Sync via pc question
Oct 28, 2018 11:01:21 #
Hello everyone. We've all read the posts about members inquiring about putting an older flash unit on a new digital and frying the electronics. This is not that. I have my "new" 1957 Retina IIc that I'm waiting for the first two rolls of film to come back. What a beautiful little camera engineering wise, but I digress. As you can see from the upper photo it has a cold shoe, not a hot shoe so you have to run a pc cord from the flash to the camera to complete the connection. All good so far. The lower photo shows there's an M selection on the shutter for bulbs, and an X for electronic flash. (The V stands for timer). Since there are no electronics at all in this camera, I would think that I would be able to toss my 1980's Nikon SB-28 or Nikon's SB-800 on it and not be at all concerned about frying anything. Ah-ha, but then there's the note in fine print in the manual. "NOTE: Do not use units flashed by means of heavy-duty relays or solenoids. Such units may completely destroy the shutter contacts." I'm against destroying the contacts. I remember using and old Honeywell 610, Ascor 1600, and Lumedyne flashes plugged into similar non electronic (Mamiya C-330's, Hasselblad 500c/m, Bronica SQ) units with no problems. The Lumedyne was so powerful you could jump start your car after the wedding in the winter. I'd buy another flash in 1/500th of a second, maybe something smaller, but Id rather not have to use one of those ice cube adaptors that sits on the shoe with the wire running to the pc connection. For that matter, since the camera is totally manual, and I would use the flash in manual or possibly auto I don't think it makes a difference what brand I get, i.e "for canon, for Nikon". Want to see if the flash works on the camera, but don't want to risk burning it up first. Re reading the post, for some of you it will be a trip down memory lane, and for the newer members I'm probably getting the ol' stink eye. That's what makes this site so great. Thanks, Andy
Oct 28, 2018 11:08:36 #
There nothing for you to worry about except if you were to mount your SB flashes on the cold shoe you don't want the cold shoe to short out the pins on flash foot. There is no way the SB trigger voltage and current can cause any damage to the sync contact of you Retina.
Oct 28, 2018 11:16:44 #
BebuLamar wrote:
There nothing for you to worry about except if you were to mount your SB flashes on the cold shoe you don't want the cold shoe to short out the pins on flash foot. There is no way the SB trigger voltage and current can cause any damage to the sync contact of you Retina.
Thanks for your fast reply Bebu. With the flash foot fitting pretty snugly in the cold shoe already, what could I use to prevent a short from the pins?
Oct 28, 2018 11:52:27 #
AndyT - Beautiful camera - looks like you found a genuine treasure! I bought one in the mid-1990s at a camera show run by Tucson Camera Collectors photo club. It was not in as fine condition as yours. Never tried to use a flash on it, tho. Good luck with your experiment. — Ralph
Oct 28, 2018 14:43:41 #
I insulate the metal main surface of the
cold shoe with thin, stiff, plastic tape.
Too thick is a problem. Too thin and the
center contact of the flash foot will plow
up the tape. I settled on the reflective
tape for safety marking. [Automotive
dept or store]. Some flashes will null
the center pin when you plug in a cord,
but not all will do that. OTOH the little
plastic cube that you hope to avoid will
solve that problem as well as providing
a PC cord to flashes not providing one.
IIRC the Retina doesn't have a bracket-
friendly tripod interface or structure ?
-----------------------------------------
On some flashes, it's easy to unscrew
the hot foot, and I find it's not wired to
the circuitry but uses pressure contacts.
Sooooo ... I just slip a little plastic tape
over the contacts and reassemble. Goes
without saying, but if the flash offers no
PC cord, this is NOT a useful idea. But I
said it anywaze cuz, as you know, "best
laid plans of Moose and Squirrel .... "
cold shoe with thin, stiff, plastic tape.
Too thick is a problem. Too thin and the
center contact of the flash foot will plow
up the tape. I settled on the reflective
tape for safety marking. [Automotive
dept or store]. Some flashes will null
the center pin when you plug in a cord,
but not all will do that. OTOH the little
plastic cube that you hope to avoid will
solve that problem as well as providing
a PC cord to flashes not providing one.
IIRC the Retina doesn't have a bracket-
friendly tripod interface or structure ?
-----------------------------------------
On some flashes, it's easy to unscrew
the hot foot, and I find it's not wired to
the circuitry but uses pressure contacts.
Sooooo ... I just slip a little plastic tape
over the contacts and reassemble. Goes
without saying, but if the flash offers no
PC cord, this is NOT a useful idea. But I
said it anywaze cuz, as you know, "best
laid plans of Moose and Squirrel .... "
Oct 30, 2018 00:48:46 #
AndyT wrote:
Thanks for your fast reply Bebu. With the flash foot fitting pretty snugly in the cold shoe already, what could I use to prevent a short from the pins?
One of these will work fine: https://www.samys.com/p/Radio--IR-Triggering/DL0136P/DLC-PC-to-Hot-Shoe-Adapter/13162.html?origin=product-search&gclid=CjwKCAjw39reBRBJEiwAO1m0OXSv4Db9VzGiwvSc7WSJ_k1CoRnfoEVnDE-_hlEb-KMMMPnSxz38SRoCtyYQAvD_BwE
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