Can a modern ring flash work with Nikon film cameras like the FE2?
Asked 1/20/2016
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I have Nikon film bodies, including an FE2, and I’m wondering whether a modern ring flash designed for DSLR use can be triggered on these cameras. I can use hot-shoe adapters and sync cables if needed. Will a DSLR-era ring flash fire on a film Nikon, and would it need to be Nikon-dedicated or just manually triggerable? Any general product guidance would be helpful.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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A sync cable is a sync cable. If your camera has a PC port that your cable fits and your flash has a PC port that your cable fits then the camera should be able to fire the flash. Of course you will need to control the flash power manually when using a PC connection. If the flash in question doesn't allow for that it probably doesn't have a generic PC port.
*PC in the context of flash photography has nothing to do with a personal computer. It is an abbreviation of Prontor/Compur. Prontor has its origins in the Italian word pronto (quick) and was a brand of shutter produced by Alfred Gauthier in the 1950s. Compur, derived from the word compound, was the shutter brand of the Deckel Company. Both companies were based in Germany and both counted Zeiss as an influential stockholder when they introduced the standard 1/8"-inch coaxial connector for shutter/flash synchronization.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—if the flash can be triggered through a standard sync connection, it can work with a Nikon film camera such as the FE2.
The key point is triggering method, not whether it was marketed for a DSLR. If your camera has a PC sync port and the flash also has a compatible PC sync input, a sync cable should fire it. A hot-shoe-to-PC adapter can also help depending on the camera/flash connection options.
However, with a basic sync connection you generally lose dedicated TTL/automatic communication, so you should expect to set flash power manually. If the ring flash only works through a proprietary DSLR TTL system and does not offer manual power control or a standard sync input, it may not be practical on a film body.
So, look for a ring flash that supports:
- manual flash power control
- standard sync triggering (PC or equivalent)
- simple hot-shoe or sync-cable compatibility
It does not necessarily need to be Nikon-dedicated unless you specifically want camera-brand automation, which older film bodies may not support with modern flashes anyway.
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