
SETTINGS FOR CAMERA-CONTROLLED
AUTOMATIC FLASH MODE
Once the flash unit you are using has been turned on and set to the appropri-
ate mode for TTL operation, on the Leica S
1. the exposure metering must first be performed by gently pressing the
shutter release button before taking each flash picture, so that the display
in the viewfinder shows the shutter speed or switches over to the light
balance. If this stage is missed out by fully depressing the shutter release
button in one quick movement, the flash unit will not fire even if required.
2. set the preferred exposure mode or the desired shutter speed and/or
aperture. The faster flash sync speed must be taken into account as this
determines whether a "normal" flash is fired or an HSS flash.
TTL FLASH MODE
Fully automatic, i.e. camera controlled, TTL flash operation is available with
the Leica S when using system-compatible flash units (see p. 52), and in all of
the camera's exposure modes.
Automatic illumination control is also provided. This means that in order to
ensure a balanced relationship between flash and available light at all times,
the flash power is reduced by up to 1
2
/
3
EV as ambient brightness increases
(fill-in flash). However, if the available brightness requires a faster shutter
speed than the set sync speed (
1
/
125
s for the focal plane shutter,
1
/
1000
s for
lenses with central shutter) or it is set manually, the camera will automatically
switch a system-compatible flash unit to linear flash mode (HSS, see next
section).
In addition, the Leica S transfers the set sensitivity and aperture to the flash
unit. Provided it has the right displays, the flash unit can then automatically
adjust its displayed range accordingly.
Notes:
• The settings and functions described in the following sections relate exclu-
sively to flash units that are system compatible to the Leica S.
• An exposure compensation set on the camera (see p. 39) only influences
the measurement of available light.
If you want to simultaneously use compensation of the TTL flash exposure
measurement in flash mode – in parallel or in the opposite direction, you
must make this additional setting (on the flash unit).
• More details of ash use, in particular for other ash units not specially
adapted to the Leica S and for different flash modes can be found in the
respective instructions.
HIGH SPEED SYNC MODE
Fully automatic, i.e. camera controlled flash operation is available with the
Leica S when using system-compatible flash units (see p. 52), with all shutter
speeds and in all of the camera's exposure modes. It is automatically activat-
ed by the camera if the selected or calculated shutter speed is faster than the
sync speed, i.e. ≤
1
/
180
s for the focal plane shutter. If the flash unit is set cor-
rectly, this change does not require any further action by the photographer.
STROBE FLASH MODE WITH SYSTEM COMPATIBLE FLASH UNITS
This flash method, in which several flashes are emitted in succession during
an exposure, is possible in all of the camera's exposure modes.
In
and modes, the camera automatically sets the necessary shutter
speed for the selected flash number and frequency. If the required shutter
speed results in overexposure due to the available light, this is indicated by
the light balance (2.6b).
In
and modes, an excessively fast shutter speed is indicated by the shut-
ter speed display flashing (2.2a/3.12) in the viewfinder and in the top panel
display.
In such cases, exposure compensation can be carried out by changing the
number of flashes and/or the flash frequency and/or the aperture and/or
the shutter speed (with
and ).
For a successful strobe photograph, for example when several phases of one
sequence of movement are recorded on one picture, the operating range of
the flash unit, the number of flashes, the distance and of course the aperture
are of crucial importance. You can find information about this in the instruc-
tions for your flash unit.
Note:
The HSS flash mode results in shorter ranges.
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