Metz AF-3 User's Manual
Contents
1. 28 34 6 400 27 32 30 42 800 30 45 56 67 2 5 5 7 5 8 10 12 11 14 17 8 5 6 6 5 7 85 4 5 10 12 5 5 7 4 2 2 2 5 3 0 5 8 5 4 5 6 max distance in m Table for max lighting distance 16 Lighting distances Example Film speed ISO 100 camera aperture f5 6 The table indicates a maximum distance of 5 m The minimum lighting distance is 15 out of 5 m which equals approx 0 75 m 34AF15 eps This table indicates a section of the most im portant maximum lighting distances in different ISO aperture combinations The sticker can be applied to the back of the flashgun 72. blinks slowly wider f stop or shorten distance 5 TTL flash control The mecablitz receives its information exclusively from the connected TTL controlled AF camera Exposure measurement in TTL mode TTL through the lens is completed by the camera s sensor This sensor measures the light reaching the film through the camera lens An electronic control circuit within the camera transmits a stop signal to the flashgun as soon as the film has been exposed by the correct amount of light the flash is then instantly cut out The advantage of the TTL mode is that all factors influencing the exposure of the film such as fil ters change of aperture or variable aperture zooms are taken into account You need not worry about adjustment of the light output The camera s electronic system automatically defines the requi red amount of light You can also utilize various metering facilities e g spot matrix or centre weighted overall readings offered by some came ras 10 The table on page 33 gives the maximum range for the selected aperture The minimum lighting distance is approx 15 of the maximum thres hold range A If the actual distance is shorter than the minimum lighting distance then this may result in overexposure The speed of films to be exposed under TTL flash control must be between ISO 25 15 and ISO 1000 31 Correct expo sures cannot be guaranteed with other film speeds A strip of film must
3. be loaded in the camera if tests are to be conducted in TTL flash mode The effec tive flash range can only be checked by the cor rect exposure display 0 if the flash is triggered by the camera and not with the manual release on the flashgun With automatic film speed setting DX ISO 32 16 6 Flash in the individual camera modes If the mecablitz is switched on and ready for firing a flash will be fired each time the camera s shutter is released The amount of light is controlled by TTL Triggering lock only SF1 and SFx On the Pentax SFx and SF1 cameras the flash will not be fired when the prevailing light is sufficient for an exposure in normal mode The exposure is then completed with the shutter speed indicated in the display field If you intend to take a shot with a shutter speed faster than e g 1 250 sec depending on the camera model you must switch off the flashgun Refer to the camera s operating instructions for details 11 7 Autofocus measuring flash AF red light beam b Fig 5 AF red light beam The integrated AF red light beam of the mecablitz supports the automatic focusing of autofocus TTL cameras When the prevailing light is insufficient for automatic focusing the mecablitz will project a pattern of red vertical stripes onto the subject as soon as the camera s shutter release is lightly tou ched The camera s autofocus system then focu ses the picture by this strip
4. flashgun against excessive heat and high humidity levels Do not keep the flashgun in the glove compartment of a car In the event of flash shots with full light output observe an interval of at least 3 minutes after a series of 20 flashes This will protect the flash gun against overload NEVER place material that is impervious to light in front of or directly on the reflector screen The reflector screen must be perfectly clean when a flash is fired The high energy of the flash light will burn the material or damage the screen if this is not observed NEVER dismantle the flashgun DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE There are no components inside the flashgun that can be repaired by a layperson Disposal of batteries Do not dispose of spent batteries with domestic rubbish Please return spent batteries to collecting points should they exist in your country 2 Preparing the mecablitz for use 2 1 Power supply The flashgun can only be operated with 2 CR2 type lithi um batteries This type of battery can be stored for many years with practically no loss of energy thus making it ideal for occasional amateur flash photography us Batteries have become discharged or spent when recycling takes more than 60 seconds The batteries should be removed from the mecablitz if the flashgun is not going to be used for a prolonged period 2 2 Loading and exchanging batteries Turn off the flashgun with the main switch Press the
5. main switch in the ON position to turn on the flashgun The green flash ready indicator lights up to indicate flash readiness Set the main switch in the OFF position to turn off the flashgun 4 Flashgun instructions to the camera The mecablitz transmits different signals and messages to the camera when it is connected to the camera and is switched on 4 1 Flash ready indication The green light on the mecablitz illuminates when the flash capacitor is fully primed thereby indicating flash readiness This means that flash can be used for the next exposure The flash rea diness signal is transmitted to the camera where it is indicated by a corresponding display in the camera s viewfinder Depending on the selected operating mode the camera is changed to flash sync speed when flash readiness is reached The flash will not be fired if the shutter is released before the flash ready light illuminates with the result that the exposure may be incorrect if the camera control circuit has already changed over to flash sync speed Please refer to the camera s operating instructions for further details 4 2 Automatic flash sync speed control Flash readiness has the following effect on system cameras Camera mode Effect Programmed auto exposure mode P Camera changes to 1 30 1 250 sec flash sync speed depending on camera model Aperture priority mode Av As in P Shutter priority mode Tv Shutter speeds can be s
6. unlocking catch slide the battery compartment lid to the right and fold open see fig 1 Insert the batteries according to the indicated battery symbols Fig 1 Unlocking and exchanging batteries The supplied lithium batteries are expendables and as such are not subject to our warranty pro visions After the batteries have been inserted fold down the battery compartment lid and push to the left until it engages audible with the unlocking catch 2 Preparing the mecablitz for use t When loading the batteries ensure correct pola rity Incorrectly loaded batteries can destroy the flashgun All batteries must be of the same make and have the same charge level Exhau sted batteries must not be thrown into the dustbin Contribute to the protection of the environment and discard exhausted batteries at the appropriate disposal points 2 3 Automatic flashgun switch off To avoid accidental battery discharge the flashgun automatically switches itself off to save power approximately 8 minutes after the flashgun was switched on the last flash was fired tripping the camera release or switching on the camera light metering system The green flash ready indicator is turned off To turn on the mecablitz again switch the main switch OFF and then ON The flashgun should always be turned off if it is not being used 2 4 Mounting Removing the flashgun Mounting Tur
7. TV VIDEO CAMCORDER gt MECABLITZ MECABLITZ 34 AF 3 P Operating instructions Foreword Dear Customer We thank you for your confidence in our meca blitz MB 34 AF 3P The MB 34 AF 3P flashgun has been especially designed for Pentax AF system cameras IMPORTANT Never mount the flashgun in the accessory shoe of any other system camera otherwise the flashgun s foot or the camera s accessory shoe can be destroyed The dedicated contacts in the foot of the MB 34 AF 3P only support the controlling commands of Pentax AF system cameras The following pages give details for the correct operation of the mecablitz flashgun and summari ze its fields of application Please read these operating instructions carefully even if at first sight some points may not appear to be of interest Our design work placed particular value on ensuring that operation of the mecablitz is as simple as possible but it should be noted that the system cameras for which the flashgun is intended offer a great diversity of capabilities We wish you much pleasure with your new Metz flashgun in conjunction with a Pentax AF system camera to light up the darkest points and for creative flash lighting Contents 1 Safety instructions 2 Preparing the mecablitz foruse 2 1 Powersupply oc cece cece e eee 2 2 Loading and replacing the batteries 2 3 Automatic flashgun cut out circuit 2 4 Mounting Removing th
8. cal length onwards Please note that use of the wide angle diffuser diminishes the effective range of the flash whe reas the telephoto attachment increases it Mounting and removing the attachments The attachment is swivelled into the bayonet mount see fig 7 Turn the attachment clockwise and insert the guiding edge into the case gap 14 H C 34AF 3 case gap Fig 7 Mounting and removing the attachments To remove turn the attachment beyond the retai ning spring see fig and withdraw the attach ment 10 Care and maintenance Troubleshooting Remove grime and dust with a soft dry cloth Do not use cleaning agents as these could damage the plastic parts Forming the flash capacitor The flash capacitor incorporated in the flashgun undergoes a physical change when the flashgun is not switched on for prolonged periods For this reason it is necessary to switch on the flashgun for approx 10 minutes every 3 months and to fire a few flashes The batteries must supply sufficient power to light up the flash ready light within one minute after the flashgun was switched on Manual firing button An uncontrolled flash can be fired with the manual firing button see fig 8 15 mecablitz OM i Fig 8 Manually firing button Troubleshooting If the flashgun does not work as it should in the individual modes then
9. e a balanced exposure when shooting against the light However the camera may also measure sufficient ambient light and activate the triggering lock see page 28 Please observe the corresponding displays in the camera s viewfin der For details refer to the camera s operating instructions 13 Fill in flash in daylight will soften harsh shadows and diminish the contrast thereby producing a more balanced exposure when shooting against the light The camera s computer controlled metering system automatically selects the shutter speed working aperture and light output in such a manner that both the main subject in the foreground as well as the background are uniformly exposed 8 2 Exposure correction Various cameras enable the user to influence the TTL exposure control Accordingly the camera s expo sure settings can be corrected by up to 3 aper tures in half f stop settings 5 PLEASE NOTE Do not forget to switch off this function when it is no longer required Please refer to the camera s operating instructions for further details 9 Lighting and attachments Your mecablitz provides full and even illumination of normal 24 x 36 mm negatives when using len ses of 35 mm focal length and longer A wide angle diffuser is supplied with the flash gun to increase the coverage if you wish to use a 28 mm wide angle lens A telephoto attachment identified with a T is included for telephoto lenses of 85 mm fo
10. e mecablitz 3 Setting the mecablitz into operation 3 1 Preconditions cece eae 3 2 Switching the flashgun on and off 4 Flashgun instructions to the camera 4 1 Flash ready indication aeaa 4 2 Automatic flash sync speed control 4 3 Correct exposure indication 4 4 Information displayed in the camera s viewfinder 04 5 flash control 8 6 Flash in the individual camera modes 11 7 Autofocus measuring flash 11 8 Flash techniques and flash functions 13 8 1 Automatic fill in 895 13 8 2 Exposure 60 000 seen eee 13 9 Lighting and attachments 14 10 Care and maintenance Manual firing button Troubleshooting 15 11 Technical data 16 Lighting distances 17 1 Safety instructions NEVER fire a flash in the immediate vicinity of the eyes Flash fired directly in front of the eyes of a person or animal can damage the retina and lead to severe visual disorders even blindness Spent batteries should be immediately remo ved Chemicals leaking out of spent batteries will damage the flashgun Do not short circuit batteries DANGER OF EXPLOSION Batteries should not be exposed to excessive heat for instance sunshine fire and the like NEVER throw spent batteries in a fire Do not expose the flashgun to dripping or splashing water Protect the
11. ed pattern 7 Autofocus measuring flash Notes The AF measuring flash is only supported in the camera s SINGLE AF mode When the camera s autofocus system is on the electronic circuit will automatically activate the autofocus measuring flash whenever the prevailing light is insufficient for the exposure The range of the autofocus measuring flash depends on the speed of the lens maximum aperture With an f 1 8 standard lens of 50 mm focal length the range is approx 6 10 m depen ding on the sensitivity of the camera s AF sensor Due to parallax between camera lens and AF measuring flash a minimum distance of 1 m to the subject is necessary The AF measuring flash will not cover the subject if the shooting distance is less than 1 m In such instances ensure a higher ambient light level 12 N bow speed lenses e g with an aperture of f 5 6 or f 8 such as zoom lenses significant ly restrict the range of the autofocus measuring flash e The AF measuring flash is not activated in the camera s continuous focusing mode or when the autofocus system is switched off 8 Flash techniques and flash functions 2 gm Fig 6 Fill in flash in daylight left without right with fill in flash 8 1 Fill in flash When in the Program P camera mode the camera s metering system will automatically con trol the shutter speed aperture combination so that use of the mecablitz will soften the shadows and produc
12. et on the camera that equal or are slower than the sync speed Manual mode M As in Tv Note If independent of the operating mode a shutter speed faster than the flash sync speed is set on the camera the camera will automatically change to flash sync speed when flash readiness is reached Refer to the camera s operating instructions for details 4 Flashgun instructions to the camera Fig 4 Exposure o k 4 3 Correct exposure indication see fig 4 The red correct exposure light briefly illuminates when flash exposure was correct At the same time the mecablitz sends an o k signal to the camera for display in the viewfinder Please refer to the camera s operating instructions for further details 4 4 Information displayed in camera viewfinder when flash unit is switched on Displays in viewfinder Meaning prior to shutter release not illuminated or blinks slowly permanently illuminated Flash unit is ready for firing Flash unit not yetready for firing Warning with SF1 SFx is illuminated in the camera s viewfinder but the flash is not triggered when the shutter is tripped The camera has activated the triggering lock because the ambient light is too bright Displays in viewfinder Meaning prior to shutter release blinks quickly Flash was sufficient for correct exposure not illuminated or Flash was insufficient Select
13. n off the mecablitz Turn the clamping nut upwards against the case of the flashgun Slide the mecablitz foot completely into the camera s accessory shoe Turn the clamping nut downwards against the camera body thereby securing the flash unit Switch off the flash unit before it is removed Turn the clamping nut upwards against the case of the flashgun and remove the flash unit from the camera 3 Setting the mecablitz into operation 3 1 Preconditions The mecablitz must only be used with TTL flash controlled autofocus cameras The sensor of TTL flash controlled cameras measures the light reaching the film through the camera lens and instantly cuts out the flash when the film has been correctly expo sed Please refer to the camera s operating instructions to find out whether your camera features this function A full power flash is fired if the camera does not feature TTL flash control n other words Without TTL flash control the meca blitz fires an unmeasured flash at maximum output The camera s integrated flash may be additio nally used only if it can be completely folded out into its operating position An incompletely folded out camera flash unit can be damaged when the shutter release is tripped sy Gh 6 ol OFF ON fon Fig 3 Switching the flashgun on and off 3 2 Switching the flashgun on and off Set the
14. proceed as follows Switch off the flashgun with the main switch Remove the rechargeable or dry cell batteries for a brief period and then load them again 11 Technical data Guide number ISO 100 21 34 with telephoto attachment 28 without attachment 20 with wide angle diffuser Lighting for 35mm camera from 35 mm focal length onwards with wide angle attachment from 24 mm and with telephoto attachment from 85 mm focal length onwards Colour temperature approx 5600 K Synchronization Low voltage IGBT firing Flash duration 1 250 5 0 s Number of flashes Flash recycling time ca 100 ca 6 at full light output Lighting Rectangular Without attachment horiz approx 56 vertical approx 40 With W diffuser horiz approx 75 vertical approx 55 With T attachment horiz approx 25 vertical approx 18 Weight approx 160 g Dimensions 61 mm x 102 mm 35 mm Items delivered Flashgun attachments W diffuser T telephoto attachment Operating Instructions 2 batteries CR2 2 2 8 4 WIN TWIN T WIN T 5571854151612835 10 12155 6 1417 8 10 12 55 7 18 5 4 ISON WINT 25 15 8 10 1 50 18 11 14 17 8 100 21 1620 24 11 5 6 WIN T 2 8 3 5 8 2 2 4 5 6 8 11 T8211 I 2 5 3 1418 35 42 2 2 5 16 T WIN 14107091 2 1 1 2 3 LAlL8 5 3 84 2 8 17 14 11 24 20 47 24 28 38 16 20 4 34 28 22 48 40 200 24 22
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