Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] RE: Measuring Vivitar 283 flash synch voltage
From: "JeffS" <segawa@netone.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 09:51:03 -0700

288V across the hot shoe sounds kind of high-is this normal in some flash
units, and if so, does it actually damage the likes of an M6TTL or F4? I
would've thought that the two primary contacts were non-fussy as to voltage,
but is this not the case? Do lower-voltage units experience more problems
due to dirty electrical contacts, or do they run higher amperages through
the camera that I need to be concerned about? I had been eyeing a Vivitar
283, 285 or Nikon SB26.

I have an old pocket-sized Vivitar and will check it the voltage bit, out of
curiousity's sake. I don't recall getting reliable voltage spike readings
when using a cheap digital multimeter, but if need be, I've got a nice 100
mHz oscilloscope to use.

Jeff

- -----Original Message-----
From: Pieter Bras <pieter@world.std.com>
>A modern flash unit suitable for use with electronic cameras should
>measure just a few Volts across the contacts.  A Metz 40MZ-3 measures
>4.4 Volts; a Nikon SB-15, 3 Volts.