http://www.cameramanuals.org/kodak_pdf/kodak_signet_50.pdf
Post a picture of your camera's Kodalite Flash fittings, someone might be able to figure something out.
It appears to me that the easiest is to buy one of the Kodalite flash off ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...0.A0.H0.Xkodalite.TRS0&_nkw=kodalite&_sacat=0
and use a flash bulb base to connect the PC cord to, you need to know how to do electronics soldering. Opening one of these flash will show the wiring to the contacts/ mounts on the camera. One contact will be to the center contact of the flash bulb socket and the other to the outer base of the bulb which may or may not be connected to the camera frame/shutter case. If the shutter has a slow enough speed you might be able to find which contacts on the camera fire the flash with an ohm meter. B & T work best for this as the contact is so quick at 1/10 second and faster the meter will not have time to respond.
Is there a switch to change from M to X?
Well then... you may find yourself in a situation where you can "McGuyver" the wiring but can't get the proper synch for a electronic strobe. Suggest you make sure your shutter supports X before you invest too much more time in this.
This means flash will be too early or late? I have a bag full of bulbs and flash units with PC cables. Bulbs are coming back in didn't you know?
Well then... you may find yourself in a situation where you can "McGuyver" the wiring but can't get the proper synch for a electronic strobe. Suggest you make sure your shutter supports X before you invest too much more time in this.
Interesting. I did not see that in the manual, but I just skimmed it. (I was reading on my phone so it was very tiny.) I saw the discussion of M synch and bulbs. I'd sure like to know how that works. That makes perfect sense to me. But using electronic flash/strobe with M synch does not. X and M are (about) 20 milliseconds apart. Do you have any insights?The manual clearly states that the shutter is fit to be used with an electronic flash. (It thus works with a bulb flash too, but with reduced effectivity cared for in the aperture settings given in bulbs manuals.)
Too early. But whether too early or too late it really doesn't matter much. The strobe will ignite and extinguish at the wrong time relative to the shutter.
For me it's not a matter of flash bulbs coming back into favor... I never stopped using them with older cameras. My first thought when I saw your post was, "Bulbs are coming back in didn't you know?"
So you are correct (as expected)The manual clearly states that the shutter is fit to be used with an electronic flash. (It thus works with a bulb flash too, but with reduced effectivity cared for in the aperture settings given in bulbs manuals.)
'cept the bulb batteries cost in around $25 these days...unless you know where to find them cheaper eh?
That manual would imply that there is a X-M switch.
Interesting. In the 1950s I suppose it would be fairly commonplace to discuss bulbs in detail and only have a minor mention of electronic strobe. Now that you mention it I have seen that. But also have seen a clear method to select X versus M synch.No. Many cameras only have X-synchronisation but nevertheless the camera manual advises also the use of bulbs. In that case the bulb manual has to be considered for the appropriate aperture and shutter speed to be used.
The great majority of my cameras works this way.
Or, how they can synch a flash bulb using X. Is that what is being stated (or implied) about this shutter/camera? None of my cameras can do that.
Looking at the table in the instruction book, it uses X synchronization at all speeds.
This was something of a handicap in its day, as the overwhelming majority of people using a Signet 50 would be using bulb flash. With bulb flash, one would be limited to the 1/30 s speed (at faster speeds, the flashbulb would provide good luminosity only after the shutter closed).
Some other cameras (I think my Argus A-four is one, though I'm not sure) had a better system (for that day) - It had M sync for 1/200, 1/100 and 1/50, but X synchronization at 1/25. X at 1/25 both allowed electronic flash and getting all of the light from the flashbulb, whilst the M sync at higher speeds allowed bulb flash of action scenes with some control of motion blur (one could use Tri-X at 1/200 and a #25 to get a sharp picture at a basketball game).
Am I the only one who thinks it is odd that they mention that the Signet 50 syncs electronic flash at all speeds, while making no mention how to attach an electronic flash to the camera?
That is, indeed, a problem. I retired my SuperGraphic for the same reason. I've never found a less expensive price and found that just because some places list them on their catalogue does not mean that they really have them for sale.
Any clue how many bulbs those rectangle batteries are good for?
Yup.Looking at the table in the instruction book, it uses X synchronization at all speeds.
This was something of a handicap in its day, as the overwhelming majority of people using a Signet 50 would be using bulb flash. With bulb flash, one would be limited to the 1/30 s speed (at faster speeds, the flashbulb would provide good luminosity only after the shutter closed).
Some other cameras (I think my Argus A-four is one, though I'm not sure) had a better system (for that day) - It had M sync for 1/200, 1/100 and 1/50, but X synchronization at 1/25. X at 1/25 both allowed electronic flash and getting all of the light from the flashbulb, whilst the M sync at higher speeds allowed bulb flash of action scenes with some control of motion blur (one could use Tri-X at 1/200 and a #25 to get a sharp picture at a basketball game).
Am I the only one who thinks it is odd that they mention that the Signet 50 syncs electronic flash at all speeds, while making no mention how to attach an electronic flash to the camera?
Being the Kodalite flash uses batteries I would disassemble it and connect the PC cord to the wires coming from the camera socket for electronic flash. Battery power for a flash bulb would likely damage an electronic flash which only needs a set of contacts connected to fire.
Post 4 edited to reflect this also.
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