Super tiny flash?

chris00nj · 11-21-2009

Is there a very very small flash attachment available for hotshoe connection? I like available light photography, but sometimes a tiny amount of light could help fill in shadows on someone's face.

What I would be looking for would be so small it would rival a flash on disposal. Everything I've seen is a sizable flash.

swoop · 11-21-2009

Holga Starblitz. It's like $15 on ebay. Manual flash. Uses a single AA battery. 8 second recycle time. It's tiny enough to keep in my bag just in case.

Jason Sprenger · 11-21-2009

I bring a Sunpak DS-20 in my bag. It's a little two battery unit with an automatic mode and tilt.

Not super, super tiny but RF-sized, much more so than a 4-cell unit and at ISO 400, results can be decent indoors.

ZeissFan · 11-21-2009

I like that little Holga unit.

chris00nj · 11-21-2009

That little Holga unit is a good suggestion.

Does anyone have any experience with the Leica CF flash that was made for the minilux?

Pablito · 11-21-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by swoop

Holga Starblitz. It's like $15 on ebay. Manual flash. Uses a single AA battery. 8 second recycle time. It's tiny enough to keep in my bag just in case.

Whoa! That Holga flash needs tape over the brand name, just like the tape over the Holga brand name on that camera!

Fenwick · 11-21-2009

Why do people cover up the leica name and model on there camera anyway?
I see this all the time here just curious

colyn · 11-21-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenwick

Why do people cover up the leica name and model on there camera anyway?
I see this all the time here just curious

Fear of theft..

Gary Sandhu · 11-21-2009

Tape: looks cool

iamzip · 11-23-2009

There are tons of tiny flashes to be had on eBay, Canon, Rollei, Voightlaender... Some of the old 110 cameras had matching hotshoe flashes that were really tiny, I have a Fuji one that I think is the tiniest... So try searching for old 110 cameras, find one with a detachable hotshoe flash, and you can probably get it real cheap!

peterm1 · 11-23-2009

One issue you may find if you are using an M3 (As I see from your signature ) is that it has no hotshoe as such only an accessory shoe - meaning you have to connect to a separate flash connection to fire the thing. Many later flashes therefore do not work unless they have a cable attachment. Most do not. I have a small quite old aftermarket one with such a cable that I use for these older non hotshoe camera bodies and a tiny early Nikon (SB 6??? or something) that I use for other cameras. The first is fully manual and the second is automatic.

Michiel Fokkema · 11-24-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterm1

One issue you may find if you are using an M3 (As I see from your signature ) is that it has no hotshoe as such only an accessory shoe - meaning you have to connect to a separate flash connection to fire the thing. Many later flashes therefore do not work unless they have a cable attachment. Most do not. I have a small quite old aftermarket one with such a cable that I use for these older non hotshoe camera bodies and a tiny early Nikon (SB 6??? or something) that I use for other cameras. The first is fully manual and the second is automatic.

You can use an adapter for flashes without a cable connection.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

Ezzie · 11-24-2009

Nikon SB-30? Safe trigger voltage. Vertical bounce capabilites. (Nikon) TTL and manual functions. And one for sale in the classifieds here.

semordnilap · 11-24-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris00nj

That little Holga unit is a good suggestion.

Does anyone have any experience with the Leica CF flash that was made for the minilux?

I have one. Works great for when you need it. Deck of cards small, 2 aa, 1 manual & 2 auto modes, simple exposure chart on the back. Nice for fill, for travel. I bought mine used & have been happy with it.

chris00nj · 11-24-2009

I have both a Bessa and a PC/Hotshoe adapter for the M3. I am well aware the M3 doesn't have a hotshoe.

I'll look into the 110 camera suggestion.

I wish someone made a small LED flash. It would be great if CV made a tiny LED flash the size of one of their VC meters. It wouldn't provide the enough light for exposure, but just fill in highlights and provide some bluer light to offset indoor yellows.

historicist · 11-24-2009

Second the SB-30 - esp as it has so much control over the strength on manual. Most small flashes only offer ttl (which is useless on any camera other than the one it was designed for) and blaring full output which looks terrible unless you bounce it, and most can't bounce.

The SB-30 goes down to 1/32 IIRC.

bennyng · 11-24-2009

How's this for small?

Contax TLA200 on Epson R-D1

It has a zoom head too to match your focal length!

Cheers,

pmu · 11-30-2009

That Holga flash is perfect in size and everything, but the quality is (not surprizingly) crap. My flash died after one week and maybe after 50 flashes.

I would take a look at Metz automatic flashes...some of them are quite small.

sevo · 11-30-2009

My favourite is the Metz 34 CS-2 - about the size of a Olympus RC without the lens, and at LZ28 (GN92) at 35mm coverage it packs quite a punch.

Trius · 11-30-2009

If you can find an Olympus PS100, it's pretty small and has the advantage of having a horizontal orientation. Well, that seems like an advantage to me, since the dispersion better matches a 35mm frame, plus it "hugs" the camera body better.

I don't have a photo of mine, but it looks a lot like the current FL-14 flash, just older in terms of styling:

mabelsound · 11-30-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennyng

How's this for small?

Contax TLA200 on Epson R-D1

It has a zoom head too to match your focal length!

Cheers,

I have often wondered if those worked on the R-D1 or M7. Maybe you can give us a little tutorial? I've got a G2 as well and would eventually want one either way...

charjohncarter · 11-30-2009

You might try to find one of these, it uses real batteries or battery and has a hot shoe (only). And is good for fill flash:

iamzip · 11-30-2009

My Voigtlaender flash for 110 and Fuji 110 shown on my Bessa L for reference. (It won't actually work this way, since it's a cold shoe). The Voigtlaender flash was made for the Vitoret 110, and there is a very similar one called the V200. The Fujicolor Strobo flash was made for the Pocket Fujica 350 Zoom (world's first 110 zoom camera!). I think I paid $7.00 for the Fuji camera and flash. There are also a ton of small flashes on www.rolleiclub.com.

jonmanjiro · 12-01-2009

I use a Nikon SB-30 flash on my RF cameras from time to time. Looks a little odd, but its nice and small, and works great.

peterm1 · 12-01-2009

The tiny Nikon SB 9 (quite an old fashioned auto flash) is very functional and I have in the past used it a great deal on my M4P. It does not have a separate flash cord however so the camera must be one that has a hotshoe. Its small but the really nice thing is the accuracy of its sensor. I seldom get a dud exposure when using it for fill flash - which is how i mainly have used it.