David, I have had a number of different flashes over the years, and I prefer Metz over all other handheld and shoemount flashes.

That said, the 60 series has one major disadvantage in that it has that separate battery pack. My first big strobe was a two-piece unit, and I found that having your camera tied to your waist with a cable gets old in a hurry, unless you simply MUST have all that light.

$250 strikes me as on the upper end for a 60-1 - that's the one that doesn't take dedicated modules. Pretty reasonable for a 60-4, and if it's another model than those two, it's not current and that could cause problems.

It is definitely usable for handheld portraits, and it is intended for use with daylight color film. You might keep shopping and look for a 45-series, as a suggestion. They aren't as powerful as the 60's, but they have a battery pack in the handle, making them a lot more convenient if you don't need the power.

Oh - and get yourself a Stroboframe instead of the Metz camera bracket.

Tony