R.I.P Metz Speedlites.

[RLPhoto]

Very sad day for a strobist. One of the best makers of alternative speedlites is going under.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6718942318/lighting-equipment-manufacturer-metz-files-for-insolvency

 

[AcutancePhotography]

That is sad. They made some good flahes. :'(

 

[iMagic]

Insolvency does not necessarily mean shutting down. They will restructure or be bought out. It is possible that the profitable product lines will continue in some fashion.

 

[Marsu42]

Very sad day for a strobist. One of the best makers of alternative speedlites is going under.

All demise reports on German online news only referred to them as a manufacturer of tv sets. Since Metz obviously didn't even manage to promote what they're manufacturing at all, the bankruptcy is no surprise :-\

For those who aren't intimate with German law: The current state of affairs doesn't mean the end of Metz, but simply states that they cannot pay their bills. Now an appointed expert will have a look what can be salvaged - so the flashes might very well be continued if they are expected to be profitable sooner or later (again).

 

[DominoDude]

*sobs* It's sad indeed.
I hope there's a flash at the end of the tunnel - and that it has Metz quality.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Very sad day for a strobist. One of the best makers of alternative speedlites is going under.

All demise reports on German online news only referred to them as a manufacturer of tv sets. Since Metz obviously didn't even manage to promote what they're manufacturing at all, the bankruptcy is no surprise :-\

For those who aren't intimate with German law: The current state of affairs doesn't mean the end of Metz, but simply states that they cannot pay their bills. Now an appointed expert will have a look what can be salvaged - so the flashes might very well be continued if they are expected to be profitable sooner or later (again).

Exactly. My contact tells me that an administrator has been appointed to run the business for now. I would be very surprised if they cease manufacturing altogether. I just personally consolidated to using their new 64 AF-1 flash units exclusively - they are fabulous, and have unparalleled power.

 

[Lawliet]

All demise reports on German online news only referred to them as a manufacturer of tv sets. Since Metz obviously didn't even manage to promote what they're manufacturing at all, the bankruptcy is no surprise :-\

They have a very specific target audience - people who expect, and are willing to pay for, services like planning, setup and after sales support. Basically the antithesis to the common online or mall customer. A bit like H,L&P1, but without the professional segment.

 

[risc32]

"I just personally consolidated to using their new 64 AF-1 flash units exclusively - they are fabulous, and have unparalleled power."


beyond 60WS? does it run on 4xaa?

 

[Quackator]

I just personally consolidated to using their new 64 AF-1 flash units exclusively - they are fabulous, and have unparalleled power.

You might want to check out the Pixel mago, then.
Does everything the Metz 64 AF-1 does - plus LED
video light / pilot light and at a fraction of the price.

Got one as a beta tester, and saw many people buy
it during Photokina for 70 Euro. Who ever I showed
it to, they went over and bought one.

 

[Quackator]

beyond 60WS? does it run on 4xaa?

Not beyond 60 Ws, just longer zoom range.
Yes, runs on 4x AA.

 

[DominoDude]

I just personally consolidated to using their new 64 AF-1 flash units exclusively - they are fabulous, and have unparalleled power.

You might want to check out the Pixel mago, then.
Does everything the Metz 64 AF-1 does - plus LED
video light / pilot light and at a fraction of the price.

Got one as a beta tester, and saw many people buy
it during Photokina for 70 Euro. Who ever I showed
it to, they went over and bought one.

Just looked at http://flashhavoc.com/pixel-mago-flash-review/ to see what Pixel Mago was. It's not giving me the impression that it can deliver as consistent light and colour (no matter the power output) as Metz typically can. The reports of melting front lenses makes me believe the build quality and design also has a few steps of improvement until they are in the same class as Metz.

 

[Old Shooter]

Sad! One of THE strobes in the 80's and 90's...

 

[Maximilian]

Hi all!

I wouldn't bury Metz that fast.
As Marsu and others pointed out, they just filed insolvency (call it: "file under chapter 11" or "go into administration"). So the business still keeps running and maybe they will find an investor or another solution.

Although I live quite close to their facilities (Zirndorf is some 10 km west of Nürnberg) and therefore there is a lot of information in the local newspapers, they always just talk about the TV department filing insolvency. But I haven't found any information about the company structure and if the flashes are a separate department.
I can only see that they are doing their business as "limited partnership with a limited liability company as general partner" (German: GmbH & Co KG). So I suppose the flashes are included.

Let's see what the insolvency administrator can do for people, jobs and company.

 

[justaCanonuser]

For those who aren't intimate with German law: The current state of affairs doesn't mean the end of Metz, but simply states that they cannot pay their bills. Now an appointed expert will have a look what can be salvaged - so the flashes might very well be continued if they are expected to be profitable sooner or later (again).

Exactly, I do hope that their flash business will survive. I have a Metz macroflash and an AF 58-2 which is quite good (besides its old fashioned interface), in particular because it has a small secondary flash which can be used to set additional highlights. That's a unique feature of Metz flashes.

 

[Maximilian]

I do hope that their flash business will survive. I have a Metz macroflash and an AF 58-2 which is quite good (besides its old fashioned interface)...

Maybe it's time to buy a new Metz flash to strenghen their business

 

[DominoDude]

Hi all!

I wouldn't bury Metz that fast.
As Marsu and others pointed out, they just filed insolvency (call it: "file under chapter 11" or "go into administration"). So the business still keeps running and maybe they will find an investor or another solution.

Although I live quite close to their facilities (Zirndorf is some 10 km west of Nürnberg) and therefore there is a lot of information in the local newspapers, they always just talk about the TV department filing insolvency. But I haven't found any information about the company structure and if the flashes are a separate department.
I can only see that they are doing their business as "limited partnership with a limited liability company as general partner" (German: GmbH & Co KG). So I suppose the flashes are included.

Let's see what the insolvency administrator can do for people, jobs and company.

Good to hear that, Maximilian!
How commonly known and owned are Metz in Deutschland? I had never heard or seen anything about their TV's (except seen them on their web), but their flashes - especially the old "hammerheads" - has always been mentioned with awe and utter respect for their quality.

 

[AvTvM]

I do hope that their flash business will survive. I have a Metz macroflash and an AF 58-2 which is quite good (besides its old fashioned interface)...

Maybe it's time to buy a new Metz flash to strenghen their business

Only if one wants to live with the uncertainty re. warranty and future availability of service/repairs, spare parts etc.

I never bought third party strobes for Canon. Price difference for Metz strobes vs. Canon speedlites was not good enough for me to take any compatibility risks with reverse engineered third party gear. ETTL II in itself is complicated and finicky enough to avoid any additional source of problems.

Had Metz come out with Canon RT-compatible strobes and transmitters (!) at half price compared to Canon, then I would have considered. But either their engineers did not see fit to build them and/or German and EU laws did not provide any possiblity to work around Canon patents and protected designs. This is not China. The playing field is not level, but heavily tilted due to these types "imperfections of globalization".

As it is, I do not see a viable future for Metz. Mahogany furnished TV sets and simple hammerhead flashes are somewhat out of style. And lower-end "commodity" products cannot be produced at competitive costs in Germany.

 

[Maximilian]

Hi all!

I wouldn't bury Metz that fast.
As Marsu and others pointed out, they just filed insolvency (call it: "file under chapter 11" or "go into administration"). So the business still keeps running and maybe they will find an investor or another solution.

Although I live quite close to their facilities (Zirndorf is some 10 km west of Nürnberg) and therefore there is a lot of information in the local newspapers, they always just talk about the TV department filing insolvency. But I haven't found any information about the company structure and if the flashes are a separate department.
I can only see that they are doing their business as "limited partnership with a limited liability company as general partner" (German: GmbH & Co KG). So I suppose the flashes are included.

Let's see what the insolvency administrator can do for people, jobs and company.

Good to hear that, Maximilian!
How commonly known and owned are Metz in Deutschland? I had never heard or seen anything about their TV's (except seen them on their web), but their flashes - especially the old "hammerheads" - has always been mentioned with awe and utter respect for their quality.

Metz is for sure a brand well known to those in photo business. An I know several people using Metz flashes, including myself, but only in the past. Now I use a Canon flash.
I am not sure, if younger people recognize them as a brand for TVs. I don't think so. They were well known for that in the 70s and 80s. But today they are simply to expensive for the mainstream. And they obviously couldn't establish in the high performance TV market.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

Too bad ... cheaper labour in China is putting pressure on German manufacturers, who pay living wages.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

Too bad ... cheaper labour in China is putting pressure on German manufacturers, who pay living wages.

Just wait until manufacturs start moving their factories to Africa, then the Chinese will get a taste of their own bitter cheap medicine. Probably be a decade or three, but I am pretty sure we will start seeing cheap manufacturing moving to Africa.

There is always someone in the world eager to work for a lower wage that is higher than they get now.