Is there an adapter that would allow me to connect a 550EX speedlite to a manual camera with a PC cord instead of using the camera's hotshoe? I want to plug the cord into the PC connector on a totally manual med. format camera.

-- John Throneburg (jthroneburg@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001

Answers

I answered your question on either pro4um or zuga. If I knew you were going to ignore it I wouldn't have bothered.

Paul

-- Paul Ferrara (paul@columbusoft.com), October 13, 2001.

I don't know what Paul told you, but yes, you can get a generic shoe adapter with a PC connector on it. Then you can mount your 550EX on the shoe adapter and then run a PC cord into it from your MF camera.

If it works, you will not have any automation and no exposure control except by adjusting the manual power output of the flash and by choosing an appropriate aperture for your subject distance. You will also want to do something with tape to keep the extra four pins on the bottom of the flash foot from getting shorted out on the shoe adapter. Sometimes, they give problems to the flash firing if they short out. Also most of these shoe adapters fit very tight on most Canon flash feet. Canon tends to make the foot flanges thicker than most other makers. Adding tape creates even more problems. Filing on the shoe adapter helps.

You'd probably be better off with a cheap autoflash like an old Vivitar 283.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), October 13, 2001.

So, what did you tell him Paul?

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), October 13, 2001.

The only previous response to my question was as follows:

"Wein makes such an animal. Check www.bhphotovideo.com. You'll have to watch the voltage though. The 550EX should work okay in manual mode."

Paul, I did not ignore your advice. I did check out the website for B&H and Wein. However, I am still not sure which adapter I need. I do appreciate your reponse to my question, but are you saying that I should only read your reponse and not seek any other information?

Jim, thanks for your reply. I had not thought about covering the other pins on the flash.

I still welcome comments on this topic, such as a part#, or info from others who are using one. I don't want to buy something that doesn't work or risk damage to an expensive flash.

-- John Throneburg (jthroneburg@hotmail.com), October 13, 2001.

You don't have to wory about the voltage. Sync voltage from the flash is sometimes too high for new cameras, but not the other way. The 550EX has 6 volts at the sync pin (the center one) and manual cameras don't put out any voltage at the PC connector. Nothing can get damaged electrically by doing this.

As far as a specific item at B&H, this one will work:

http://www01.bhphotovideo.com/default.sph/FrameWork.class? FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___89977___HAFAU___REG___CatID= 3625___SID=E9BCAC58160

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), October 13, 2001.

Here's a cheaper one ($9.95). It's a Rowi PC to Hot Shoe Adapter.

http://www01.bhphotovideo.com/default.sph/FrameWork.class? FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___80687___ROPCHSA___REG___CatI D=3625___SID=E9BCAC58160

Just copy and paste the whole URL into your browser's address line.

BTW, I looked all through B&H & they sell a lot of Wein products, but none that will do this.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), October 13, 2001.

Jim, thanks for taking the time to locate the adapter at B&H and for your reply. You have been most helpful.

-- John Throneburg (jthroneburg@hotmail.com), October 13, 2001.

John, so I was wrong about the brand (I said "I think...") but I thought I gave you enough info to point you in the right direction. Common courtesy would seem to at least acknowledge the answer rather than ignoring it completely and posting the exact message elsewhere.

Jim, as usual, you're dead nuts about the size of the hot shoe on the 550EX. The other night I tried attaching a generic slave to it with no success. It just won't fit. Related question coming...

Paul

-- Paul Ferrara (paul@columbusoft.com), October 19, 2001.