Metz

Hi
Looks like Metz
http://petapixel.com/2014/11/20/german-flash-lighting-accessory-manufacturer-met...#more-151643

Wow.

...Metz filing for insolvency.

Chinese competition?

Guessing it's time to add another Metz 76 to my collection; while they are still around.

I've gone through many a flash unit in my career, have found Metz to be one of the best around, second only to Quantum. Unfortunately Quantum does not make a dedicated Pentax show/converter

I've been looking at getting a second flash to supplement the Pentax AF-540 fgz, and the later Metz models seem to offer the most compatable features, in terms of the wireless system, HSS , and they offer a lot for the money ... Too much maybe? ....

For someone like myself, who doesn't want to only use a manual system with a trigger, but who appreciates having auto-flash exposure available when needed then the Metz options are really the next obvious choice after Pentax.

I do wonder if this is influenced to an extent by the onward march of high ISO performance ... The problems that might demand high ISO or flash are of course very different ... Flash will not be the solution to some problems and higher ISO will not solve others.

But I wonder if more and more photographers are passing over flash, considering it too complicated and expensive, and instead imagining that they will not really need it as their camera will simply crank up to very high ISO for when the light is low ... Could it be that more and more photographers are not aware of the fantastic potential of flash and no longer start to explore it's possibilities?

Many photographers rarely use flash, not because it's too complicated for them, but because they enjoy the characteristics of available light. Flashguns are also quite expensive, or at least the marque and high end independent ones are, and with high ISO giving excellent results, plus a built in flash for emergency use, there's probably much less demand.

I guess it does take some exploration of lighting techniques to actually realise what is possible, and this is what I'm wondering that less people are taking the time to do? For example, since starting to use the flash wirelessly with diffuser in my house, I am able to get much better shots of the family at any time, in any lighting .... sure, if I used my 50 f1.7 with window light, I can get nice creative results, but its not always the effect wanted.

Likewise, the examples such as I showed in the HSS 'tutorial' ... those situations will not be helped with higher ISO. I just hope that the reason for the decline in flash sales is not due to peoples lack of interest and awareness .... that would be a pity, as it means missing out on so much.

One also has to remember how much most flash units break down, and how fast they do so.

I have many lenses still in use far before autofocus was available; some of the manual focus PK's. Most lenses last an incredibly long time in cared for properly, and can even be easily repaired. I rarely have used even a higher end flash unit, using it for professional work - and had it last much more than one year

I wouldn't want anyone to ignore the possibilities of flash just because of concern over breakages ... Choose good quality and take good care of things and open up to the new creative control available from a small flash lighting system!

Old Sunpak guns go on forever. I've still got one from 1975.
A Metz purchased the same year lasted about 5 years.

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