Metz in insolvency

ts1000 · Dec 13, 2022

There is so much innovation that could go on in this space.

There is a problem with established businesses -- is that they organize their executive leadership structure around milking the previous engineering accomplishments.

You have to be 'starting' a new company in essence -- every 7-10 years.
Unless you are making reenactment/historical souvenirs or traditional gift baskets.

Sharktooth · Dec 13, 2022

There's really no mystery here. Metz was pro equipment geared primarily to the medium format market, and more specifically, the huge wedding photography market. There were a lot of these folks to serve, and they were willing to pay top dollar for pro equipment, since their livelihood depended on it. Medium format collapsed when digital became good enough for the pros. Metz sufferered just like every other medium and large format camera supplier. Almost all of them are gone now too.

Everything about photography has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. We now view images on screens, and not on paper. Everyone is carrying a competent camera in their pocket or purse these days. Even if you could have predicted the future 20 years ago, it doesn't mean it would have been easy to change course so dramatically.

wiltw · Dec 13, 2022

Rudeofus said:
There is more to this than just "well, change the software to fire a preflash":

A TTL flash was fired by a thyristor and stopped by another thyristor. Thyristors are cheap electronic switches for high voltage and high current, but they could fire only one flash at a time. If you want to switch your flash on and off a couple of times in short succession, you need special MOSFETs. These are trivially available now, but require a complete redesign of the flash circuitry. These hammer head flashes had stronger strobes, and MOSFETs to handle these may not have been available right away. Semiconductors thrive on high volumes, and hammer head flashes were the exact opposite: demanding design, low sales numbers.

Signaling between camera and TTL flash used to be trivial: "fire flash" and "stop flash", both typically communicated through one or two signal lines. No issues with reverse engineering of vendor specific and ever changing camera-flash protocols.

Instead of leading the market with pro level flashes, Metz had to chase vendor protocols and special electronics while offering nothing unique. They had to make compromises in product quality (c.f. stuck flash mirror) in order to compete in prices. They made some bone headed decisions (make flash firmware update available only for Windows, poor service, ...), which saved nothing but cost a lot of good will (many hobby photographers are nerds&tinkerers by trade).

yet Metz managed to change the 45CL4 into the 45CL4 Digital, and that newer model COULD fire preflash upon command. And the SCA module compatible with digital cameras could be used with the 45CL4 Digital, or with newer flashes that could also preflash, like the Metz 54MZ.
For whatever reason, Metz decided to change from SCA-compatible flash to dedicated (to one brand) flash units. The 'abandon flash' digital movement did not really occur with dSLRs until the cameras gained relatively low noise high ISO capability... lots of Canon 430EX and 580EX were sold, but not so much Canon 600EX

AgX · Dec 17, 2022

Rudeofus said:
They had to make compromises in product quality (c.f. stuck flash mirror) ...

What do you mean by that?

Rudeofus · Dec 19, 2022

AgX said:
What do you mean by that?

Metz flashes used to be pro tools, way out of my price range. Think hammer head flashes with extremely high light output.

The transition to vendor specific digital flashes suddenly made them a low cost third party alternative to vendor flashes: the flash mirror assembly tended to get stuck over time (AF-1 48C), for a long time the bigger AF-1 58C could not be fired through the trigger pin (that was an important feature, remember Strobist?). You had to push buttons over and over where Canon's 580EX had a nice wheel.

images39 · Dec 19, 2022

Sharktooth said:
There's really no mystery here. Metz was pro equipment geared primarily to the medium format market, and more specifically, the huge wedding photography market. There were a lot of these folks to serve, and they were willing to pay top dollar for pro equipment, since their livelihood depended on it. Medium format collapsed when digital became good enough for the pros. Metz sufferered just like every other medium and large format camera supplier. Almost all of them are gone now too.

Everything about photography has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. We now view images on screens, and not on paper. Everyone is carrying a competent camera in their pocket or purse these days. Even if you could have predicted the future 20 years ago, it doesn't mean it would have been easy to change course so dramatically.

I think that pretty much sums it up regarding the Metz flashes.

I did some work for a studio some years back. Their photographers were doing weddings, all armed with medium format cameras and a bracket-mounted Metz CT60. I've never made close friends with flash photography, but man that was definitely the tool for that job.

Dale

Subversive Mk II · Oct 22, 2023

A few years ago I started to buy Metz flashes, simply because they were the best available when I was younger and about ten years ago the older units were available for almost free.
Along with them I started to acquire the later (and latest) adapters I could find, knowing that eventually they'd dry up and be harder to find.
I've now got enough flashes to last a couple of lifetimes, and provided I keep them in some sort of use they'll continue to offer the great level of service they always did.
Got a quad set of 45s (including a CL4 digital), a 54 and a couple of 40MZs, along with a box of assorted adapters and cables.
I think I've got enough now; to carry on would be just collecting them for the sake of it, and that would be daft.

Anaxagore · Dec 22, 2023

AgX said:
Basically you are right (except that Bauer did not even join that consortium).

They did make SCA flashes though.

Fujicaman1957 · Dec 22, 2023

Sounds like me and Vivitar 365's-I now own 11 of them !

Reginald S · Dec 22, 2023

Subversive Mk II said:
A few years ago I started to buy Metz flashes, simply because they were the best available when I was younger and about ten years ago the older units were available for almost free.

The same here
Around 10x CTL-45, different versions.
And they are great in their own.

But I have an idea why I didn't buy them in the 80ies/90ies where I have bought a wonderful Minolta 8000i , and later a 700si with the original what, 5200 flash.

This flash has full automatic, plus wireless flash, plus wireless with multi flashes , and includes a shiftig reflector from ww up to 105mm.
He probably will not have a real LZ52 but comes with strobe which I have used last week again.
With my digital Sony A 330 being more than 30 years older than my Minoltas (the 700si ist still with me).

I always have been an enthusiastic hobbyist, with a multitalented flash, so no need for investing in good old Metz quality not beeing able satisfying my personal needs.

Today I would buy some chinese flashes and a receiver if needed for the money I have paid for the 5200.
But I have bought some Godox studio flashes instead, and I mostly never have brought any of these Metz on location.
Would have done this, the power of Metz is good enough for my livingroom studio - bit I need some comfort, and simple usage, that's it I guess.

fs999 · Dec 27, 2023

Anaxagore said:
They did make SCA flashes though.

This is a Braun flash. The department was sold in 1986 to Robert Bosch Group which also acquired Eugen Bauer AG (in 1936) which existed in the group under the name Robert Bosch Photokino GmbH and the products first were labelled Bosch then Bauer.

Metz in insolvency

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