2017-10-26T10:31:03
Rated 2 out of 5
the devices work well but I believe Olympus should at the very least
A short time ago I found myself needing Macro Twin and Ring flash equipment. After some research I settled on the above as it provides TTL auto or manual modes on four thirds mount Leica Digilux 3 or a point and shoot Leica Digilux 2. The FC-1 is a fine flash controller on these cameras. It is a long story on how I acquired these cameras when I went kicking and screaming from film to digital equipment primarily due to my increasing need of “auto focus”.
I have always made extensive use of lens filters for color correction and contrast and over the past few years have acquired many 72mm filters which mount directly to the Leica Digilux 3 14-50mm lens and to the Digilux 2 with a 69-72mm step up ring. Use of PhotoShop or other software in the digital “darkroom” only makes a poor photographer look a bit better.
Shoe Ring (SR-1), required to mount the TF-22, has stacked 67mm & 72mm male filter threads. If female filter threads are deep enough to straddle the stacked 67mm threads, the SR-1 will mount directly to the lens or filter making an efficient and usable mounting. However some 72mm filter walls are not deep enough to straddle the stack.
Leica Digilux 3 D Vario-Elmarit 14-50mm lens 72mm female filter threads are deep enough.
Leica Digilux 3 w/Olympus 50mm macro lens 52mm female threads – unable to find a 52-72mm step up ring deep enough to make the straddle. Obtained a Flash Adapter FR-1 that bayonet mounts to the 50mm lens and barrel is threaded with female 67mm. This poorly engineered setup works but was obviously designed by committee with contradicting requirements and is very specific to this lens. I replaced the FR-1 with a 52-67mm step up ring that works perfectly. The FR-1 has been relegated to the trash heap.
Leica Digilux 2 with fixed lens 69mm female filter threads accepts the SR-1 with a 69-72mm step up ring. However I have found that use of a 69mm lumix screw on close up lens which accepts the 72mm threads on the SR-1 provides the best results of my available twin flash setups
Ring Flash RF-11.
Mounting the RF-11 on these cameras was a daunting task as Olympus engineering failed miserably and various reviews and specification written by a plethora of ill-informed but well intentioned individuals leaves a lot to be desired. The RF-11 has but one factory available mounting scheme – the ring flash adapter FR-2 bayonet mount to RF-11 or screw on to 67mm SR-1 and 46mm male threads to attach to the 60mm lens.
Mounting the RF-11 on my configuration was accomplished by butchering a 72mm rubber lens hood and gluing into the RF-11. Use of step up rings provides workability.
In summary, the devices work well but I believe Olympus should at the very least, provide a Flash Ring adapter that provides a 72mm male thread interface for those of us who have gone through this exercise
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WILLIAM G.
