Auto Flashgun

[Raphael V]

I am looking for a third party non-dedicated flashgun with full auto function and safe triggering voltage. Can anyone suggest.:p

[Curtis N]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=237839

[Marquis Photos]

I am looking for a third party non-dedicated flashgun with full auto function and safe triggering voltage. Can anyone suggest.:p
For non-dedicated you can pick up used Vivitar 285's. If you want a swivel head look at the sunpak super 383. If you want full range of auto f-stops to chose from look at the sunpak 5000. Although with the 5000 and the 20D I know will not work unless you block the e-ttl communication pin on the hot show from making a connection. You can remove the pin or just tape over it. The 5000 works fine on the XTI body without blocking the contact pin. Now it is a TTL flash also, so just set it for Uato mode as it will not work in TTL as Digitals require E-TTL. I have all three of these flashes.

[Raphael V]

I already have a Vivtar 285HV and 430 EX. I am not too sure about the Vivitar's triggering voltage. I am thinking of something like the Olympus FL50's full auto feature. Wish Canon had a flash with similar features. Anyway, thank you fellas, you are always there when i need you most.

[FlashZebra]

For non-dedicated you can pick up used Vivitar 285's. If you want a swivel head look at the sunpak super 383. If you want full range of auto f-stops to chose from look at the sunpak 5000. Although with the 5000 and the 20D I know will not work unless you block the e-ttl communication pin on the hot show from making a connection. You can remove the pin or just tape over it. The 5000 works fine on the XTI body without blocking the contact pin. Now it is a TTL flash also, so just set it for Uato mode as it will not work in TTL as Digitals require E-TTL. I have all three of these flashes.
On many Vivitar 285's the trigger Voltage is very questionable, so it may not meet the OP requirement for "safe triggering Voltage".

Enjoy! Lon

[FlashZebra]

I already have a Vivtar 285HV and 430 EX. I am not too sure about the Vivitar's triggering voltage. I am thinking of something like the Olympus FL50's full auto feature. Wish Canon had a flash with similar features. Anyway, thank you fellas, you are always there when i need you most.
No need to wonder about sync Voltage (also called "trigger Voltage") as it is very easy to check.

All you need is a Voltmeter. If you do not have one just borrow one from a friend or relative, someone you know most likely has one.

Check this link for info on measuring the sync Voltage. But, it is very easy to do.

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/g1strobe.html

Enjoy! Lon

[Marquis Photos]

On many Vivitar 285's the trigger Voltage is very questionable, so it may not meet the OP requirement for "safe triggering Voltage". Enjoy! Lon

It depends on how old the 285 unit is. The older units have had very high voltage and they should never be used. Thes are the units that had grey panels on the back. The newer ones are all black.

I have been using 285HV's on Nikon and Canon DSLR's since 2002. (D1, D100, D30, D60, 20D, Xti) And I know many photographers who also use them. From my experience they are safe. This is a popular flash unit. If there was a problem you would have seen threads posted about 285's burning out cameras by now.

[Marquis Photos]

I am thinking of something like the Olympus FL50's full auto feature. Wish Canon had a flash with similar features. Anyway, thank you fellas, you are always there when i need you most.

Good Luck. I am looking for the same flash you are. Sounds like you are looking for a full auto flash that is dedicated really. A non-dedicated flash will not talk to your camera and set the setting per what your camera settings are. The Sunpak 5000 would be the clasest thing I have found (although you have to block the ttl hot shoe pin with tape for it to work in auto). Its a dedicated flash but not designed to work with DSLR ttl systems so you can force it to work in auto by taping over the ttl pins.

What brand camera do you have???? Canon I take it.
The Canon flashes suck if you want auto mode.
I have a Nikon SB80 that works fabulous in Auto Mode. It does work on my canon but goes to sleep after a moment and the canon can not wake it up because they don't talk the same lingo. So I have to hit a button on the nikon to wake it up before taking a shot. So its almost useless. Never tries taping over the hotshoe pins though like on my sunpak. hmmm.

[Wilt]

Metz flashes.

[Raphael V]

I recently graduated to digital with Olympus E 500, after shooting events for years with my super reliable Olympus OM system. Just two months back I bought the Canon 350D and 430EX flashgun. But even after thousands of shots I find it difficult to get correct flash exposures with the Canon's (even with FEC) . And now i have found myself using more and more Olympus digital system for flash photography.
I agree with your views on the Nikon SB800. My friend is getting far more consistent results with it on a Nikon D50. Any idea as to how to use the Olympus FL50 in full auto mode with the 350D?

[Wilt]

I recently graduated to digital with Olympus E 500, after shooting events for years with my super reliable Olympus OM system. Just two months back I bought the Canon 350D and 430EX flashgun. But even after thousands of shots I find it difficult to get correct flash exposures with the Canon's (even with FEC) . And now i have found myself using more and more Olympus digital system for flash photography.
I agree with your views on the Nikon SB800. My friend is getting far more consistent results with it on a Nikon D50. Any idea as to how to use the Olympus FL50 in full auto mode with the 350D?

If a flash has a full Auto mode, you can use it with most any camera. The problem is merely how to attach to for synchronization. The electrical connectors in the hot shoe vary from manyufacturer to manufacturer, but if you can find a way so that only the very dead center connector contact and the hotshoe edge make contact, that will trigger the flash. The trick is to insulate the other contacts, since there is no standard about position for function from brand to brand.

[Marquis Photos]

My comment on using cross branded flashes: many dedicated flashes made for one camera brand that have full auto functionality, many times will not work on a different brand camera well because of going into sleep mode. For example, if I put my nikon flash on my canon body it will work great and is accurate. However, the connections on the hot shoe are different so the camera can not wake the flash once it goes into "sleep" or "standby" mode. So you need to hit a button on the flash to wake it or it will not fire. You may be able to block these conections by taping electrical tape over them to fool the camera. Unless there is a way to turn off the sleep mode. Just something to think about.

[Raphael V]

I agree with you Marquis. In a event photography forgetting to wake up a sleeping flashlight may result in disastrous results. Thanks for reminding.
Taping the dedicated contacts makes it very difficult to slide the flash into the camera's accessory shoe.
Regarding the Triggering voltage of my Vivitar 285HV, I let the flash charge fully and then I measured it with a voltmeter and it was varying between 3.85v to 6.25v. For a comparison I measured the 430EX and it was a constant 4.35v. But that is the voltage always available at the hot shoe contact. My question is how to measure the triggering voltage (voltage when the flash fires).
A person known to me, a electronics engineer said, the triggering voltage will be higher than that and that cannot be measured with a voltmeter accurately, because it lasts only for a fraction of a second (when the flash fires) and you need a more complicated device to measure that.

[Raphael V]

I mean a 'sophisicated device', sorry, not 'complicated device'.

[Curtis N]

My question is how to measure the triggering voltage (voltage when the flash fires).
A person known to me, a electronics engineer said, the triggering voltage will be higher than that and that cannot be measured with a voltmeter accurately, because it lasts only for a fraction of a second (when the flash fires) and you need a more complicated device to measure that.The second sticky thread in this section has a link to a web page that describes the procedure for measuring the trigger voltage.

All the camera does is close a switch to complete the circuit between the contacts. It's voltage from the flash flowing through the camera. Pushing the test button does the same thing.

At the moment the flash is fired, the voltage between the contacts basically drops to zero because the two are directly connected.

[FlashZebra]

A person known to me, a electronics engineer said, the triggering voltage will be higher than that and that cannot be measured with a voltmeter accurately, because it lasts only for a fraction of a second (when the flash fires) and you need a more complicated device to measure that.
This electronic expert may be expert in other areas, but they do not understand the nature of the flash sync circuit.

The Voltage across the center and side terminal on a flash unit does not provide a transient pulse as they imply (nor does the camera). There is a constant Voltage between the center and side terminals and it is relatively easy to measure. Any garden variety Voltmeter will do the job, and it is easy to do.

The camera just provides a switch that completes a circuit. No Voltage "pulse" is transmitted.

Enjoy! Lon

[Raphael V]

I was under the impression that the capacitor will be holding a very high voltage current which will be released at the time of triggering.
Thanks Curtis. You sure are a great help.

[Raphael V]

Thanks Lon. You guys are really nice.

[FlashZebra]

I was under the impression that the capacitor will be holding a very high voltage current which will be released at the time of triggering.
Thanks Curtis. You sure are a great help.
Obviously all that power in the capacitors is released when the flash is triggered. But, the circuit that releases all that power to produce the flash and the triggering circuit are isolated from each other.

So, all that power to create the flash is not present in the triggering circuit, it goes its own way in a separate circuit.

Enjoy! Lon