Vintage Leica Leitz Wetzlar CEYOO Flash + 5B bulbs...anyone use them?

CropDusterMan · Dec 20, 2016

Interested in hearing from any Leica M users who have a vintage Leica CEYOO flash system and if they
actually use it from time to time...I see the 5B bulbs online (also vintage).

Any retro flash users out there?

OptiKen · Dec 20, 2016

I will use flash bulbs on occassion but usually rely on a holder that handles the little AG13 so as to not completely blind my subjects.
I do have a CEYOO flash and have used it with my leica just to see how it worked and for the 'coolness' of it.
For the most part, I find bulbs give off a very harsh light and for me they are hard to 'get right'.
Love the reactions I get from people when I use one. Most people today have never experienced that 'black spot in the middle blind vision' effect of a traditional flash picture.
It is always my pleasure to 'enlighten' them. (pun intended)

choiliefan · Dec 20, 2016

What size batteries does the CEYOO flash use?

OptiKen · Dec 20, 2016

choiliefan said:
What size batteries does the CEYOO flash use?

Ouch!
finding ones that actually fit inside the CEYOO is a major challenge.
The 12v 23A battery is small enough so that you can stack two inside, wired in series. (or so I'm told - mine was still flashing with the battery it came with when I bought it so I haven't even opened it)

CropDusterMan · Dec 20, 2016

I've always liked the look of those old flashes...a nice quality of light...I find the design of the reflector to
be quite genius.

Paul Howell · Dec 21, 2016

I have 6 boxes of M25 press and a few boxes of the smaller blubs, I use on rare occasion with my Yashica 124 or Crown. The M 25 really puts out a lot of light.

mjork · Dec 21, 2016

The M3 has two flash connectors. One for x-sync and the other for m-sync flashbulbs. And you can actually use both of them at the same time. So I did an experiment with color infrared film in the camera, a Graflex reflector with a #5R infrared flashbulb, and a modern Canon electronic flash. This actually all worked out at the basic technical level: the electronic flash and the flashbulb fired and their light output was fully recorded on the film. Unfortunately I didn't quite get the desired result as the IR flashbulb had a much stronger effect than intended.
I'll probably experiment with this again some day...

Saganich · Dec 21, 2016

Yea, I have used this set-up on my M2 with way nicer results than electronic flash. Couldn't even tell I used a flash. I found getting proper non-shorting cords the main difficulty. Sometimes the film winding set the thing off so I make sure not to put in a fresh bulb before frame advance.

Arklatexian · Dec 21, 2016

OptiKen said:
Ouch!
finding ones that actually fit inside the CEYOO is a major challenge.
The 12v 23A battery is small enough so that you can stack two inside, wired in series. (or so I'm told - mine was still flashing with the battery it came with when I bought it so I haven't even opened it)

Question! Doesn't that flash use a battery/capacitor combination? It has been many years since I have looked inside a CEYOO but I seem to remember one of those instead of just batteries........Regards!

Paul Howell · Dec 21, 2016

All mine have a capacitor, the AGFA is use most often uses 9V battery, the3 graflic D cells.

CropDusterMan · Dec 21, 2016

The capacitor charges when a flash bulb is inserted.

Vintage Leica Leitz Wetzlar CEYOO Flash + 5B bulbs...anyone use them?

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