Flash Cables

[KevinBarrett]

I'm interested in picking up a flash cable for use between my HVL-F56AM and Sony Alpha DSLR a700. However, I am running into some difficulty deciding which one I need. I know that #2 here will definitely work, but I don't want to cover my hot shoe since my a700 already has a flash cable port. As usual, Sony is less than helpful in their product descriptions and do little to describe the specific utilities of each cable. Will I need #1 or #3? Additionally, with the proper cable, will I be able to use two flashes; one on the camera's hot shoe and one at the other end of the cable?

1. 
   FA-MC1AM Off-Camera Cable for Flash
2. 
   FA-CC1AM Alpha Off-Camera Cable
3. 
   FA-EC1AM Off-camera extension cable
4. 
   FA-CS1AM Off-Camera Shoe
5. 
   FA-TC1AM Alpha Triple Connector

The additional items, #4 and #5, I'm almost certain I won't need. However, I've included them here for further reference, in case this thread needs to be more helpful than can I foresee.

[Greg Beetham]

Kevin I'm not familiar with the ports available on the A700 (I don't have one yet), but I thought I saw that Sony only included the X-sync socket externally on the body and not the co-ax socket for the full functionality (al-la same as flash mounted on the hot shoe).
If that is the case, in order to get the cable connection you would need too use the shoe cable FACC1AM, or use an F56/F58 on the shoe (both have the co-ax socket on the body) and connect too another F56/F58 with the FAMC1AM plus extension if required, or if you don't have another F56 but maybe an F36 or F42 you could mount either of them on the FACS1AM shoe (has a tripod thread underneath) and connect to them via the shoe with the FAMC1AM cable.
Greg

[KevinBarrett]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is a similar flash cable to the one offered in this ebay auction not really available from Sony? It would seem to be the only one-product solution for a simple off-camera flash setup (albiet, without any means of extention) for users of F36 or F42 flash guns.

[Greg Beetham]

The only reservation I have with that cable is, what's on the top of the external flash shoe? if it's the Minolta i-mount then it should be ok.
As far as I know, if using the Minolta/Sony cables you would need the FACC1AM off camera cable and the FACS1AM off camera shoe combo too use the F36/F42 off camera, such as on a bracket....I've never actually gotten around too buying any myself as I always thought they were a tad overpriced, but on the other hand there wouldn't likely be any complaints with quality either, so in the end you pays your money and you takes your chances, with the non genuine stuff.
Greg

[KevinBarrett]

Yes, it is the Minolta "i" mount. I don't really need this yet, but I spotted it and wanted to ask the questions that would get useful answers; if not for me, then for somebody. I'd need another 36/42/56/58 flash to do anything really creative with flashes anyway, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to settle for anything with less connectivity than my 56, just to keep the cable situation simple.

And, I must agree with you, I think the cables are WAY over priced.

[Dusty]

And, I must agree with you, I think the cables are WAY over priced.

Whenever you have second hand products available for 1/10th the price of the name-brand, you know that there's a problem. There will always be someone to do cheap knock-offs, but the prices Sony charges for cables and some other accessories doesn't engender a lot of brand loyalty. The LCS-AMA/B soft carrying case they sell for $60. I bought a similar one at Wal-Mart for $18. They want $150 for the dual battery charger and power supply. That's ridiculous. The $60 remote shutter release ($70 if you want the long one) someone has shown on-line how to make for about $6 and a bit of your time. The price is doubly ridiculous when you consider that the wireless remote for the A900 is 1/2 the price!

Accessories are definitely something that Sony needs to re-price.

Dusty

[KevinBarrett]

Sony is pricing these accessories based on their utility, not by their cost to manufacture. Anyone who can use a remote commander with their camera body has usually already got one; the cameras come with it. However, the unique utility of a remote shutter release cable means you don't need to be in front of your camera to operate it, and it opens up the possibility of exposures greater than 30 seconds. Similarly, the wireless flashes can only work with in a cone of space in front of the camera, and if you own a non-swiveling type, you won't be able to aim it just wherever you like. Again, the flash cables eliminate these limitations, and the ones who would find their unique utility attractive enough to pay the price are already too invested in Sony to complain.

[Dusty]

Before the AF era, we used to buy the mechanical cable shutter releases for as little as $2! Good, long ones were $8 - 12. And before the advent of specialized hot-shoes, we would do it all with cheap PC cables. To do that with my A350, Sony wants $180 for an adapter, since they forgot to include one on the camera, and to use multiple flashes, add $70 for the triple adapter.

On my manual focus Minoltas, I had a built in x-sync socket, and my generic triple adapter cost me around $8, if my memory is correct. Yes, it was some time ago, but I can still get a new one on e-bay for $10. I know that the newer flashes have all the wiz-bang built into them, and you have to have the special cables for that. The old 280 PX and 360 PX had the wiz-bang of the day, which was really just TTL flash metering. After using them, I found that for most uses my Vivital 283's, my Focal and Metz units did as well in 98% of situations in thyristor mode or manual mode. I have no idea, until I order a flash adapter, how they'll do with digital, but light is light, and if that's what we're recording, they should work the same.

I wonder how many people look at all the accessories they think they'll need for a complete photo-kit, and choose not to get into Sony because of it. It's not "nickel and dime-ing you to death" at the prices they're charging, it's highway robbery. That's evident by the number of aftermarket cables, adapters, etc., available at 1/10th the price.

I don't mind paying a bit more for the name-brand, one reason being that it supports the company that makes the camera I want to use. However, at these prices my accessories will be strictly third party.

Dusty

[KevinBarrett]

OC 8808-100
EX 8808-130

I've seen these original KM flash cables around and wondered whether they were fully compatible with modern flash guns f42, f56, and f58, or whether there were any features or functionality I'd be missing out on. Thanks in advance for your help!

[David Kilpatrick]

OC has the shoe (I think) and is compatible with all guns. If it doesn't have the shoe, it is only compatible with the 58 and 56 0- the others do not have a direct socket.

EX is only compatible with the separate shoe, with other cables, with the triplr adaptor, and with the 58 and 56 direct cable connectors. It has no use with the 36/42 etc.

David

[Greg Beetham]

Kevin,
Sony have a compatibility chart now (you may have seen it), http://www.sony.com.au/support/resource ... index.html, you can select a particular flash Model, lower left, and view what is and is not compatible....they don't list any Minolta part numbers though, unfortunately, only the usual standard catalogue designations.
Greg

ps. This is another useful link http://www.sony.com.au/support/productc ... igital+slr
and another http://ca.konicaminolta.com/products/co ... ashes.html

pps. You might be inclined too pause briefly at the Macro Flash section (as I did) and gaze forlornly........so don't do it, it won't do you any good.

[KevinBarrett]

That last link is the most helpful, Greg, thank you! I found it when I posted last to this thread, frantically trying to research whether a certain ebay auction should be of interest to me. Sony's new chart includes a lot of Minolta stuff, but remains relatively useless as it does not map out the specific utility of the cords' ends, etc...

The tricky part is that for somebody who does not already own any type of flash cables, all of the connections in the tiny product pictures are ambiguous and indiscernible. I've figured out most of it by now, but I'm still seeking answers to make this thread a more useful resource to anyone who comes after me with similar questions.

[Greg Beetham]

Yep I totally agree, even with the Minolta brochures it was bad, trying too figure out the usefulness of an item...such as the OC shoe for example, I remember exchanging messages with someone at Minolta asking if it only slides into the standard ISO shoe or has it got a thread in the base for attaching to a ball-head as well, (it does), my argument with them at the time was, the brochure only shows everything floating in mid air and is not self expanatory at all, what the brouchure should show is the item that each of the accessory cables, tripple adaptor etc. attach TOO in greyed out form, if it's a cable that plugs into a 5600HSD/F56 then a section of the flash where it plugs in should be shown as well as what the other end attaches too, (in semi opaque/greyed out form), same goes for the OC shoe, it's illustration should include a part/section of an ISO shoe in front of it and part of the top of a tripod or ballhead behind it, both semi opaque of course, then one could associate each item with how you can actually use it and how useful it is...if it was done right it would have become a great deal more self explanatory I reckon.
Greg

ps. There is one flash accessory item that none of us have too wonder about how it's used any more, thanks to Sony...and we all know what that is...

[KevinBarrett]

Well, my research paid off and I found an ebayer with the first four items on this page on BIN for $60 total. There's a 5200i flash coming in with them, too. Thanks guys!

[KevinBarrett]

I'm trying out some more off-camera flash stuff, which I'll link below.

Adorama Minolta/Sony Shoe Adapter To Use Minolta Flash On Other Cameras.(also has pc port)

Since I'm using manual exposure and flash for this, I don't need TTL or ADI functionality, and I can use this gizmo for the PC socket.

Paramount 1' Straight Sync Cord, Household (AC) Male to PC

To connect my a700 to this adapter, I'll use two of these short PC-to-Male household cords and make my own Female-to-Female household cords from cheap components at Lowe's.

This might seem like an expensive and complicated way to go, but I've been reading up about it on http://strobist.blogspot.com/ and it beats paying $60 apiece for Sony's 1.5 meter flash cables. These three items cost me less than $42, and with my homemade female-to-female flash cable coming in at roughly $0.50 per foot, I should still come in under the cost of a single flash extension cable.

Of course, all of this only occupies the PC port on the a700, and I can still use all of my Minolta flash cables (one each of CD, OC, EX, and OS, or 1-4 listed above) on the hot-shoe to control another two flashes if I need.