We love the SF20/24 flash unit for
the Leica. It's lightweight. It's compact. It's a joy to use, giving
perfect exposures in all of its modes: manual, auto and TTL - keylight
and fill - if only... yeah, if only it were more easily bounceable to
produce a softer flash. Well, there are the "third party" TTL-cords
such as the Nikon SC17 or the Contax TLA 100 which work fine for
off-camera bouncing, but still - you have to sacrifice all ease of
handling and a lot of flash power to get a decent bounce.
That's why Lutz came up
with the SFILL. As you might know, we like to keep things (and
accessories for the Leica M, especially) simple, compact, lightweight
and cheap: So how about 10 grams for a custom made SF20/24 softbox, the
size of a postcard when folded? What if we threw in a CTO color
correction filter for tungsten type flashing, a handy pouch and a
sensor shade for auto mode and gave the kit away...
The SFILL attaches to your SF20/24 by means of self adhesive velcro stripes which come along. The screen has a simple yet effective mechanism to hold 4"x6" diffusers and/or filters in place. A "Brushed Silk" #228 from Lee Filters comes along as the standard diffuser - other material can be added at will. I've found "Brushed Silk" to be the most favorable compromise between diffusion power and loss of flash intensity. Be prepared, though, to lose at least one stop in absolute flash power, depending on the diffusing material. Additionally, the use of the original Leitz SF20/24 wide angle diffuser is highly recommended. Most customers can gladly live with the inherent power reduction for the kind of Leica M flash photography which basically just requires a low level fill. Anyway, for a critical evaluation you should do your personal testings based on film type, diffuser material and flash preferences.
What we like especially about the SFILL is the possibility of waist level controlling and setting of aperture and shutter speed, which is unique among soft boxes. The SFILL just isn't in the way but in the light's (not Leitz'...! ;o) - be it mounted or folded.
To economize combine your SFILL order with a SLING, SLIDE, SCOOP, SHADE, SWISS, STEER or HOOK order. This way you may take advantage of the fixed $5 fee to cover worldwide shipment.
