External power for flash guns

[Jonathan K]

Hi all,
just a question concerning the flashs: I noticed that during a portrait session you can hardly rely on a set of batteries to survive the session. Which means: slow recycling times or even flash failures and therefore missed opportunities.
So I thought I would try to find an adaptor which would allow to connect the flash to a standard 220V-plug in order to be able to rely on the flashes during a longer session. I didn't find anything comparable, just the FA-EB1AM, which uses more batteries.

Does anybody have ideas if there are alternative options? Working like that (as an unexperienced photographer, who needs time to adjust lighting etc..) is no fun.

Your help is highly appreciated!

cheers Jonathan

[David Kilpatrick]

If you are talking portrait work, a Quantum Turbo battery should be the best solution. They last for years (decades) of recharging and can be transferred from one system to another, just replacing the cables. There is no AC mains solution for the Sony flashguns, as there one used to be for Minolta.

David

[Jonathan K]

Hi David,
that looks about exactly like what I have been looking for.
I have had a quick look at the website: I don't find any official statement about compatibility... Are you aware of any problems concerning the Minolta/Sony hot shoe or the pretty annoying tendancy of Sony to modify plugs and cables in a way that you can only use Sony products?
I will read through the product description as soon as I have time.
Maybe I will see them at photokina?

Cheers and thanks a lot!

Jonathan

[Javelin]

pretty annoying tendancy of Sony to modify plugs and cables in a way that you can only use Sony products?

Hrm what cables and plugs would that be?

[David Kilpatrick]

If you take along a Sony flashgun, they will tell you whether as dummy battery unit or a proper external connection could be used. They will indeed be at photokina.

David

[Jonathan K]

pretty annoying tendancy of Sony to modify plugs and cables in a way that you can only use Sony products?

Hrm what cables and plugs would that be?

Remember the optical cables for Sony DAT recorders? I mean the walkman version...
J

[Jonathan K]

If you take along a Sony flashgun, they will tell you whether as dummy battery unit or a proper external connection could be used. They will indeed be at photokina.

David

Thanks, I will do that!

Cheers, Jonathan

[InTheSky]

This one version of the Sony battery pack is not expensive : http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14861 48$ including shipping.

But yes you have to support battery in both flash and pack. But I'm usually able to do shooting of 200 to 400 shot at average of 1/4 level. and about 200 shot at 1/2 average. When I need more power or more recycle time, I combine two flash gun at the same place an share the light power (I have 4x5600hs, 2x5400hs and 1 F58AM and F20AM).

And to modified the Flash, (probably I will order one) with this inexpensive Car Battery charger : http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.27264 we should be able to feed 6AMP in parallel to at least two flash (full power) and 3 (half power). (probably more had to do test).

The modification to the battery inside the flash should be not that hard because the battery are in series, so only have to put contact on the + battery 1 and - of the battery 4.

Regards,

Frank

[pakodominguez]

I have had a quick look at the website: I don't find any official statement about compatibility... Are you aware of any problems concerning the Minolta/Sony hot shoe or the pretty annoying tendancy of Sony to modify plugs and cables in a way that you can only use Sony products?

Jonathan,

Sony haven't change any cable or plug that they inherited from the Minolta system.
This is the standard plug for Minolta/Sony flashes (5600/56/58 probably 42...)

so you'll need a Quantum or similar battery and a cable with this connector at the end. The Quantum cable is pretty expensive, but you can get it from eBay for 1/3 the price.

Regards

[David Kilpatrick]

Have you definitely tried a Minolta adaptor with the Sony flash? The 42 has no socket at all. The 58 socket looks superficially similar, but the dimensions and positioning of the divider bits and even the size of the socket itself look very slightly different from a 5200i I have got here - maybe enough to be incompatible, or to prevent a mains adaptor being used. The 58 says battery pack only; the 5200 says 6v or 330v, high tension compatible.

David

[pakodominguez]

I understand this connector as an standard, but I haven't try it and I don't have a 58 with me.
"Battery pack only" is easy to 'override" by a battery pack with the same voltage (6 V to 9 V) i got the cable from eBay thinking on getting a battery pack but since I use the Metz 60 for big events and the 5600 or Metz 58 for small events, I lost interest in a (pricey) Quantum battery...

[InTheSky]

Have you definitely tried a Minolta adaptor with the Sony flash? The 42 has no socket at all. The 58 socket looks superficially similar, but the dimensions and positioning of the divider bits and even the size of the socket itself look very slightly different from a 5200i I have got here - maybe enough to be incompatible, or to prevent a mains adaptor being used. The 58 says battery pack only; the 5200 says 6v or 330v, high tension compatible.

David

David I will tried the adapter in about 1h when I will be at home, but my memory remember me that I have already use is on my F58AM but because it is usually my Flash trigger ... It is all the time not on it.

My only regret is that Minolta haven't put this connection on the MFC-1000 and even on the Sony version. This is in Macro more where now I usually want really fast refresh rate and be able to flash without having to search for my next battery pack.

So the battery pack I have sent you is a good alternative. Sony didn't redesigned the Minolta High voltage system. The box looks completely identical.

Regards,

Frank

[InTheSky]

Confirmed.

The old Minolta and also cheap adapter are working perfectly with the new F58AM .

Regards,

Frank

[David Kilpatrick]

That's good to hear, because visually the sockets are significantly different (but also neither of them match exactly the recessed shown in your photo of the plug). I was worried in case Sony had changed the size of a septum to prevent using a Minolta part for some reason, but apparently not.

The only mains adaptor I have is the old X-series one - which worked with the (nearly useless) old 1200 AF macro flash, that I sold. The Quantum unit I have is over 25 years old and still going strong.

David

[Greg Beetham]

The Quantum cable for the Minolta/Sony (5600HSD/F56,F58) external power socket is here, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 ... l#features ,as long as the Quantum battery supplies 6V DC it should be fine. Pity there wasn't a way of connecting an external power supply. It probably would be possible to rig something up, but the 6V DC power supply has to the regulated type, there are some fairly horrible power supplies out there.
I see there is a vast range of adapter cables to rig Metz hammerhead flashes up various ways, and with good reason, the Metz output control has a huge range of fractional settings available directly on the flash.
Greg