 Henry L. Booth |
Sunpak 522 Flash I recently acquired a Sunpak 522 flash that I use on my Minolta XG-9 SLR. The camera is set for a 1/60 sync as per the manufacturer and the flash on manual. The flash operates when the shutter is fired but when the pix are developed the negatives are totally blank. I have tried different films and labs but to no avail. The camera works perfectly with a hot shoe flash. Any suggestions?
|
|
|
|
||
|
Jon Close |
Only thing that comes to mind is maybe the film isn't loaded properly and not advancing. Are your negatives "totally blank" for all shots on a roll, or only those that use the flash?
|
|
|
|
||
|
Henry L. Booth |
The negatives are blank only when I use the 522. Without the flash-perfect. I have tried several different films, speeds, etc so I would say that the chances of the film being loaded improperly is remote.
|
|
|
|
||
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
This a flash on bracket hooked up to a pc outlet or with a hot shoe adapter? It seems unusual but for some reason by the way you describe it, the shutter dosen't open when using the 522. If you've been using a pc outlet with it, try a hot shoe adapter, they're about $5 I think and see if it does the same thing. Next, try shooting on shutter priorty at 1/60th with the 522. And see if the 522 causes the same problem with blank images. If you still get blank, then something is up with using the flash with the pc outlet, or something is up with using the flash that's making your shutter not open. As to why, I have no idea. And one more thing, what flash are you using in the hot shoe when it's works right?
|
|
|
|
||
|
Henry L. Booth |
I have used the 522 with the camera on 1/60 and I still get blank negatives. Never thought about trying an adapter. Thanks for the suggestion. When using the adapter do I have the camera on automatic or 1/60th sync? And should the 522 flash be on manual or automatic?
|
|
|
|
||
|
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
The adapter is so you can use a camera that dosen't have a pc outlet or a flash that can't be used in the hot shoe. It fit's in the hot shoe and you plug the sync cord into that. The flash on auto or manual shouldn't matter because that is strictly the flash's light sensor and dosen't do anything to the camera. I have a 555 and the bracket blocks the pc outlet, so I put the adapter in the hot shoe, and plug the sync into that. I want you to try it with the camera on maual and it's sync like you normally do with flash pictures. And I also want you to try it with the camera on shutter or aperture priority.Preferably below camera sync. That way you can see if you take a picture where you don't need flash because of available light, but you use the flash anyway, if it comes out blank then for some reason the shutter dosen't open because of the flash. Because since the camera is on auto, there should be an image from available light.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Henry L. Booth |
I tried the flash, manual and automatic, with a hot shoe adapter at the manufacturer's (Minolta) x-sync at 1/60 and the negatives are still blank. The shutter operated and the flash went off. I am going to use the 1/60 on manual to see if the shutter works properly without the flash. I really appreciate your help. Thanks. By the way, your website/photos look great.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Jon Close |
I don't have a manual for the XG-9. Is there any chance that it has a setting for M-sync as well as X-sync? M-sync was used for flash bulbs and would fire the flash before the shutter opened because it took some time for flash bulbs to burn and reach full output. If you fire an electronic flash using M-sync it'll light and be done before the shutter opens.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Henry L. Booth |
The manual shows only an x-sync. I tried the flash on a Minolta SRT-201. The camera was set for 1/60th sync and the flash on manual operation, plugged into the pc outlet on the camera. The pictures came out terrific-so it appears that the problem is in my XG-9 pc circuit, even though it works with a Minolta 200x autoflash. I am going to try one more thing-a slower sync: 1/30th and see what happens. If it doesn't work is the camera worth fixing? Does anybody have a guess. Thanks
|
|
|
|
||
|
- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
If it didn't work with the 522 hook up to the hot shoe then it's something more than the pc. Whether it's worth fixing depends on what kind of estimate you get. Hope you don't have to send it off for one.
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||