What flash units work with a Canon A-1?
Asked 5/21/2014
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2 answers
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I’m taking a Canon A-1 on vacation and want a flash for low-light shooting instead of relying on a tripod. Can I use modern or vintage flashes with it, and are there any features I should look for to make sure they work properly?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Everything with a standard hotshoe should work. Flashes are pretty universal, even today, you can buy a Nikon flash and use it on a Canon camera all day long.
The flash should support a manual mode though. The A-1 doesn't have TTL (what is used to sent data about exposure to the flash, telling it how powerful the flash should be).
Originally by user28211. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user28211
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The Canon A-1 uses a standard hot shoe, so many vintage and modern flash units can fire on it as long as they use the normal center-pin hot shoe connection. Brand matching is not required for basic use.
The main thing to look for is a flash with manual power control. The A-1 does not support modern TTL flash communication, so advanced brand-specific automatic features usually won’t work. In practice, you’ll want to use the flash in simple manual mode and set exposure accordingly.
So: yes, a wide range of flashes are compatible for basic firing, but choose one that can operate manually rather than relying on TTL-only automation.
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