Changes in Hotshoe "Standards"

Lord Lucan · 10-21-2022, 03:14 AM - **1 Like**

Moderator comment: this is a duplicate of a posting in https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/76-canon-nikon-sony-other-camera-brands/...ml#post5641829. Please continue discussion there

I know this is a broad question, but does anyone know what changes (if any) have been made since the late film era (1990s say) to the flash hot-shoe standards of the camera makers, other than Pentax? My interest is that I am planning to create a website on this subject from the point of view of using older flash units on newer cameras, and vice-versa, and I am currently collecting information.

I am interested in the auxiliary contacts as much as the main trigger contact and voltage. Auxilliary contacts for extra features have been progressively added, but that does not in general matter if they are ignored by older kit by no contact being made. I also know that Minolta completely changed their layout in the 1990s and that Sony, their successor, changed it again in the 2000s. Also, that Canon tried a different layout more recently, to the annoyance of its users. These were blatant attempts at lock-ins.

Even if contact positions are unchanged, there may have been changes in what they do, and what voltages or other protocols are used. The acid test is whether a modern camera can use a 1990s flash unit of its own brand.

Just for a picture break

:

I think I know most that there is to know about the issue of high trigger voltages, but that is mainly a concern with flash units made before about 1985. For years the go-to source of trigger voltage information has been the Botzilla page :

https://www.botzilla.com/page/strobeVolts.html

... but recently it has lost some of its functionality, has been moved to where it is harder to find, and I am concerned it might cease to exist. I suspect that the original author is no longer there because no data has been added since about 2005, and some data I have sent myself received no response. It has never addressed hot-shoe layout, auxiliary contacts, or compatibility of new flash units on old cameras - for example some old camera hot shoes will short out some auxiliary contacts.

The website I plan will not include (as Botzilla does) the hundreds of small ancient (c1960-c1980) units made by long defunct companies, many of them aimed at the P&S market at the time. Instead I will just give a general warning to assume such old units have a damagingly high voltage unless the user can prove otherwise by using a quality voltmeter. I will be concentrating on the better brands and models made by such as by Metz, Vivitar and Sunpak from about 1975, which present day ILC users are more likely to buy from the likes of Ebay.

I am cross-posting this to the Other-camera-brands sub-forum.

Last edited by OrchidJulie; 10-21-2022 at 06:05 AM.

**UncleVanya** · 10-21-2022, 05:05 AM

Good idea. Sorry I have no info to contribute.

kypfer · 10-21-2022, 05:32 AM

I can provide a picture of the hot-shoe as fitted on a Samsung NX-5/NX-11 but I have no info as to the functionality of the various pins.
I can also find an old Fujica film SLR and it's associated dedicated flash (I think) … just a flash-ready indication in the viewfinder as I remember.
Let me know if these are of interest

Lord Lucan · 10-21-2022, 05:53 AM

Originally posted by kypfer

Let me know if these are of interest

Yes please, certainly. All info will be of use. I expect my website will have a lot of gaps in it at first, but I can fill in as time goes on. The flash trigger voltage info is relatively easy to find (Botzilla is not the only source) but the functionality and compatibility of the auxiliary contacts is more of a challenge, but even partial info is better than nothing. I see from looking around other forums (dpreview and photo[dot]net for example) there is a lot of confusion about this subject.

10-21-2022, 03:14 AM - 1 Like	#1
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,963	Changes in Hotshoe "Standards" Moderator comment: this is a duplicate of a posting in https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/76-canon-nikon-sony-other-camera-brands/...ml#post5641829. Please continue discussion there I know this is a broad question, but does anyone know what changes (if any) have been made since the late film era (1990s say) to the flash hot-shoe standards of the camera makers, other than Pentax? My interest is that I am planning to create a website on this subject from the point of view of using older flash units on newer cameras, and vice-versa, and I am currently collecting information. I am interested in the auxiliary contacts as much as the main trigger contact and voltage. Auxilliary contacts for extra features have been progressively added, but that does not in general matter if they are ignored by older kit by no contact being made. I also know that Minolta completely changed their layout in the 1990s and that Sony, their successor, changed it again in the 2000s. Also, that Canon tried a different layout more recently, to the annoyance of its users. These were blatant attempts at lock-ins. Even if contact positions are unchanged, there may have been changes in what they do, and what voltages or other protocols are used. The acid test is whether a modern camera can use a 1990s flash unit of its own brand. Just for a picture break : I think I know most that there is to know about the issue of high trigger voltages, but that is mainly a concern with flash units made before about 1985. For years the go-to source of trigger voltage information has been the Botzilla page : https://www.botzilla.com/page/strobeVolts.html ... but recently it has lost some of its functionality, has been moved to where it is harder to find, and I am concerned it might cease to exist. I suspect that the original author is no longer there because no data has been added since about 2005, and some data I have sent myself received no response. It has never addressed hot-shoe layout, auxiliary contacts, or compatibility of new flash units on old cameras - for example some old camera hot shoes will short out some auxiliary contacts. The website I plan will not include (as Botzilla does) the hundreds of small ancient (c1960-c1980) units made by long defunct companies, many of them aimed at the P&S market at the time. Instead I will just give a general warning to assume such old units have a damagingly high voltage unless the user can prove otherwise by using a quality voltmeter. I will be concentrating on the better brands and models made by such as by Metz, Vivitar and Sunpak from about 1975, which present day ILC users are more likely to buy from the likes of Ebay. I am cross-posting this to the Other-camera-brands sub-forum. Last edited by OrchidJulie; 10-21-2022 at 06:05 AM.

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10-21-2022, 05:05 AM	#2
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,407	Good idea. Sorry I have no info to contribute.

10-21-2022, 05:32 AM	#3
kypfer Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Jersey C.I. Posts: 3,594	I can provide a picture of the hot-shoe as fitted on a Samsung NX-5/NX-11 but I have no info as to the functionality of the various pins. I can also find an old Fujica film SLR and it's associated dedicated flash (I think) … just a flash-ready indication in the viewfinder as I remember. Let me know if these are of interest

10-21-2022, 05:53 AM	#4
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,963 Original Poster	Originally posted by kypfer Let me know if these are of interest Yes please, certainly. All info will be of use. I expect my website will have a lot of gaps in it at first, but I can fill in as time goes on. The flash trigger voltage info is relatively easy to find (Botzilla is not the only source) but the functionality and compatibility of the auxiliary contacts is more of a challenge, but even partial info is better than nothing. I see from looking around other forums (dpreview and photo[dot]net for example) there is a lot of confusion about this subject.