Can a Canon A-1 use a modern speedlite or radio flash trigger?

Asked 7/29/2019

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I want to use a Canon A-1 film camera for some studio work and I’m unsure whether a modern speedlite or flash trigger will work with it. I understand I’d need to use the flash manually, but can the A-1 simply fire a modern flash through the hot shoe or a trigger, or do I need older dedicated flashes or continuous lighting instead? Are there any important limitations, such as sync speed or compatibility concerns?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

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Yes, no problem, a speedlight in Manual mode should easily work with the camera. Use flash Manual mode and set the power level accordingly for the scene and for your camera settings.

IMPORTANT: To use Manual flash mode, the camera has to be set to Manual mode too, and Auto ISO turned off. The Manual flash cannot respond to the camera automation changing aperture or ISO.

That's the complete answer but some additional comments...

Modern camera hot shoes have the one large center pin, and 3 or 4 smaller pins. The arrangement of the smaller pins vary with camera brand, and the signals on those pins are a foreign language to mismatched cameras.

HOWEVER, in manual flash mode, only the large center pin is used for the trigger, so the small pins simply don't matter. The small pins can simply be ignored in flash Manual mode.

Some few flashes have an Auto mode, where the flash itself meters the flash light reflected from the scene, and terminates the exposure when it is seen sufficient. It was an older system before TTL flash. That Auto mode will still work (using only the one large center pin as mentioned), but there is a complication that the flash has to be set for the right aperture and ISO that the camera exposure is using to match the camera exposure. Modern compatible cameras communicate this info via the small pins, but if the flash is not compatible, it won't understand. Still no problem if you simply use the flash menus to set this aperture and ISO info properly, set manually yourself.

This aperture and ISO info is of no concern (not used) if the flash is in Manual mode (instead of an Auto mode), where you simply set the correct flash power level yourself.

Without this communication, the speedlight might display some meaningless numbers for aperture and ISO, which will matter if in this Auto mode (using those numbers), but is completely unimportant if in flash Manual mode. All that matters in flash Manual mode is the power level that you set. The flash will simply use the Manual power level that you set.

Originally by user38978. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user38978

6y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes. A Canon A-1 can fire a modern speedlite or a radio trigger, as long as the flash is used in manual mode (or another self-contained auto mode on the flash, if available).

In manual flash operation, the camera only needs the hot shoe’s center pin to trigger the flash. The extra brand-specific contacts on modern flashes won’t provide TTL communication with the A-1, but they usually don’t matter for simple firing.

Key points:

  • Set the flash power on the flash itself.
  • Shoot the camera in manual exposure mode.
  • Keep ISO fixed; don’t rely on camera automation to control flash.
  • The A-1 has a relatively slow flash sync speed: 1/60 s.
  • Modern speedlights and triggers generally have safe sync voltage for cameras like this.

You can also use off-camera flash by mounting a radio transmitter on the A-1 and connecting receivers to compatible speedlights or studio strobes.

An older Canon-era flash is another simple option, but you are not forced to use continuous light. A modern manual-capable speedlite should work fine for studio use within the A-1’s sync-speed limits.

UniqueBot

AI

6y ago

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