Re: flash for stereo-realist

[P3D Greg Erker <erker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I realize the fully automatic features will be lost, but the question is:
>is it safe to use a modern, computerized, system-specific flash unit on a
>50s stereo camera like the Realist?  The specific flash in question is a
>Nikon SB24, if that matters.

  All the camera specific flashes I'm familiar with still
have the centre pin to trip the flash (there may be some
that don't). So this should still work.

  Some of these flashes don't like having the extra pins
shorted to ground (which a normal hot shoe will probably
do). So you would want to rig up an insulator to prevent
this. Shorting them could potentially damage the flash
so that may be where the warning come from.

  A super-duper TTL flash may not even have an auto-sensor
(like my Pentax AFZ-500T) so will only fire on manual
if used on an old non-TTL camera. This is still useful
if you have a flash meter or know how to set the aperture
based on the flash's guide number.

  Modern cameras often have dire warnings about using
non-manufacturer flashes. The biggest danger is using
an old flash which has 100 to 200 volts on the hot
contact on a camera that can only handle 6 volts or
whatever. This could damage the flash firing circuit
in the camera and even damage the electronics in the
camera that control metering, fire the shutter etc.
There are isolators available (made by Wein I think).

  There may be other dangers. Accidentally putting a
Canon flash on a Nikon (for example) may cause an output
signal on the flash to fight against an output from the
camera. On the extra signals that is.

Hope this helps - Greg



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