Phase One V-Grip Air Vertical Grip

[LittleAlex]

Long had been looking for it at the decent price. Discovered it on the auction on EBay as “For parts or not working”. Won it for US $142.59 (however expected it rather maximum two times lover, but gave the good reserve for the bid). Today it arrived.



However cosmetically it is the disaster (rubber is lost in many places, and a lot of abrasion), but it works. Even despising that the gag for the Quick Release Plate L Vertical Clapper is absent, it is sitting on the camera quite firmly.

Of course I would prefer to have also and that Plate, but the full set of that Grip on Ebay starts from $500, and much more. Which would be more expensive then I paid for the body itself.

The great advantage for me is, that it is possible to use the same lithium accumulator battery from the back of the camera now. And I obtained really plenty of that batteries with the back. So – no AA accumulators anymore!

And now it is very convenient in the portrait mode sessions.

Besides, it gives an ability to manage software on the camera by the USB port.

[visualopsins]

[LittleAlex]

Do try hard to understand, what it really means:

The Mamiya V - Grip Air features, as the
first of its kind, a built in Profoto Air flash
trigger. This means that you can now
trigger your flash equipment remotely
without any use of cables.
All Profoto Air equipped generators are
supported, and with other flash brands
the Profoto Air transceiver can easily be
installed in the flash jack socket.
Profoto Air system is the only system in the
market that supports up to 1/1600s
flash synchronization. (c)

"with other flash brands the Profoto Air transceiver can easily be installed in the flash jack socket" - what is that "Profoto Air transceiver"?

"you can now trigger your flash equipment remotely without any use of cables" does it mean, that I am ably, for example, to trigger any flash with the radio remote possibilities?

[visualopsins]

Yes? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/584894-REG/Profoto_901031_Air_Remote_Transceiver_for.html

Edit: User manual pdf on that web page may have info yes or no...from my reading only Prophoto equipments...need to attach pro air receiver to flash to use transmitter in grip.

[LittleAlex]

[LittleAlex]

Some explanations concerning the subject:

https://youtu.be/vgxUdboX0Zo?si=riKRyxzE_9kNZEsk

[LittleAlex]

Well, after I discovered, that Phase One V-Grip Air Vertical Grip isn’t able to perform the transmission in the “Air” flash system, and it has to be formed from the scratch, I decided to look for the cheaper options. Only to discover, that surprisingly Mamiya had never produced its own flashes for 645 AF cameras! Nor the Phase One also! In their manuals hey recommended Metz flashes with the dedicated adapter.

So, I obtained second hand Metz 54 MZ-4i digital flash in the perfect condition, however with the Hasseblad H adapter, for the very affordable price, and started to look for the Mamiya adapter. For that system Metz produced two adapters – SCA 3951, and SCA 3952. In certain article I found the information, that there wasn’t any real difference between them. Only SCA 3952 has capability to be programmed for the future use with the more advanced cameras, which however have never been indicated that it was performed.

So, I discovered completely “new old stock” SCA 3951, never opened, and obtained it. When it arrived, I discovered, however, in the user manual book, that in the Mamiya film AF cameras TTL measurements were performed from the film plane! Same as with all other advanced camera systems. For that reason, for example, the flashes for Canon EOS, produced at the film era, don’t work on the digital cameras at all, brcuse there is no film, and the TTL measurement goes by the different way.

So, with the heavy hart I united the adapter to the flash, and put it on the camera, expecting to work with it only in the manual, or by the automatic sensor, which is present on the flash. To discover, surprisingly, that it really works well even in the TTL mode! In all positions of the flash head. And does its job very well! For what reason it does this is for me in the meantime the little enigma.

However, it has some minor deviations in its behavior. For example it works in the “X” mode, but not in “P”, or “A”, however accordingly to the flash manual it has to do it. There is no indication on the internal panel of the camera that the flash is ready, however it has to show it. And also in the “X” mode I am able to change the shutter speeds from 125 to 60, which it shouldn’t be according to the manual, which claimed that in that mode there should be only 125 fixed speed. Also for some reason there is no transmission of the flash compensation from camera the flash, however the camera indicates, that it should be done.

But at least I am completely satisfied, that it works well in the TTL mode. And the compensation for exposition, if needed, I will be able to perform in the “A” mode on the flash external sensor, if there will be necessity for that. So, it is the nearly happy end of all that flash business.

[LittleAlex]

There are the first tests in the TTL mode with Metz 54 MZ-4i digital flash:

The main flash is directed up, the auxiliary lamp flashes straight:

Mamiya AF 2.8/80mm 1/125 S; f/4,0; ISO 200



Mamiya AF 2.8/80mm 1/125 S; f/4,0; ISO 200



The main flash flashes straight, the auxiliary lamp is put of: