Flash photography without flash contact in old camera ?

kl122002 · Jun 21, 2023

I like old cameras and would like to know more about photography in pre-mordern era, like pre-war period. Is flash photography uncommon during pre-war period? I have seen many old cameras doesn't have flash syn contact on the cameras and the shutters (mostly Compur, or Compur rapid). Most Graflex doesn't have flash sync contact as well (only series D in later models) . So how did photographers take photos in low light condition back in those days ?

And from some old photo-equipment catalogues found in internet, they mentioned something like flash synchroniser ? It seems not very possible to be find in auction site today, and most of them seem only work upto M-sync? Could they work on today's X-sync as well? If no, could they be modified? ]

I remeber one of the catalogues has mentioned Open-Flash method. Anyone has experience on this method with their vintage camera ?

Bronson Dugnutt · Jun 21, 2023

I don't have anything to contribute except this link.

Both modes fully open the shutter, but M requires a slight delay.

kl122002 · Jun 21, 2023

Bronson Dugnutt said:
I don't have anything to contribute except this link.

Both modes fully open the shutter, but M requires a slight delay.

Your link brought me to a share that was using Nikon Z6 , a digital camera.

mshchem · Jun 21, 2023

Squeeze bulb and flash powder, the original flash and sync. Still works, even with a handheld electronic flash.

Helge · Jun 22, 2023

Unless you want streaks from highlights, you’ll want a tripod or a steady surface for your camera.
But then open shutter flash leaves you with a large amount of creative freedom. You can get any amount of ambient fill and put the flash anywhere you want in the exposure. You can light paint in a dark space with multiple flashes.
The only thing that will be impossible is to drown out daylight or ambient with fast sync.

neilt3 · Jun 22, 2023

Pre-war flash photography ?
It would help if we knew which war you mean!
WW1 ? WW2 ? The Iraq war/s ?
The Boar war ?
Things changed over the decades / centuries!
In very old cameras , let's say pre- 1900's , you typically only had slow plates rather than today's fast films , so without flash slow shutter speeds were the order of the day .
So with a trough of flash powder you had time to set the shot up , take the lens cap off ( no mechanical shutter) and ignite the flash powder , before putting the lens cap back on.
The flash lit the scene, and ambient light did very little with the brief exposure and small lens aperture.

Is that what you had in mind ?

ic-racer · Jun 22, 2023

jay moussy · Jun 22, 2023

Off the wall idea: what if you have a sub-mini light sensor in the film chamber triggering a small signal?
It would respond to light coming in, providing basic sync?

Helge · Jun 22, 2023

jay moussy said:
Off the wall idea: what if you have a sub-mini light sensor in the film chamber triggering a small signal?
It would respond to light coming in, providing basic sync?

Intriguing idea. Would probably be hard to fit something wireless inside a typical camera though, and hard to pull wires through the camera and have it light tight.
From anecdotes of photographers who lived the period of flash sync not being standard (Sam Sherman for example) the after marked sync worked, but required a lot of tinkering and continous adjustment.
There is a reason why Agfas Syncro Box was a big deal.
It’s quite fun and easy to open the front of one of these to have a look at exactly how simple flash sync and cable release can be.
Reverse meniscus of high quality too. It in many ways represents the ultimate expression of the Box.

BrianShaw · Jun 22, 2023

ic-racer said:
B

Alternatively... T

Ian Grant · Jun 22, 2023

I have single speed front mounting shutters with flash sync, I was using my largest a Gitzo with my 1863 10" f4 Dallmeyer Quick Acting Portrait Petzval a couple of weeks ago, works well. I have Thornton Pickard roller blind shutters for regular shutter speeds, or mount the lenses on a Speed Graphic.

Ian

BrianShaw · Jun 22, 2023

Back in the olden days it seems that there were camera techs who retrofitted old synchless shutters with synch. Not sure if anyone does that anymore, though.

jay moussy · Jun 22, 2023

Helge said:
Intriguing idea. Would probably be hard to fit something wireless inside a typical camera though, and hard to pull wires through the camera and have it light tight.

Light bouncing around aside, I would be expecting modern tech to be super-micro size, maybe but this level not be available to consumer/civilian use? I am thinking of a parralel with industrial adhesives, miles above consumers'.

MattKing · Jun 22, 2023

neilt3 said:
The Boar war ?

I think it was a pig, actually
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pig-charge-black-bear-1.6884143
(I think it might have been the Boer war actually )

neilt3 · Jun 22, 2023

MattKing said:
I think it was a pig, actually
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pig-charge-black-bear-1.6884143
(I think it might have been the Boer war actually )

That one too !
It does seem excessive to go to war over a bacon sarnie !

That's auto correct for you when typing on a phone .

BrianShaw · Jun 22, 2023

... and now it has become a BORE war.

xkaes · Jun 22, 2023

neilt3 said:
It would help if we knew which war you mean!

It would also help if we knew what camera or shutter is the topic. Perhaps that shutter can be replaced.

Ian Grant · Jun 23, 2023

My 1863 10" f4 Dallmeyer Quick Acting Portrait Petzval, with the original f8 stop, and a quickly made f16 stop, which is what I used.

With the Gitzo shutter which is a perfect fit, I have removed the lens hood

And a couple of image made with this combination on 5x4 sheet film, a reducing back on my 10x8 Agfa Ansco Commercial View, the lens will just cover Half plate/7x5

Inspiration, Dan Fromm, how good is a lens "Ask it" by which he means try it . . . . . . .

In

kl122002 · Jun 24, 2023

BrianShaw said:
Back in the olden days it seems that there were camera techs who retrofitted old synchless shutters with synch. Not sure if anyone does that anymore, though.

Yea I have seen some old cameras, like old Rolleiflex, or camera with compur shutter has been modified to add a flah sync port .

I don't think people today would do the same thing to destory their original appearance ?

Flash photography without flash contact in old camera ?

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