carpediem007
Lives in
Eilat, Israel
Works as a
Photographer
Joined on
Jun 13, 2005
About me:
Keep trying really hard until I manage to make just one photograph that reminds me of a Jeanloup Sieff... |
Comments
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CosminMunteanu: Pentax had such a device in the '90s. Well, some sort of. It was a x1,7 focal lengh multiplier that could turn a manual focus Pentax lens into an AF one ;-)
Loved it to death!
Then I changed systems. :-(
Looks like I"m going to get me one of those and a Sony...
carpediem007: I just wish a company would go really 'retro', sort of like Epson did with the R-D1.
No video, no sport, night, fashion, portrait with one person (not smiling), portrait with three persons (two smiling, one laughing), no night and no really really dark night mode...
FF, manual mode rangefinder 12-24 mpix with interchangeable lenses for the price of this camera.
I'm allowed to dream, right?
Oh, and yes, I know, I know... I should just get a Leica M3....
I did and I love 'her' to death, I'd just prefer not having to change the sensor every 36 exposures and not having to go through all the hassle to get my mediocre images online ;-)
There must be a market for such a camera.
All those elderly (older) men who have worked long and hard to be making a bit more than a minimum / starting salary, kids out of the house, wife doesn't give a damn anymore what the husband does with his allowance (as long as she has her share for essentials like shoes, clothing, travel etc.)... I'm sure, there are quite a few of us out there, who would love a baby like that, just not for 6000 Euro, body only, like the digital Leica's nowadays.
We're old, not stupid rich...
I just wish a company would go really 'retro', sort of like Epson did with the R-D1.
No video, no sport, night, fashion, portrait with one person (not smiling), portrait with three persons (two smiling, one laughing), no night and no really really dark night mode...
FF, manual mode rangefinder 12-24 mpix with interchangeable lenses for the price of this camera.
I'm allowed to dream, right?
Oh, and yes, I know, I know... I should just get a Leica M3....
I did and I love 'her' to death, I'd just prefer not having to change the sensor every 36 exposures and not having to go through all the hassle to get my mediocre images online ;-)
Rod McD: Time for some honesty. Flash manufacturers are taking more liberties with naming conventions to market their products..... It only has a GN of 44(m) when used with a 105mm lens. It would be far more useful to know what the GN is when it's used with a normal lens. Flashes usually used to be specified with a 35mm lens (on FF) and a second figure for what ever angle their WA diffuser covered. I'd bet that it's actual GN is more like 27-30 with a 35mm lens. It's not even in the spec sheet on Metz's website.
Hello Rod, Mike :-)
As far as I know most (all?) flash manufacturers nowadays publish the GN at max zoom (Nikon often uses ISO200 and Canon 200mm settings for example) and don't supply a list like Metz does (also with the 44 AF 2, see above)..
I'm a bit 'sensitive / protective' when it comes to Metz. In 35 years of photography I haven't encountered another company that gives a service as good as Metz. Even if you bought a second hand flash, long discontinued, and you have a question they will patiently try to help, answering your emails, talking to you on the phone, going through their archives to copy old instruction manuals or trying to find a spare part that has been out of production for decades.
In another comment further down I also mention their free firmware update service (even for discontinued flashes from the 90s (and it includes free shipping back to the sender))...
Not every German company is a Volkswagen... :-)
Rod McD: Time for some honesty. Flash manufacturers are taking more liberties with naming conventions to market their products..... It only has a GN of 44(m) when used with a 105mm lens. It would be far more useful to know what the GN is when it's used with a normal lens. Flashes usually used to be specified with a 35mm lens (on FF) and a second figure for what ever angle their WA diffuser covered. I'd bet that it's actual GN is more like 27-30 with a 35mm lens. It's not even in the spec sheet on Metz's website.
Hi Rod :-)
On page 196 of the instruction manual you have a list of all GN at all ISO and zoom settings. At 35mm and ISO 100 the GN is 27.
You can download the Manual from
"http://www.metz-mecatech.de//en/instruction-manuals/flash-units/mecablitz.html"
There you will find manuals for all current (and also for many discontinued) flashes.
Tim Gander: I have a soft spot for Metz because when I started out I used their 60CT-1 hammerhead flash and it was amazing. They were in their prime at a time when camera manufacturers weren't much interested in making flashes and their offerings were generally a bit poor.
Now you have some very good flashes from the main camera brands, cheap Chinese ones at the other end of the scale and some well-priced, powerful and portable flashes from other manufacturers. It's all rather pushed Metz out of the market. I look at this unit and think, "so what?"
It's a shame really, because if it adheres to the traditional Metz manufacturing qualities it'll be an excellent workhorse and I might consider one next time I'm in the market for expanding my setup, though this unit seems a little underpowered by modern standards. Not a bad price for a Metz though.
Metz are really great. I own five 54 MZ3 and nine CT45 (1,3 & 4) and use them mainly as a very mobile, compact and powerfull studio and outdoor lighting kit. I have mecamat control units for the 45's allowing me to turn them down to 1/64th power and / or chance their speed from 1/300th of a second to 1/16000th for high speed photography. The 54's get a firmware-update from Metz now and then (free, they even pay for the postage back to me) and work perfectly on all my cameras from (film) EOS 3 to 6D. Although they are from the 80's and 90's they are still absolutely reliable and taking into account I paid an average of 15 Euros for the 45's and about 50 for the 54's, I couldn't be happier. I wholeheartedly recommend Metz to anyone looking for a great flash. Unfortunately for them, I don't think they'll be making any more money from me soon though; their 'old' stuff is so good and reliable, I have no need for a new flash...
Jim Evidon: Found this morning on the Leica website:
http://en.leica-camera.com/World-of-Leica/Leica-News/About-Leica-News/Global/Important-Information-Concerning-the-CCD-Sensors
Additionally, I have seen a letter address to the Leica Users Forum
(http://www.l-camera-forum.com) from Leica Product Management extending
sensor replacements to those already replaced that may have recurring corrosion as well as a refund to those customers who paid for replacement in the past.
I suspect that those of you who speculate that Leica will leave their customers in the lurch have been stung by past behavior of other camera companies; more likely those considered the big four. I have yet to see any such comments from people who actually own Leica manufactured cameras.
But I do expect to see continuing back biting by those who have nothing better to do than vent your spleen without any first hand knowledge of the subject you seem to hate . So pour it on if it makes you feel important.
@photogeek
Why would you be '...waiting eagerly for the fail in Typ 240...'
What has Leica done to you, poor soul, that you eagerly await their failing with one of their products?
Oh, sorry, name and posting history explains it all...
spencerda: Wow, they admit that they have sold a defective product, yet at an arbitrary point they are going to say to bad, you're on your own.
So it sounds like after three years if your camera develop or redevelops this know flaw to bad for you!
Don't own leica, but am neither a fan boy or a critic. Just a guy who thinks if a know flaw is found, either a permeate solution needs to be found or the offer of a full refund.
Dear spencerda.
Your English seems to indicate that you are not a native English speaker, just like me, but what is there to misunderstand in the statement Leica has published on their website? The following is just a short excerpt from that statement:
'...Leica offers a free replacement service for the CCD sensors of cameras affected by this problem as a goodwill arrangement. This goodwill arrangement applies regardless of the age of the camera and also covers sensors that have already been replaced in the past. Customers who have already been charged for the replacement of a sensor affected by this problem will receive a refund...'
You can read (and try to understand) the full statement at: http://us.leica-camera.com/World-of-Leica/Leica-News/About-Leica-News/Global/Important-Information-Concerning-the-CCD-Sensors
fotobert: I confess that I am a Metz fan, but I would like to point out what dpr left out:
"the Mecablitz 64 AF-1, offers an impressive guide number of 64 (210 feet) at ISO 100 / 21°" ... AND 200 MM.
This is in the official press release of Metz. So this flash has the same power as the 58AF2, just the zoom has been enhanced at the long end.
Anyway: sure it will be a fine and durable product. The user interface has been enhanced and as the software can be updated by the user, it will still be fun to use when you do no longer remember what you paid for it.
Albert
Which comes down to GN 36 at 35mm (according to the manual).
I'll stay with my tried and trusted Metz 45 CT-1, CT-3 & CT-4
GN 45 at 35mm. They're 25+ years old and absolutely fantastic and can be found for around 20 Euro in the bay.
And whenever I need more exotic stuff like HSS E-TTL II etc... I just reach for my (just as tried and trusted) Metz 54 MZ-3.
GN 34 at 35mm costing no more than 50 Euro on the used market.
One of the problems of being a company that builds the most reliable and advanced system flashes is they last for ever and it's difficult to sell new stuff to old customers.
Kind of digging your own grave because you're manufacturing the best... :-(
Their service is just out of this world too. I'm sending the SCA adapters for my METZ 54 MZ-3 (I have six of those) of to Germany for a free (including free shipping back to me!) firmware upgrade from version M5 to M6 so they'll support all the flash functions my new Canon 6D offers. I'm a very very happy customer indeed...
FYI
I asked the following from their support:
Are you referring to an old high voltage flash being connected to the V6 "standalone", or does it mean I can use the V6 sort of like a safe-sync? I mean does it bring the voltage down on the side connected to the camera?
If yes, to which voltage?
Answer:
Allow me to explain.
Yes. You can use the V6 as a safe-sync. The top hotshoe and the sycn port can handled up to 300V to the flash/ strobe. The bottom hotshoe to the camera can handle up to 5V.
This means that anyone looking to buy a Wein Safe Sync (about 49.95US$) could just add a tenner and get the same thing PLUS all the added functionality of the Cactus V6!
This solved my problem of not being comfortable with connecting my old Metz 45 CT1 to my Canon DSLRs. They are supposedly safe up to 250V at the hot-shoe, but I feel much safer with 300V at the V6. Thank you Cactus :-)
Here's the link to my support question:
http://cactus-image.com/community/discussion/176/flash-national-pe-201c
EssexAsh: wow the sensor in these things is so small. I'll stick with my 60mm x 60mm film thanks. A brand new sensor every time i wind on.
Agree about the workflow, but 8500 US$ buys me an awful lot of scanning & developing.
I'd love to have one, but for now I'm still content with the sensor of my 1937 Rolleiflex Automat :-)
זיכרונו לברכה
May his memory be blessed.
See ya around Saul...
MadManAce: I am not interested in this software until DXO:
1. Do away with Standard and Elite versions
2. Have a LR or Aperture like interface (DXO is just too slow)
3. Option for full DNG support like LR
DXO does great lens corrections and bought Viewpoint 2 to fix complex distortions that LR cannot do. However, with LR I have to create a TIFF file and then in Viewpoint I have to direct it to the original RAW file for it to find the lens used. It is a hassle, that is why I want a fast superior GUI and I will dump LR. Still having to pay extra to get access to full frame cameras is low. Come on, a Canon 5D can be picked up for near $400 and the software without promo is $300!
Full DNG support really is essential. Been using DxO since version 2 or 3 and still can't open Ricoh GXR DNGs. Upgraded every time but this is it for me... :-(
Also, expensive upgrade cycles are getting shorter all the time. Enough already!
samhain: If only it was a:
• fixed 35mm f1.4 leica lens on an aps-c sensor (50mm equiv)
• fixed 50mm f2 leica lens on a FF sensor
• FF digital version of the CL/minilux with the fixed 40mm f2.4 summarit lens
It would create some serious competition for
Fuji & Sony RX-1 imo, even at $3100.
Why fixed?
Get a GXR and use a 35 Summilux, OR a 50 Summicron OR a Summarit OR OR OR etc,,,
So glad I got a GRX with M mount.
APS-C (Ok, only 12MP, but really nice ones) and I can use just about every Leica lens ever made and many many more from other lens-makers via adapters...
Now if only DxO would recognize DNGs... :-(
Yes please please please... :-)
I could start using all my nice Canon lenses again.
For now I'm 98% Ricoh GXR with "M Mount"...
Still no DNG support... :-(
Still does not even display DNG files! So one can't even correct files manually...
copy / paste from version 8 update:
Again, still no support for the Ricoh GXR. :-(
Worse, STILL NO DNG support whatsoever. DNGs aren't even displayed in their "browser"...
And yes, I have been asking them for GXR / DNG support since version 3 or 4. :-(
carpediem007: Again, still no support for the Ricoh GXR. :-(
Worse, STILL NO DNG support whatsoever. DNGs aren't even displayed in their "browser"...
And yes, I have been asking them for GXR / DNG support since version 3 or 4. :-(
That's what just about everybody would "expect". Unfortunately it's not so. DxO doesn't even display DNGs... :-(