Nikon F3 flash TTL metering with Metz 45 CT-5.

To adapt their flashes to the several flash-communication systems the camera manufacturers applied, all major german on-camera-flash manufacturers introduced the SCA adapter standard.
Such adapter basically at one end had a SCA face and at the other end the proprietary camera face.
There are countless types of adapters and thus it is a kind of science its own... Though adapters with same designation are interchangable, notwithstanding which flash manufacturer made them.

There are however different series of adapters.

100-series (introduced 1980)
(only applied by Braun)

500-series (analog)
(Only applied by Metz and shortlived. I never came across such flash or adapter.)

300-series (analog)

3000-series (digital) (introduced 1992)
With the more advanced camera models to achieve all (or sometimes not even not all) communication functions one needed the 3000-series adapters

3002-series (introduced 2003)
(successor of the 3000-series)


For your Metz 45 CT-5 you need a 500-series SCA-adapter!
However I do not know whether such existed for the Nikon F-3. I have no documentation on the 500-series.

You might contact Mecatech on this matter.
But it would mean less hassle and likely be more economical to substitute your flash by a model CT-4 or CL-4. (The CL-4 has as new feature an AE-confirmation indicator, that is all.)

For these flashes you would need adapter 344.
It enables flash-TTL on the F-3.
It is the only SCA adapter for the F-3 and the old hammerhead flashes, at one end it has the proprietary hammerhead plug. Aside of it there is the 345 which got the SCA shoe to be used directly on the succeeeding flash models. Both adapters connect at cameraside to Nikons proprietary flash shoe at the left side. Both adapters serve the same functions.
These two are the only SCA adapters for the F-3 I know of.


I hope this helps.

 

I do not see the advantage of the CT-5 display.

The CT-4/ CL-4 has in place of six green, plain LEDs, six printed figures for the respective figures for the apertures. So in effect more information.
With all three flashes the figures for the auto-apertures are printed under the transparent disc, but I find the additional green figures printed outside the disc better to read.
In the dark the LEDs would be better visible for the dial setting, but still you would not know the actual aperture. Even not if you memorized those six and counted the lamps, as seemingly only one LED is lighted at a time.

Furthermore, in manual mode the CT-4/CL-4 offers in addition 1/2 and 1/4 output. The CT-5 offers only full power.

 

I think you need SCA 344 to work with the F3 and that flash. Those handle flashes are nice, I use the Rollei versions. However, for my Nikon cameras, I use Nikon flashes. The SB-28 is nice because it works both with Nikon TTL and all other 'vintage' cameras with its built-in sensor.

 

No, as pointed at above the 344 belongs to the series 300 adapters. The OP's flash though is designed to work with series 500 adapters.

In the CT-5 manual Metz have it on "dedicated flash mode". This was an early term used for the pre-TTL communication between flash and camera.
In those days for instance a competing manufacturer offered flashes that got several pins at their hot-foot. Depending on the setting at the flash it was dedicated to the very camera model and its proprietary hot shoe.
The series 500 (like series 100) offered the same form of early dedicated communication which still not incorporated TTL-flash-control,.
And anyway, the CT-5 flash has no switch to set it for TTL-control.

 

Yes, CT-5 version I missed that, in that case it indicates the following for the Metz 45 CT-5/F3 combination:

 

I now realized that at the back of its reflector head the CT-5 has a LED figure display (It is not hinted at in the manual, thus I did not realize.)
Something the later type 45 models did not get.

I guess If ever I come across a CT-5 I might take it just for this...

 

http://ianbfoto.com/downloads/Metz/Metz_SCA_Adapter_Archive_GB.pdf

See Note 11

BTW, this is why I never got a CT-5 despite years of being infatuated with it. In hindsight, though, I rarely see a difference between F-3 TTL flash and F-3 with a flash-mounted sensor.

 

Limited TTL, which is very different from limited TTL metering:
Flash ready
Sufficient flash.

Where did you see “limited TTL metering” referencing F-3? I think what you saw in that link we’re references (without being perfectly clear) to later Nikon digital cameras. I could be wrong... I just skimmed... but the continual reference to SCA300 was what I focused on.

 

I have 8 Nikon F3HP's, and every one of them has a bright, clear LCD display, even after 38 years. Looks to me like Nikon got that wrong.

 

Nikon F3 + 45CT5 + Mecablitz Special Adapter C60 Worked just fine for several retirement parties in big rooms. Give me a bit I'll scan the manuals and give you some pictures....

George

 

I have a Metz 60CT-2 that stands as a replacement for one I actually bought new when it was current, about 30+ years ago. It too used a 500 series interface for TTl. That interface works really well with my Olympus OM-2 cameras, and I expect with my OM-4T as well.

 

Marco you're right! I used Metz 45 CT-1 for more than 20 years only relying on it's measuring exposure cell and it always performed flawlessly. Sorry that you can't find right system info but I'm sure that it will work nice without dedicated adapter

 

Attached is a picture of the C60 adapter it goes between the flash and the F3 hot shoe. Also part scan of the manual.

 

The OP asked about the TTL feature of the CT-5 which is has not got, whatever adapter.

The SCA C-60 adapter belongs to the SCA 500 series, it enables communication between the CT-5 flash and F-3 camera on lower lever.

 

This listing is not complete as it lacks SCA adapter 345. Let alone alone adapters from the earlier adapter series. As this listing seems from Metz themselves, it shows how confusion is to arise.

 

Good point. I didn’t notice.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/charts/comp_metzflash_nikon.html

 

I own both a CT-4 and a CT-5. I bought the CT-5 first, assuming incorrectly that, since it had a higher nuumber than then -4, it would have more features. Well, other than that cool LED readout it has, I discovered, much to my displeasure, that it wasn't good for much when it came to flash automation. As I read up more on it, I realized that the CT-5 was an oddball and generally shunned by the working pros and amateurs alike. Now, the CT-4, by contrast, is a very useful flash. With the right SCA adapter or module, one can get TTL automation with a wide variety of cameras. I use it mostly with my Bronica ETRSi and the Metz module for the Bronica but I have a few adapters for other cameras where I can get TTL flash automation with them too.

 

In fact at its time it had more features than the CT-4, namely that camera-flash communication with cameras they were "dedicated" to. And thus the designation indeed hinted at an upgrading.
But the series 500 adapters soon where succeeded/replaced with the 300 series, which included TTL-control, whenever the respective camera offered this.

Here the strange thing is that this successsive adapter series got a lower figur designation, and with the successive type 45 flashes Metz fall back to the "4" designation with similar result.
Yes, very confusing.

 

Ah, I understand finally! I found an interesting link that might be helpful for some folks here regarding the features and differences between the various Metz handle-mount models:

http://strobeex.blogspot.com/2014/12/metz-45-ct1-ct3-ct4-ct5-cl1-cl3-cl4-cl4.html