SB-24 flash

[campy51]

I am about to buy one for $20 after reading good things about it, but thought I would check here for opinions or other options. I have the Vivitar 285 but I find it a little too large to use on my GA645 and Rolleiflex 3.5F. Is the SB24 a good balance of size and power for short distances? Can I also use it with a 4x5 crown or speed graphic to keep the bulk down a little?
Thanks

 

[thinkbrown]

I'm quite fond of mine. I both use it in ttl mode on my Nikon f100 as well as in automatic mode on my mamiya press.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Specs and more here: https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/archive/SB-24.pdf

 

[BrianShaw]

Buy it...

 

[campy51]

Ok I bought one but now I have a question on using it with a Rolleiflex. It works fine with the hot shoe on my GA645. I bought a male to male cord and plugged one end in the side terminal of the flash and the other to the rolleiflex and it does not fire the flash. Am I missing something?

 

[Dan Fromm]

Check the cord. Plug one end into the flash. Turn the flash on. Short the other end of the cord with anything convenient. Paper clip, jeweler's screwdriver, ...

 

[blee1996]

SB-24 has been my work horse, good balance of power size and features. And dirt cheap nowadays.

RE X-Sync: maybe try Manual mode on the SB24? Also check if your Rolleiflex can trigger another flash via x-sync.

 

[campy51]

Strangest thing. I tried manual as you suggested and it worked, switched back A and that worked. Don't know why it wasn't working before.

 

[thinkbrown]

Maybe a bit of corrosion on one of the contacts somewhere. Little jostling/unplugging and replugging could have sorted it.

 

[reddesert]

With a flash like this it can also depend on what kind of cold shoe you put it on. You don't want to short the contacts on the flash foot to each other. For some flashes, plugging into the PC cord socket will disconnect the foot contacts, but I am not sure if this is true for the SB-24. I will sometimes put a piece of electrical tape on a cold shoe if I think I might be using a flash on it.