Calcu-flash II

digiconvert · Jun 14, 2006

Just picked one of these up at e**y for less than £10 and it seems to work so I'm happy. However I'm confused by the cable trigger. The meter seems to have jack sockets rather than the pc socket on cameras so I am at a loss as to how to fire by wire (wireless is fine) any ideas from anyone ?
If anyone has any knowledge of day to day use of this meter I'd also welcome tips/views etc.

Cheers CJB

Nick Zentena · Jun 14, 2006

Some lights use different connections. Older one use household plugs. Newer ones various plugs. 1/4" etc.

If it's just a connector issue then you can get/make a cable with the right connectors on each end.

Donald Miller · Jun 14, 2006

I had one of these at one time. The meter should have a cord that plugs into the meter and into the strobe power pack synch socket. By remotely triggering the strobe you can take reflective and incident reading to determine your exposure and light balance.

Paul Sorensen · Jun 15, 2006

I also got one on eBay and have been wondering where to fnd the cord. There is a manual on the Quantum web site at http://www.manuals.qtm.com/p3.htm, and all it says is to use the supplied cord. Like yours, mine had no supplied cord. Hmmm.

I also looked through B&H and had no luck, perhaps Quantum has something it sells. At first I thought it was a mini photo jack, but it is smaller than that, now I have no ideas what it is.

Nick Zentena · Jun 15, 2006

The manual claims 2.5 mm phone jacks for the connector. Shouldn't be that hard to rig something up.

http://www.designnotes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CA001&Category_Code=253pp

Then just a connector to match your lights and some wire. Or am I missing something?

Donald Miller · Jun 15, 2006

That looks like that is the jack that the cord had...the other end would need to have the synch fitting to fit to a camera...

digiconvert · Jun 15, 2006

Donald Miller said:
I had one of these at one time. The meter should have a cord that plugs into the meter and into the strobe power pack synch socket. By remotely triggering the strobe you can take reflective and incident reading to determine your exposure and light balance.

Unfortunately I don't have a cord. The inputs to the calcuflash are marked 'positive' and 'negative' and look like sub mini jacks, like the ones that go into a low spec on camera flash head. From your experience is this all they are ?

Cheers CJB

Paul Sorensen said:
I also got one on eBay and have been wondering where to fnd the cord. There is a manual on the Quantum web site at http://www.manuals.qtm.com/p3.htm, and all it says is to use the supplied cord. Like yours, mine had no supplied cord. Hmmm.

I also looked through B&H and had no luck, perhaps Quantum has something it sells. At first I thought it was a mini photo jack, but it is smaller than that, now I have no ideas what it is.

I've used it wirelessly on a tripod but it's a bit of a pain. It is a good meter though, I have checked ambient light against my SLR and Weston both incident and reflected and it's within 1/3 stop in daylight.

Paul Sorensen · Jun 15, 2006

Nick Zentena said:
The manual claims 2.5 mm phone jacks for the connector. Shouldn't be that hard to rig something up.

http://www.designnotes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CA001&Category_Code=253pp

Then just a connector to match your lights and some wire. Or am I missing something?

You aren't missing anything, except that I am not in the habit of splicing wires to make things work. I can see that it is not terribly complicated, but I also assume that there should be a standard cable that will work. I tried a mini phono plug (from a pair of headphones) and it was much too large, I am guessing that this one that you are linking to is smaller than that. I have checked all of the sync cords on B&H and there is nothing that looks like it will connect.

Edit: The listing I found on B&H was for a miniphone jack and it doesn't tell the size in MM. I assumed it was the same as the mini headphone jack, is it possibly this smaller one? It seems to fit into a pocket wizard device.

Nick Zentena · Jun 15, 2006

The 2.5mm one is smaller then normal mini-headphones which I think are 3.5mm. Paramount looks like they make a custom cable. Considering it's custom and Paramount the price isn't too outrageous either.

Smudger · Jun 27, 2006

I have a dead Calcuflash meter, and the correct cord in good condition.
Feel free to contact me if you are interested.
Cheers,Ian.

jaxon5 · Jan 30, 2011

Would anyone have a photocopy of the Quantum Calcuflash II Manual that they would be prepared to send me?

jaxon5 · Mar 8, 2011

haplo602:

check you PMs

Calcu-flash II

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