Flash for Contax RTS ii and Minolta Maxxum 5

groddoneright · Sep 22, 2024

Hey everyone.

Was reaching out to see if anyone can help me choose a flash that will fit my cameras - with an emphasis on the Contax RTS ii.
I’ve had a hard time wanting to do the research to learn about flash tech. All the proprietary stuff is daunting.
I basically want a flash that I can trigger remotely from the camera - like the Godox tt600 I guess, so I can take some long exposure flash shots in skate based sports. Skateboarding, rollerskating, etc.
If there is one that will fit both, that would be so great. If not oh well.
I’ve been dying to expand my skills and expirement with flash, but this has been a barrier for me.
I went to my local camera store and I don’t think they beleived the godox tt600 would work on a Contax RTS ii. But they don’t deal with older cameras.

Any links to really helpful information/crash courses on flashes would be appreciated too.
Let me know if you’d like me to t
provide a pic of my cameras. Links to a summary of each below.
Thank you all, much appreciated!!

Contax RTS ii: https://davidde.com/2022/05/28/review-the-contax-rts-ii-quartz/

Minolta Maxxum 5:

Minolta Maxxum 5 35mm SLR w/ 50mm f1.7 lens + manuals + original box

The Minolta Maxxum 5 (also called the Dynax 5 or Alpha 5) is one of our favourite 35mm SLRs from the late era of film cameras. It's an engineering marvel: very small and light, easy to use, yet loaded with advanced features. This very underrated camera employs many of the advances introduced...

www.newwavepool.shop

1957ExaktaVarexIIa · Sep 23, 2024

As davidde has mentioned in his review, I'd suggest to use a Contax TLA30. Today it's cheap and you'll get the complete opportunities of the Contax TTL flash system of the RTS II era (back then it was called "TLA system") which was state-of-the-art back then and is still comfortable to use.

Make sure to get a TLA flash cable also because it's a pleasure to free the flash from the camera. (Of course you can set the flash right on the camera's hot shoe also - but I did never like the results of that constellation.) The simplest version of a cable is the " TLA Extension Cord 100" cable.
Two or three flash units could be combined by that cable system also, as a "multi-flash TTL system".

I always found it interesting to use flashes in combination with the RTS II's exposure compensation function, especially to reduce the flash's power.

I myself started out back in the 80s with a single TLA20 flash and a TLA100 cable and always got nice results.
Some years ago I got several TLA30s (about 30 € each) and I took a lot of pictures with them (two of them cable-connected to my Sony A7).

Another TLA flash of the RTS II era was the RTF540. It might be interesting for your projects in skate-based sports because it's capable of producing stroboscope flashes.
Just make sure to get an RTF540 of the newer generation or an older one which has been modified to work with TLA (the original RTF540 of the RTS I era did not yet have that function).
I have two of those units but I have not yet checked out the stroboscope function.

Michael

Film-Niko · Sep 23, 2024

Another excellent option besides the original Contax flashes is a modern Metz flash with the dedicated SCA adapter for Contax.
My recommendation is the Metz 54 MZ-3 or MZ-4 version with the SCA adapter for Contax (it I remember right it is the SCA 382 adapter).

groddoneright · Sep 23, 2024

1957ExaktaVarexIIa said:
As davidde has mentioned in his review, I'd suggest to use a Contax TLA30. Today it's cheap and you'll get the complete opportunities of the Contax TTL flash system of the RTS II era (back then it was called "TLA system") which was state-of-the-art back then and is still comfortable to use.

Make sure to get a TLA flash cable also because it's a pleasure to free the flash from the camera. (Of course you can set the flash right on the camera's hot shoe also - but I did never like the results of that constellation.) The simplest version of a cable is the " TLA Extension Cord 100" cable.
Two or three flash units could be combined by that cable system also, as a "multi-flash TTL system".

I always found it interesting to use flashes in combination with the RTS II's exposure compensation function, especially to reduce the flash's power.

I myself started out back in the 80s with a single TLA20 flash and a TLA100 cable and always got nice results.
Some years ago I got several TLA30s (about 30 € each) and I took a lot of pictures with them (two of them cable-connected to my Sony A7).

Another TLA flash of the RTS II era was the RTF540. It might be interesting for your projects in skate-based sports because it's capable of producing stroboscope flashes.
Just make sure to get an RTF540 of the newer generation or an older one which has been modified to work with TLA (the original RTF540 of the RTS I era did not yet have that function).
I have two of those units but I have not yet checked out the stroboscope function.

Michael

This sounds super interesting, thank you so much for your help! The strobe effect is a really good idea too lol Appreciate it.
I’ll definitely look into that tonight.

groddoneright · Sep 23, 2024

Film-Niko said:
Another excellent option besides the original Contax flashes is a modern Metz flash with the dedicated SCA adapter for Contax.
My recommendation is the Metz 54 MZ-3 or MZ-4 version with the SCA adapter for Contax (it I remember right it is the SCA 382 adapter).

Thank you, a modern option is definitely appreciated as well. Will look into tonight as well. Appreciate it!

wiltw · Sep 23, 2024

I strongly second the idea of a Metz flash which is SCA300-/SCA3000- compatible, and finding Metz SCA modules that are compatible with Contax and with Minolta Maxxum.
I have Metz 45CL units which are Metz SCA 300 compatible, with modules for Olympus OM and Bronica ETRSi which I used for wedding coverage in the days before digital, and Metz 54MZ units with SCA 3000 compatible module with digital TTL cameras. Metz flashes are incredibly reliable, and have autosensor flash automation which is famously accurate (when TTL is not supported by the camera)
Unfortunately Metz went out of the flash business, driven out by the cheap no-aftersales-support brands from China and which lack autosensor flash automation.

Paul Howell · Sep 24, 2024

You have to be careful when buying a flash for the Minolta 5, over the course of Minolta auto focus the flash mounts changed at least twice. Here is link to list that might be helpful. In general the 5 takes 8 pin lenes that work with late model TTL flashes. The flash syn is 1/125 for a faster flash syn at not much the 800si is 1/200 of a second.

Minolta/Konica Minolta/Sony Alpha flashes

www.mhohner.de

xkaes · Sep 24, 2024

I'm assuming you want to handle off-camera flashes the way that the Maxxum 5 does -- as opposed to using a Maxxum 5 camera.

First, you can't use the Maxxum 5 flashes on anything but late model Maxxum cameras. It uses what is called an iISO flash shoe and will not fit on any other brand of camera -- and adapters will just turn it into a DUMB flash.

Second, to do what the late model Maxxum and certain Sony cameras (which used the same flashes) can do with remote flashes, you need certain Minolta/Sony flashes. Other flashes don't offer these features.

It's too complicated to discuss here, but Minolta developed a flash system so that a flash on the camera could control itself and the remote flash(es) at the same time. No other company offered that. I don't mean just firing the flashes -- ala a SLAVE -- I mean controlling how much light each flash fires to produce a correct exposure.

However, you can use other cameras and other flashes (on or off the camera) to do pretty much the same thing -- it just won't be done automatically, like with the Minolta system. That's why the Maxxum 5 is an engineering marvel -- although other Maxxum & Sony cameras & FLASHES can do the same thing. You need specific cameras and specific flashes to get it to work.

Film-Niko · Sep 25, 2024

groddoneright said:
Thank you, a modern option is definitely appreciated as well. Will look into tonight as well. Appreciate it!

You're welcome. I am using Metz flashes for decades. Extremely robust workhorses, and very easy to use.

Chan Tran · Oct 4, 2024

Keep in mind that there is no TTL dedicated flash for the RTS II that can be triggered wirelessly and still support TTL. To use TTL you must do it with wire. Since the OP mentioned the Godox remote trigger which is wireless I must point this out. You can use the Godox flash with the RTS II (or just about any camera ) but only in manual. No TTL or even Non TTL Auto. But I think for the OP's purpose to photograph skateboarding which he knows the position of the camera and subject before hand manual flash would work just fine. Just need a flash meter or do the test with a digital camera.

cowanw · Oct 4, 2024

There were the Contax Radio Controller Set and Contax Infrared Controller S Set. I think both would permit TTL flash, but yes the flash would still be wired.

xkaes · Oct 4, 2024

Chan Tran said:
But I think for the OP's purpose to photograph skateboarding which he knows the position of the camera and subject before hand manual flash would work just fine. Just need a flash meter or do the test with a digital camera.

That's a situation where the Maxxum/Sony flash system would not be of much help anyway. It's designed more for studio situations with short distances.

Flash for Contax RTS ii and Minolta Maxxum 5

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