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Profoto Air TTL-N remote HSS with Leica S

I'm getting sick of the slow sync speed on my Leica S 006. And since I opted for contax lenses over the Leica CS lenses (for character and budget reasons), I am stuck at 1/125 sync speed which is quite awful.

Does anyone know if I were to purchase an Air TTL-N remote that apparently syncs at 1/8000 of a second using the B1 and B2 systems, it will allow HSS (high speed sync) using my Leica? I know that I won't have TTL which I don't care for at all. But just wanted to see if it would work with the high speed sync on the Leica.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
No. I'm pretty sure it will not work.

In the Profoto HSS instructions for Nikon AIR Remote TTL Transceivers, it says HSS has to be selected in the Nikon camera menu.

- Marc
 
Thanks Marc, this is super lame. So there are no solutions for medium format outside of leaf shutter lenses :(



No. I'm pretty sure it will not work.

In the Profoto HSS instructions for Nikon AIR Remote TTL Transceivers, it says HSS has to be selected in the Nikon camera menu.

- Marc
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Thanks Marc, this is super lame. So there are no solutions for medium format outside of leaf shutter lenses :(
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply there weren't any solutions for MF ... I just answered your specific question as it relates to the Profoto B1/B2/B1X with the S camera and a Profoto AIR-N (Nikon) transmitter.

I didn't have B1s when I got the S, just Profoto studio packs and the Acute B2-600AIR, so I built my S lens system with CS versions (except the 100/2.2). I still find the leaf shutter solution to be the easiest way to increase sync speeds.

However, I do understand your choice of the Contax 645 optics some of which are fab even today (I was a Contax user for a long time).

There may be other solutions: Here are a few articles I found helpful in understanding the choices to get past limited focal plane shutter sync speeds because I wanted to use my Sony A7R-II with HSS OC Flash (but was saved the trouble when Profoto announced the AIR-S Transmitter that allows use up to 1/8000).

https://fstoppers.com/originals/demystifying-high-speed-sync-68527

https://fstoppers.com/education/are-leaf-shutter-lenses-better-hss-and-hs-163706

Plus there are new technologies coming to market all the time. Elinchrom has their Hi-Sync verses HSS and Hyper-Sync ... which sounds damned promising.

ELINCHROM - HS - HSS? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

I think there are some other new strobes with similar technologies. Perhaps others will chime in on those?

Whether something like Elinchrom Hi-Sync or Pocket Wizard's Hyper-Sync can be used with the S in FP mode is something you'll have to research ... although one would think that someone would have written about it on an S forum. I honestly don't know.

- Marc
 

baudolino

Active member
The Nikon trigger doesn't work on the Leica at all, despite the physical layout of the hotshoe pins being the same between the two brands (doesn't even trigger the lights). You can use the AirRemote or the AirSync, but there will be neither TTL nor HSS. Leaf shutter lenses are the only practical way to go here. Yes, it would be nice if Profoto offered TTL/HSS triggers for Leicas cameras also, but I don't think this will happen anytime soon. I am not aware of any solution from another strobe manufacturer.
 
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