Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Great unit while it worked but it only worked for 9 months. The attitude of Metz was appalling and their suggestions were impractical.
Minimum repair time in Australia is 10-12 days provided parts are in stock.
Overall, the warranty offered by the manufacturer is worthless. The Australian distributor is far more helpful than the manufacturer.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Here's a great example of the value of customer reviews. Just like the media in general you need to look for trends rather than what might be a singular specifically good or bad issue.I am a professional photographer in the business for 15 years. Always a Nikon user, but had an earlier version of the Metz handle mount and always appreciated the difference that it provided from on camera Nikon flashes. This was before the digital invasion.Wanted to move to handle mount again from the Nikon SB 800, which I've used for years, and decided to spend the extra bucks up from the Nikon SB900 and buy the Metz 76 MZ-5.Bought the Nikon shoe adapter to allow the D700 to talk to the Metz and all looked good until I fired the system up. Immeadiately displayed on the Metz controller was the message "ZOOM ERR". In other words the zoom function on the strobe was not differentiating between the focal length of the lens and throwing more or less light as a result. A pretty critical function, and yes I was using lenses that had that information available electronically to the shoe. Starting off by emailing Metz and then looking at various reviews. More often than any other complaint, this was the issue. This is not a new product for Metz. They have been dealing with this problem from the first release of these strobes. Of course their response was to send it in for service or return it to the seller.It's on it's way back to the good folks at B&H and hopefully can be swapped out for the SB900.I will continue to handle my flash axis problems with a Custom Brackets handle and the Nikon flashes.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Remember in Pulp Fiction how John Travolta takes a sip of Uma Thurman's $5.00 milkshake and concedes it's a great milkshake? He also says he's not sure if it was worth the five dollars. After using this flash for about three weeks, I feel this flash, while at the far-upper price range, is definitely worth its price.Each weekend I take photos of live bands in a poorly-lit club. The house lighting is nothing more than three overhead PAR cans fitted with red gels, and a string of colored Christmas lights on the back of the stage.I first started this weekly photo assignment with a simple point-and-shoot camera. Thanks to the camera's image stabilization, the non-flash photos often turned out acceptable. But since the lighting never changed, all the photos essentially looked the same with a wash of red lighting. When using the camera's built-in flash, it was often too weak to sufficiently light the drummer at the back of the stage. Red-eye was also a huge problem.I moved on to a digital SLR and used its built-in popup flash, which was a lot more powerful than the point-and-shoot's flash. Since the SLR's flash is further off-axis from the lens, it helped to eliminate red-eye from most photos. However, it essentially only yielded the same type of photos as the point-and-shoot, only better exposed. My biggest gripe with the SLR's popup flash was that as a point-source light, it produced hard edged shadows no matter how distant the shadow was from the object. For example, if there was a microphone stand a few feet in front of me, on the back wall about 15 feet away was a sharp shadow of that mic stand. Same with photographing a performer. They may be only a few feet in front of me, yet their shadow ten feet behind them were still sharply defined. Since the flash on this dSLR was more off-axis, the shadows fell off at a bigger angle than the point-and-shoot, and thus made shadows more noticeable especially the further away they were. Overall, the SLR/popup flash photos essentially looked very cheap, "flat" and "snapshotty". The solution to get better photos was obvious--I needed a powerful flash that could handle a large diffuser.B&H had a used Metz 76 that I first purchased along with an SCA adapter for TTL. Unfortunately, when I tried it out at home, it turned out to have a few hidden problems that needed repair. [...] The bigger "problem" was that I totally fell in love with the flash! I knew if I had gotten anything else, I wouldn't be satisfied. So immediately after I got my refund for the used 76, I headed straight to the camera department and bought a new Metz 76. I also separately purchased a Honl Photo Speed Snoot diffuser. It's good because it's made of cloth and can be shaped into either a diffuser or a snoot; but I still wonder if the Metz diffuser may have been a better option since it looks more "pro" and fits well.So it's been about three weeks that I've been using this flash, and I'm still completely happy and satisfied with my purchase. Many of its strong points can already be read elsewhere: It's a powerful flash that can light up any room, it works off the lens axis so there's no red-eye problem, the secondary "reflector" fill flash helps really well when the main head is tilted as a bounce, and so forth. What I also found were these things:- With the diffuser, people's hair simply look gorgeous! Hair textures such as curls or waves get smooth, soft highlights that don't happen with a smaller point-source flash.- Using this flash with a diffuser, I get soft shadows even when people are standing only a foot in front of a wall. I expected shadows at this short distance to have harder edges, but they don't and I'm completely happy with this.- Again with a diffuser, the shadows from microphone stands and cables at the very front of the stage almost disappear by the time they fall at the back of a stage. This is great, because the hard shadow were previously a huge distraction in my earlier photos.- Better flash color. It's subtle, but the color does look warmer than the other built-in flashes I was using.- The 76's left-handed mount isn't a problem for me at all. I need to hold the system with two hands anyway since it's now much heavier; but holding it with two hands feels like I have more control over it. I take portrait shots simply with left-side up, rather than right-side up as I did in the past without an external flash, and it wasn't difficult to adjust to this.- The 76's mounting system feels very secure. When I need a free hand to do something, I feel very comfortable holding the system portrait-style by the flash and letting my camera hang downwards.- I can use a slower lens with this flash. Most concert/live event photographers like to use a very fast lens and ambient lighting for this kind of assignment; but this particular club's poor lighting eliminates that option. Since this flash is so powerful, I'm taking perfectly exposed photos at f4.5, which benefits me in two ways: First, I get the depth-of-field I need for those 'group photos' where every musician from the lead singer to the drummer at the rear needs to be in the shot. Second, I get the convenience to use an inexpensive zoom lens throughout the night since I don't need to switch to a fast prime lens.- In the short time I've been using this flash, I'm getting a lot more positive comments. From a simple "WOW!" comment on Facebook to "Wow, these are some of my favorite rock photos of me ever taken", the musicians are definitely noticing how good the photos are turning out with this flash. A few are already using my photos for their Facebook profiles, which I feel is a very big compliment!- Finally, I simply feel a lot more confident that the photos I'm taking are turning out good. I'm taking less photos, and I'm getting much more useable images. This is quite important for what I do since in the poorly-lit club, constantly firing a flash is very distracting. This is especially true to those few performers I've come across who need to heavily concentrate on playing their instruments. Last weekend, I was able to take a few shots at the beginning of each band's set, was happy with the results, didn't feel the need to take any more, and simply sat back and enjoyed the remainder of each band's sets. It's definitely a win-win-win for me, the musicians, and the audience to not need to be upfront and clicking away all night.I still feel there's more to this flash that I haven't experimented with, such as using my HonlPhoto diffuser as a snoot, and trying out the strobe effects.Anything bad about this flash? Yeah, it's huge and I need to get a new camera bag. Replacement batteries are expensive. This type of flash sometimes draws a lot of attention from strangers (I definitely feel a lot more "pressure" to do a perfect job!). And well, yeah, it is heavy. Still, I think the results of using a better, stronger flash has definitely elevated the quality of the photos I'm shooting and the creative level I can take myself to. I don't think a lesser flash would be able to do all this. Highly recommend!

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

I purchased this flash for weddings and group shots because I got tired of the inconsitency of speed lights. I heard rumors about problems with the TTL, but so far I have not experienced any with my unit. As a matter of fact, I get better results with the Metz TTL/ETTL than I do with my Canon 580EX.

The light is very clean, even and consistent, unlike other flashes that tend to tint and under expose under certain situations.

If you would like to see what digital images are supposed to look like then I highly recomend this flash. This flash really squeezes out every ounce of resolution from the digital sensor.

Also shooting vertically becomes an ease with this flash since all you have to do is flip the camer over. No complicated brackets ! The downside so far as I can tell, is the bulk and the price, the battery pack is also very expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

This is a very powerful flash, only no HSS limited its usage. It is difficult to change a flash, every time bride move into a building or move out of a building. I could feel I ask brides to wait for too many times, some of them didn't want to corporate any longer.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Great flash powerful and well built. The battery packs metz sells for this unit are junk. I've had 2 packs that quit holding a significant charge after a year of light use. The batteries that still work only give 100-130 flashes per charge. I solved this problem with a Quantum Turbo battery pack. The combination is perfect.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

This is a powerful flash that spreads the light out evenly. It is easy to use and with the photoflex soft box, this product is a gem

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

I own and operate a professional photography business and use the Metz 76 MZ-5. No doubt about it, it puts out the light when you need it but, it's expensive and broke in just under two years. The fix will cost just over $200 making the flash even more expensive. I am told the damage is due to "normal wear and tear". In just two years I think that's a little weak.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Typical German quality. The only portable on-camera flash powerful enough to light up the inside of big churches & cathedrals for social & wedding work. Yet, so controllable when space is tight. Rotating/tilting head is invaluable for producing soft bounce. It's bulk offers great handplacement which easily offsets its size. Ignore the complicated instruction book and just play with the modes until you understand its full capability. E-TTL functionality with Canon EOS 5D-II is seamless and works perfectly.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Purchased the 76MZ-5 when I went digital to go along with my CT60-4. Purchased a spare battery also. After a year, the one battery would only give my 5 flashes (see other review). Called Bogen and sent them the battery. They immedaitely fixed the problem, and am now getting hundreds of flashes.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

for Portraits Night Photography General Use
this is the best flash that i ever work with
Iam very pleases with the product.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

I've had this flash for about a month now. I'm still amazed every time I use it. The 76 MZ-5 has power to spare. I've been able to consistently get 175 to 200 shots on one battery. It's a great buy.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Awesome! For wedding/event photography, this thing is great (I own two)! The head is oversized which gives a superior light effect (almost like a beauty dish). After reviewing my work with the sb-800, I find the little flashes to be a joke. This thing will light an entire building at night from 100 ft. away, without blowing out a brides dress...very strong and very smart. Much quicker recycling than one of those little guys, and there's an internal fan so you can't blow it up (I can kill an sb-800 in about 5 min.), and two batteries gives me constant machine gun shooting for 8 hrs. (even with ceiling bounce). There are only three problems: 1. Very pricey (but so is blowing up an sb-800 and -600 in the same event), 2. It's tough to swivel the head for a vertical ceiling bounce/floof, 3. The bracket is foolishly set on the left side only. I have overcome #3 by strapping the unit with an automotive hose clamp (covered in heatshrink) to a press-T flash bracket without the flip part on top...sounds bad, but it's more stable than the included setup and clean enough looking for southern california weddings (important to me). Bottom line: best working flash with most superior results.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

I have hope! I am working to find out more about the flash. I was sold on the high volume of pictures I would be able to take with one battery, but so far I can only get it to take 5 to 10 shots. I was also expecting more power for large groups?? So far I can only get the auto setting to work with my camera.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Was using a 60CT-4. The 76MZ-5 is a vast improvement[...]

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

If you inquire, Metz USA will tell you that the currently available 76 MZ-5 SCA adapter for Canon EOS cameras is compatible with the Mark III. After inquiring with Metz in Germany, a technical support adviser informed me that an entirely new SCA 3102 adapter is being developed for the Mark III due to its unique electronics, and that an availability date will be announced soon on their website.

Expertise: Photographing weddings since 1969

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

After using the 50 MZ-5 & 70 MZ-5 with my Mamiya 645AFD over the years, I decided to take advantage of Metz's generous trade-in offer last year to upgrade from the 50 to the 76 MZ-5 to be used with my Fuji S3 Pro. Even if only occasionally, it's nice to know that I have that awesome power available to me when I need it. As with all Metz pro units, it has a fill-in flash that provides gorgeous camera- mounted flash portraiture when you have a white ceiling or walls to bounce the swivel flash head off of. I found a way of attaching nylon cable clips to the topside of the flash head so that when the unit is mounted on the horizontal bar of a rotating bracket, the flash head can be swiveled 180 degrees horizontally into the Westcott Mini Apollo Light Modifier whose shaft was snapped into the nylon clips. You now have an effective single-light portrait system in which the TTL system of the camera is automatically adjusting the exposure.

Problems Encountered: When connected to the Fuji S5 Pro and set to the I-TTL mode, the unit's pre-flash will intermittently fire without the followup main flash going off, underexposing the image. There seems to be no pattern to the occurence of this problem. It could fire properly twenty consecutive times and misfire up to four consecutive times with a fully charged battery and the flash ready light on. I had two Fuji S5 Pro bodies at my disposal and the problem happened with both, so I was able to rule that out as the source. Metz determined that my M6 module needed a software upgrade to M6.1 which they performed at no charge, but the problem persisted. I was forced to sell the flash because I can't chance missing an important shot at a wedding, not to mention the angst that goes with it. By the way, I had this same problem with the Metz 54 MZ-4i. Bogen Imaging, the USA distributor for Metz, states on their Tech Support phone recording that they will return your call by no later than the next business day(very seldom did a technician answer when I called). Of all the messages that I left trying to resolve this problem over the last several weeks, my call was returned once.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Metz 60 CT-4, Metz 45 CL-4, Metz 50 MZ-5, Metz 70 MZ-5, Metz 76 MZ-5, Metz 58 AF(returned for reasons stated in that product's review section of this website)

Items I Recommend: Metz P76 high voltage battery for super quick recycling

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

I used Canon 580 EX lights for a couple of years but decided to try out a 76 MZ5 on a friend's recommendation. Man, what a difference in light output. The ETTL works flawlessly with my 1DMkIIN with the SCA adaptor. The controls are fairly intuitive and knowledge transfers easily from your current setup to the Metz. The one thing that takes some getting used to is the amount of light you can generate. Shots that you used to think were impossible suddenly become the norm. I was able to light a banquet hall the size of two basketball courts and get reasonably good fill flash from 10 or so meters away at 200mm in a bright outdoor wedding.

Problems Encountered: I've had a few unexplained exposure blowouts. It's probably something I'm doing wrong, but I haven't caught the reason yet. Mind you this is in Av mode with the controls set to ETTL and -1EV FEC. Still got some unexplained snow white shots...

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: 580 EX's

Items I Recommend: Quantum 2+2 for flash and camera

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

Auto Zoom feature is poor.

Problems Encountered: I bought a Metz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount flash and received a defective unit from Metz. I sent it in to Bogen Imaging (Metz' USA distributor) for replacement or servicing. Even though the unit was defective out of the box and was sent back to them a few days after purchase, they would not replace it. Even though their web site promises 8 days turn-around time for repairs, they have had my unit for over 6 weeks now. My last e-mail and phone call to their service department remain unanswered after a few days.A professional photographer would have difficulty operating a successful business with this kind of service support.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Metz 40MZ-3i

Comments about Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital Handle Mount Flash with Auto Zoom Head:

For some years I used a pair of big Metz 60CT4s on medium-format cameras to shoot weddings and events. When I went to DSLRs, I assumed that I would need to retain this power capability. It was possible to use the CT4s, but only in manual or flash-auto modes, giving up the advantages of E-TTL, so I got the new Metz 76MZ-5, which combines the power and huge flash head of a big Metz with SCA dedication to the DSLR of your choice (in my case Canons).The good part of the MZ-5 is just that its a big bad Metz that can shoot all night while taking advantage of the intelligence of a modern DSLR. The equipment is fairly easy to set up and use, and you'll obviously have a lot more lighting power and job duration available than with any kind of shoe-mount flash running on AA batteries. I have worked several jobs with the MZ-5, and I have never had any reliability or control problems with it. The shoe-mount SCA adapter provides the brain link and the infrared autofocus assist, and this all works fine, at least with my Canons. (By the way, dont forget to buy the right adapter for your camera.)Another advantage over previous Metz potato-mashers is that the MZ-5 has a self-contained NiMH battery pack in the handle, eliminating the dangling power cable and waist-level belt pack. This is makes the equipment easier to deal with and more portable, although I recommend that the user have an extra 76-56 battery charged and ready. Ive never run one dry, but it is best not to tempt fate when on the job, so I always change battery packs about halfway through. Another way would be to get the big P76 belt pack, but then you're back to dangling cables and shoulder straps.But there are some drawbacks to the MZ-5, such that I am now using mine as a backup and manual flash. The biggest frustration with it is that there is no way to mount it on the right side of the camera (as seen from the shooters position behind the body). Unlike the previous big Metz potato-mashers, the MZ-5 has a mounting rail only for positioning it to the left of the camera body. I know that this is normal,but it is exactly wrong. A potato-masher flash should be mounted to the cameras right, so that the holding hand is between the two elements of weight, and so that when the camera is turned for a vertical shot (about 80% of my shots are verticals), the vertical shutter release button can be used. But you cant do that with the MZ-5, and I should have studied the product pictures more before buying it. I suppose most shooters wont be bothered by this, however, or Metz wouldn't have done it this way. Its just me. (But I still think I'm right.)Another downside is that the Metz flash head is so big that Gary Fong doesnt make a Lightsphere diffuser big enough for it not even close. Ive asked, and they dont intend to make one for the big Metz heads. Meanwhile, other diffusers are simply inferior. The Gary Fong diffuser is so good that it is worth getting a flash that is compatible with it, even if you have to give up something in this case flash head size.So for about the same money as the MZ-5, Id recommend that the DSLR user go with his camera manufacturers biggest shoe-mount flash (in my case the Canon 580EX), and then get a Quantum Turbo battery and compatible cable, plus a Gary Fong Lightsphere. That's what Ive done.

Problems Encountered: Can't mount on right side of camera body. Flash head too big for a Gary Fong Lightsphere diffuser.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Metz 60CT-4 (2 units), Sunpak 622, 522, various others

Items I Recommend: Extra 76-56 NiMH battery or external P76 battery pack