Is a Nikon SB-20 safe to use on an Olympus E-520 hot shoe?
Asked 3/17/2012
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2 answers
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I want to mount a borrowed Nikon SB-20 on an Olympus E-520 and use it only as a trigger for an off-camera optical setup. The TTL contacts on the flash foot have been removed/isolated so only the basic trigger connection would be used. How can I tell whether the flash is electrically safe for the camera hot shoe, and is the SB-20 likely to be within a safe trigger-voltage range for the E-520?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
1
Well, the there is a flash trigger voltage overview site that says Nikon SB-20 has a trigger voltage of 5.5V, and that some older Olympus digicams has trigger voltage of 10V, and that Olympus recommends something in 3-6V range. There's a related thread on dpreview forums that suggests that flashes in this range should be okay.
Originally by user112. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user112
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
To check hot-shoe safety, look up the flash’s trigger voltage and compare it with the camera maker’s recommended maximum for the center-pin/sync contact. The community answer cites the Nikon SB-20 at about 5.5V trigger voltage. It also notes Olympus guidance in roughly the 3–6V range, with reports that flashes in that range should be okay.
Based on that, the SB-20 is likely within a safe range for the Olympus E-520 when used only as a basic manual/center-pin trigger, not for TTL.
A few cautions:
- Verify the exact trigger voltage from a reliable source if possible.
- Use only the center contact and ground; avoid any TTL communication pins.
- Since you’re using it as an optical trigger, treat it as a manual flash, not a dedicated Olympus TTL unit.
So, from the provided information, an SB-20 at ~5.5V should generally be safe on the E-520 hot shoe for simple triggering.
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