Single Speedlight & Bronica EC-TL

murdockhendrix

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Hi all,

I am coming back into film photography after 25 years.

I stumbled upon a Youtube video by Sean Tucker "Shooting Portraits with One Speedlight" ( ). I would like to know if it's possible to use this setup with my Bronica EC-TL?

I understand I'll need to operate the flash in manual mode without TTL. I'm fine with that. The EC-TL does not have a hot shoe but it has a cold shoe with a PC sync connection.

I would like an inexpensive setup for now. I would like to focus on portraiture of family and friends. A Speedlight type flash with a octagonal softbox w/ Bowens mount, one light stand (6-8 feet). Is there a gadget that will let me use the Speedlight type flash and use a radio controlled unit through the Bronica cold shoe/pc sync? Any help is much appreciated.

richard
 

wiltw

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Since you have a cold shoe, you must use a trigger device which has a PC-cable connector (and not merely reliant on trigger via hotshoe) There are no shortage of radio trigger products which support that model of use. Quantum, Pocket Wizard are two of many choices.

It is increasingly difficult to find flash units that are not entirely dependent upon a hotshoe connection to trigger...often today's flash units do not come with a connector for a sync cord. So you will need to ensure than the receiver of the radio trigger has the appropriate means of triggering the flash unit you have.
 
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Ron789

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This is my setup: studio flash with modeling light, soft box with diffuser and grid, wireless trigger set, trigger in accessory hotshoe with connection cable to the PC connector. Works fine! I'd really recommend a studio flash, not a speedlight: the modeling light enables you to direct the light and see the effect on the model. Without modeling light there is no way you can see upfront how the light will work out. Second hand studio flashes are easy and cheap to find, in my experience.



 

AgX

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Most easily solved by turning a cold shoe into a hot shoe by means of respective adapter.
A typical rummage box item, but still available new too:
https://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/en/produkte/artikel.php?nr=1301
 

wiltw

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AgX said:
Most easily solved by turning a cold shoe into a hot shoe by means of respective adapter.
A typical rummage box item, but still available new too:
https://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/en/produkte/artikel.php?nr=1301
Click to expand...
I had a different point from what you commented: Some flash units have a hotfoot and no PC connector or other sync cable connection.
So you need to use an adapter hotfoot, which has a cable port that a radio receiver can connect, to trigger the flash with, when the receiver itself lacks a hotshoe.
 
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murdockhendrix

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Thank you all for the responses.

I followed the links provided above and have a question on the hot shoe. One of the diagrams has the hot shoe on the camera's cold?/hot shoe then a sync cord connected to the receiver. If I am using the flash on a light stand will this hot shoe (item #1303) need to be connected to the stand and flash to work? Or will I need this hot shoe (item #1303) connected to my cold shoe with the transmitter (trigger), not receiver, connected by the sync cord for the set up to work?

I do have a standard hot shoe with pc sync somewhere in my storage. I'll need to find it.

I think my problem is the great number of units out there on amazon ebay etc. They are just so confusing. So many of the flashes claim to have a pc sync but it doesn't appear to be a "standard" pc sync (15-20 years ago). So I am in the wilderness when it comes to picking out a set up.

I have found what might be a suitable set up for me:

Yongnuo YN560 IV Flash (all manual)
Yongnuo RF-603 II Wireless Transmitter (trigger) I guess I'll need two of these so I can trigger the flash to check exposure with the Sekonic L-508 meter.

richard
 

AgX

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Just buy an old style, used on-camera flash and a long, used PC cable. Hassle-free and will cost you just a few Euros. For the savings you then can hire a model...
 

wiltw

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Reduced to the absolute basics...You have the need to :
A. connect camera to radio transmitter, and you have the need to
B. connect radio receiver to flash​

The need for PC-to-shotshoe adapter between camera and trigger transmitter, or PC-to-hotshot adapter beween receiver and flash is dependent upon the camera and the radio and also upon the receiver and the flash.
  • Some radio transmitters have cable which connect to PC connector on camera,
    some have a hotfoot
  • Some radio transmitters have hotfoot;
    many cameras have hotfoot and/or PC connector
  • Some radio receivers have hotshoe; some connect to flash via hotshoe
    most flash have hotfoot and/or PC sync cable connector
...and unfortunately, all flash units do not use a common sync cord connector, and flash documentation is poor about defining the kind of connection (assuming you can lay hands on a user manual in advance of purchase!)
And now, not every flash even HAS an external cord connection (for example, Godox TT350 lacks it, and only has hotfoot)
 
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murdockhendrix

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I have several old Sunpak flashes, 1) 522, 2) Auto 411s, 2) 422Ds, 2) 211s. They all work. The 510v battery packs still charge up and hold a charge.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your thoughts and advice.
richard
 

Ron789

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murdockhendrix said:
I would like an inexpensive setup for now. I would like to focus on portraiture of family and friends. A Speedlight type flash with a octagonal softbox w/ Bowens mount, one light stand (6-8 feet).
Click to expand...

For this purpose -portraiture of family and friends-, forget about your old Sunpak flashes. Really.... get yourself an inexpensive second hand studio flash with soft box or umbrella. And of course, a good light meter with incident light metering.
 
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murdockhendrix

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Hi Ron789, Well I'm covered on the light meter, Sekonic L-508 and my trusty Gossen Luna Pro F. On your set up is it battery or AC powered? For some reason I thought the studio flashes were AC powered. Also, is the hot shoe on your EC-TL's cold shoe a standard hot shoe with pc cord? Or something else?

richard
 

wiltw

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Traditionally, speedlites were
  • battery powered,
  • camera mounted units,
  • with no constant modelling light,
  • no fans for cooling,
  • and with flash dedication for specific brands of cameras.
Traditionally, studio flash were
  • AC powered,
  • stand mounted units,
  • with constant modelling lights,
  • often have fans for cooling,
  • and no flash dedication for any specific brand of camera.

Fast forward to today, and hybridization of flash units has occurred, for example Godox offers units whick are
  • Stand mounted
  • lithium battery powered (optionally can be AC powered)
  • with LED modelling lights
  • TTL compatible with a variety of brands of dSLR, inclusing HSS
It is a new world. Not sure if the new hybrids
  • have modelling lights which can compete in intensity with 150W-250W modelling lights found on traditional studio flash.
  • Question about fans for cooling in softboxes, but maybe the use of LED instead of halogen greatly diminishes the need for fans, exceipt for very high frequency high intensity light output (which drives users back to traditional studio flash)
If you want really high power (single head with >500w/s) generally you still generally need to pick studio flash using power pack and separate heads, rather than monolights.
 
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Ron789

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Richard, my studio flash is a traditional unit, AC powered, with cooling fan for the modeling light. As Wiltw mentioned there are other (battery powered) options available today but the more "serious" units (like modern Godox units) are quite expensive.
The hot shoe on my EC-TL is indeed a standard hot shoe with PC cord.
I use the same Gossen and a similar Sekonic; great meters!
 
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murdockhendrix

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Hi everyone,

I wanted to update this thread on the decisions I made on my speedlight flash setup choice. I did purchase the Yongnuo YN560 IV speedlight. I picked up a Neewer light stand and Bowens type mount. The collapsible reflective umbrella and a collapsible background (black & white) will be here tomorrow (Monday). I was able to pick up 3 PocketWizard Plus IIs for my trigger/transmitter options. I did get the PocketWizard Hot Shoe Cable from Cowboy Studios too.

I tried out the PocketWizards with my Sunpak flashes and they work perfectly. Can't wait to try them out with the YN560 IV speedlight.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and advice,

richard
 
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