Flash for a GF1

[harry66]

Hi,
This is my first post - I have searched this forum but I cant find definitive answers to the following:

I am about to sell my Nikon kit to downsize to a GF1. I find my SB800 flash is great in full Auto mode and so a good easy to use flash is a must with the GF1.

I have a short list as follows:

Olympus FL-36R (I can get it cheaper than the DWM-FL360)
Metz 48-AF1
Metz 36-AF4

But none of the above seem ideal, based on some research I have found the following issues with each of the flashes on my shortlist:

The FL-36R is slow to recycle
The Metz 48-AF1 is looks too big/unwieldy for the GF1.
The 36-AF4 is a bit underpowered.

Can anyone please comment on the above points - either to agree or disagree?

Also, I am confused about the compatibility of the SB800 with the GF1. I have read in a few places that the SB800 works ok with the GF1 - but not sure if this is with full TTL or does it require manual settings etc. I dont understand enough to make manual flash adjustment etc.

Thanks in advance!

 

[alanwf]

I don’t know the Nikon flash at all, but I do not believe that you would damage either the flash of the GF1 by putting it on and trying it out in TTL and seeing how it works—should be easy enough to tell if it’s exposing well. Some features like 2nd curtain may not work properly, but you could test pretty much everything out. If the exposures are good—it works!

 

[noirist]

I've just gone through the exact same search for my GH1. I concluded that the only reason to purchase an external flash was to be sure that I could get great indoor pictures, much better than I could get with the built-in flash. Direct flash is harsh indoors and casts a noticeable shadow behind the subject. The best indoor pictures I've seen lit by a flash were all with bounce flash and a bounce card. So that meant the flash had to recycle quickly and be powerful enough to fill a big room when bounced. That left me with the Metz 58 and the Olympus FL50R. They're big, but nothing smaller will give you consistently great indoor pictures. I tried them both and the FL50R is head and shoulders above the Metz 58 for micro 4/3rds. Check out my Amazon review for the details.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3G5KB4X8J2XN2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

 

[Godfrey]

Hi,
This is my first post - I have searched this forum but I cant find definitive answers to the following:

I am about to sell my Nikon kit to downsize to a GF1. I find my SB800 flash is great in full Auto mode and so a good easy to use flash is a must with the GF1.

I have a short list as follows:

Olympus FL-36R (I can get it cheaper than the DWM-FL360)
Metz 48-AF1
Metz 36-AF4

But none of the above seem ideal, based on some research I have found the following issues with each of the flashes on my shortlist:

The FL-36R is slow to recycle
The Metz 48-AF1 is looks too big/unwieldy for the GF1.
The 36-AF4 is a bit underpowered.

Can anyone please comment on the above points - either to agree or disagree?

Also, I am confused about the compatibility of the SB800 with the GF1. I have read in a few places that the SB800 works ok with the GF1 - but not sure if this is with full TTL or does it require manual settings etc. I dont understand enough to make manual flash adjustment etc.

Thanks in advance!

- Recent Nikon flash units like the SB800 work fine with Panasonic and Olympus cameras, but no dedicated functions or TTL metering are supported. In essence, they become simple, non-dedicated flash units with either manual or in-flash auto metering systems. I use an SB-30 quite often as a lightweight add-on flash or as a trigger flash for non-dedicated slave strobes.

- My dedicated flash unit is an Olympus FL-36 (model prior to the "R" unit). It works brilliantly in all modes with any mFT or FT SLR lens fitted. The TTL function don't meter consistently with adapted manual lenses, but the auto-flash function using the in-flash metering system works fine and "FP" (aka HSS) sync is supported in manual or auto modes. It's modest power, but good enough for my needs. I use it with diffusers, bounce boxes, etc. The modest recycle time is due to two batteries becoming exhausted quickly when in heavy use ... all it means is that on any longer shoot I'll carry more sets of fully charged batteries and swap them earlier, that's all. I'm delighted with the flash: it works very well for my needs. I'm awaiting a 3.5m dedicated extension cord as we speak ... For heavier duty use, I'd buy an FL50(R).

- More and more of my flash work is being done with simple, manual strobes nowadays using simple RF remote triggers. Can't beat the power and flexibility of a Vivitar 285HV for $90. I don't rely much on flash automation, most of the time anyway. It's so easy to just set up the flashes and diffuser on light stands, turn on the triggers, and go shoot a pop or two to get the right exposure. All the fuss with fancy dedicated automation systems seems to get in the way more than it helps.

 

[harry66]

Thanks for replies.
Unfortunately the Metz 58 is too expensive for me...
My main use will be for indoor photos of my kids. I prefer a fast cycle time as my youngest does not like to posing too much. This means if I mess up one shot I can fire of another at short notice if all looks good.
I guess the SB800 wont do for me then as I really need fully automatic everything. I plan to start with the kit 14-45mm lens but then hope to upgrade to the 14-140mm Vario HD when I can afford - so I guess the Oly or the Metz will work fully auto with these lenses?

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks for replies.
Unfortunately the Metz 58 is too expensive for me...
My main use will be for indoor photos of my kids. I prefer a fast cycle time as my youngest does not like to posing too much. This means if I mess up one shot I can fire of another at short notice if all looks good.
I guess the SB800 wont do for me then as I really need fully automatic everything. I plan to start with the kit 14-45mm lens but then hope to upgrade to the 14-140mm Vario HD when I can afford - so I guess the Oly or the Metz will work fully auto with these lenses?

The dedicated flash units will work fine with those lenses.

For indoor work in modest family rooms etc, the FL36 recycles almost instantly on TTL Auto with the camera in fully auto configuration for around 50 exposures on a fresh set of AA Lithium or freshly charged set of Eneloop batteries. Even with bounce flash off the ceiling or a LumiQuest Soft Box II attached.

This is not a professional use where you're stressing the envelope quite a bit more by requiring near full output power blasts in big halls, wedding reception spaces, churches, or on the street for news/event capture. There's a big difference in the power required to light an 8x12x18 living room vs any of the above.

 

[Howard]

I have the Metz 48 flash and use it with my G1. Yes it is large, it has 4 batteries and seems to recycle relatively quickly which is important to me. The Metz seems compatible with my G1, the automatic zoom works. I like and would recommend the Metz 48, but since I do not have a GF1 so I do not know if it is too large for the camera.

 

[harry66]

Godfrey,
Thanks for your comments on the recycle times in a smaller room - I find them encouraging. I am planning to buy my camera in store so hopefully will get to test out the GF1 + FL-36r combo.
Thanks to the others for the replies too - definitely worth noting.

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey,
Thanks for your comments on the recycle times in a smaller room - I find them encouraging. I am planning to buy my camera in store so hopefully will get to test out the GF1 + FL-36r combo.

You piqued my interest so that means I did a test ...

Fitted G1 with Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 lens.
Set camera on iAuto
Fitted FL36 loaded with a set of AA Eneloops freshly charged a week ago
Powered up FL36 and set it to TTL Auto operation

I proceeded to make 76 single shot exposures around my apartment, pretty much back to back and as fast as I'd ever normally take pictures of anything like friends and kids in my apartment. Took about five minutes. Northern exposure, lights on in some rooms, off in others. Rooms are mostly 12x10 to 18x20 spaces with 8' ceilings, painted cream white. normal mix of household wood, black leather, blond wood furniture. kitchen kinda dark. I used bounce and direct flash, snapped the Mini Softbox on the camera for some shots too. I stopped at 76 simply because I have other things to do... the camera and flash would probably run like this for over 100 exposures easily.

In only two or three exposures did I have to wait for the flash to charge at all, and that was about a second wait. The rest of the time, the "ready" light was on continuously, the green "correct exposure" indicator shone after every shot.

Looking at the shots, all but one exposure was made at f/1.7, the other at f/2. 59 were made at ISO 100, 13 at ISO 160, the other two at 400 and 800 respectively. All the shots were in the right ballpark (+/- .3 EV) of being properly exposed.

Now ... use a slower aperture and the flash and camera are going to have to work harder, consume more power. Use bounce more and again it will have to consume more power. More power used drives recycle times up.

But I can't imagine not being able to fire off 30-50 shots with minimal recycle time in any normal, all dedicated TTL auto, household flash shooting situation. If that's not enough for your needs, you want a larger, higher power, heavier duty flash unit.

 

[harry66]

Wow - thanks Godfrey for that - much appreciated.
I will probably be going for the 14-45mm initially so the smaller aperture will probably require more flash. But probably will go for the FL-36R as the Metz just sounds too big.
Thanks again.

 

[harry66]

Thanks chaps - bought the FL-36 R + GF1 + 14-45mm and 20mm.
Just charging the battery...

 

[ChrisJ]

Can I draw your attention to Dave Hobby's Strobist site, you can use any flash with manual outputs on any camera that has a hotshoe and manual. All in manual mode, scary stuff for some but the results are like a pro (which Dave Hobby is).

http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html

First port of call is the 101 Archive for basic info. First thing He advocates is to get the flash off camera to avoid that flat flash look.

ChrisJ

Edit: The G1 is absolutely ideal for this technique.

 

[ericstaud]

What about the dedicated Lumix flashes that will work with TTL?

Panasonic

 

[harry66]

What about the dedicated Lumix flashes that will work with TTL?

Panasonic

I did consider these at first but...

FL220 too underpowered for me (remember I am used to an SB800 with my D80)
FL360 - would have cost me a fair bit more than the Oly FL-36 which I was assured was the same as the FL360 (+remote)
FL550 - looks too big for a GF1

Cheers

 

[photoSmart42]

- More and more of my flash work is being done with simple, manual strobes nowadays using simple RF remote triggers. Can't beat the power and flexibility of a Vivitar 285HV for $90. I don't rely much on flash automation, most of the time anyway. It's so easy to just set up the flashes and diffuser on light stands, turn on the triggers, and go shoot a pop or two to get the right exposure. All the fuss with fancy dedicated automation systems seems to get in the way more than it helps.

Same here.