Metz 52 AF 1 Digital System Flash
Engaged in testing photo cameras and lenses, I realized that I had forgotten an accessory that I use quite often – the system flash. I blink guiltily, employing the tactic of a guilty cocker spaniel caught eating bones behind the nearby bush, and immediately set about correcting this oversight. Today, thanks to the official importer Dinafos, I have the opportunity to talk about a legend. I assume you've already guessed, and there's no need to create artificial tension like a "Dancing with the Stars" host. The brand is well-known to serious photographers, and back when I was just starting out in photography, owning a flash from this brand was an incredible stroke of luck and prestige.
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Metz. I always thought it was a French company. Perhaps the fact that there's a city with the same name in France is misleading. In this case, we're talking about a German company with long-standing traditions. Among many photographers, it was also known by the jocular name "Grandma Bear." Perhaps there was a period when it was displaced from the market because camera manufacturers were releasing their own system flashes (some good, some not so much). Currently, Metz offers good alternatives to proprietary system flashes, and I would even say with better budget positioning. In my hands, I hold perhaps the company's newest model – Metz 52 AF 1 Digital. From what I recall, it was presented at "Photokina 2012," and it has been in Bulgaria for some time now. Why did I choose this model and not the flagship Metz 58 AF or even the top beast Mecablitz 76 MZ-5 digital? I promise to share my opinion on those in the future, but today I want to share my opinion on a good budget solution. I hope you will agree with me after about 8 hours (that's roughly how long it will take you to read the following lines).
First impressions are made by clothes... I mean, by design, and lasting impressions by functions.
The design of the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital is classic, simple, with clean lines. I like it, but as we know, this is a subjective perception. It doesn't win first place for compactness, but its class doesn't suggest compact dimensions either. It is slightly smaller than the flagship Metz 58. The body is made of good, hard-to-the-touch black plastic with a pleasant matte finish. The head is movable and can rotate horizontally 180 degrees on its axis to the left or 120 degrees to the right – a total of 300 degrees. Vertically, the head's movement is from 0 to 90 degrees. There is no option for -7 degrees when using macro lenses.
The reflector in the head is also movable and is adjusted by a motor. There are two operating modes: automatic, according to the position of the zoom lens (or the numbers on the prime lens), or manual setting by the user. The angle that the flash can cover, equivalent to a 35mm full-frame sensor, covers lenses from 24mm to 105mm. If you are a fan of extremely wide optics, you can use the built-in diffuser, thanks to which you can evenly illuminate the frame when using a 12mm (35mm full-frame equivalent) lens (I might be wrong, but I think only Sigma has such an extremely wide lens). I'm not sure how it would perform with a fisheye lens. I admit I haven't tried. Since I've started talking about the reflector, let me mention a function that is controlled from the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital's menu – the ability to set a larger or smaller illumination angle than what the flash would illuminate according to the selected lens focal length. When is this necessary? I will refer to my experience. Using a wider illumination angle is useful in cases where you use wide-angle optics to prevent visible vignetting at the edges. Illuminating with a narrower angle can be used when using lenses longer than 105mm to save light or when shooting a single portrait with 85mm or 105mm lenses to achieve pronounced vignetting for a more expressive look. This is my reasoning, which may be wrong. I suppose every user can experiment and decide for themselves. Finally, a subjective opinion about the front "glass" (I say glass although it's plastic) of the reflector. In fact, this is a Fresnel lens that creates good light concentration, and again, subjectively, I was left with the impression of a slightly softened light from the flash lamp. It's a purely visual sensation; I haven't tried it under identical conditions, but there's something like a softer light. If you want to soften the light even more, you can use the built-in reflector in the movable head, which, hmm... seems a bit short to me. Another way is to use softboxes offered by Metz or alternatives from third-party manufacturers. The flash does not offer original filter holders. Strobists will have to look for universal alternatives. I think I've said everything about the flash head. I'm doing an additional inspection of the body before delving into the menu.
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Focus assist lamp.
I haven't mentioned it yet, but I suppose you've already guessed that the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital, and Metz in general,
adapts each model to the major photographic brands. The flashes differ only in the control software and the way they attach to the camera's hot shoe (with the corresponding contacts). The main functions and capabilities are the same regardless of which brand the flash is designed for. Specifically, the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital is manufactured for: Canon, Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Olympus / Panasonic. There is no possibility, as there was years ago, to replace the flash's mount with one for another brand. To get back to the focus lamp. The Metz 52 AF 1 Digital cannot cover all AF systems of the different brands, so you need to determine which AF point configurations the flash can work with. It is guaranteed to work with the center point. Camera mounting foot. Metal with a locking system. Only for Sony is it a plastic foot, but as we know, Sony has returned to the standard for flashes, and I expect a version with a metal foot, like other models, soon. For strobists - the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital comes with a plastic stand that allows the flash to sit on a table or be screwed onto a tripod. In my opinion, it's more for display in a shop window. Don't rely on the included stand. It's better to purchase a sturdier and more functional alternative.
What is striking is how few buttons the flash has, which immediately led me to believe that either there's something rotten in Denmark, or the display has touch control. I don't know about Denmark, but I turned out to be right about the display, even though I'm writing sitting down.
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I really like touch-controlled displays, or touchscreens for short (not a Bulgarian word, but it has become established). The only inconvenience is working in winter with gloves. Now, however, it's spring/summer, and there are no worries. The menu is very easy and intuitive. Fans of many buttons won't like it, because it offers super-fast access to the most important functions. OK! After all, this is not the flagship used by the professional guild, where every second is precious. As a user picking up the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital for the first time, I was able to orient myself very quickly. A useful option is that the flash has orientation sensors, and the menu rotates on the display so that it is always in the correct direction.
Operating modes. Primarily two - TTL and manual, and in both modes, there is an option for high-speed operation (to add that this still depends on whether a given camera brand and model allows it).
In TTL mode, corrections can be made in +/- up to 3 EV units in 1/3 stops. For each camera brand, the original protocol for the brand is used: for Nikon - i-TTL; for Canon E-TTL, etc.
In manual mode, you can set the flash output between 1 and 1/128 of the pulse in 1/3 increments. If you use
the high-speed manual mode, the range decreases by one stop – from 1 to 1/64.
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Recycle time. A very important characteristic. It depends on the shooting mode and the flash power. I haven't mentioned the power yet, although for most users it's clear from the name – Metz 52 AF 1 Digital – simply put, the maximum power is determined at 100 ISO with the reflector in the head set to 105mm, giving a guide number of 52. The user manual contains a table showing the guide number at other reflector positions. Why do I mention this? Most flash manufacturers, for prestige, provide large guide numbers measured by the method described above. I think only Nikon gives its standard guide number with the reflector positioned at 35mm. I don't know why this is. The fact is that the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital is minimally less powerful than Nikon's flagship SB-910 – 32 guide number at 35mm reflector position (the SB-910 is 34 guide number), meaning Metz users will not feel shortchanged on power.
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The flash is powered by 4 AA batteries, also known as R06. Whether alkaline or rechargeable NiMH is up to the user. As I said, the recycle time depends on many things, but in manual mode at full power, it is most indicative. I did a small test that does not claim to be absolutely accurate. I had 2 sets of batteries: rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop 2400mA and alkaline Panasonic. Manual mode, full power. The result: 15 flashes in 60 seconds with rechargeable batteries, meaning an average recycle time of 4 seconds. 7 flashes with alkaline batteries in about 60 seconds – average time 8 seconds. According to specifications, with rechargeable batteries, the recycle time is 3.5 seconds, and with alkaline, it's 4 seconds. I didn't see the point in investing in 3-4 different types of alkaline batteries to see if the reason wasn't the batteries themselves. I have always recommended working with rechargeable batteries. It's better for your wallet and for the environment, and they are always proven to be faster than alkaline.
The battery compartment is cleverly designed; even if you insert the batteries incorrectly, there is no risk of damage (with some older flashes from other brands, there was a risk of damage from incorrect battery insertion). I didn't find an option to connect an external power source (I mean battery packs). Opening the flash compartment cover, I noticed a Mini USB input. This valuable feature allows updating the firmware with improvements or with eventual corrections of "bugs" from the previous version. I assume it would also allow a general update, in case a new camera model with a completely changed protocol appears on the market from the brand you are shooting with. The update process is extremely easy: download the update, connect the flash to the computer, activate the downloaded update, count to... however long it takes, and you're good to go. I scrolled through the text several times and didn't find where to insert this, so I'm deciding this is the appropriate place.
Overheating – every flash unit heats up when working intensively. The Metz 52 AF 1 Digital has a thermal sensor and indicator that shows the operating temperature range. I sincerely hope that the following lines will not be read by representatives of Dinafos. I had to take a series of almost 150 shots in TTL mode with almost complete capacitor discharge to get the flash to raise its temperature and for a sad warning sign to appear on the display, indicating that a high temperature had been reached in the flash head. While playing "shoot 'em up," I monitored the temperature indicator and it seemed to me that when it rose to the middle, the flash started recharging a little slower to allow itself to cool down. I didn't heed the warning and continued boldly. I reached the stage with the sad inscription, but... the flash continued to work despite the inscription. I'm not sure if there's a lockout that would stop me (and drive me crazy, because it usually happens at an important event) or if it leaves me to take the risk myself. I didn't risk it and let it rest. Literally within a minute, the indicator dropped to the bottom, and I could calmly continue shooting. I advise shooting in overheated mode only if absolutely necessary. Good care of your flash will reward you with longer service and thus saved money. A little about a favorite operating mode for strobists – wireless control. Wireless – does not mean radio control. I don't know why this misconception is so deeply ingrained.
Wireless - means without a cable, and yes, sometimes it truly uses radio waves with special devices, but here, as with all other system flashes, control is done using light waves – simply put, from the flash's light. I won't go into details about why and when wireless control is used; that's a topic for another long and extensive discussion. I'll mention that the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital has the option to be both a master and a slave flash. It boasts 100% control functionality (channels and groups) like proprietary system flashes, meaning a Nikon user will have the same menu interface and operation as, for example, the system SB-910. The same applies to other brands. This means the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital is not like the cut-down, lower versions of proprietary system flashes. Continuing with wireless sync, I reach SERVO mode. This is a very easy-to-use mode. The flash simply has an activated photocell and is triggered by the camera's built-in flash or another external flash. The catch is that it only works in manual mode – as if you were using a studio monolight. You can adjust the flash power in the range from 1 to 1/128 (in 1/3 stops) of the pulse. It's possible to change the angle of the lamp in the reflector. There's no quick access; you have to go back to the main menu and then navigate to the "manual zoom" function.
Synchronization options? I would say the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital can synchronize with almost any camera with a built-in flash, regardless of which photographic brand it's designed to work with. For instance, I had a model intended for Sony, but that didn't stop me from testing it with Pentax and Canon. It worked flawlessly with all three brands, which suggests it wouldn't have a problem with any other brand either. The flash has settings for precise synchronization. The options are: 1st curtain sync, with pre-flash detection, or the ability to "learn." As you know, with every brand of photo equipment, the so-called pre-flash (sending a certain number of short pulses to the subject beforehand to better measure the light) differs in frequency and number of pulses. I assume you know that not every camera can be set to emit a single pulse from its built-in flash, and this is where the option for pre-flash detection comes in handy. As I mentioned above, the pre-flash is different for each brand. Therefore, the flash can be taught how to distinguish the pre-flash from the main pulse and fire at the exact right time. Simply select the "learn" option, take one shot, and you're ready. From then on, you'll have seamless synchronization between your camera and the remote Metz 52 AF 1 Digital.
If you've decided to get serious about strobism, you're missing a nice feature available in studio monolights – modeling light. With the help of modeling light, you can easily set up a lighting scheme, knowing in advance what shadows you'll have on the subject. Come to think of it, although there's no continuous modeling light, there is still an option for the flash to simulate modeling light, albeit for a short time. It's selected from the menu (options) and, using the stroboscope principle, provides constant light for about 3 seconds, allowing you to gauge the shadows and the rendering of the subject. It's activated by the test button. Overall, this is a quick look at the Metz 52 AF 1 Digital. I assume you've come to my conclusion that this model offers a good budget solution for a good system flash. I recommend purchasing an additional mini softbox and using it with rechargeable batteries.
