[hjoseph7]

This might sound like a silly question, but what is the Hot-shoe for on a film SLR since you still have to use the Sync cable ?

[photoptimist]

If you have to use a sync cable, it's actually a "cold shoe" that just holds the flash (or it's a "broken shoe" ). If the shoe contains a single center contact it's a proper "hot shoe" that should work with any basic flash.

Later in the development of cameras, different makers created proprietary hot shoe designs with multiple contacts for passing data from the flash to the camera (e.g., the model of the flash, current mode, and ready status) and data from the camera to the flash (e.g., mode settings, power-level adjustments, triggers for the preflash and main flash, etc.)

[stevebrot]

This might sound like a silly question, but what is the Hot-shoe for on a film SLR since you still have to use the Sync cable ?

Points to ponder:

• Some film SLRs are PC sync only (I have several)
• Some film SLRs are hot shoe sync only (I have none)
• Some film SLRs have cold shoes (I have a few)
• Some film SLRs have both PC sync and hot shoe sync (I have several)
• Some flash are PC sync only (I shot for years with such and such are still available to purchase new.)
• Some flash are hot shoe sync only (I have two such)
• Some flash are both PC sync and hot shoe sync (I have two)
• Some flash are either PC sync or hot shoe sync (I have two)

The answer to your question is within the points above.

Edit: The other name for cold shoe is accessory shoe. In addition to mounting flash, they are useful for attaching auxiliary viewfinders, non-TTL light meters, radio shutter triggers, and such.

Steve

[MikeMcE]

Great question, I will say it started well before flash photography was around .
I remember Leicas from the 20’s with accessory shoes to hold viewfinders and later a newfangled device called a rangefinder to help focusing.

I might add don’t depend on Wikipedia to tell you that, the do know they were around before 1970!!!

“Before the 1970s, many cameras had an "accessory shoe" intended to hold accessories including flashes that connected electrically via a cable, external light meters, special viewfinders, or rangefinders. These earlier accessory shoes were of standard shape and had no electrical contacts; contacts were added to produce the hot shoe.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_shoe


Hang up and DRIVE!

[jlstrawman]

I remember Leicas from the 20’s

Wow, you don't look that old!

[MikeMcE]

Wow, you don't look that old!

Thanks! I’ve aged well!
I had a number of Screw mount Leicas, and Retina’s both which used the auxiliary VF’s. I saw the older Leicas in my repair shop, as we did a large number of them.

This just popped up on Pinterest, as it sold for $2.78 million!



Hang up and DRIVE!

[hjoseph7]

If you have to use a sync cable, it's actually a "cold shoe" that just holds the flash (or it's a "broken shoe" ). If the shoe contains a single center contact it's a proper "hot shoe" that should work with any basic flash.

Later in the development of cameras, different makers created proprietary hot shoe designs with multiple contacts for passing data from the flash to the camera (e.g., the model of the flash, current mode, and ready status) and data from the camera to the flash (e.g., mode settings, power-level adjustments, triggers for the preflash and main flash, etc.)

I have a Pentax Spotmatic F that seems to have contact on the hot-shoe, but when I tried to fire-off the flash it did not work. Then I attached the built-in sync cable to the camera and it worked ?

Attached Images

 

[VSTAR]

This might sound like a silly question, but what is the Hot-shoe for on a film SLR since you still have to use the Sync cable ?

2 purposes....attaching a flash unit or to hold an accessory item.

[MikeMcE]

I have a Pentax Spotmatic F that seems to have contact on the hot-shoe, but when I tried to fire-off the flash it did not work. Then I attached the built-in sync cable to the camera and it worked ?

Underneath the decorative spring trim clip is a plastic pin, so the hot shoe is switched. Reason given was if a sync cord was plugged in, you would get the trigger voltage as a shock without the safety switch .
If the shoe had fallen off or loosened the pin will drop out or inside.

Hang up and DRIVE!

[ramseybuckeye]

Wow, you don't look that old!

We are actually in the 20s now, so . . .

[stevebrot]

I have a Pentax Spotmatic F that seems to have contact on the hot-shoe, but when I tried to fire-off the flash it did not work. Then I attached the built-in sync cable to the camera and it worked ?

Underneath the decorative spring trim clip is a plastic pin, so the hot shoe is switched. Reason given was if a sync cord was plugged in, you would get the trigger voltage as a shock without the safety switch .
If the shoe had fallen off or loosened the pin will drop out or inside.

This ^ ^ ^

There is also the possibility of the flash not making good contact with ground through the side rails or the switch not being depressed if the flash is not straight in the shoe (as in your photo). The switch is under the clip on the left side when viewed from the front of the camera.


Steve

[StiffLegged]

...This just popped up on Pinterest, as it sold for $2.78 million!

I bet it never sees another roll of film, ever...

[Lowell Goudge]

I bet it never sees another roll of film, ever...

I’ll take that bet, for 2 reasons
- people won’t spend that amount of money without knowing it works, and
- unlike wine, you can sample a 100 year product without rendering it valueless.

If I was to have bought that camera I would have taken at least one shot, and had it enlarged and framed, just because.......I could.

[Kerrowdown]

What is the Hot-shoe for on SLR ?

For keeping the cameras feet warm...

[35mmfilmfan]

For keeping the camera's feet warm...

You could also fit a metre !

I mean, three feet make a metre.