flash adapters

simons-photography · 05-24-2009, 02:23 PM

I have a nice flash that has a cable to plug onto the hotshore but its not a 2 pin plug as the 2nd contact are the clips on the side of the plug/shoe that make contact with the body of the camera, there is no pc sync cable. can I get an adapter ? I've seen some on ebay but they just seem to be for being trigered by another flash I'm rather worried I'll buy the wrong one

SOldBear · 05-24-2009, 04:28 PM

A photo would help people like me who have no clue as what the cable looks like.

If you know how to solder, you can easily make an adapter to attach to the K10D's hotshoe.

Have you measured the trigger voltage? Many old flash guns have very high trigger voltage (100+ volts) that can be hazardous to your K10D.

simons-photography · 05-24-2009, 11:24 PM

as requested:

simons-photography · 05-25-2009, 12:29 AM

just measured the voltage: its 77 volts, is this too high ? I seem to remember something about 30 volts

clm · 05-25-2009, 07:13 AM

That's an ordinary manual flash foot. You wouldn't need an adapter, but I think you are right about the voltage being too high.

simons-photography · 05-25-2009, 08:32 AM

thats the cable on my flash it uses the side clips as the other contact probably used to be a camera body earth years ago but now flashes have a second pin instead. whats a safe voltage for a flash ?

SOldBear · 05-25-2009, 12:45 PM

Originally posted by simons-photography

thats the cable on my flash it uses the side clips as the other contact probably used to be a camera body earth years ago but now flashes have a second pin instead. whats a safe voltage for a flash ?

The side contact of the hot shoe is always ground.

The center contact is always sync signal.

Other contacts are for data communication.

For a basic ("non-dedicated"), all you need are the ground and the sync.

Pentax (and other manufacturers) warns about "high trigger voltage" but has never officially published the max voltage that is considered "safe." Coming as close as "official" was an email message from a person working for Pentax Service Center in Germany a few years ago when the *ist DS was in production. In his message, he stated that the DS could handle trigger voltage up to 25V.

Canon in some old literature warned against voltage greater than 6V.

ISO standard says 24V. But none of the camera manufacturers has claimed to be ISO-compliant in that regard.

I myself have been using a K10D with a Metz 45 CT-4 (24V) and a Sunpak 522 (22V) . But I'm taking a risk here, not knowing the long-term effect.

The Sunpak 522 is interesting: with the simple sync cable, the trigger voltage is 22V. But with a remote light sensor, the trigger voltage is 184V. I don't use the 522 with remote light sensor without a device to reduce the trigger voltage.

simons-photography · 05-25-2009, 12:49 PM

so how could I reduce the voltage ? I'm quite able bodied in eletronics but I don't know what sort of circuitry controls the flash.

SOldBear · 05-25-2009, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by simons-photography

so how could I reduce the voltage ? I'm quite able bodied in eletronics but I don't know what sort of circuitry controls the flash.

This is one way.

simons-photography · 05-25-2009, 01:25 PM

pity he never gave a diagram, I'm begining to think though perhaps its easier to just use the optical controller

Mikeru · 05-25-2009, 02:03 PM

The diagram was linked to in the first post.

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/zpaofu1.pdf

05-24-2009, 02:23 PM	#1
simons-photography Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northamptonshire - England Photos: Gallery Posts: 496	flash adapters I have a nice flash that has a cable to plug onto the hotshore but its not a 2 pin plug as the 2nd contact are the clips on the side of the plug/shoe that make contact with the body of the camera, there is no pc sync cable. can I get an adapter ? I've seen some on ebay but they just seem to be for being trigered by another flash I'm rather worried I'll buy the wrong one

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05-24-2009, 04:28 PM	#2
SOldBear Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Alameda, CA Posts: 3,206	A photo would help people like me who have no clue as what the cable looks like. If you know how to solder, you can easily make an adapter to attach to the K10D's hotshoe. Have you measured the trigger voltage? Many old flash guns have very high trigger voltage (100+ volts) that can be hazardous to your K10D.

05-25-2009, 12:29 AM	#4
simons-photography Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northamptonshire - England Photos: Gallery Posts: 496 Original Poster	just measured the voltage: its 77 volts, is this too high ? I seem to remember something about 30 volts

05-25-2009, 07:13 AM	#5
clm Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 220	That's an ordinary manual flash foot. You wouldn't need an adapter, but I think you are right about the voltage being too high.

05-25-2009, 08:32 AM	#6
simons-photography Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northamptonshire - England Photos: Gallery Posts: 496 Original Poster	thats the cable on my flash it uses the side clips as the other contact probably used to be a camera body earth years ago but now flashes have a second pin instead. whats a safe voltage for a flash ?

05-25-2009, 12:45 PM	#7
SOldBear Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Alameda, CA Posts: 3,206	Originally posted by simons-photography thats the cable on my flash it uses the side clips as the other contact probably used to be a camera body earth years ago but now flashes have a second pin instead. whats a safe voltage for a flash ? The side contact of the hot shoe is always ground. The center contact is always sync signal. Other contacts are for data communication. For a basic ("non-dedicated"), all you need are the ground and the sync. Pentax (and other manufacturers) warns about "high trigger voltage" but has never officially published the max voltage that is considered "safe." Coming as close as "official" was an email message from a person working for Pentax Service Center in Germany a few years ago when the *ist DS was in production. In his message, he stated that the DS could handle trigger voltage up to 25V. Canon in some old literature warned against voltage greater than 6V. ISO standard says 24V. But none of the camera manufacturers has claimed to be ISO-compliant in that regard. I myself have been using a K10D with a Metz 45 CT-4 (24V) and a Sunpak 522 (22V) . But I'm taking a risk here, not knowing the long-term effect. The Sunpak 522 is interesting: with the simple sync cable, the trigger voltage is 22V. But with a remote light sensor, the trigger voltage is 184V. I don't use the 522 with remote light sensor without a device to reduce the trigger voltage.

05-25-2009, 12:49 PM	#8
simons-photography Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northamptonshire - England Photos: Gallery Posts: 496 Original Poster	so how could I reduce the voltage ? I'm quite able bodied in eletronics but I don't know what sort of circuitry controls the flash.

05-25-2009, 01:02 PM	#9
SOldBear Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Alameda, CA Posts: 3,206	Originally posted by simons-photography so how could I reduce the voltage ? I'm quite able bodied in eletronics but I don't know what sort of circuitry controls the flash. This is one way.

05-25-2009, 01:25 PM	#10
simons-photography Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northamptonshire - England Photos: Gallery Posts: 496 Original Poster	pity he never gave a diagram, I'm begining to think though perhaps its easier to just use the optical controller

05-25-2009, 02:03 PM	#11
Mikeru New Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 22	The diagram was linked to in the first post. http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/zpaofu1.pdf