Why I Use a Cheap Flash on my Leica M6

[@chazzwade6290]

wish you would have posted some photos that you took using the pair...

[@hoonetic]

Thanks for the video! I was originally planning on getting a Nissin i40 for my M6 classic, but now that I just watched your video, I think the Vivitar 125 is the perfect one I was looking for. Thanks!

[@planttheseed2129]

Just saw your M7 video. Did you still have it?

[@coleturner3859]

Maybe put the video camera in manual focus cuz it’s hunting a lot

[@NateMatosPhotographer]

Yeah for sure, still figuring all this out. Tried to cover it with the b-roll but clearly can do better. Thanks!

[@lincolnlin480]

No sample pictures?

[@gottanikoncamera]

I just worry flashes of that vintage will fry the electronics on more modern cameras. I still have the giant Vivitar 283 I bought in the 70s but I’ll only use that with cameras from the 80s or older.

[@lexlayabout5757]

Quite right. I don't know the trigger voltage of this particular flash, but other Vivitars (and many other brands) of that time, including the 283, could have up to several hundred volts.

[@ptjohnny62]

Can anybody tell me if those flashes can also work on my m4-p, or any suggestions? I do street photography so it will be good if it's small and do you know if LightPix Q20 II wroks in my camera? Thank you Guys !

[@matttovey5327]

Good morning Nate, just watched your video on shooting the X-T1 like a film camera... I really like the idea of this & have wondered about covering the LCD screen. Ive been shooting a couple of manual focus lenses made by 7artisans. I must say that I've been really impressed with the build quality & output of the lenses. May be worth giving it a try? If you did have any rear display covers left I would be happy to pay you for one? Just to let you know, I live in England.. Keep up the good work with the videos! All the best, Matt

[@NateMatosPhotographer]

I've owned two of the 7artisans lenses, the 35mm f/2 and the 50mm 1.1. They're unbeatable on a Leica for the price. I've been wanting to try the 35mm 1.4 for some time now and may need to actually get about to picking it up. Let me check and see if I have any international stamps lying around. I think I need to head to the post office anyway so it shouldn't be a problem to grab a few more.

[@matttovey5327]

@@NateMatosPhotographer Hi there Nate, thanks for getting back to me. I'm moor than happy to pay you for the postage etc.. I currently have the 12mm f.28, 25mm f1.8 & the 55mm 1.4.. all 7artisans. I don't use the 12mm very often but love the 25mm & 55mm.. I have a small number of fuji lenses too. There is something really nice about shooting a digital camera like film. Thanks again for your hard work on the videos Nate!

[@traviswsparks5164]

Are you able to remove the tiny screw sticking up on the m6 hotshoe?

[@midwestgrain]

It shouldn't stick up too much - mine is pretty flush with the body and doesn't get in the way.

[@jakopz66]

Thanks Nate! I’ll be using this on an M-A...how do I figure what shutter speed to use?

[@felixchong2002]

I set it to 50 on my MP.

[@Huginn1000]

@@felixchong2002I usually drive at 200 mph in my Bugatti Veyron

[@maxwellwellmax878]

Hope you're doing well Nate!. Hopefully you will keep on making videos.

[@williar1961]

Neat little flash

[@lexlayabout5757]

◾All old basic flash units are cheap now, people can't even give them away unless they are something special. Ebay is full of them, and the postage will cost you more than the item. The Viv 125 is not special in that respect. I've got much better ones than that for even cheaper than that. ◾From the body language (3:00), it looks like he uses the camera one-handed. Hence his emphasis on lightness. I'm old school and use both hands, so weight is not made into an issue. ◾The Viv 125 is a totally manual unit, so for every shot you must estimate the distance, consult the dial, and then set camera aperture accordingly. That is slow and not as simple as an auto flash unit, with which you set the aperture just once for a whole session and don't need to estimate distances as long as you keep within a maximum, which will be more than the dimension of a room if you use a unit with more power than a glow-worm. The Sunpak Auto122 for example, but there are hundreds of others. ◾The reason these units are so small and light is that they are feeble. Those heavy old units were heavy because they were more powerful, not because of the "fancy" features. ◾Almost all flash units of the film era used AA batteries. The Viv 125 is not special in that respect. ◾The light going straight towards the subject (6:15) may be all you need to light the subjects, but they will look like prison mugshots. Bounce flash gives softer, kinder lighting, which is the reason for those articulating heads, and also requires more power. ◾It should be pointed out that some these old flashes (almost certainly including the Viv 125) might be OK on old cameras, but their high voltages can damage a modern camera's electronics. Flashes made after about 1985 should be OK, but check.

[@nickfanzo]

Perfect flash for an m6. Make sure you stay at 1/50 or slower

[@jackman507]

thanks for the info!

[@marlon.iraheta]

Nice content ✌️

[@NRecob]

6:26 You don't know what a Guide Number is???

[@lexlayabout5757]

Amazing, isn't it! The reason this thing is so small and light is the fact that it is so feeble with a low guide number. Anyway, from seeing the dial at 6:40 , it is 15 metres, about the same as a pop-up flash.