Using old strobes with X cameras

[milandro]

I don’t do any flash photography ( aside the very occasional use of the built in strobe in the cameras as a rather close up fill in device) since I am using this camera.

 

In past years I used a number of brands of Studio Strobes on digital Canon cameras without any problem at all.

 

Now I would like to use a slide copying device with a strobe which might have high voltage triggering.

 

Any ideas?

[quincy]

How about a wireless flash transceiver system? It would decouple your flash from your camera.

[NSFW]

How high of voltage? Most (if not all) Fuji x cameras are safe up to 300v. 

 

I purchased a  Wein Safe-Sync   years ago but nowadays just use wireless triggers.

[milandro]

yes, that could be a solution, albeit an expensive one since I am not planning to use this for any other strobe function.

 

Which trigger would work on an X camera since there aren’t, yet, dedicated ones? I’ve heard many don’t work.

[milandro]

How high of voltage? Most (if not all) Fuji x cameras are safe up to 300v. 

 

I purchased a  Wein Safe-Sync   years ago but nowadays just use wireless triggers.

Nice things! Thanks!

[quincy]

I've heard many don't do TTL, but I think you won't need that for copying slides. Triggering the flash should work with any of those.

 

Cactus say they can do TTL with Fuji, if you need it:

 

http://www.cactus-image.com/v6.html

 

But I guess that Safe-Sync is the more reasonable thing to buy anyway.

[milandro]

Food for thought.

 

Thanks!

[JRAPhoto]

I've used ebay flash triggers to wireless trigger old Nikon SB-80 speedlights using my X-T1..

These do not provide TTL but are inexpensive.  Mine are branded ishoot but that does not mean much ;-).

Similar model: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-WANSEN-16-Channels-Wireless-Radio-Remote-Studio-Flash-Trigger-Receiver-/151973937364?hash=item23625a40d4:g:xKkAAOSwoydWtB4I

[milandro]

very conveniently priced!

[fujiXphotog]

you can use ANY flash in AUTO mode (95% as good as TTL mode) and M

 

 

also the NISSIN i40 does both TTL and high speed sync up to 1/4000th on the Fuji XT10 , XT1, Xpro2

Edited March 14, 2016 by FX Admin

[milandro]

Thanks for your help but I am afraid that I might have not made myself clear. I wasn’t talking of the physical possibility to use my cameras with manual flashes.

 

What I am talking about is using a flash ( in my case a light box)  with a trigger tension which might be damaging the camera. The unit in question, by the way doesn’t even have a hot shoe.

 

You must not be familiar with this phenomenon perhaps you better read about it before you do anything wrong.

 

http://dpanswers.com/content/genrc_flash_measuretv.php

 

This article starts  with” Some old flash units are known to have DANGEROUSLY high trigger voltages...."

 

There would be no problem if one could measure it and one would know what is safe for the Fuji circuitry.

 

Since I cannot measure the unit before buying I was  trying an alternative route.

 

Anyway other solutions above have already addressed the way to solve this problem.

 

Thanks anyway.

[Guest thiswayup]

Thanks for your help but I am afraid that I might have not made myself clear. I wasn’t talking of the physical possibility to use my cameras with manual flashes.

 

What I am talking about is using a flash ( in my case a light box)  with a trigger tension which might be damaging the camera. The unit in question, by the way doesn’t even have a hot shoe.

 

You must not be familiar with this phenomenon perhaps you better read about it before you do anything wrong.

 

http://dpanswers.com/content/genrc_flash_measuretv.php

 

This article starts  with” Some old flash units are known to have DANGEROUSLY high trigger voltages...."

 

There would be no problem if one could measure it and one would know what is safe for the Fuji circuitry.

 

Since I cannot measure the unit before buying I was  trying an alternative route.

 

 

You can find trigger voltages for most popular older flash units online; very few go over the 300V that most Fuji X will take safely. Eg

 

http://dpanswers.com/roztr/volt_finder.php

 

Checking a trigger volatage is easy with a cheap multimeter

 

http://dpanswers.com/content/genrc_flash_measuretv.php

 

..If you're worried the voltage might be too high, then just buy from a seller with a return policy. But sanely, any device safe for digital cameras will be safe for something like a camera with a 300V trigger - that's a freakishly high figure for a digital camera.

[milandro]

thanks.

[Wbillwade@verizon.net]

Does this high voltage problem still remain if using a PC cord on my Fujifilm x pro 2? I have shoot about 5 frames with a PC cord on it with a Vivitar 283 flash made in Japan

[milandro]

as long as the flash is physically connected with a wire or hot shoe there is always potential for problems. But if you use any non physical connection there is no possible discharge.

[Max_Elmar]

Does this high voltage problem still remain if using a PC cord on my Fujifilm x pro 2? I have shoot about 5 frames with a PC cord on it with a Vivitar 283 flash made in Japan

 

Watch out for the older Viv 283 - I had one that put nearly 400v. One time I used it in a handle grip at an event and it put the voltage right through my face to the camera (Koni-Omega 6x7 RF). Bad PC cord. Crazy!

Edited June 7, 2016 by Max_Elmar

[Aswald]

Watch out for the older Viv 283 - I had one that put nearly 400v. One time I used it in a handle grip at an event and it put the voltage right through my face to the camera (Koni-Omega 6x7 RF). Bad PC cord. Crazy!

 

Wow...must have been a shock.

 

The PC cord probably isn't properly insulated or they may be using materials with the wrong dielectric properties!