How to use old Canon Speedlite 277T with my XTi??

I recently visited my in laws place, and my father in law dug out this completely unused Canon T70 Film SLR and Canon Speedlite 277T from the attic. I left the SLR behind, but took the Flash.

I've already tried it on my XTi and its almost 3times more powerful than the onboard flash, but, apart from just "flashing" the 277T, the XTi does not seem to be able to communicate with the flash regarding flash power or flash duration

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I have one of these, and it works perfectly with my 30D.

With the camera in manual simply set the ISO on the back of the flash to the same as the ISO on your camera, put it in F.No SET (left switch down) and match the aperture on the flash to your camera.

With a shutter speed if around 1/60 (I think the XT will sync up to 1/200th) point and shoot.

This is an Auto Thyristor style flash, so it calculates its own out put based on light reflected from the subject. Very effective and very reliable.
You can adjust flash exposure by adjusting the aperture on the flash or the camera

Did yours come with the extra wide diffuser flash panel and mock leather case?

Looks like a Thyristor style flash. Just match up the ISO and aperture on the flash setting to that on the camera and you should get good exposures most every time.

Oops. Didn't read Moppie's post. He said the same thing.

Yeah, match the settings up with those on your camera, and it works automatically. Although it's just going to give you head-on, direct light, which tends to be none-too-flattering. If you could move it off-camera (shoe cord?), it'd help a lot.

cdifoto wrote in post #3495524
Oops. Didn't read Moppie's post. He said the same thing.

I always had a suspesion I was being ignored...............


:p

For anyone worried about trigger voltage, I just tested mine.
It was a whooping great 3.6volts, making it safe for use with anything.

Moppie wrote in post #3495512
I have one of these, and it works perfectly with my 30D.

With the camera in manual simply set the ISO on the back of the flash to the same as the ISO on your camera, put it in F.No SET (left switch down) and match the aperture on the flash to your camera.

With a shutter speed if around 1/60 (I think the XT will sync up to 1/200th) point and shoot.

This is an Auto Thyristor style flash, so it calculates its own out put based on light reflected from the subject. Very effective and very reliable.
You can adjust flash exposure by adjusting the aperture on the flash or the camera

Did yours come with the extra wide diffuser flash panel and mock leather case?

Thanks so much. I figured it should be used like this and tried it exactly the same way, but the exposures are a hit or miss... not always dependable

In the sense that if the scene is pretty low light, in Manual mode, on what do i base my exposure settings?? The camera meters for the available light and guides me to set an exposure based on that, but when i shoot, the flash fires, and there is "more" light than the camera expected, so there's over exposure

I even put the flash on the PROGRAM setting and the camera in P mode, set the same ISO on both, but still the same results, 70% over exposures, only about 20% keepers

Please help!

Yes, i got the diffuser panel and the mock leather case too!

Viky wrote in post #3495680
The camera meters for the available light and guides me to set an exposure based on that, but when i shoot, the flash fires, and there is "more" light than the camera expected, so there's over exposure

It might be your dialing in to wide an apature, one the flash can't handle.

Can you post some examples?
Its also possible the flash is fualty, but lets totaly rule out user error first.

sample pics

Moppie wrote in post #3495865
Can you post some examples?

I set my XTi with 18-55kitlens at 18mm in a very dark room. Set to Manual focus and klicked the following 3 pics:

1) Cam in Full Auto Mode - Pic taken with onboard flash, Exposute settings noted: f/3.5, 1/60sec, ISO 200.

Viky wrote in post #3496042
3) Cam in TV mode -

Theres your problem.
The aperture on the camera, and the Flash need to be the same

Put the camera in Manaul, and the flash in F.no
Match settings for ISO and aperture on both, and try again. (I would shoot at ISO 100 to start with).

Also try starting on a subject with a smaller tonal range.
Its possible the the flash sensor dosn't cover a wide enough range, and also remember its trying to do the same thing a cameras meter does, i.e. make everything 18% grey. Hence why the dark things are bright, and the bright things are over exposed.


I just stuck mine on and had a play, camera in manual, 1/60 and ISO and aperture matching between camera and flash, with flash in F.No mode.
Worked pretty damn well, although it did tend to over expose slightly, by about 2/3's of a stop when dealing with whites and bright colours.
Easy fix was to shoot with the aperture on the camera stopped down about 1 stop from the setting on the flash.

The trick is to experiment with all the different possible combinations untill you find one that works.

I also had a play with the flash in Program mode.
Set ISO the same on flash and camera, and with camera in M dailed in 1/60th for shutter speed.
Then point at your subject and hit the test button on the flash. Mine fires a full power burst, then suggests an aperture setting for the camera.
I dailed this into the camera, and took a photo. It Produced a very nice exposure.

WOW! Nice findings... i must try these setting tonight.

Thanks a ton for helping out!

Will revert back with the results tomorrow

The problem's been nailed!!!

As i was installing the Flash in the Hot Shoe to try the settings suggested by you, i noticed that the "optical window" in the front of the flash was very dirty and greasy:

Viky wrote in post #3501071
all the credit goes to MOPPIE!!

Thanks a ton!


Viky

Wahoooooo!!!


Welle done mate@


Plase note, the title under my avate if relevenat atn the moment.

Glad this all worked out! One thing anyone with a modern EOS digital camera should consider when trying an old flash unit,is the trigger voltage of the flash. If it sends more than 6 volts to the camera, the flash should not be connected to the camera. This can cause serious damage to your camera. The 277T is safe to use.

If you want to try an old flash on your newer camera, check this site for trigger voltages. If it's listed over 6v, avoid the flash.

http://www.botzilla.co​m/photo/strobeVolts.ht​ml
-Mickey

Any old Canon or Nikon flash should be safe to put on a modern camera, though. It's the off-brands you have to worry about (old Vivitars apparently have some really nasty trigger voltages)

Tragerman wrote in post #3502401
Glad this all worked out! One thing anyone with a modern EOS digital camera should consider when trying an old flash unit,is the trigger voltage of the flash.

Got it covered

Moppie wrote in post #3495545
For anyone worried about trigger voltage, I just tested mine.
It was a whooping great 3.6volts, making it safe for use with anything.