Flash won't fire mounted to a cold shoe!

soysos · Jan 28, 2023

So I recently purchased a pair of godox flashes to motivate me back into the darkroom. After 2 years of shooting primarily instax. Anyway I bought both the lux jr and sr, with the intention of using them on my contaflex, which has a cold shoe and PC connection. Problem is neither will fire off the pc cord, while mounted to the cold shoe! Works just fine if I take it off, but not attached. Just out of curiosity, I tried putting a piece of paper between the hot shoe contacts and the mount, which worked once or twice, but then it stopped. Any suggestions on what could fix the problem?

Pieter12 · Jan 28, 2023

The flash contacts are probably shorting out on the cold shoe. If there is room, try a bit of electrical tape over the contacts on the flash or on the camera's cold shoe.

soysos · Jan 28, 2023

Pieter12 said:
The flash contacts are probably shorting out on the cold shoe. If there is room, try a bit of electrical tape over the contacts on the flash or on the camera's cold shoe.

Yep. That did it. Thanks. It’s weird, never had this issue with older hotshoe flashes.

ic-racer · Jan 28, 2023

Yes I have found that out also. Newer flashes like Nikon SB-28 needs to have a piece of non conductive material under the contacts on a cold shoe, but older flash like Sunpak does not care.

neilt3 · Jan 30, 2023

soysos said:
Yep. That did it. Thanks. It’s weird, never had this issue with older hotshoe flashes.

That's progress for you !
By having the contacts permanently shorted instead of just when it's being triggered your confusing the software in the modern flashes whereas older flashes especially are more hardware controlled .

Pieter12 · Jan 30, 2023

neilt3 said:
That's progress for you !
By having the contacts permanently shorted instead of just when it's being triggered your confusing the software in the modern flashes whereas older flashes especially are more hardware controlled .

I think it’s straightforward electrical circuitry that is the problem. Plus, I am not aware of any flashes that have software.

ic-racer · Jan 30, 2023

Pieter12 said:
Plus, I am not aware of any flashes that have software.

Metz Firmware Update....Enabled Slave Mode!

A while back I received two nice Metz flashes that were included with another purchase (50 AF-1 and 48 AF-1). The flashes have no Auto mode sensor and only are TTL with an Olympus Digital cameras. The only way to use the flashes with other cameras is Manual mode. Anyway, I'm setting up a large...

www.photrio.com

neilt3 · Jan 30, 2023

Pieter12 said:
I think it’s straightforward electrical circuitry that is the problem. Plus, I am not aware of any flashes that have software.

The modern flashes I'm using on my Sony cameras have custom functions and all sorts . Many flashes can have their software updated via a computer .
Even my Minolta flashes from 20 years ago are electronic devices , and while they don't have custom functions , the software installed on them work with the software in the camera to function correctly together .
gone are the days that a simple thyristor controlled output .

Pieter12 · Jan 30, 2023

Firmware.

neilt3 · Jan 30, 2023

Pieter12 said:
Firmware.

And is firmware not a form of software to control modern electron equipment where the way it operates is controlled by programming , like a basic computer , rather than just hardware components that require no programming to function ?
Just hardwired together correctly to operate ?

Pieter12 · Jan 30, 2023

neilt3 said:
And is firmware not a form of software to control modern electron equipment where the way it operates is controlled by programming , like a basic computer , rather than just hardware components that require no programming to function ?
Just hardwired together correctly to operate ?

Many flashes are hard-wired to perform certain functions, firmware that cannot be modified without physical intervention.

neilt3 · Jan 30, 2023

Pieter12 said:
Many flashes are hard-wired to perform certain functions, firmware that cannot be modified without physical intervention.

Yes they are . But most people would call those components hardware .

But you questioned if flashes existed that are programmed by software .
A flash that can be reprogrammed to operate in a different manner by software that is downloaded onto a PC is common place .
Without being pedantic it's common for people to refer to this programming as "software" .
Hardware being the physical object that are the components that the flash is made from .

soysos · Jan 30, 2023

ic-racer said:
Metz Firmware Update....Enabled Slave Mode!

A while back I received two nice Metz flashes that were included with another purchase (50 AF-1 and 48 AF-1). The flashes have no Auto mode sensor and only are TTL with an Olympus Digital cameras. The only way to use the flashes with other cameras is Manual mode. Anyway, I'm setting up a large...

www.photrio.com

On an only slightly related note, if it’s updatable, it’s not firmware. Firmware, by definition, is hard wired programming. On a ROM chip. It cannot be altered without replacing the chip. Anyway. Cary on.

soysos · Jan 30, 2023

neilt3 said:
Yes they are . But most people would call those components hardware .

But you questioned if flashes existed that are programmed by software .
A flash that can be reprogrammed to operate in a different manner by software that is downloaded onto a PC is common place .
Without being pedantic it's common for people to refer to this programming as "software" .
Hardware being the physical object that are the components that the flash is made from .

Even these fairly basic flashes have to have some kind of programming. Because they have an automatic setting. Which requires some kind of logic processing to read the input data from the sensors and adjust the output.

Pieter12 · Jan 30, 2023

soysos said:
Even these fairly basic flashes have to have some kind of programming. Because they have an automatic setting. Which requires some kind of logic processing to read the input data from the sensors and adjust the output.

The Vivitar 283 was an early automatic flash. Unless you count circuit design as programming. No chip, just a thyristor.

Jude the Obscure · Feb 20, 2023

neilt3 said:
That's progress for you !
By having the contacts permanently shorted instead of just when it's being triggered your confusing the software in the modern flashes whereas older flashes especially are more hardware controlled .

The older flashes were designed at a time when there were still many cameras around with metal cold shoes. It was therefore arrangd that the contacts in their feet were isolated when a sync cord was in use, for example by a microswitch in the sync cord socket that detected the presence of a plug. As time went on, cameras with metal cold shoes ceased to be produced so the arrangement was considered no longer necessary. There was of course no allowance for people wanting to use modern flashguns on vintage cameras. Nothing to do with software.

Some accessories like flash brolly brackets still have metal cold shoes, but it is assumed that people using such kit will be aware of the issue and perhaps interpose a plastic adaptor.

Flash won't fire mounted to a cold shoe!

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