V6 II passing incorrect information between Pentax 645Z and Metz 54MZ-3

paulster · October 2016

I just tried using a pair of V6 II transceivers with my old Metz 54MZ-3 flash (with an SCA3702 Pentax shoe on it) with my Pentax 645Z.

When the flash is mounted directly on camera with no transceivers involved the aperture, ISO and zoom position are properly transferred over to the flash, but when it's off camera then the values for all of these are wrong, and the V6 II on camera can't control the flash power.

It's not a huge deal for me, but if it's something fixable then that would make the occasional use I get from this particular flash that bit easier.

Antonio · October 2016

Hi there @paulster,

...When the flash is mounted directly on camera with no transceivers involved the aperture, ISO and zoom position are properly transferred over to the flash, but when it's off camera then the values for all of these are wrong,...

These values won't be transferred wirelessly from the camera to the off-camera flash(es), if they do then the V6 II would be a wireless TTL flash trigger. The V6 and V6 II are manual flash triggers.
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..., and the V6 II on camera can't control the flash power.

If the V6 II could not auto-detect the Metz flash as a Pentax system flash, that means the flash can only runs on Analogue TTL. In this case you will need to use the V6, as it supports analogue TTL. The V6 II only supports Digital TTL.

Within the next few days we will release a new firmware for the V6 and it can be remotely controlled and triggered by a V6 II. The V6 will work under x-sync, except for Power Sync where it boost your flash power (above the normal 1/1 full power) and this works in HSS / FP shutter speeds (e.g. 1/2000s).

Thank you.

paulster · October 2016

Ah, you are correct. I hadn't noticed that it wasn't auto-detecting it on AUTO mode, as I had the receiver set in Pentax mode.

On AUTO mode it detects it as a manual flash, so your thinking seems to be spot on.

It'll be interesting to see if HSS works on it then, even just used as a manual flash, because that alone would be useful.

Antonio · October 2016

Well, yes in a sense. But what mode is your flash in? It has to be in TTL mode in order for the V6 II to communicate with it.

Not sure about the Pentax version, but I see "E-TTL" (for Canon, obviously) and "HSS" on page 22 of the Metz 54MZ-3 user manual:

http://www.metz-mecatech.de/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/fm-dam/Download/Homepage_Englisch/Photo_Electronic/Bedienungsanleitung_GB/mecablitz_GB/mecablitz_48_bis_76/mecablitz_54_MZ_3_GB_I_E.pdf&t=1476864973&hash=c278a8e32d7ce9f061b61b3d34d7ebbb99f7b188

But it did not mention about Pentax TTL nor Pentas HSS, so I'm not sure about that.

Maybe if you have a Canon SCA adapter, you could make it work with the V6 II and utilize your Metz flash more?

paulster · January 2017

I tried a Canon SCA adaptor on this and it's worse than the Pentax one, in that I can't control the power or the zoom. Switching over to a V6 receiver (still with a V6 II transmitter) I can control the power level but not the zoom.

Is this a weird hybrid flash that is using digital control for the zoom and analogue for the TTL power or something? And do you have any ideas if/what combination of receiver and SCA adaptor could get control over both functions?

Class A · January 2017

I think you are out of luck with respect to controlling both power and zoom levels.

I understand only the V6 can control the power level (through these adapters) but it never supported remote zoom control (for any flash model other than the RF60).

paulster · January 2017

Oh, that'll be why then. I thought that both the V6 and V6 II did zoom control.

It's not a big deal anyway. It was just a means of getting some additional usefulness out of an old flash that was kicking around.

Antonio · January 2017

Oh, that'll be why then. I thought that both the V6 and V6 II did zoom control.

Because V6 relies on analogue TTL, power control is done by means quenching. Zoom, on the other hands, requires digital TTL, thus only available on the V6 II, which is pure digital TTL.

V6 II passing incorrect information between Pentax 645Z and Metz 54MZ-3

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