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is Ninon Flash compatible with Pentax cameras?
#1
I thought each major brand had their own version of hot shoe for flashes, and I thought you could not mix different brands, i.d. you could not use a Nikon Flash on a Pentax body. I saw this on CL and I now I wonder if my understanding was wrong and if in fact you can use a nikon flash on a Pentax body?

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Pentax ZX-L 35mm SLR Autofocus Camera + Sigma 28-80mm Aspherical Macro Lens + Sigma 70-300mm DL Macro Super + Hoya Skylight Filter for both Lenses + Nikon Speedlight SB-50DX Flash + Sigma Camera Bag + Lens Cleaning Kit + Complete with Original Manual for Camera, Lenses & Flash - worth more than $1,100
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#2
It would work in a straight up auto mode (or manual too) but TTL features would not work. When the flash is in auto exposure it just reads light reflected back from the subject to a sensor eye on the flash unit. In TTL the light reflected back is read through the lens (TTL) by a sensor at the film plane. Many flashes are not even compatible in TTL or other advanced modes even within the same brand.
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#3
Are triggering voltages standardized?
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#4
freeradical wrote:
Are triggering voltages standardized?


Maybe this was the wrong question.

If a camera has a hot shoe and one contact pin, is the only job of a camera to provide a short for a non TTL flash?

If so, why does a camera such as the Nikon FM2N, which does not support TTL flash have 2 pins?

Is there some sort of flash standard or not?
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#5
freeradical wrote:
Are triggering voltages standardized?

Good question. I don't think that there are absolute standards,but there are common ranges. IIRC it is 3v to 12v but I would need to double check. I think Paramount and Wein (probably others too) sold protected cords that limited the voltage to the sync contact to 6v, so that is probably the target range. (that is synced to a cord and not the hot shoe) I think most radio trigger systems are 12v or less. I'm working from memory here, so best advice is to double check if you have a mismatched set up. You do not want to put that old Vivitar 283 with it's 300v trigger on your new DSLR. I'll have to dig around later and see what info is out there.
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#6
lafinfil wrote:
[quote=freeradical]
Are triggering voltages standardized?

Good question. I don't think that there are absolute standards,but there are common ranges. IIRC it is 3v to 12v but I would need to double check. I think Paramount and Wein (probably others too) sold protected cords that limited the voltage to the sync contact to 6v, so that is probably the target range. (that is synced to a cord and not the hot shoe) I think most radio trigger systems are 12v or less. I'm working from memory here, so best advice is to double check if you have a mismatched set up. You do not want to put that old Vivitar 283 with it's 300v trigger on your new DSLR. I'll have to dig around later and see what info is out there.

Thanks! I have a Nikon SB-20 Speedlight, and I've wondered whether I could use it with my Fuji GW670III. I think the SB-20 is a nice, under rated, medium powered flash.
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#7
My seat of the pants thoughts would be that it would be safe as the Fuji's were designed as pro cameras and the designers would expect them to be used with studio strobes. I had a Fuji GS645 folder that I used may times with studio systems with no issues.

I found this video on measuring sync voltage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLytJ-UBdX4
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#8
lafinfil wrote:
My seat of the pants thoughts would be that it would be safe as the Fuji's were designed as pro cameras and the designers would expect them to be used with studio strobes. I had a Fuji GS645 folder that I used may times with studio systems with no issues.

I found this video on measuring sync voltage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLytJ-UBdX4

Thanks
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#9
I found this:


The SB-20 is not just useful for Nikon SLRs with TTL flash; it is also a low-cost, high-power, high-reliability flash for multiple cameras:

-- Its low synch voltage and variable power output make it a natural match for the Konica Hexar AF, which is able to take advantage of low, low power in its programmed flash mode. If you are using 400 film and can't get close enough with the HX-14, you can use the SB-20 on 1/16 mode and set the GN as low as 2 (meters). Then you can shoot at 0.6m and f/6.7. Just remember to set the flash to the -7 deflection.

-- The Konica Hexar RF comes with a pretty small flash. The SB-20 will trigger the flash ready indicator and set the synch speed in AE or AE-L mode. The multiple auto modes help.

-- The Fuji Finepix S2 can use the SB-20 for TTL operation, since unlike the Nikon digital SLRs, it can use conventional TTL flashes.

-- If you don't have a TTL flash Leica (so if you have a Leica M4-2 through Classic M6), you can use the SB-20 in manual or automatic.

In sum, you can use the SB-20 on anything that has a conventional hot-shoe flash connection.



http://www.dantestella.com/technical/sb20.html
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