Pretty new to analog lighting, it's safe to say. Is it possible to use a Nikon SB-20 with a Mamiya Press 23? Lens is the Mamiya Sekor f3.5 100m. Have heard about the Vivitar 285 and other older flashes but the Nikon is what I have presently. If possible, is a male-to-male PC sync cable the item I need?
I used a Mamiya Super 23 with an old Heiland/Honywell flash for weddings for years. Worked fine. I see no reason the Nikon flash wouldn't work. From this article: http://stanfordphoto.blogspot.com/2007/05/review-nikon-sb-20.html it looks like the SB-20 is a hot shoe unit, and, at least my Mamiya, doesn't have a hot show. The article shows how to remove the hot shoe contacts. As an alternative, you could use a hot shoe adapter. like this: http://stanfordphoto.blogspot.com/2007/05/review-nikon-sb-20.html
Let us know how it works out.
My Mamiya Press 23 has cold shoes on top and on the grip. Need to find a cable to do some experimenting. As I read the docs, set the sync to X and the flash will sync with all available speeds when using electronic flash.