Old Flashes working with Digital Equipment

Hi all!

This is my first post in the forum because I have a puzzle that I am not able to work out.

I bought in a market a pair of Elinchrom Studio Flashes working perfectly: 500 and Style 600. These are quite old school. No digital screen or things like that.
I have already a Godox 400, a Godox V860II-S and a Godox Trigger X1T-S. All working perfectly with my Sony A7III. I bought an original Elinchrom sincronize cable to plug into the trigger, but it doesn’t work.

Should the cell activate both flashes? Not quite sure how to make these work with my current equipment.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Upper flash appears to have a photosensor trigger capability (although I cannot find a switch to enable/disable the optical trigger), while the lower flashdoes not. So you need a means to trigger the lower one via a 'connection' to your camera, and the upper flash will slave the the light from the lower flash unit.

How you trigger via the camera is 'it depends'...

1. upon whether or not your camera has a PC port (many that are not considered 'pro grade' do not!)
   
2. if no PC port, you can use a hotshoe-to-PC adapter in order to plug in a PC cord connected to the flash, or
   
3. if no PC port, you can use a wireless transmitter in the hotshoe triggering via a wireless receiver at the flash
   

Wilt wrote in post #19149663
Upper flash appears to have a photosensor trigger capability (although I cannot find a switch to enable/disable the optical trigger), while the lower flashdoes not. So you need a means to trigger the lower one via a 'connection' to your camera, and the upper flash will slave the the light from the lower flash unit.

How you trigger via the camera is 'it depends'...

1. upon whether or not your camera has a PC port (many that are not considered 'pro grade' do not!)
   
2. if no PC port, you can use a hotshoe-to-PC adapter in order to plug in a PC cord connected to the flash, or
   
3. if no PC port, you can use a wireless transmitter in the hotshoe triggering via a wireless receiver at the flash
   

You could install a Wein optical trigger in the trigger port of the lower flash (and one for the upper flash as well) so both trigger via your Godox

The lower one indeed looks to have an optical sensor. Right next to its flash symbol.

ImageMaker... wrote in post #19149796
The lower one indeed looks to have an optical sensor. Right next to its flash symbol.

My interpretation of the lower unit's control markings

1. Lightning symbol indicates xenon Flash Tube power by slider on the Right
   
2. Incandescent bulb Modelling Light power control by the slider on the Left
   

Wilt wrote in post #19149834
My interpretation of the lower unit's control markings

1. Lightning symbol indicates xenon Flash Tube power by slider on the Right
   
2. Incandescent bulb Modelling Light power control by the slider on the Left
   

No apparent photosensor to receive the triggering burst of light from the master flash unit.

Take a look at the square & round thingies, top row. (Not the cable sync socket)

https://www.elinchromu​s.com …_inst_el_250_10​00--en.pdf

Reading manuals... both units will fire with their optical sensors.

I found the Elinchrom 500 user manual, and its control list mentioned

Controls
1. Mains inlet socket with spare fuse
2. Mains fuse (slow blow)
3. Illuminated mains on/off switch
4. Modelling lamp switch
5. Open flash «Test» and ready
6. Slave cell on/off
7. Stepless sliding flash variator
8. Stepless modelling lamp control
9. Synchro-socket
10.Umbrella tub

So there is indeed a control for the slave function and an idicator light, but there is not mention of a visible photosensor even in the user manual. Ergo, my error in assuming no slave function.

Wilt wrote in post #19149877
I found the Elinchrom 500 user manual, and its control list mentioned

Controls
1. Mains inlet socket with spare fuse
2. Mains fuse (slow blow)
3. Illuminated mains on/off switch
4. Modelling lamp switch
5. Open flash «Test» and ready
6. Slave cell on/off
7. Stepless sliding flash variator
8. Stepless modelling lamp control
9. Synchro-socket
10.Umbrella tub

So there is indeed a control for the slave function and an idicator light, but there is not mention of a visible photosensor even in the user manual. Ergo, my error in assuming no slave function.

Oddly enough, the sensor is the switch. Some kind of recursion at work...

either strobes can use the 3.5mm to EL adapter to use whatever receiver you have to use with the Godox.

LINK to the adapter on BH~~ https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …Ni4QNfa7Z8wEaAo​9UEALw_wcB

sincity wrote in post #19152354
either strobes can use the 3.5mm to EL adapter to use whatever receiver you have to use with the Godox.

LINK to the adapter on BH~~ https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …Ni4QNfa7Z8wEaAo​9UEALw_wcB

Wein has some pretty good optical sensors too.

When I have a strobe positioned such that the strobe’s optical sensor cannot see and trigger, I’ll usually place a piece of white paper near it to reflect a bit of light onto the sensor.

Yeah.. I was thinking since he has the godox ecosystem.. He can get one or two receivers and the adapters... This way it is just one xmtr to control it.