420EX/580EX - Shoe Mount to a Stand

[Mark_48]

I've got both a 420EX and 580EX. I'd like to wireless slave the the 420EX mounted on a stand. I presently have a few shoe to stand adapters that have the ability to tilt, but are full metal on the shoe. This of course will short all the pins on the mounting foot of the 420EX or 580EX. I could use the plastic stand that came with the flashes except it doesn't have the ability to tilt the head downward as a I want to do.
I can't find anything in either instruction manual warning not to use a metal shoe (MacDonald's probably shouldn't have to put warnings on hot coffee either....:oops: ).

Any idea if the flash could be damaged or if it just plain wouldn't work as intended if the pins are shorted ?

[Screamer]

I can't say for sure, but based on the fact that power does not travel over the pins, damage should not be done if it were "shorted". It might very well not work though (malfunction). You could always slip a thin piece of Mylar in there as an insulator.

[tim]

Never had a problem with it myself. If you're worried a small piece of tape on the metal foot will work.

[robertwgross]

I can't say for sure, but based on the fact that power does not travel over the pins, damage should not be done if it were "shorted".

There isn't a hell of a lot of power there, but there is some. When the camera body has the shutter released, a circuit there temporarily closes to short out those two main contacts, and that is why camera bodies have a maximum trigger voltage rating.

---Bob Gross---

[Screamer]

There isn't a hell of a lot of power there, but there is some. When the camera body has the shutter released, a circuit there temporarily closes to short out those two main contacts, and that is why camera bodies have a maximum trigger voltage rating.

---Bob Gross---

Good to know!

[robertwgross]

For those technical types out there who have good mechanical and electronic aptitude, when you get a new camera, I recommend for you to find good diagrams of the camera. Canon has published some exploded views of the camera showing how all the parts fit together. Canon shows some internal views, showing where the different main components are. Then, if you study a little how the whole thing works, you can be pretty good at knowing where a problem lies.

If you do not have good mechanical and electronic aptitude, then disregard this.

---Bob Gross---