Pee See? (PC) cord?

I keep hearing about flashes and how they connect with PC cord to each other...

Does this PC cord has anything to do with Personal Computers?

Are they expensive? What do they look like? I know my Wein Safe Sync has one. How can I connect PC cord to my 285 HV with a PC cable?

Thanks... I'm confused again.

No. Nothing whatsoever. It's just an awkward acronym.

Not expensive. It looks like a small diameter coaxial cable (2-conductor, center and shield). It is the traditional "sync-only" cable that connected flashes to cameras 25 years ago. Keep in mind that for a Canon flash, you will want more than just sync, you'll want the whole sync+data, but I don't think a Vivitar supports that.

You remind us of that in your signature line.

---Bob Gross---

Bob, do you really need to have Sync + Data to use a non-Canon flash? I would think that just sync would suffice. Of course you won't have E-TTL but I don't think you ever will anyway using the PC socket. The camera would, of course, need to be set to Manual and the aperture set according to what is required for the flash (for auto mode) or the flash-to-subject distance in full power mode.

[edit]Oops. I just reread your last line about the Canon flash. Sorry. I misread it the first time.

I won't be shooting with a Canon dedicated flash for some time.

What flashes (or other devices) use the PC cord? It's just... if I'm setting up a studio and want to connect everything using the PC cords... What should I get?

Is there any way to use my HV 285 with a PC cord?

Yes, just sync only is fine, and I think that is what I suggested.

There are some non-Canon flashes where the full sync+data would be good, but I don't think that Vivitar is one of them. However, my newest Vivitar is the ancient 252, so I won't say anything about the newest ones.

Yes, Manual exposure and all that. That's the way we did it 25 years ago.

---Bob Gross---

PacAce wrote:
[edit]Oops. I just reread your last line about the Canon flash. Sorry. I misread it the first time.

I even had to go re-read what I had written.

Well, you know what I mean.

---Bob Gross---

robertwgross wrote:

PacAce wrote:
[edit]Oops. I just reread your last line about the Canon flash. Sorry. I misread it the first time.

I even had to go re-read what I had written.

Well, you know what I mean.

---Bob Gross---

LOL. Yes I do, Bob.

If you want to use teh HV 285, assuming the voltage is OK for the camera, can't you just attach it to the hot shoe? The HV 285 should have one contact at the bottom of the foot if it is not a dedicated flash. The other contact will be on the side of the shoe.

As far as I know, only studio strobes and portable non-Canon flash units.

---Bob Gross---

In the camera flash connector context, "PC" stands for "Prontor/Compur."

---Bob Gross---

And what does "Prontor/Compur" stand for?

PC are two persons who invented this thing -- Prontor, Compur.

I am already shooting with that. I don't know about the voltage, but just to be safe, I got the Wein Safe Sync.


Now I want to hook up some manual stuff with PC cables. Should be cheap and with manual I will learn the basics. (hopefully)

Weren't those two company names, not people?

---Bob Gross---

Here is the full story about Prontor/Compur:

1. PC connectors (sockets or terminals) are electrical connectors and wires used to connect cameras and flash units. They just carry a trigger current and do not carry digital data communications of any kind such as metering information.

The “PC� here stands for “Prontor/Compur,� two manufacturers of leaf shutters used in older and large format cameras. It does not stand for “personal computer� in this context, and so a camera with a PC socket cannot be hooked up to a computer through it. Sometimes referred to as a “German� socket.