Flash?

[Leon]

I'm already thinking of winter and dark night ect, I will need a flash now I have a camera with a hotshoe, I believe some old flashes will damage my camera something to do with different Voltages?

 

lets say I have a low budget like £50 would you buy an ebay special like yonguo or what eer it is called or go for a 2nd hand Canon.... I really have no idea in this department 

 

or maybe stick with the built in one for now?

[NannyFerret]

Jessops do a dedicated one for Different DSLRs. I think they are about £59 or £69. I haven't checked the prices recently.
I use Metz but have to set it manually as it's not through the lens type.
I had a Jessops through the lens one for my Canon film SLR and it was very good.

[NannyFerret]

I forgot to say that none of the cheap makes off ebay are through the lens models, even though some are stated as such.

You may pick up a Jessops dedicated one on there but when I last looked, they were nearly as much as anew one.

Edited July 18, 2013 by NannyFerret

[fuzzyedges]

Read your manual (or download one ) Canon state for mine using a pc cord 250v should not be exceeded but the hot shoe is a different matter and no voltage is given

There is a lot of rubbish on the web about voltages above 5v damaging dslrs

The advantage of a modern one is the ttl function but many old ones are very good

 

here is a site with the measured voltages of a lot of flashes

http://dpanswers.com/roztr/volt_finder.php

 

When you get into £300 plus I would need serious use of one to fork out that many sovs

I dont know about the chinese ones

[NannyFerret]

I bought a YinYan one ages ago because the battery cover got loose on my Metz and it was annoying sometimes when it flipped open and I had to resort to sticky tape..
The yinYans's not bad, but again you have to set it manually and set your camera too.

[colinb]

Jessops 360AFD 

 

http://www.jessops.com/Directory/catalogue.ashx/$s=Jessops%20360AFD?clickid=13eR3V0Lo1YsUptXEGwjFQYrUkW37e35hTWCQ00&irmpname=CK+Net+Ltd.&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=cknet-cpa&utm_source=google-cknet

 

leon - just be a little wary of some of the ebay cheapies

[annie]

Jessops 360AFD 

 

http://www.jessops.com/Directory/catalogue.ashx/$s=Jessops%20360AFD?clickid=13eR3V0Lo1YsUptXEGwjFQYrUkW37e35hTWCQ00&irmpname=CK+Net+Ltd.&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=cknet-cpa&utm_source=google-cknet

 

leon - just be a little wary of some of the ebay cheapies

 

 

this is what I use with my canon

Edited July 19, 2013 by annie

[Guest DaveW]

A camera PC socket (which few entry level cameras have) is usually designed to run Studio Flashes that often have higher trigger voltages.  Using a hotshoe to PC adapter therefore may not be as safe unless it shields the camera from higher voltages. The difference between modern hotshoes and the old mechanical camera ones is that in the past the flash was triggered by a mechanical switch activated by the shutter whose contacts could take higher voltages (just like your living room light switch). Whereas the modern electronically controlled cameras use microchips to fire the flash which can be damaged by higher voltages than they were designed for, if not immediately perhaps by prolonged use of higher trigger voltages over time.

 

As Fuzzy says, this subject is clouded in mystery since most manufacturers don't really disclose the maximum trigger voltage for their hotshoes, but just tell you to use their own equipment since they will not guarantee third party equipment is safe. Obviously a ploy to get Canon users or Nikon users using their own manufactured rather than independents equipment. However most modern dedicated flashguns should be safe. 

 

The problem is you cannot generalise since the safe trigger voltage may not just vary by make, but by camera model. Probably Pro cameras can take higher trigger voltages than entry level cameras since they expect Pro's to use studio flash, plus higher powered guns on the hotshoe. 

 

http://www.shutterbug.com/content/using-older-electronic-flash-digital-cameras-what-works%E2%80%94what-doesn%E2%80%99t

 

This link is a bit out of date now, but of course we are discussing older flashguns (or strobes as the Americans call them) rather than modern ones anyway:-

 

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

 

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/g1strobe.html

 

As has been said, with many cheap flash guns you are back in the old days and have to set things manually. With dedicated guns other than the camera makers they can work with varying degrees of dedication. Some will do everything the camera makers gun will do on your camera, whilst others may only be partially dedicated. You need to check their specifications against those in your camera manual for what flash modes your camera has.

[Leon]

thanks guys, I'll start stashing some beer tokens

[fuzzyedges]

If you should think about an older flash (I just bought a starblitz for 50p off the car boot. Variable angle head with twist plus selectable fill in flash) as you dont have a pc sync port you could use a wireless trigger from your hot shoe and an external camera flash bracket (A flash away from the line of the lens is better anyway) with the receiver and flash mounted there (no worry about voltages damaging your camera )

 Some older flashes like the one above were classed as thyristor type (a small 1/4" lens on the front somewhere ) which meant they measured the light retuning from the subject and altering the flash output to suit, an old but not unreliable method, provided your flash was pointing at the subject They of course had manual as well

Wireless triggers are about £15 from amazon (one transmitter two recievers, you only need one but they are made in china so a spare is recommended ) 

Camera flash bracket ? I have bought 2 in three weeks for a total of £1.50p car boot again

At the end of the day a flash is only a shot of light in the dark and they have been around forever never dismiss the past, quite a lot of people are finding that out with lens's, some of the great lens of yesterday are proving to be very good on todays cameras, once you can get them to fit, might not have all the whistles and bells but its the image that counts

[NannyFerret]

Not forgetting that some of the older flashguns have different fitting than the more up-to-date camera's so you need the right fitting for your camera's hot-shoe.

[fuzzyedges]

Not forgetting that some of the older flashguns have different fitting than the more up-to-date camera's so you need the right fitting for your camera's hot-shoe.

 

I would not recomend using an old type flash direct into your hotshoe If you go the old flash route as you have no pc sync socket you should use something like a wireless trigger to isolate your flash from the camera

NF is right the modern flashes have various contacts to interact with the camera (canon for canon, nikon for nikon independants to suit what you have ) where as the old ones dont. They will still fit the hot shoe and fire off the centre pin but can damage your camera used in this fashion

Edited July 19, 2013 by fuzzyedges

[NannyFerret]

I just came across a link to this site, Mr W, and thought you might be interested.

 

 

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/used-equipment/used-flashguns/ You would have to check that they are suitable for digital to be on the safe side.

[Leon]

thanks nanny, I'll have a nosey later

[NannyFerret]

It may be handy for future reference, even if you don't want to get one just yet.