirelessly.

Since I'm a complete tyro when it comes to modern TTL flash, I'm wondering if my only alternative is to pick up a compatible Olympus or Panasonic flash.
Any suggestions on how to use the Metz with TTL on the GX9 would be appreciated.

The reason it does not work is because the GX9 does not support wireless TTL flash with the pop-up flash. The GX7 did.

Page 168: "The built-in flash does not support wireless flash control."

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/camera/om/dc-gx9_en_adv_om.pdf

Given the Metz only supports the official MFT wireless TTL. You would need a external flash that is compatible with the Olympus/Panasonic MFT wireless TTL system (Godox is not). The cheapest and most reliable option probably is a used FL-300R, FL-36R or FL-50R given GX9 explicitly supports those (and these are easy to find used). Of those three flashes, the FL-300R is smallest and likely least expensive (can find for $60-70 used).

http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/connect/gx9.html

For third party, the Nissin i40 and Di466 also claim to be MFT wireless TTL compatible (although you need to make sure you buy the MFT version). Metz may also have some (you would have to research).

The reason the DMW-FL70 doesn't work on the GX9 is because it is missing the extra 5th pin the left side (compare the hot shoes between the LX100 and GX9 and you will see what I'm talking about). That extra pin provides power to the smaller flashes. Panasonic added this to cameras a few years ago, but seems to be removing that pin again from latest cameras.