Wein Safe-Sync quit working... one used it once!

[2276]

I bought a $55 Wein Safe-Sync about 6 months ago. I used it for one shoot. It was a bit flakey when I used it. I had to install it into the hot shoe in my Rebel XT backwards to make it fire the strobe lights. I went to use it last night and the darn thing was dead as a door nail. I tried installing it regular and backwards and it wouldn't trigger the strobes.

When I install my 580EX to the camera's hot shoe it works prefectly. I was trying to fire the same set of studio strobe lights that I used the first time. My buddy's 20D (with a direct plug in to the body) fired the lights just fine. I even tried installing the Safe-Sync on the camera and then installing my 580EX to the hot shoe on the Safe-Sync and it would trigger my 580EX that way. It just wouldn't trigger the studio strobes through the PC cord. I even tried using a different PC cord.

Anyone else have this problem?

Thanks!
-Joshua

[FlashZebra]

What kind of studio lights do you have?

Is the sync Voltage on the studio lights more than 250 Volts?

If the sync Voltage is less than 250 Volts, forget the Safe Sync and just get a simple camera hotshoe to PC sync adapter and use the cord.

I suggest a camera to hotshoe PC adapter with a locking mechanism so it will not move on the cameras hotshoe and cause misfiring.

Enjoy! Lon

[SkipD]

The Safe Sync is designed to work with flash units having a relatively high trigger voltage. If you try to use the Safe Sync hotshoe adapter with low-trigger-voltage flash units such as the Alien Bees (5 volt trigger voltage), the Safe Sync will frequently fail to trigger them. That doesn't mean the Safe Sync is faulty, it's just a mis-application of it.

[2276]

I took about 200 sucessful shots the first time I used the Safe-Sync. Last night I couldn't get it to trigger the strobes even one time.

The strobes I was using both times were Interfit Colorflash brand (model 250S)

-Joshua

[SkipD]

The strobes I was using both times were Interfit Colorflash brand (model 250S)Joshua - I cannot find the specification for the trigger voltage on those units anywhere. Does your owner's manual have that information?

Wein will make good on a failure of their products. Even if you suspect a failure, I suggest contacting them and talking over the situation.

[FlashZebra]

Just forget the problematic safe sync and deal with that as a separate issue.

If the Colorflash brand (model 250S) flash did not damage your friends 20D, it will not damage your XT (they have the same 250 Volt sync Voltage tolerance).

Just go to ebay and type in "hotshoe adapter" in the search feature and pick an appropriate camera hotshoe to PC adapter. Be sure to get one that fits your camera and has a locking ring to hold it in place.

If you do not need the complexity of the safe sync for the setup you describe. Why worry about possible issues of a safe sync that you do not even need.

The fit of the hotshoe based Wein Safe Sync is on the hotsoe is very suspect. There is no locking ring and the PC connection really sticks out allowing the cord to torque the adapter about on the cameras hotshoe in use, making sync connection precarious. I can understand why someone that really needs Voltage protection for their camera putting up with this flaky fit, but if the camera is already protected, why not use something far more reliable, a nice inexpensive camera hotshoe to PC adapter with a locking ring.

Solve this problem by going straight at it.

Enjoy! Lon

[2276]

I bought the Wein Safe-Sync because of recommendations from this very site. Numerous people said not to use a regular hot shoe adapter.

I guess it all depends on who you talk to... you ask 10 people you get 10 different answers.

-Joshua

[FlashZebra]

I bought the Wein Safe-Sync because of recommendations from this very site. Numerous people said not to use a regular hot shoe adapter.

I guess it all depends on who you talk to... you ask 10 people you get 10 different answers.

-Joshua
They may have recommended the safe sync since you had no idea about the sync Voltage of the flash unit you were going to hook it up to.

But, I have additional info, you cited that your friends 20D worked fine. This indicates sync Voltage for that particular flash is low enough not to need a Safe Sync with your XT.

In certain situations you may have to use a safe sync, but the one you cite is just not one of them, so a less complicated, less expensive, and more reliable camera hotshoe to PC adapter (with a locking feature) is the better way to go.

With more information better choices can always be made.

Enjoy! Lon

[Jim M]

According to a web search that turned up some specs on a used Patterson Interfit Colorflash 500S at Adorama, the sync voltage is 8 volts. It would probably be the same for the 250.

If you ask me, I would go for an Ebay or similar radio trigger. It does away with the sync cord and it is safe for the most sync voltage sensitive camera. There even seems to be an Interfit brand radio trigger that looks exactly like the Ebay triggers, but cost more.