Okay, I have some time while I wait for a delivery today … so, I'll try and help you. Then if you think it IS of some help you can use the advice.
1) Unless you turn them down and they hire an experienced event or wedding shooter, you may be better than the alternative. I say this because you at least show you care by asking questions.
2) Yes you can use use the M9, and no, flash doesn't have to be ugly. Most people feel that way because they do not know how to use flash and are intimidated by it, therefore fixate on crappy flash work as justification for their opinion.
3) You do NOT have to use flash for every shot with the M9 … just use it for the images that warrant it. Every speed-light has an on/off button.
4) Event work is difficult to shoot using just ambient because you often do not have control over the light direction relative to the subject, and the quality and quantity of light can vary widely.
SOME THOUGHTS TO TRY:
FLASH EQUPMENT: When you use flash, you rarely have to exceed ISO 640 to 800 on any camera including M cameras. This increases the DR and IQ even in lower light. Even IF you need to use 1250, when you use flash it'll be better IQ than without.
I do not remember if the SF20 is TTL on the M9. I know the SF24D is. If the SF20 is not TTL on the M9 then it is hard to modify it with a diffuser because the diffuser interferes with the auto eye. This is important because you'll need to modify the SF flash with this diffuser made for The SF TTL speed-lights: (click on S-Fill once on this page):
www.leicagoodies.com
Otherwise get or rent a flash that offers bounce/swivel capability even if it is just auto-eye, and get a bounce/diffusion modifier for it. One like this:
Vello Light Bouncer Kit for Portable Flashes FD-200 B&H Photo
USE: The over-arching objective of flash work should be to supplement the ambient and provide different degrees of FILL.
Crappy looking, over-flashed work is usually a result of using the camera's highest flash sync shutter speed in low light conditions … providing undersexposed ambient, a wall of darkness behind the subject, and the subject over-lit looking.
Experienced event shooters use a technique called "Dragging the Shutter" … where you use say ISO 640, a wider aperture like f/2 (or f/4 if needed for DOF), and a slower shutter speed … with an M you can even shoot at 1/20 with a 50mm.
When you drag the shutter and use a bit faster aperture, it records more of the background ambient light. Less underexposed or wall of black backgrounds. Now you have some ambient to supplement with fill.
However, slower shutter speeds mean nothing to the flash exposure. This is because flash exposure is a result of duration (how long the flash says on) … and the flash duration is always faster than the camera's shutter sync speed (flash duration can be 1/1000 to 1/2500 depending on how much light is needed to light the foreground subject). This fast flash duration almost always
freezes the subject in dark ambient conditions … even with slower camera shutter speeds.
I know this all sounds intimidating, but it is easy to try with your M9 and any flash … doing it at home with the light low will bolster your confidence in just a few minutes. With immediate feed-back, you can make minor adjustments, and you'll be good to go. Just practice a lot in different low light situations.
It isn't rocket science even if it sounds like it is.:ROTFL:
- Marc
P.S., here is a little gallery of event stuff shot with a M … some using on-camera SF flash with an S-FILL diffuser. Which is which is your guess.
Leica M Wedding - fotografz