06-27-2010, 02:01 AM
[quote name='adifrank' date='27 June 2010 - 01:21 AM' timestamp='1277594468' post='719']
Just had another thought that might have some affect on my choice budget-wise...
So while I further beat my head on the wall concerning lenses, I'm going to swerve a bit off-topic, in the sense that my question is about flash compatibility with the Canon 5D mark II rather than lenses.
It seems that I've been getting some really informative responses from people who really know their stuff, so I figure no better place than here to get a good answer.
I currently own a Metz mecablitz 32MZ-3 Flash.
[url="http://www0.shopping.com/xPO-Metz-F-PENTAX-Metz-Mecablitz-32MZ3-Manual-Auto-TTL-AF-Flash-w-Pentax-Module-USA-5068p"]A link showing the Metz 32MZ-3 Flash[/url]
[url="http://www.metz.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/Download/Homepage_Englisch/Photo_Electronic/Bedienungsanleitung_GB/mecablitz_GB/mecablitz_20_bis_36/mecablitz_32_MZ_3_D_GB.pdf"]The Metz 32MZ-3 Users Manual (the first part is in German, later it gets to the English - pg. 30)[/url]
While visiting a local camera store I asked to mount my flash on a Canon 5D model they had there on display to see that it worked. It did! So I naturally figured that I'll be safe using my trusty old Metz with the Canon 5D mII.
But then when asking around in one of the photography forums (before I found this one <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> ) - someone wrote this:
Without knowing exactly what he is talking about, I'm kind of in the dark on this one...
Would highly appreciate your thoughts on this. THX ! ! !
[/quote]
This is all about the voltage that passes over the flash contacts for hot shoe and/or cable connections to the camera.
Older, non-digitally prepared flashes often have rather high voltages running over those contacts, 110 volts and some even more, while digital cameras are only prepared, AFAIK, for low voltage currents (only 10V) over these contacts, IOW, for the newer flashes for use with digital cameras. Since this lower voltage is only 10V, it is indeed possible for an older flash to potentially fry the electronic circuitry of a digital camera.
Personally, besides a few modern flashes, I do still use those older flashes, but only ever remotely triggered, either with radio slave units or flash trigger slave units.
You are ok with your Metz, however, as on page 26 it mentions "Synchronisation Nieder-Volt Zündung" (Synchronization Low Voltage Ignition, on page 52). With Low- Voltage Ignition a low voltage like 10 V is meant. I also don't think the retailer woudl have allowed you to connect your flash to a 5D Mk II if he didn't know it to be a low voltage flash anyway.
HTH, kind regards, Wim
Just had another thought that might have some affect on my choice budget-wise...
So while I further beat my head on the wall concerning lenses, I'm going to swerve a bit off-topic, in the sense that my question is about flash compatibility with the Canon 5D mark II rather than lenses.
It seems that I've been getting some really informative responses from people who really know their stuff, so I figure no better place than here to get a good answer.
I currently own a Metz mecablitz 32MZ-3 Flash.
[url="http://www0.shopping.com/xPO-Metz-F-PENTAX-Metz-Mecablitz-32MZ3-Manual-Auto-TTL-AF-Flash-w-Pentax-Module-USA-5068p"]A link showing the Metz 32MZ-3 Flash[/url]
[url="http://www.metz.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/Download/Homepage_Englisch/Photo_Electronic/Bedienungsanleitung_GB/mecablitz_GB/mecablitz_20_bis_36/mecablitz_32_MZ_3_D_GB.pdf"]The Metz 32MZ-3 Users Manual (the first part is in German, later it gets to the English - pg. 30)[/url]
While visiting a local camera store I asked to mount my flash on a Canon 5D model they had there on display to see that it worked. It did! So I naturally figured that I'll be safe using my trusty old Metz with the Canon 5D mII.
But then when asking around in one of the photography forums (before I found this one <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> ) - someone wrote this:Without knowing exactly what he is talking about, I'm kind of in the dark on this one...
Would highly appreciate your thoughts on this. THX ! ! !
[/quote]
This is all about the voltage that passes over the flash contacts for hot shoe and/or cable connections to the camera.
Older, non-digitally prepared flashes often have rather high voltages running over those contacts, 110 volts and some even more, while digital cameras are only prepared, AFAIK, for low voltage currents (only 10V) over these contacts, IOW, for the newer flashes for use with digital cameras. Since this lower voltage is only 10V, it is indeed possible for an older flash to potentially fry the electronic circuitry of a digital camera.
Personally, besides a few modern flashes, I do still use those older flashes, but only ever remotely triggered, either with radio slave units or flash trigger slave units.
You are ok with your Metz, however, as on page 26 it mentions "Synchronisation Nieder-Volt Zündung" (Synchronization Low Voltage Ignition, on page 52). With Low- Voltage Ignition a low voltage like 10 V is meant. I also don't think the retailer woudl have allowed you to connect your flash to a 5D Mk II if he didn't know it to be a low voltage flash anyway.
HTH, kind regards, Wim
Gear: Canon EOS R with 3 primes and 2 zooms, 4 EF-R adapters, Canon EOS 5 (analog), 9 Canon EF primes, a lone Canon EF zoom, 2 extenders, 2 converters, tubes; Olympus OM-D 1 Mk II & Pen F with 12 primes, 6 zooms, and 3 Metabones EF-MFT adapters ....