K20D / K10D flash

[Monobod]

I have signed up for a portrait course run by one of our club's pro photographers. The others in the group all use Canon gear and part of the course is about and using studio flash units. These are fired from the camera hot shoe via a cable link to the setup. The trigger voltage I am told is 1.5 Volts. Does anyone know what the trigger voltage is for my two cameras please?

I have looked at both the manuals and that for the 540 flashgun without any luck. There is no mention of this at all.

Thanks.

[johnriley1uk]

You will be safe as 1.5V is well within the normal range for the Pentax cameras, which can be used up to 30V at least and possibly far more.

I think the Pentax guns are around 7V.

[Monobod]

Thanks John, I would have hated to blow up something, especially the camers!

[Done_rundleCams]

Thanks John, I would have hated to blow up something, especially the camers!

Hi David,

The flash you really want to be careful with are the "OLD" Vivitar 283's (Made in Japan) which have
a trigger voltage averaging around 220 Volts and, speaking of Canon's, one of the few
cameras that can use the "old Vivitar 283's" is the EOS 20D which can take up to 250V I know
because a customer purchased a EOS 20D from us because we had a few of the "old Viv 283's" ... talk
about a "win/win" situation ......... although I did stand a little ways away when he put the flash
on his camera and took the first picture

Cheers,

Jack

[MarkCook]

Hi,

just an observation and if you can afford it check out your local Argos as they're selling Samsung SEF-36 PFZ for £166, Pentax equivalent (same hardware possibly!) is £189.99 at Warehouse Express !

Just picked one up as my local (Bromley) store had one, works like a charm as you would expect

Mark

[Monobod]

Thanks John, I would have hated to blow up something, especially the camers!

Hi David,

The flash you really want to be careful with are the "OLD" Vivitar 283's (Made in Japan) which have
a trigger voltage averaging around 220 Volts and, speaking of Canon's, one of the few
cameras that can use the "old Vivitar 283's" is the EOS 20D which can take up to 250V I know
because a customer purchased a EOS 20D from us because we had a few of the "old Viv 283's" ... talk
about a "win/win" situation ......... although I did stand a little ways away when he put the flash
on his camera and took the first picture

Cheers,

Jack

Bang, look no hair!

[johnriley1uk]

We measured a few Vivitar 283s and there must be more than one type of these because some measured 19V and some as you say 220V or even more.

Either way though they need to be approached with care!

[Benchista]

There are lots of types of 283, I believe - certainly the latest ones are entirely safe with any camera.

[Benchista]

Thanks John, I would have hated to blow up something, especially the camers!

Hi David,

The flash you really want to be careful with are the "OLD" Vivitar 283's (Made in Japan) which have
a trigger voltage averaging around 220 Volts and, speaking of Canon's, one of the few
cameras that can use the "old Vivitar 283's" is the EOS 20D which can take up to 250V I know
because a customer purchased a EOS 20D from us because we had a few of the "old Viv 283's" ... talk
about a "win/win" situation ......... although I did stand a little ways away when he put the flash
on his camera and took the first picture

Cheers,

Jack

Thanks, Jack, you've prompted me to dig out the Canon facts and post them as a sticky in the Canon room.

If anyone has anthing equivalent for Pentax, I'll gladly do the same here (ditto any other maker and the appropriate room).