M TTL Metz flash issues
How to use Metz flash in TTL mode
To use a (2005-) Metz flash in TTL mode with the TTL Ms (M6TTL or M7), make sure you first use the right SCA 3502 Adapter. To find out which one you need, refer to the following URL:
<metz.de/en/photo_electronics/adapter.143.html>
Use the pop-up menus to select "analog", "Leica", "M6 TTL" (or "M7"), and then choose the Metz Flash gun you have. For example, the Leica M6TTL + Mecablitz 54 MZ-4 combo requires the "SCA 3502 (ab M / as of M)" adapter.
Once you have the correct SCA 3502 Adapter, Steven Keirstead provides the following instructions:
Attach the flash with both camera and flash OFF! Turn on the flash. Make sure your flash is set to TTL, and turn the M6 TTL on and set to 1/50 sec or slower (the flash icon on the dial) and make sure the flash is awake pressing the test fire button. Using higher than 1/50 sec speeds the camera turns off the flash shoe on an M6 TTL, and the flash will not fire, regardless of flash make or model or mode (TTL, Auto or Manual flash).
If the 54MZ flash goes to sleep with an M6TTL, because you pause shooting, you must wake the 54MZ flash by pushing the test button on the or turning the flash on and off. You can set the flash so it will not go to sleep, or goes to sleep with a longer wait. If you are worried about it, see your 54MZ manual on adjustments to flash sleep.
If that does not work take the 54MZ back to the store and have them check it on another body.
SCA 3501 bugs
In Sep 2000, "Lucien" noted that according to Jonathan Eastland in his new book The Leica M6TTL Handbook (ISBN 0-9536241-0-2), early versions of the Metz SCA 3501 adapter have a bug in their firmware which causes aperture display problems on the 40 and 50 MZx line of Metz flashes. The good news however is that the fault is confined to only those SCA adapters made before Sep 1998, with SCA units after this being okay.
See the Metz www site for more details.
SCA 351 - will it work?
Not with the R8 it won't!
In June 2006 John Shin sent me the following note:
Jonathan Eastland says in his "Leica R8" that SCA 351 should work with R8/9/M7, but not SCA 350. Apparently, SCA 350 does not have the right "stop it" signal. That would mean that it doesn't work with R5/E/6/7, either…
Metz says many 351-compatible flashes will work with R8/9/M7, but only with 3501/2 and 3000C combination, which "translates" the 3000-series (digital) signal to 300-series (analog; or, actually, on/off, I think).
So, I tried a 351 module on my R8, with Metz 32 CT-2 (direct), Metz 32 Z-2 (direct), and Agfatronic 643CS (with SCA 300A cable). With both, the "charged" indicator comes on correctly, but so does the "minus compensation" indicator. The shutter speed does not change automatically. The flash fires at full power. I other words, no, 351 does not work with R8. (It could be that my 351 is defective, of course, and I have no way of testing it. This is the problem with skipping from R3 to R8… :-) )
I'm now using the SCA module (I paid $20) as an expensive hot-shoe adapter; it stays on very well, so I'm very happy about that. The SCA 300A cable will not fit over the 3502 module; I got it stuck pretty good, and had to pry it off with a letter opener. Eek!
So the moral of our story is pretty clear — Use A Modern 3501/2 adapter!
A note about possible broken links
This FAQ has over 900 external links. Over time it is inevitable some of them will break. If you are bothered by this, see this detailed topic elsewhere in the FAQ.