Olympus iS 3000 / iS 3 DLX flash hotshoe

WPPD25 Self Portrait

A
WPPD25 Self Portrait

  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
Wife

A
Wife

  • 4
  • 1
  • 66
Dragon IV 10.jpg

A
Dragon IV 10.jpg

  • 4
  • 0
  • 73
DRAGON IV 08.jpg

A
DRAGON IV 08.jpg

  • 1
  • 0
  • 42

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
197,879
Messages
2,766,296
Members
99,494
Latest member
kri11e
Recent bookmarks
0

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
The hot shoe has a proprietary arrangement of pins which only works with the Olympus G40 flash.
I am trying to connect a GPS recorder to digitally geotag my photographs. I am quite capable of the mechanical and electrical work of constructing a special connector to fit the hotshoe, however I cannot find a diagram of the circuit or the function of each of the four pins.
Can anyone supply this information?
 

ic-racer

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
16,509
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
You can't just use the middle pin?

Never mind...I just checked my G40 flash and, of course, there is no middle pin.

Could you just try to connect any of the 4 pins to see which two will fire the flash?
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I can
You can't just use the middle pin?

Never mind...I just checked my G40 flash and, of course, there is no middle pin.

Could you just try to connect any of the 4 pins to see which two will fire the flash?

I can check it, and look for the approximate 5 v that is used in the sensing circuit, but need to know what the other pins do as well, one will be for indicating the flash is charged and the other will be for quenching the flash when the desired exposure is complete.

i suppose I am being a bit pedantic about this. I would like to get my hands on a service manual for this and the IS 3000, but they are like rocking horse droppings! This particular range of cameras are a bit like the "withered arm" on the old North Cornwall Railway (BR Western Region), little information available as they were only produced for a short period.
 

Helge

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
3,938
Location
Denmark
Format
Medium Format
You live in Germany I see... I have an otherwise working G40 flash with broken focusing rack I can send you at shipping price, if you want something to probe around on and use the shoe from.
They can be a little hard to find I remember.
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
You live in Germany I see... I have an otherwise working G40 flash with broken focusing rack I can send you at shipping price, if you want something to probe around on and use the shoe from.
They can be a little hard to find I remember.
Thank you Helge, that would be most helpful. PM me the necessary details please
Bill
 

ic-racer

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
16,509
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Sometimes, even with the schematic, it can be hard to figure out what the pins do. For example in this SB-28, the pins are just shown connected to a complex integrated circuit.
Screen Shot 2021-03-31 at 4.49.04 PM.jpg
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
Well checked out the 4 pins on the flash, two have 5 volts on them relative to one other but shorting any pair does not fire the flash. Since it appears that the flash has to be connected to the camera electronics to operate correctly (the exposure good light does not work and teh flash does not vary its output if operated off the camera) I need additional confirmation of the function of the pins. As a matter of fact there is no side contact on the shoe either.
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,973
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I still do not understand why one would need the accessory contacts for this very application.
 

ic-racer

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
16,509
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Maybe easier to go after the date imprinting function and tap into that.
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I still do not understand why one would need the accessory contacts for this very application.
I don't need the accessory contacts I only need the lash trigger contact to mark a GPS track each time the shutter is released - no time or date data is available from the camera so the usual method of matching date and time will not work. The flash has 4 contacts but no pair fire the flash so I need data to determine which contacts are the trigger and which are the control pins.
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
Maybe easier to go after the date imprinting function and tap into that.
Mine is an iS-3000 it does not have a date imprinting function only the QD versions have that. I also want it to work with any analogue camera having a hotshoe or pc socket - I have a number of analogue cameras, this one is problematical wrt the hotshoe connections
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,973
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I don't need the accessory contacts I only need the lash trigger contact to mark a GPS track each time the shutter is released - no time or date data is available from the camera so the usual method of matching date and time will not work. The flash has 4 contacts but no pair fire the flash so I need data to determine which contacts are the trigger and which are the control pins.

At all standardized hot shoes that got a central contact added by surrounding contacts the trigger contact is that central one. The ground is formed by the flanges of the shoe.
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
At all standardized hot shoes that got a central contact added by surrounding contacts the trigger contact is that central one. The ground is formed by the flanges of the shoe.
not on this camera. It is a proprietary hot shoe, has no centre pin and no edge contact, only 4 pins 1 is ground, 1 is trigger 1 is ready and I think 1 is quench, however the camera send lens position info to the flash too to set the flash for tele or wide angle depending on the focal length of the zoom lens. It also appears that the flash intensity / duration is controlled by the camera. All I need to identify is the ground and trigger pins
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,973
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I see. At the moment I only thought of the Minolta poprietary hot shoe, did not realize Olympus had such too.
 

wiltw

Subscriber
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
6,388
Location
SF Bay area
Format
Multi Format
I see. At the moment I only thought of the Minolta poprietary hot shoe, did not realize Olympus had such too.
...and so did Sony use a unique hotshoe layout with no center Trigger.
 
OP
OP

wilwahabri

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
43
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
May have partly solved this. Olympus made an iS/L Multi Flash Synchro Module, which was basically a G40 flash with the flash head and high voltage parts removed and a standard pc socket fitted where the flash head was, If I can find one of those I have the triggering part solved.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom