Speedlite 430ex and AE-1

[The Fox]

I just got a canon ae-1 from a friend and want to use it as a studio camera since I have an elan 7ne on the way for everything else. I have a 430ex and want to know it it will work at all. I know that I am going to have to use it in manual mode with studio lighting, but I wonder if it will get any ttl metering since it has more then just 1 contact on the hot shoe. It would be nice for things like since it is a damned good film camera. I know you don't deal with film on here too much, or even cameras this old, but I thank all who can give any help.
Nick

[waylandcool]

Since the flash is 30 years newer than the camera, I would strongly doubt it. My AE-1 doesn't send any metering data to my Speedlight 188A. It may fire the flash but you would get no metering info from the camera to the flash.

[The Fox]

Then would it hurt the flash to use it while on manual? I would imagine that it might since it is a dedicated flash for the EOS bodies.

[The Fox]

Bump.

[bieber]

Old flashes can fry new cameras, but not the other way around. If you put the flash in M mode, the camera should set it up without any problems.

[The Fox]

Cool, then I have a better and more powerful flash then the quantaray q 15 that I got with the camera. Thank you very much.

[bieber]

No problem. I'm just sorry I wasn't around when you first asked the question. I know there's a couple of others around here who are pretty knowledgeable about small flashes too; if a question like this goes unanswered for more than a day or so, just bump it, one of us is bound to know the answer.

[The Fox]

Okay, I shall do.

[The Fox]

Something strange happened to way when I put the 430ex on the AE-1 program, I turned it on and it was set to ttl. I put it on manual then while it was still on the camera, I put it on ttl and pointed the camera at different things and it was varying the power. Does this mean that it has some ttl metering?

[PacAce]

Something strange happened to way when I put the 430ex on the AE-1 program, I turned it on and it was set to ttl. I put it on manual then while it was still on the camera, I put it on ttl and pointed the camera at different things and it was varying the power. Does this mean that it has some ttl metering?

Were you actually firing the flash with the camera or just pointing the camera without taking a picture? TTL only works when you take a picture, assuming the flash is compatible with the camera.

BTW, what do you mean by "varying the power"? Was it showing on the flash LCD screen?

[The Fox]

I point the camera at something, like lets say my computer. I advance the nonexsitent film to cock the shutter, and take a picture, the flash fires. And after further investication the flash just fire full power.

[Lightstream]

I point the camera at something, like lets say my computer. I advance the nonexsitent film to cock the shutter, and take a picture, the flash fires. And after further investication the flash just fire full power.


I've tested with nearly the same combination except mine is an A-1 (AE-1 with Av and a few other options).

The two additional pins are meant to work with only two other Canon dedicated speedlites for that series of cameras. It doesn't work with the 430EX and fools it into thinking it is in TTL mode. As you can see it isn't sending the correct information to the flash to quench the flash burst when enough light has been detected.

The long and short of it is that unless you use the two speedlites specified by the manual you are not going to get TTL metering. However, if you want to continue using your 430EX in 100%-manual mode, tape the two small pins, but not the big center pin.

Your best bet is to use something like the Vivitar 285HV thyristor autoflash. You don't get TTL flash, but you do get automatic flash exposure.