Re: Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras - any comments?
Mine is the Metz 48 AF-1 digital which has worked fine for a long time starting with the * istD. On the K1 it showed incorrect exposure with full blast, until I discovered there was an firmware update. Now it's correctly measuring in P-TTL. But I'm using more and more natural light and brighten shadows in Lightroom. Henk Op 2018-07-29 om 20:17 schreef Jos de Fotograaf: I agree with the remarks of Mark: robustness of Metz flashes is less than their products 30-40 years ago (the hammer type that could be used as a hammer!) But, lets be fair, presents types are relatively cheaper and have more options. I had a AF-1 and a AF-2 both failed after a few years due to jammed zoom mechanisme. I opened one and was shocked by the fragile construction. Then I decided that I have little advantage from P-TTL and go on with some old flashes: automatic with their own sensor, no automatic zooming, robust and reliable. Greetz, Jos On 7/29/2018 7:08 PM, Mark C wrote: I don't have the model you are looking at but have a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 and have experienced mixed results with it. The good: Lots of options and features. The user interface is a little fiddly but once you get used to its not a problem. It needed a firmware update to work with the K1 but has a usb port and can be easily updated. With the update it works fine on the K1. The not good: The LCD panel stopped illuminating a few months after I bought the first flash. I assumed it was just switched off (the menus still appeared on the panel but without back lighting). Metz said it was defective and offered to repair it under warranty. After several weeks of waiting for parts they ultimately replaced the flash with a new one. The new unit developed the same failure within a few months, and by then the warranty had expired. I can still use the unit I have, but can't read the menus in the dark. Given that I had two flashes fail in the same manner I'm skeptical of Metz's quality. But the flash is feature rich, well designed and affordably priced. Mark On 7/27/2018 12:40 PM, luiz felipe wrote: looking at the pc screen, the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras looks interesting due to low price, advertised P-TTL compatibility and "adjustable four level video light". the cash, as always, is rather short so no option more expensive than the AF360FGZ II is coming home - but IF this or another Metz is adequate, more $$ can be diverted to lenses and cameras. from my previous experience with Pentax flashes (280t and 330ftz) they tend to eat batteries faster than ideal, but had endured a lot of abuse. the 360 FGZ II is weather resistant, but that's not to be an issue - I don't intend to take flash photography under the rain. flash photos are not so frequent, for me, to the point a Vivitar 285hv has been enough until now. any toughts? any hands-on experience with the "video light" of those two flashes? FWIW, I do carry a flashlight in the bag all times, and have used it on occasion to light my subjects under very low light - the feature is welcome indeed. thanks in advance! -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras - any comments?
I agree with the remarks of Mark: robustness of Metz flashes is less than their products 30-40 years ago (the hammer type that could be used as a hammer!) But, lets be fair, presents types are relatively cheaper and have more options. I had a AF-1 and a AF-2 both failed after a few years due to jammed zoom mechanisme. I opened one and was shocked by the fragile construction. Then I decided that I have little advantage from P-TTL and go on with some old flashes: automatic with their own sensor, no automatic zooming, robust and reliable. Greetz, Jos On 7/29/2018 7:08 PM, Mark C wrote: I don't have the model you are looking at but have a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 and have experienced mixed results with it. The good: Lots of options and features. The user interface is a little fiddly but once you get used to its not a problem. It needed a firmware update to work with the K1 but has a usb port and can be easily updated. With the update it works fine on the K1. The not good: The LCD panel stopped illuminating a few months after I bought the first flash. I assumed it was just switched off (the menus still appeared on the panel but without back lighting). Metz said it was defective and offered to repair it under warranty. After several weeks of waiting for parts they ultimately replaced the flash with a new one. The new unit developed the same failure within a few months, and by then the warranty had expired. I can still use the unit I have, but can't read the menus in the dark. Given that I had two flashes fail in the same manner I'm skeptical of Metz's quality. But the flash is feature rich, well designed and affordably priced. Mark On 7/27/2018 12:40 PM, luiz felipe wrote: looking at the pc screen, the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras looks interesting due to low price, advertised P-TTL compatibility and "adjustable four level video light". the cash, as always, is rather short so no option more expensive than the AF360FGZ II is coming home - but IF this or another Metz is adequate, more $$ can be diverted to lenses and cameras. from my previous experience with Pentax flashes (280t and 330ftz) they tend to eat batteries faster than ideal, but had endured a lot of abuse. the 360 FGZ II is weather resistant, but that's not to be an issue - I don't intend to take flash photography under the rain. flash photos are not so frequent, for me, to the point a Vivitar 285hv has been enough until now. any toughts? any hands-on experience with the "video light" of those two flashes? FWIW, I do carry a flashlight in the bag all times, and have used it on occasion to light my subjects under very low light - the feature is welcome indeed. thanks in advance! -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras - any comments?
I don't have the model you are looking at but have a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 and have experienced mixed results with it. The good: Lots of options and features. The user interface is a little fiddly but once you get used to its not a problem. It needed a firmware update to work with the K1 but has a usb port and can be easily updated. With the update it works fine on the K1. The not good: The LCD panel stopped illuminating a few months after I bought the first flash. I assumed it was just switched off (the menus still appeared on the panel but without back lighting). Metz said it was defective and offered to repair it under warranty. After several weeks of waiting for parts they ultimately replaced the flash with a new one. The new unit developed the same failure within a few months, and by then the warranty had expired. I can still use the unit I have, but can't read the menus in the dark. Given that I had two flashes fail in the same manner I'm skeptical of Metz's quality. But the flash is feature rich, well designed and affordably priced. Mark On 7/27/2018 12:40 PM, luiz felipe wrote: looking at the pc screen, the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras looks interesting due to low price, advertised P-TTL compatibility and "adjustable four level video light". the cash, as always, is rather short so no option more expensive than the AF360FGZ II is coming home - but IF this or another Metz is adequate, more $$ can be diverted to lenses and cameras. from my previous experience with Pentax flashes (280t and 330ftz) they tend to eat batteries faster than ideal, but had endured a lot of abuse. the 360 FGZ II is weather resistant, but that's not to be an issue - I don't intend to take flash photography under the rain. flash photos are not so frequent, for me, to the point a Vivitar 285hv has been enough until now. any toughts? any hands-on experience with the "video light" of those two flashes? FWIW, I do carry a flashlight in the bag all times, and have used it on occasion to light my subjects under very low light - the feature is welcome indeed. thanks in advance! -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras - any comments?
When looking into a flash, I checked out the Metz and it hits all the important points except for the in body sensor, such as the Viv 285 uses or that's available on older Analog Pentax units like the 280t, it's P-TTL only, but that might not be important enough to care about, unless you intend to use it on an older film body or the *ist-D as well as a modern DSLR. The manual power adjustment is missing 1/8 and 1/16 power settings but again might not be important to you since the Viv 285 skips at least one power setting and the 280T has only full and half settings. In it's favor it's about half the price of the Pentax 360 at B right now and is more powerful. The user interface looks less fiddly as well. Metz has a reputation for very high quality flashes. On 7/27/2018 12:40 PM, luiz felipe wrote: looking at the pc screen, the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-2 Digital Flash for Pentax Cameras looks interesting due to low price, advertised P-TTL compatibility and "adjustable four level video light". the cash, as always, is rather short so no option more expensive than the AF360FGZ II is coming home - but IF this or another Metz is adequate, more $$ can be diverted to lenses and cameras. from my previous experience with Pentax flashes (280t and 330ftz) they tend to eat batteries faster than ideal, but had endured a lot of abuse. the 360 FGZ II is weather resistant, but that's not to be an issue - I don't intend to take flash photography under the rain. flash photos are not so frequent, for me, to the point a Vivitar 285hv has been enough until now. any toughts? any hands-on experience with the "video light" of those two flashes? FWIW, I do carry a flashlight in the bag all times, and have used it on occasion to light my subjects under very low light - the feature is welcome indeed. thanks in advance! -- America wasn't founded so that we could all be better. America was founded so we could all be anything we damn well please. - P.J. O'Rourke -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
