ON TOPIC: Finding a weak spot in the Leica system as it exists right now. It's flash. Or the lack of it.

 Over the overly long arc of my career I've used studio electronic flashes more than any other kind of lighting instruments. And my entire use of studio flash was done with the cameras and flashes set to manual modes. All manual, all the time. Early on I proceeded with a variety of flash meters to light the way to correct exposures but since the time of digital I more and more depended on the LCD image and the in-camera histogram. I still use my flash meter on nearly every studio flash engagement but now it's a balancing act when it comes to the fine-tuning. I get to know how the differences between what I'm seeing on a camera screen and what the meter tells me will look like once I get the images into a computer and look at stuff on a monitor. 

With a manually set camera and a manually set electronic flash, supervised by an accurate flash meter, you have a situation in which every camera does equally well. Equally well for exposures, at least. Sure, one camera might be better able to focus with your weak modeling lights while another might have more fine control over color settings but when it comes right down to getting a correct exposure all the cameras, from the cheapest to the finest, to the most Veblen, do pretty much the same job. 

I've used my Leica cameras (various models) with studio flash for nearly four years now. From the SL to the SL2 they do a great job. Because...why not? Everything is set for complete manual control. 

In the past, in addition to highly controlled advertising shoots I also found myself (somewhat happily) photographing a lot of corporate events. Most of the needed photographs at most conventions, seminars, trade shows and conferences were done while being as invisible and as fly-on-the-wall as possible. I used fast lenses to shoot mostly with available light. Especially when documenting speakers behind a podium on a well lit stage. No additional lighting required by me. Just get the color balance and the exposure correct, work on your handholding techniques and you are golden. Believe me, people will praise you for not intruding on their event with flashes blazing, creating a huge, show stopping distraction and making a high dollar event seem just a little --- tawdry and amateurish. 

BUT. But in nearly every event I've covered over the decades there is always a social component in which the existing lighting is universally sucky, people are impatient with being posed and don't ever want to wait for that third chance to get everything "just right." What the client usually wants are well lit images of two people together, three people together or small groups of people together who are, or seem to be, enjoying the event and the chance to meet and mingle. Or to just hit the open bar with gusto. 

You, the photographer, while scrupulously avoiding the open bar, will be tasked with getting as many happy couples and small groups photographed as you can in a limited amount of time and you will almost always have to provide the main lighting, on the fly, or at least augment the lighting you find at the venue. Since you will be  weaving in and around a crowded space you'll need to find a flash that fits on your camera, that provides accurate exposures and which is, hopefully automatic enough to give you a 90% or better "hit rate." 

The flash is perhaps even more important than your lens choice. As far as lenses go you can use a standard 24-70mm zoom, provided you try to stay away from the widest focal lengths so the people on the edges of the frame aren't ballooned up to giant sizes. You could also use a 35mm or 50mm lens but you'll need to compose and crop with your feet. Meaning you'll have to back up or wade in to get the proper compositions. Once you've got your lens figured out and you've got the room figured out all that's left is getting the right flash. And getting its operation figured out.

I prefer flashes that can sit on top of the camera. I know, it's heresy. But it's the classic, front lit celebrity photo. The red carpet motif. The "Make sure you get the shot. Any shot" scenario. I loved finding a great flash (SB-28, SB-800) when I did events with a Nikon DSLR. Some of the better Nikon flashes, when used with their pro cameras were foolproof. Rock solid. Amazing. One in the hot shoe equipped with a bounce card on top and a pocket full of double AY batteries and you were prepped and ready for an evening of grip and grin photo work. 

I'm booked for an event job in the second half of April. Most of the three days will be spent in conference situations in big ball rooms. No problem for a full frame camera and fast, longer lenses. But there will be a long evening of socializing, dinner, live music and dancing. There will also be a cocktail party reception on the first evening. And the client wants great images of couples and groups both facing the camera in static poses and also a good selection of candid shots in the same low light situations. 

This calls for flash. Fast to use flash. Easy to calculate flash and since this is the first time I've explored on camera flash with Leica SL and Q cameras I have to say that the universe of TTL and automatic flashes made for these cameras is tiny. Quantum physics tiny. Shot glass tiny. There are currently two Leica flashes on offer. A big one and a small one. And, surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, there seem to be no dedicated, automatic third party flashes at all. Nothing from Godox. Nothing from the other big names. Just the two Leica flashes. The SF40 at about $550 and the SF60 at about $675. Neither model gets rave reviews from users. Most users who squawk have issues with reliability. As in "oh shit! My flash is D.O.A." Those whose flashes are still with us complain about automatic/TTL exposures being all over the map. About long recycle times. About overheating. And, since it is Leica, there is the usual complaining about pricing. 

Sure, Leica cameras are made to last with solid metal bodies, etc. but it seems obvious that flashes are just a nuisance for them. A distraction. Something they relegated to a third party with a wish and a prayer. Perhaps they understand that the majority of users don't want to sully their vision and image integrity with something as pedestrian as on-camera flash. But it just so happens that I do need that. 

At least a couple times a year. 

I am currently considering two workarounds. One is to just pull one of my non-dedicated but highly reliable, fully manual Godox flashes out of their hiding place and spend a few weeks practicing total reliance on guide numbers. Not a deep exercise but more of a reminder and warm-up. After all, with digital cameras it's pretty straightforward to figure out a good subject to camera distance and make a small guide on white gaffer's tape to put on the back of the flash. And the flash never gets tricked by white or black outfits. No exposure metering to trick. It's a low cost, low key fix and I have enough non-dedicated (meaning just a single pin for flash triggering on the bottom of the flash and no other control contacts to confuse my camera) flashes that I can destroy a handful of them with misuse and still finish the job. It will just require me to pay attention better. And it means I get no auto focus assist light should the ambient light get really, really dicey. No life jacket.

The second option and maybe a better one is to pull a couple Panasonic S5s off the copy stand and out of the desk drawer and put one of several dedicated flashes I have for that system on top. Then I can fire away with full automation and even take advantage of the AF-assist light if needed. I already have the gear for that so it makes the most sense. And I really like the Godox V1 I have which uses big lithium batteries and for which I have many fun attachments. My nod to Leica would be to use the Leica 24-90mm zoom on the Panasonic camera. Why not?

Still, why can't Leica make some better flashes for those few who have extra space in the trunk of their Buggatis for more gear? Or, maybe I should presume that one of the Leica flashes would be fine and that most people are silent about their Leica flash experiences because everything is just fine and it's only the small handful who have issues who are vocal. 

In the grand scheme of things it's a very small bump in my road toward event happiness. As you probably expect, I'll try everything well before the shoot date and probably settle on either the most eccentric solution or the most expensive. You know my new motto, right? The More Friction The Better.