I have spent an exhaustive amount of time with Canon Canada trying to sort out why the A2E has continued problems with the PC sync in relationship to firing studio strobes. There is another major problem that they fix without question..the mode dial busts and spins and has to be replaced usually...mine two times so far and I baby it.

Their take on this is that the AE model was never intended to be used as a professional camera re: studio strobes. Why would they put a PC sync on this model then???? I have tested my camera and other A2's A2e's at Canon's facility in Toronto and to the same result...will not fire brand new Profoto,White lightning, Speedotron packs. None of the other Canon products that we tested seem to have this problem. Tested with many different pc cords even the expensive screw in type PC cords. Canon says that there is an protection circuit that does not allow the voltage that professional packs(and I am not talking about old packs that sent to much juice to the camera)use to fire the shutter. Hot shoe PC adaters do not work either. I bought this model for using mainly in the studio and now I cannot. Canon's response is too bad, that is not a "Pro" camera even though they positioned it to be a prosumer product,comparitive to the Nikon 90S(which I bet does not have this problem).

Any other users out there that have this problem? Solutions and feedback appreciated.

-- David R. Greene (david@davidrgreene.com), March 20, 2001

Answers

Wein makes a device that fits into the hot shoe of your A2 and protects the circuitry and allows you to use just about any PC cord fired strobe. Also Canon mentions in the instruction manual for the A2 that the polarity of the PC Sync is different from most other cameras, therefore not all strobes will synchronize through the PC terminal.

Marcus J.

-- Marcus J. Wilson Sr. (marcus.wilson@dtra.mil), March 21, 2001.

Hmm ... I have absolutely NO problems whatsoever getting either of my Profoto Acute2 2400 packs to fire with either of my EOS 5's. I do use the Wein Safe-Sync hotshoe module though. The Profoto sync cords do fit quite loose in the Wein module, but even though, they still fire every single time. Never had a misfire. I do check periodically to make sure the cord is pushed all the way into the Safe-Sync since it does fit loosely. I've even thought about using a rubber band wrapped snugly around the sync cord and Safe-Sync but haven't, I lazy. I've also meant for about a year to get one of those screw in PC cord adapters to solve the loose fit, but never have since I haven't encountered any problems.

This has never been a problem for me. The packs fire every single time with this combination.

Hmmm ... sounds like Canon Canada is feeding you a line. But then again, I've never chanced using the PC socket on the EOS 5, since I didn't want to pit or fry the shutter mechanism. That's why I bought the Wein Safe-Sync in the first place to prevent those high sync voltage problems.

Regards

Juice

-- Juicespeare (elda@ticnet.com), March 21, 2001.

I'll bet that Marcus hit the nail on the head; POLARITY. Did you try reversing the side of the sync cord that goes into the power pack (assuming it's an HH connector). I ran into this with my EOS 3 and recently acquired (old) Speedotron setup.

Paul

-- Paul Ferrara (paul@columbusoft.com), March 22, 2001.

I have the a2 also and have aradio slave 4i. I mount a flash on a bracket and want to use a second vivitar 285 . will I dok any damage to the circuitry if I pug the sending unit into the pc socket?Also do I have to use x mode or can I use tv or av.

-- Drew Simicich (nyjetzfan@aol.com), May 02, 2001.

When I bought my eos 5 One of the features I liked was the pc socket. I use older white lightning stobes for my studio work, but when I first plugged them in to the pc socket they would not fire. I checked the manual and said the polarity could be reversed. Since the white lighnings use an pc to ac cord, all i did was turn the ac side of the cord around and plug it in the other way( reversed polarity ) and now it works great. I just put a mark on the sync cord so I know which way is correct, and I don't have to worry about embarrasing my self in front of a client when my strobes dont fire.

-- James Roberts (jamierob@mindspring.com), May 19, 2001.