Photonique

• The Tropical Fruit Warehouse Is Now The OpenAI HQ
• The City Arts Centre And Decades Of Dereliction On City Quay
• Sphere Within Sphere By Arnaldo Pomodoro
• A Vibrant Mesoamerican Dialogue At Trinity College
• This Is Not A Generic Red Metal Sculpture
• Modernist Form In College Park By Gerda Frömel
• Unveiling Failing Better
• Sculpture By Henry Moore At Trinity College
• Vernon Arch On Castle Avenue 22 July 2026
• Street Art On View At Malborough Place
• The Pond And Associated Follies
• Photographs Of St Anne's Park
• Deformed Trees And Exposed Roots
• Annie Lee Tower And Bridge

MY FIRST TIME TO USE A FLASH ON THE LEICA Q3

THE LEGACY CATALOG

* In The Year 2008 * In The Year 2011 * In The Year 2017 * Henrietta Back In 2010

THE CITY ARTS CENTRE IS A DERELICT BUILDING

The City Arts Centre: Decades of Dereliction on City Quay

• Standing on the corner of Moss Street and City Quay, the former City Arts Centre remains one of Dublin’s most visible instances of urban decay along the south quays.

• With its distinctive red-brick corner, yellow band accenting, and grid of broken industrial windows, the structure offers a stark, weathered contrast to the polished glass and steel of the surrounding docklands development.

Roots in the Inner City: From Grapevine to City Quay

• The organisation behind the building originated in 1973 as the Grapevine Arts Centre, founded by community activists Jackie Aherne, Anto Fahy, and Sandy Fitzgerald. Established to bring creative space and cultural opportunities to working-class inner-city communities, Grapevine operated out of temporary premises across Mary Street, North Great George's Street, and North Frederick Street.

• In 1988, the group acquired the prominent Moss Street site and established the City Arts Centre. Across the 1990s, the building served as a vibrant hub for grassroots visual arts, community theatre, and music rehearsal spaces—with basement facilities notably supported by U2 to assist local emerging bands.

Closure, Fire, and Two Decades of Disuse

Following the withdrawal of Arts Council funding in 2001, the centre closed its doors on Moss Street in 2003.

• 2003: The property was sold for an estimated €4.25 million to the City Arts Partnership (a consortium including Alanis/the McCormack family, Pierse Construction, and Paddy Kelly).
• 2007–2012: The City Arts organisation relocated to smaller quarters on Bachelors Walk before voluntarily liquidating in 2012.
• 2011: A severe interior fire damaged the abandoned Moss Street structure.
• 2003–2021: The site sat completely derelict, boarded up at street level, and heavily targeted by urban graffiti.

Recent Sales and Planning Struggles

• The long-standing stalemate shifted when the site was acquired by Ventaway Ltd, a joint venture vehicle led by developers David Kennan and Barry English.

• 2022 Proposal: Ventaway submitted planning for a 24-storey, 108-metre high-rise scheme—which would have been the tallest commercial building in Dublin. The proposal included lower-level arts space and a reproduction of the historic neon City Arts sign.

• An Bord Pleanála ultimately refused permission due to its visual impact on the historic setting of the nearby Custom House across the river. Revised Schemes: Subsequent design revisions scaled down the building height while seeking to balance commercial office space with designated ground- and lower-ground cultural facilities.

• While the exact timeline for demolition and redevelopment continues to evolve, the corner of Moss Street and City Quay remains a compelling, unvarnished portrait of Dublin's changing dockland identity.

Railway Stations

* Clontarf Railway Station * Docklands Railway Station * Malahide Railway Station

Recommended Photo Galleries

• The Spirit Of The Docklands
• The Halfpenny Bridge
• Ormond Hotel Mural
• Standing On A Knife Edge By Henry Moore
• The Children Of Lir By Oisin Kelly
• Man And Dog Sculpture At Cork University Campus
• Many Years Of Sculpture In Context
• Public Art As Photographed In 2024
• Examples Of Public Art 2023 Catalog
• Annie Lee Tower And Bridge
• The Clock Tower And The Walled Garden
• Northside Dublin
• Formally Known As The Irish Suzhou Garden At St Anne's Park
• St Ann's Holy Well At St Anne's
• St John The Baptist Cemetery In Clontarf

Our Equipment Choices

Today I received A Godox iT30Pro L for my Leica Q3 and I also received A Godox iT30Pro S for my Sony A1 II and Sony A7RVI. I will discuss the Leica version here.

The Godox iT30Pro L is Godox's ultra-compact, dedicated TTL mini speedlite designed for Leica camera systems. Weighing a mere 120 g, it provides a portable, modern lighting solution for Leica M, Q, and SL series bodies without disrupting the balanced ergonomics of rangefinders or compact cameras.

Technical Specifications at a Glance

• Guide Number (GN): 15 m (at ISO 100) / ~49.2 ft
• Flash Output Range: 1/1 to 1/128 (in 1/3 EV increments)
• Exposure Modes: Leica TTL, Manual (M), Multi-Stroboscopic
• Sync Modes: High-Speed Sync (HSS up to 1/8000s), 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain
• Wireless Radio: Built-in 2.4 GHz Godox X System (Transmitter & Receiver; 32 Channels, 4 Groups)
• Display & Controls: 2.8" Full-Colour Touchscreen + Tactile Rear Scroll Dial
• Power Supply: Built-in 7.2V / 900 mAh Li-ion battery (USB-C rechargeable)
• Recycle Time & Battery Life: ~1.5 seconds full power; ~560 full-power flashes per charge
• Dimensions & Weight: 65 × 46 × 47 mm; 120 g
• EU Price Range: ~€100 – €110 (slightly higher than the €85–€89 variants for Canon/Nikon/Sony due to Leica shoe configuration)

Technical Review: Pros, Cons & Forum Insights

The Pros

• True Leica TTL Integration: Unlike previous manual mini flashes (such as the Lux Junior or iM30), the "L" version communicates directly with Leica's TTL metering system, yielding accurate auto-exposures.
• Integrated Godox 2.4 GHz X System: Functions as both a wireless Master/Transmitter (to trigger off-camera AD200s or V1s) and a wireless Receiver (controllable via a Godox X3-L trigger).
• Incredible Form Factor: At 120 g, it sits unobtrusively on top of an M10, M11, or Q3 without making the setup top-heavy.
• Built-in Wide/Normal (WN) Diffuser Switch: A mechanical side switch flips a built-in diffuser panel across the flash lens to soften direct light and widen beam coverage.
• Li-ion Convenience: USB-C direct charging eliminates the need for carrying spare AA/AAA batteries in your kit bag.

The Cons & Things to Be Aware Of

• Touchscreen Sensitivity (Crucial User Warning): A frequent complaint across user forums is that the 2.8" touchscreen is overly sensitive. Carrying the camera on a shoulder strap often leads to accidental power level changes or mode switches unless the screen lock is engaged.
• Fixed Flash Head: The flash head cannot tilt or swivel. You cannot bounce light off ceilings or side walls without removing the flash from the camera or using an off-camera TTL cable/trigger.
• Tight Leica Hot Shoe Tolerances: Leica hot shoes (notably on M film bodies and digital M models) feature tight mechanical tolerances. Ensure the quick-release foot is fully pushed into the shoe until it clicks, otherwise the TTL pins may lose contact.
• Modest Power Output: With a Guide Number of 15 m at ISO 100, this flash is designed for close-range street fill, environmental portraits, or indoor fill-in. It will not overpower harsh direct midday sunlight across long distances.
• Internal Non-Removable Battery: Once depleted, you must plug the flash into a USB-C power bank rather than swapping in fresh batteries.

Ideal Settings & Step-by-Step Setup

Recommended Operational Settings

• Street / Environmental Fill-Flash: Set mode to Leica TTL, with Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) set between -1.0 EV and -1.6 EV. This brightens shadow areas under eyes or hats while retaining natural ambient light.
• Low-Light / Indoor Portraits: Set mode to Manual (1/16 to 1/64 power), slide the WN switch to "W" (Wide) to deploy the wide-angle diffusion panel, and keep subject distances within 1.5–3 metres.
• Bright Sunlight / Open Aperture Shooting: Enable HSS (High-Speed Sync) on the flash so your Leica can sync up to 1/8000s shutter speed.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mount and Lock to Hot Shoe: Mechanical setup. Turn off both camera and flash. Press and hold the quick-release lock button on the iT30Pro L base, slide the foot fully into the Leica hot shoe until seated, and release the button to secure the pin mechanism.

2. Power On and Select Exposure Mode: Initial settings. Power on the flash using the dedicated side power switch. Tap the top-left mode icon on the touchscreen to toggle between TTL (for automatic metering) or M (for manual power control).

3. Adjust Diffuser Position: Light quality setup. For focal lengths wider than 35 mm or close-up subjects, slide the side WN switch to "W". This drops the internal diffuser in front of the flash tube to broaden coverage and soften shadows.

4. Configure Exposure Compensation / Power: Fine-tuning output. In TTL mode, use the physical rear scroll wheel to dial in -1.0 EV FEC for natural fill. In Manual mode, spin the dial to set your desired output fraction (e.g. 1/32).

5. Engage Touchscreen Lock: Essential step. Long-press the lock icon on screen or press the quick-lock function to lock the touchscreen interface. This prevents accidental setting changes while shooting on location.

Why Are Official Leica-Branded Flashes So Expensive?

While the Godox iT30Pro L retails brand new for ~€100 – €110, official Leica-branded speedlites command a substantial price premium.

Pricing Context (EU Market)

• Godox iT30Pro L: ~€105 (New)
• Leica SF 40: ~€380 – €430 (Used / Pre-owned only — Discontinued by Leica; originally retailed at ~€510 new)
• Leica SF 60: ~€600 (New — Currently Leica's primary active entry-level speedlite)

Key Reasons for the Leica Price Premium

1. Rebadged OEM Partnering & Licensing Fees: Leica does not manufacture flash electronics in-house. Their SF series speedlites are re-engineered units produced by Japanese manufacturer Nissin (for example, the SF 40 is based on the Nissin i40, and the SF 60 on the Nissin i60A). Leica pays licensing fees for custom camera-to-flash communication protocols and redesigned outer casings, which inflates end-user costs.
2. Discontinuation and Availability Premium: Because smaller models like the SF 40 have been discontinued, users seeking an official compact Leica flash must either compete on the second-hand market or buy the significantly larger and costlier SF 60.
3. Low Volume Production: Leica operates on vastly smaller production runs than mass-market lighting brands like Godox. Fixed tooling and software engineering costs are spread across far fewer total units sold.
4. Brand Equity & Build Consistency: Leica gear carries an overhead markup tied to brand positioning, strict quality control standards, long-term servicing support, and aesthetic matching for anodized metal camera finishes.
5. Physical Capabilities: Larger OEM units like the SF 60 offer a tilting/swivelling head, motor-zooming reflectors up to 200 mm, and higher output power (GN 60). However, for compact travel and street shooting, the Godox iT30Pro L matches or exceeds them in pure convenience, radio ecosystem integration, and overall value.