Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I needed a dependable flash that was very accurate with the TTL metering but I didn't want to pay much for it since I'm a vidoegrapher first and a still photog second. This was the perfect choice, fast recycle times, VERY accurate TTL metering. Great flash output and directional capability built in. I use it with my Panasonic GH2.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

For the price this turned out to be a great flash.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

MFT cameras can produce great results, provided that you can get a good exposure - something that's hard to do indoors in poor light. If you can't get the histogram well into the right, you'll get a noisy image. That's where a Metz can really help. I've had one for a year and a half and it's made a drastic improvement in the shots I took indoors with a Lumix GH2. Here are some of my impressions of the flash:
1. It will not display the effective range for an aperture unless you have a lens that transmits ISO and aperture to the flash. My 14-45 and 45-175 Lumix lenses apparently do not. I don't get any distance info in the Metz panel.
2. It's still easy to dial in a correct flash exposure. TTL will get it close and I use the histogram as a guide - just adjust the aperture + ISO, or use the + - buttons to dial up/down the flash intensity, to get a fully exposed image.
3. It's very good with bounce flash.
4. The manual is really confusing. If you own a German car, you know what I mean.
5. If you're used to Canon or Nikon high-end flashes, the build quality will not impress you. The buttons on the flash head don't inspire confidence in their longevity. Worse, the lock pin jammed in the hotshoe and I had to go to the distributor to have the flash removed and the locking collar replaced. This was done free of charge, even though the camera was off warranty. Tip - if it jams, leave it alone!
6. You can run it in manual from 1:1 to 1:128 power.
7. The manual says that you can run your camera in P mode and it will provide fill flash. I've never tried this, so I won't comment.
8. A Stofen from a 580 Canon Speedlite fits perfectly.

All in all, I regard the unit as essential. Most of the time it nails the exposure with minimal fuss, and it solves most of the MFT noise problems when you shoot with available light.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I'm not a pro photographer, I am a pro videographer that is turning into a photographer and this unit is a great way to start.

I use the Lumix GH1 for just about everything under the sun and now out of the sun! Although the unit is a little awkward at first, it gives the camera some extra stability by weight. You just have to take it out of the box and attach it ... glance over the manual every now and then and start firing away to get the perfect range / exposure for your lens. The little onboard flash my camera has is great with the pancake lens but not with the 7-14 or the or the 14-50. Goodbye to the dark shadow on the bottom of the pic... hello to the beautiful images my camera and I deserve! Perfect price for the design, build and quality.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

So far works great with my FZ150. It's rather top-heavy when mounted on the camera but it's expected from a flash with this power.

Build quality is good and it recycles quickly.

Overall, a great product at a decent price.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I use this flash for portraits and candid photos. Have used a couple of times with a better beamer for bird photography. Works well with my Olympus E-5 ttl system.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I purchased this flash to use on a Panasonic Lumix G1 camera and from the first mounting of the flash on the camera, it has worked exactly as advvertised. The camera and flash communicate very well and the features of both mesh with precision. The flash is well built and very sturdy. I am looking forward to using it with pleasure for some time to come and would recommend it to anyone.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I use this flash for events and family photographs. It is reliable in the profesional and amateur field. Excellent greman product.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

Using with Panasonic GF1, G3, and LX5. Great substitute for factory flip-up flash, but could user higher GN than 50. TTL seems to function well.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

My number 1, go to flash. I shoot for a newspaper, so I use it in a variety of situations. Output is always consistant, recycle times are quick, Integration with all my Olympus bodies is dead on. A winner of a flash.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

This is a very good flash from my GF2. Exposures are very good and consistent. I was afraid that since this was not OEM, it may not be fully compatible with my camera, but it is. It has a lot of power, but it does feel off balance on my GF2. The swivel head does not rotates 270 deg. The GF2 does not have flash exp comp, but this flash does, so that was pretty nice.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I love this flash. This was the first flash I've ever purchased, so I can't compare it to anything. But, what I do know is that it has worked incredibly well for me. It's easy to use but not limited. Recharge times are great and it does a really nice job of lighting things up just perfectly. I shoot on a Panasonic GH1 and this flash works perfectly with it in TTL or Manual mode. I would definitely recommend this!

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I own two Olympus FL-50r flashes, one got dropped and the foot broke. My wife and I shoot night time racing and a flash is a must. I bought this hoping to save some money and boy does it deliver. Less than half the price and equal to or even better quality. I've already fired this thing off about 2,000 times in the month that I've owned it, no misfires and good exposures every time. Works with wireless lighting too, shot a portrait session with this and the two Olympus flashes. The Metz zooms to 105mm where the Olympus only goes to 85mm.

The only con is that it takes a little time to figure out the menu system. You have to press two buttons at once to switch modes.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

so far the flash seems great. way more power and a faster recycle time than my old FL-36R. It is made of plastic, which makes it feel light (and makes me a bit worried it will break if I dropped it!) and hence easy to transport.

You do need to read the instructions if you want to use the flash off-camera, as the settings are not immediately obvious. but it was easy to figure out once i had read it.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I've been using Olympus E-510 for the last three years. I'm very happy with this camera except it creates pictures as if they were taken in dark caves when the built-in flash is used. The GN number of the built-in flash is not that bad in most situations, though the camera would often push the ISO to 400 to keep the aperture as wide as possible to get the distance. This Metz 50 AF-1 works very good with my E-510 camera. The TTL integration is excellent and it's really powerful. Here are some cons. First, it's a bit hard to change flash settings while shooting in the session because you should push the middle two buttons to change settings( they is no dial on the flash) hence you should use your both thumbs. If you ever need to hold the camera in your hand then you can't change settings on the flash until you lay down on flat surface. Using neck strap will help here. Second, You need to push the middle two buttons so many times(9 or 10 if I remember correctly) to change certain setting. Once you miss it by pushing one more time then you should cycle through whole settings again. It happened many times to me. Third, it doesn't show the current aperture setting on the flash. This is okay because you still have your LCD. However I see the same flash for other camera brands shows the aperture(F) number and it would be handy because you could then look at the flash's LCD screen to check the max distance range while changing the aperture number by clicking the dial on the camera. Currently I have to look at the camera's LCD and the flash's to check the current aperture number and the available distance at the same time.

This is fine flash and it gets job done well at the reasonable price. You won't be disappointed.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I use fist time in a Christianity ceremony. The result was perfect with any problem with Olympus E-3 or E-30

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

Only had item for a week. Once I absorbed the instructions which are complicated, flash has worked perfectly so far. TTL. and in manual settings. Some experimentation was required for fill in flash which produced some stunning results of my grandchildren. Used on my Leica Digilux 3. Half the local price. Three quarter the price of Olympus / Panasonic equivalent models.[...]Well made solid construction. Good spread with fast repeat time.Replaces Vivitar 285 used with Wein HSHSB attachment.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I have an E-620 with a FL-50 Olympus flash and was looking to get another flash to expand my lighting creativity some more. While I originally thought of getting the FL-36, I ultimately went with the Mecablitz 50 because of its greater power and faster recycling time. I have not been disappointed. I use this as an optical slave, and it performs very consistently. I also use it as a radio-controlled flash in the same group as my FL-50, and it has performed flawlessly in this mode as well. The controls are fairly straightforward to use and understand. I have tried using it as the only flash on my camera, but I find that the FL-50 gives more aesthetically pleasing results when I bounce the flash. Several people have commented on the slightly flimsy battery cover, but I haven't found it to be an issue. Recycling time seems quite satisfactory to me. The size and construction also feel fine. So overall, I've been quite happy, and find the Mecablitz 50 to be a very good value and addition to the Olympus E system. It's nice to have another choice of flash other than the FL-36 and FL-50.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

I use this flash on a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. I'm not sure I'm qualified to compare this to other shoe-mount flashes as I have no point of reference. However, compared to the built-in flash on the GH2 this gives me much more flexibility for portable lighting. The light output is very consistent. The controls are straight forward. The build quality appears to be above average. My only complaint is that when the flash head is angled at anything other than 90 degrees, the flash head does not lock firmly into position. I use a small and a large Rogue Flashbender strapped to the flash head. Although the small Flashbender works well, the weight of the large Flashbender causes the head to move. This is disappointing. It would be nice of the head could be locked into position.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoemount Flash for Olympus/Panasonic/Leica DSLR:

Much more power for similar cost as the manufacturers smaller, less powerful and slower recycling flash. Will add one more to my stable along with its bigger brother for those times that require it.