Olympus TTL Flash on 5D MKII?

[soundhound]

Hi All:

I just purchased a Canon 5D MKII. I have an Olympus TTL type flash that I used with my old Olympus E-10 which I bought in 2000. I know that the flash will at least fire, but I am wondering if any of the TTL functions will work with the 5D, or if there is any danger with incompatibilities which could cause damage.

Thanks!

[mpphoto12]

You can take your chances but i have a friend who used some nikon flash on his rebel xt and it like short circuted a year after when he thought it was working fine. The interface is different and i say always be safe and go with canon. I have a sigma flash and its just not the same as far as connecting with the camera goes. The communication between them is not the best so there could be problems and it might not work as efficiently as you will hope. Hope that helps i do not know much more than to be safe and go with canon or another reccomended flash.

[Chuck Lee]

Soundhound,


Welcome to the forums.


I would say that if it's dedicated TTL for Olympus it's not going to work on your 5D MkII as a TTL flash. If it were mine, I wouldn't even consider entertaining the idea of mounting it on a 5D MkII, unless of course I was stink'n rich and could afford to send it of for repairs. But then, I guess I could afford a Canon flash if that were the case!! [:D]


Can the Olympus flash be used in manual mode? i.e. does it have buttons to set it's operation when not connected to a camera. If so, you could use it manually.... www.strobist.com ("http://www.strobist.com)


You can trigger it inexpensively with something like this ("http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=16766&cat=274&page=1)


My2Abes,


Chuck

[soundhound]

Chuck:

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the Olympus flash does have a manual mode. I also have a hand grip mount for the flash, and the flash has a separate sync cord which might be compatible with the sync jack on the 5D. In this case, all the hot shoe stuff would not be connected to the 5D, but only the sync cable. Does that sound like a completely safe option?

The reason I would like to keep the Olympus flash is that I rarely take flash pictures, preferring to use available light instead. It doesn't seem to make sense to pay for a new flash if I'm only going to use it rarely.

[Chuck Lee]

I also have a hand grip mount for the flash, and the flash has a separate sync cord which might be compatible with the sync jack on the 5D. In this case, all the hot shoe stuff would not be connected to the 5D, but only the sync cable. Does that sound like a completely safe option?


Not unless the sync cable has center pin only. Then the flash can only be triggered in manual mode. If it was a sync cable for dedicated TTL operation then it will have most if not all of the pins that the flashhas. We're back to the same delima.


One other thing........See if you can find an inexpensive SafeSync ("http://www.weinproducts.com/safesyncs.htm)


The safe sync will only have center pin operation so there's no way to blow up your 5D MkII circuitry. (I thnik.......[:$])


I don't think you're going to getthe "go-ahead"from anyone to connect that flash directly to that camera. It's too much of a liability issue!! [:D]

[soundhound]

Chuck:

The Olympus sync cable has only a center pin. There is another, multi-conductor cable on the Olympus hand mount which is connected to the shot shoe of the Olympus camera. I was not going to connect that cable, but only the separate, single conductor sync cable. Reading the D5 manual, it does specifically say that using the sync port with other makes of flashes is safe. That situation is what I was proposing to use

[Chuck Lee]

I would expect the trigger voltage on the Olympus flash to be "digitally" safe. Meaning ittriggers on5 volts or less. If that is the verifiable case and your sync cable is center pin only, it's very possible as the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars that it would work without damaging you camera. Sounds like you've got it figured out.


Good Luck...[:)]

[soundhound]

Chuck:

Thanks. As an electronics engineer by trade, it will be possible for me to verify what the 5D is doing at it's output trigger jack (I expect a simple contact closure), and what the Olympus flash "expects" at it's trigger input. The 5D manual says the polarity of the center pin in relation the outside of the connector doesn't matter, so that would reinforce the contact closure theory for me.

Like I mentioned earlier, I rarely take flash shots - maybe once in 6 months if even that, so the inconvenience of manual flash operation is not such a big deal for me. Down the road, I might invest in a Canon flash, but I'm still recovering from the shelling out of the money for the 5D, a 70mm-200 2.8L USM IS, and a 24-70 2.8L USM! Ouch.....

[Chuck Lee]

5D, a 70mm-200 2.8L USM IS, and a 24-70 2.8L USM! Ouch.....


"Ouch" is right!! Don't forget you get the priveledge and honor of adding that "MkII" behind the 5D when posting on discussion forums like this one. I'm not as fortunate. I only have a 5D...[:D]


I'm an engineer as well (mechanical) and unfortunately, we can sometimes get in trouble thinking we know what we're doing.


Just remember to test the sync voltage on that Oly flash before hitting the shutter button on that nice investment.


It was good chatt'n with you. Let me know how it works out.


Chuck

[soundhound]

Thanks Chuck!

I'll wear the MKII badge with pride.

[Oren]

...it will be possible for me to verify what the 5D is doing at it's output trigger jack (I expect a simple contact closure)
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Please let me know what are your findings since I'm also playing around with an old flash (with a trigger voltage of 230V) and I'm still looking for ways to trigger it using my 50D. I did try to check out what the 50D does at its output (PC terminal) but I'm still not sure and in order to check it out I believe one will need an electronic oscilloscope and I don't have an electronic one at home[:(]