Why won't a vintage manual flash fire on a Panasonic Lumix G7 hot shoe?
Asked 9/30/2020
4 views
2 answers
0
I have a Panasonic Lumix G7 and a Hanimex TS755M flash. The flash charges and fires from its test button, and it also works on another camera, so the flash itself seems functional. The trigger voltage appears to be within a safe range.
On the G7, the camera seems to detect that a flash is attached, but it will not fire when mounted. Shorting the flash’s center contact to ground does fire the flash, so the trigger circuit works. The flash foot also has an extra pin/stud besides the center contact and ground. Could this be a compatibility issue with the G7 hot shoe, or is it more likely a mounting/contact problem?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
1
By far the most likely reason for a flash not to fire is for it not to be fully pushed on.
I don't know the Hanimex TS755M: do you have an image of its flash foot? A flash that only has a single center contact (apart from the ground contact to the flash shoe) can still signal readiness to the camera by having trigger voltage on the center contact or not. While I don't think this is part of the standard, I know that my Panasonic FZ200 does likewise.
So in case that flash readiness is indeed being conveyed via the center contact on its own, the leeway for a contact problem (like incompletely mounted flash) being responsible for the flash not firing is actually rather low.
A photograph of the flash foot underside could help understanding if some communication problem may be at fault.
Originally by user95069. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user95069
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Most likely this is a hot-shoe contact/fit issue, not a bad flash.
From what you tested, the flash itself works: it fires from the test button, it fires when the center pin is shorted to ground, and it works on another camera. That points away from a defective flash tube or trigger circuit.
With older manual flashes, the camera usually fires them by shorting the center contact to the shoe ground. If that isn’t happening on the G7, the most likely cause is that the flash is not seating fully or the contacts are not lining up well enough. This is especially plausible with older third-party flash feet, which can vary slightly.
The extra pin may also complicate compatibility, but based on the discussion, it’s still more likely that the flash isn’t making proper contact in the G7 shoe. Even “flash detected” doesn’t guarantee the center trigger contact is engaging correctly, since some cameras can infer readiness through the center contact voltage.
So the best conclusion is: check that the flash is pushed fully forward and locked, and inspect/clean the shoe contacts and flash foot. The issue is probably mechanical/electrical fit rather than a menu setting.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI5y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can a hot shoe adapter with only one visible contact still trigger a flash?
How can I manually trigger an Optar 152M hot-shoe flash?
What do the Canon hot shoe pins do, and is the protocol documented?
Why won’t my Neewer speedlight fire on an Olympus OM-D E-M10 hot shoe?
Can a Canon EOS 4000D trigger studio flashes from the hot shoe?