Metz 50 Af-1

The Metz 50 Af-1 just recently became available here in Canada and I was considering picking it up as a first flash.

Was just wondering if there are any owners on here that could post some reviews/opinions of it, as they have been pretty limited.

Thanks a bunch!

I have the 58 AF-1 , went through a couple summers of weddings with it, tons and tons of fires, then while at a wedding did a shot and it exploded, smoke coming out of it and everything, sent it to metz for repair it was out of warranty and cost me $110 for them to fix it.

Hey trudgy, thanks for the reply. Sorry to hear about the mishap Does anyone else have experience with this flash?

trudgy, you might want to comment about how often and how rapidly you fired the flash routinely, and in the final moments before it burned up, as there is no reason to needlessly strike fear in phouma, if you inadvertantly or deliberately subjected the flash to thermal abuse contrary to Metz instructions provided in the owner's manual. Many Canon 580EX's have suffered similar fates, and one owner admits on POTN to having burned out three 580EXs before he changed his ways.

Wilt wrote in post #11219045
trudgy, you might want to comment about how often and how rapidly you fired the flash routinely, and in the final moments before it burned up, as there is no reason to needlessly strike fear in phouma, if you inadvertantly or deliberately subjected the flash to thermal abuse contrary to Metz instructions provided in the owner's manual. Many Canon 580EX's have suffered similar fates, and one owner admits on POTN to having burned out three 580EXs before he changed his ways.

Very good point.

Wilt wrote in post #11219045
trudgy, you might want to comment about how often and how rapidly you fired the flash routinely, and in the final moments before it burned up, as there is no reason to needlessly strike fear in phouma, if you inadvertantly or deliberately subjected the flash to thermal abuse contrary to Metz instructions provided in the owner's manual. Many Canon 580EX's have suffered similar fates, and one owner admits on POTN to having burned out three 580EXs before he changed his ways.

Spontaneous combustion maybe

Wilt wrote in post #11219045
trudgy, you might want to comment about how often and how rapidly you fired the flash routinely, and in the final moments before it burned up, as there is no reason to needlessly strike fear in phouma, if you inadvertantly or deliberately subjected the flash to thermal abuse contrary to Metz instructions provided in the owner's manual. Many Canon 580EX's have suffered similar fates, and one owner admits on POTN to having burned out three 580EXs before he changed his ways.

I diffiently wouldn't put fear or anything into purchasing a product if it was of my own doing.

the scenario was. I was sitting down eating dinner, camera and flash were turned off. I finished dinner and a family wanted a shot by the fireplace. I turned everything on, set the shot up. hit the trigger and POOF.

trudgy wrote in post #11229233
I diffiently wouldn't put fear or anything into purchasing a product if it was of my own doing.

the scenario was. I was sitting down eating dinner, camera and flash were turned off. I finished dinner and a family wanted a shot by the fireplace. I turned everything on, set the shot up. hit the trigger and POOF.

The real question here is, DID YOU GET THE SHOT?

I have the Metz 58 AF-1, they announced the AF-2 but I have not seen it available yet. It is an awesome flash, better than the 580EXII in my opinion. The wink light on the front is awesome. If you want excellent ETTL, this is the flash for you.

Joe

trudgy wrote in post #11229233
I diffiently wouldn't put fear or anything into purchasing a product if it was of my own doing.

the scenario was. I was sitting down eating dinner, camera and flash were turned off. I finished dinner and a family wanted a shot by the fireplace. I turned everything on, set the shot up. hit the trigger and POOF.

But what was your typical usage during the went couple of summers of weddings with it, with 'tons and tons of fires'? Did you overly stress it then?

Fouma, Metz has dependably survived decades of professional wedding and event shooters. It has far more accurate Auto (photosensor) mode than Canon has in their 580EXII, as tested by many on POTN. (And BTW the body controls ETTL, not the flash.)

Wilt wrote in post #11230409
Metz has dependably survived decades of professional wedding and event shooters.

Amen brother..

Geezus,, I remember the first ever Metz flash I used.. A Metz 202 with lead acid battery.. Then a couple of 402s which were damn good..

The Metz 60CT1 is my favourite all time flash.. Makes the 580EX look like a six stone weakling.. I remember when we bought a couple when I worked for the photographic unit for large iron and steel plant.. When the boss first tested it, his words were "Fark, you can light the moon up on a dark night at f/8".. I eventually bought one for my personal use..

I still have a Metz 45CT1 which looks a bit battered and bruised but works great..

another happy owner and user of 58 AF-1
50 AF-1 is a successor of 48 AF-1, which imho is a better flash than Canon 430exII.
Metz controls involve quite a lot of button pushing, but the tiny buttons of 430ex are fiddly as well .

I think maybe people are getting the wrong impression or something, I'm not bashing or anything Metz. I purchased it over the 580exII because of everything I heard about them and being less expensive to boot!. I was merely sharing my experience with it.

I would not say I put it through unneccssary stress then other photographers, I know how to use the equiptment and take extremely good care of my equipment.

the out of warranty help and cost for repair was acceptable and I did get it fixed.

any of the super metz lovers take a peak at my post https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=953946 .

thanks.

My first Metz flash was bought 20 years ago and is still going strong. That's why I went that route again when it comes to flash.
I bought two 48 AF-1c two years ago and they are trouble free and recharge faster than 58.
Since I got the 58 less than a year ago, there's once that it got stuck and I had to turn it off and restart. It's all good since then though.
However, I have not yet put 58 through some stranuous usage yet. It seems to generate a lot more heat than the 48's.

I left the Canon flashes for Metz and have never looked back. Nothing seems better than a Metz!

On their website it lists slave and servo mode - among others. Can anyone fill me in on their terminology? If it has an optical slave that'd make it a pretty neat package and certainly give it a big "strobist" advantage to the Canon 430 - especially with my very diverse kit of flashes (bunch of nikon SB-2x and 80DX mostly).