Trigger voltage : Any simple cure ?

[Smudger]

Bought an Achiever 321AZ flash recently which I hoped may suit an impecunious friends Nikon EM.
Gadzooks ! Trigger voltage of 240 Volts !
I can strip,clean, and reassemble an iris diaphragm, but I need help with this : can I solder a simple resistor into the base of the hotshoe to give this dear lady a flash she can use to photograph her adopted baby ?
( yes,I know about the dangers of charged capacitors,etc.)
-any input welcome.

 

[wfwhitaker]

Wein Safe-Sync.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I also use a Wein Safe-Sync when I hook my Normans up to the camera that dare not speak its name on APUG.

Radio slaves are another option in the studio, but for the on-camera flash a Wein Safe-Sync HS (Hot Shoe) should do the trick.

 

[Dimitri]

I'll second (well third in this case ) the Wein Safe Sync

 

[John Koehrer]

fourth time recomended. Wein, that is.
No Wein before it's time!

 

[MattCarey]

Bought an Achiever 321AZ flash recently which I hoped may suit an impecunious friends Nikon EM.
Gadzooks ! Trigger voltage of 240 Volts !
I can strip,clean, and reassemble an iris diaphragm, but I need help with this : can I solder a simple resistor into the base of the hotshoe to give this dear lady a flash she can use to photograph her adopted baby ?
( yes,I know about the dangers of charged capacitors,etc.)
-any input welcome.

Hello,

in addition to the "Safe-Sync", paramount sync cords makes cables that reduce the sync voltage.

However, the EM is an older camera, right? Check the spec's, it may be able to handle the high voltage. I have an old Metz handle-mount flash that I use on an old FE without difficulty. It also works on LF shutters. I know to never use it on any newer cameras, though! If I did a lot of flash work with the LF, I would want to fix this problem. A few high voltage flashes are probably OK. A lot and the sync connections will likely have problems.

Matt

 

[Roger Krueger]

Hello?!? It's an EM! Why would you screw around with a Safe-Sync on a mechanical sync camera? There is no problem here.

If you've got extreme pro-level shot volumes AND an unusual flash that pumps out excess current with the high voltage you might get some contact pitting, but that's 100s of rolls a year pro use, not aww-cute-pretty-baby use.

The only cameras with high sync voltage problems are amateur-level TTL bodies. Non-TTL bodies are nearly universally mechanical sync, not electronic, and have no problem. Pro bodies are designed to handle the high voltage.

FWIW I've used 200 volt 283s on a wide variety of manual cameras (Minolta XG-1/XD-11/X-370/Hi-Matic 9, Mamiya Press/RZ), as well as allegedly fragile digitals--a Sony DSC-700, an Oly E-10, and a Canon 1dsII. The XD-11 and E-10 both pulled event duty in their time and had many thousands of frames of 200v sync. No sync switch problems. Ever.

 

[Nicole]

I'd never recommend using a flash to photograph a baby!!!

Natural light is much more humane than blasting their delicate little eyes with flash.

 

[bjorke]

Save money, buy about 6 rolls of Neopan 1600 for the cost of a Safe-Sync.

 

[roteague]

I would agree with Nicole.

BTW, we have seen you post a few times, but don't know anything about you. Why don't you post a welcome message in the Introduction section so we can get to know more about you. I've been to Dunedin a few years ago, I came in on the old Southerner, which I guess is no longer running. I'll be in Christchurch again this coming October, I have a close friend living near Alexandra.

 

[Smudger]

Thanks to all for your input. I onsold the Achiever to a friend with a Nikkormat FT3, which could probably handle a lightening strike..
My friend now has a Starblitz 250 BAZ, with a t/voltage of 6.8volts, which she will use in bounce mode for the little one's eyes.
Roteague : I'll put something together as you suggested. And,yes,the Southerner is no more,sadly.
Regards,
Ian

 

[Rock Poper]

Bought an Achiever 321AZ flash recently which I hoped may suit an impecunious friends Nikon EM.
Gadzooks ! Trigger voltage of 240 Volts !
I can strip,clean, and reassemble an iris diaphragm, but I need help with this : can I solder a simple resistor into the base of the hotshoe to give this dear lady a flash she can use to photograph her adopted baby ?
( yes,I know about the dangers of charged capacitors,etc.)
-any input welcome.

I found a website with a circuit diagram for a slave flash trigger thing, and it also doubled as a simple 'plug flash in here, plug camera in here' voltage reducer thingy... I got all the bits and a breadboard (circuit prototyping thing for those who dont know) ...

took about a week of phoning and waiting in traffic in lunch time to get all the correct bits - anyways

didn't werk

still on the shelf...

I had used my older Metz 45 CT with my Mamiya RZ often enough before I was made aware of its voltage issue - no problems - but I have started using my newer not as powerful yet safe 45CL (boring story) with my RZ just out of caution.. the CT does my Holga proud

If your a keen electronographer gizmo whatsit maker I can find the diagram again if you like

and also, hello from Auckland !

Nick

 

[Nick Zentena]

How old is your CT? You can check the serial number to see if it's safe or not. Metz actually used to fix them in the past. I'm not sure if they're still doing it.

http://www.metz.de/en/photo_electronics/faq/19/148/show.html

serial number 534 000 or higher is the safe point.

 

[benjiboy]

Flash and babys

I'd never recommend using a flash to photograph a baby!!!

Natural light is much more humane than blasting their delicate little eyes with flash.

I agree with Nicole, some nice soft natural light takes some beating, as far as I understand flash won't damage a babys eyes, but it's not ( as we all know) ideal, especially stuck on top of the camera, maybe you could give your friend some advice Smudger.

 

[Rock Poper]

How old is your CT? You can check the serial number to see if it's safe or not. Metz actually used to fix them in the past. I'm not sure if they're still doing it.

http://www.metz.de/en/photo_electronics/faq/19/148/show.html

serial number 534 000 or higher is the safe point.

Yes, I've checked it earlier - its a baddy - my CL is fine tho, except the reflective chrome behind the lens has been eaten/blown away at some stage and I'm getting only half the reflection and therefore its more a 31 CL or something - wish I could combine the two good points of each for the two bad points - end up with one perfect metz and another not so

 

[glbeas]

Might think about some chrome paint in the reflector. Krylon has some pretty good stuff.

 

[Smudger]

Rock - re your flash reflector..

I have a roll of chrome metallic mylar adhesive tape which would be ideal for refurbishing your flash reflector.
e/m me if you'd like a strip..
Regards, Ian.

 

[Smudger]

Useful site with trigger voltages..

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html

 

[John Koehrer]

The mylar tape sounds like a good suggestion BUT you need to discharge the main capacitor before you start playing with the flash tube area.
You can disharge the cap with a 100 ohm 10 watt resistor across the flash tube. You should also check the voltage to eliminate any surprises.
It won't kill ya, but you may want to pause for a moment after you've discharged it through you arm.

 

[Rock Poper]

hmmm, I thought of opening it and having a look see once upon a time when I found some chrome paint at work.. but I have a great track record of opening working things and putting them back together dead - the upshot is tho, that on occasion I will open a dead item, find nothing and find it working upon screwing it back together (; I've got a few too many projects on the go at the mo' but I will do it one day - cheers for the offers! and the advice re. the discharge ...

 

[jerry lebens]

I'm not familiar with your output unit - does it have a ir reciever? If so just get another cheap flash gun and filter it with the deep red & deep green filters from a Rosco filter swatch - that should be an adequate ir "transmitter" (I don't know why the green, but that's what I found when I dismantled an old Bowens ir trigger, I guess they should know what theyre doing).

As for flashing a baby's eyes - don't use direct lighting, diffuse & reflect to soften the effect and lessen intensity.