Leica SF 58 - Leica Camera AG

The reflectors / flash techniques
The LEICA SF 58 has two reflectors, the main reflector and the secondary reflector.
The main reflector is designed as a motorized swivel and tilt zoom head. In
addition, it is equipped with an 18 mm diffuser and a reflector card.
The secondary reflector is optionally switchable, its output can be regulated.
Main reflector
Swiveling and tilting for bounce flash
In its resting position, the zoom head (1.4) is locked to prevent accidental settings.
By pressing and holding the release button (1.4a), it can be swivelled
and/or tilted by stages for bounce flash to various indexed positions:
Swivelling (horizontal):30° / 60° / 90° / 120° / 150° / 180° anti-clockwise
30° / 60° / 90° / 120° clockwise
Tilting (vertical): 7° downwards
45° / 60° / 75° / 90° upwards
Bounce flash illuminates the subject more softly and reduces dense shadows.
It also reduces the drop in light from foreground to background that occurs for
physical reasons.
To avoid color casts in your shots, the reflective surface (e.g. ceiling or wall)
should be color-neutral or white. For frontal fill-in lighting, the secondary
reflector can be activated additionally (see “Secondary reflector for bounce
flash”, p. 50).
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To prevent direct light from the reflector reaching the subject, the tilting angle
should be at least 60°.
In close-ups and macro shots, the parallax error between flash unit and lens
may result in shadows on the lower edge of the image. To compensate for this,
the main reflector can be tilted downwards by an angle of 7°.
If the zoom head is tilted downwards, “TILT” is shown on the display as indication.
With the exception of this 7° downwards position, flash ranges do not appear
on the display when the zoom head is swiveled or tilted.
Notes on close-ups:
• Certain minimum lighting distances must be maintained for close-up shots to
avoid over-exposure. The minimum lighting distance is about 10 % of the range
displayed on the monitor.
• For close-up shots, make sure that the flash light is not obscured by the lens,
especially in the case of longer models such as telephoto- and telephotozoom
lenses.
Motor zoom adjustment
24, 28, 35, 50, 75, 90 and 105 (focal length in mm*) are available as zoom positions.
* The focal length values shown refer to the 35 mm format (24 x 36 mm). In the case of
cameras with smaller formats as a result of their effectively smaller angle of view, exposures
may also be made with shorter focal length settings of the main reflector than
those shown on the monitor. Example: With a LEICA M 8 / M 8.2 and a 21 mm lens, the
24 mm reflector position also produces flawless illumination.