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Posted by Sanjaya on November 30, 2001 at 22:43:08:
I bought a Cannon EOS rebel camera and have an older Pentax AF200S flash. I want to know if i can use the flash safely with the new camera. Thanks
Editor's Note: If the flash is from the early 1990's or late 1980's, chances are the trigger voltage exceeds the 6 volts maximum for safe operation with Canon cameras.
Electronic 35mm SLRs and digital cameras will be damaged when used with a flash with a trigger voltage exceeding 12 volts (6 volts for Canon equipment.) Damage can include the total frying of the camera's electronics or the pitting of internal contacts until the camera eventually fails. For a more detailed explanation of flash trigger voltage, read David Marsh's explanation http://www.acecam.com/message/4631.html David Marsh is owner of Apex Photo Technical Services and past-president of NAPET, the international trade organization for camera repair technicians.
You can test the trigger voltage of your Pentax AF200 with a digital multimeter. Use the test leads to fire the flash, black lead to the side shoe contact, red to the center pin on the bottom. Or you can measure the current by doing the same thing with the PC cord. Modern flash units are designed with circuitry which prevents the high voltage from flowing through the flash shoe or PC cord.
If your Pentax AF200 trigger voltage exceeds 6 volts, you can continue to safely use it with products such as the Wein Safe Synch, available from camera stores and distributed by Tiffen/Saunders (http://www.tiffen.com/) - You'll want the model which slips on the camera hot shoe and has a PC socket. Roughly $50. (There's also a Wein Safe Synch model for use with studio strobes and power packs.) See this thread on photo.net for more information. http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000uWU
Paramount Cords also makes PC cords with voltage protection built-in. See http://www.paramountcords.com/
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