Can I safely use an old high-voltage flash with a Canon 600D DSLR?
Asked 9/16/2012
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I have some older flash units, including a Metz 30 BCT-3, and I’d like to use them with my Canon 600D. I’ve heard that some vintage flashes can have very high trigger voltage and may damage a modern DSLR if connected directly.
What are the safe ways to use an older flash on a digital camera, either wired or wireless? What extra hardware is typically needed? Also, what are the main pros and cons of using a vintage flash with a modern DSLR?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Using wireless triggers is certainly one way to do this. Cheap triggers such as Cactus, Phottix, Pixl are all good choices, all the way up to PocketWizards. Or you can get some cheap hot shoe adapters with a cord.
Disadvantages are that you won't have TTL / Automatic flash mode. You'll have to set the power manually. check out Strobist on information for using flashguns in your photography. Start at Strobist 101, it will guide you through the basics of flash, other equipment you'll want, and how to get flashes working with your camera through cables and wireless triggers.
If you are looking to trigger using a cable or the hot-shoe, and the flash trigger voltage is unsafe for your camera's hot shoe - you'll need something like the Wein Safe Sync Hot Shoe adapter. This will give you a PC terminal AND a hotshoe connection. You'll be able to use a standard hot-shoe adapter on top of the Wein Safe Sync, or just stick the flash right on top. In addition, you could use the PC Sync port AND a flash or adapter on top, giving you a lot of options going forward.
Originally by user11295. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11295
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, but don’t connect an unknown vintage flash directly to your DSLR hot shoe or sync port. Many older flashes can put hundreds of volts on the trigger contacts, which can damage modern camera electronics.
Safe options mentioned:
- Use a high-voltage protection adapter such as a Wein Safe-Sync / similar safe-sync hot shoe adapter.
- Use wireless triggers instead of direct connection; common trigger brands mentioned include Cactus, Phottix, Pixel, and PocketWizard.
- A DIY opto-isolated adapter is another option if you’re comfortable with electronics.
What you’ll need depends on setup:
- Wired: a safe-sync/high-voltage adapter, possibly plus a hot-shoe-to-PC adapter/cable.
- Wireless: a transmitter on the camera and a receiver or compatible trigger connection for the flash.
Main disadvantage: you generally lose TTL/automatic flash communication, so you’ll usually set flash power manually. That makes old flashes best suited to manual off-camera lighting rather than modern on-camera convenience.
Main advantage: older flashes can still work well as inexpensive manual light sources. For learning manual flash, resources like Strobist 101 are often recommended.
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