I have a variety a cameras with hot shoes. I would like to find out how the Leica SF20 flash unit would operate on those cameras. While I will buy it primarily for my M6 ttl I know I will want to use it on the other cameras occasionaly. Here is the list: Canon A1, Mamiya 7II, Fuji GSW690. Does anyone a good, authoritative source for this information?

-- Jeff Schraeder (jeff@engineperformance.com), May 29, 2001

Answers

The SF20 should work in manual and "auto" mode with all of your cameras. Just be aware that the "auto" mode offers a very limited range of f stops...................................................

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), May 29, 2001.

Depending on the hot shoe design of the other cameras you use the SF-20 on, you may have to use a hotshoe adapter such as Kaiser makes. Ordinary single contact hotshoes are fine but anything with multiple contacts may cause problems.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), May 30, 2001.

John, Thanks for the response. My real question is related to your last sentence…what kind of problems will I have using the SF20 on a hot shoe that has multiple contacts? Is there a standard? Could I damage the flash unit? Could I damage the camera’s sync circuits? Is there an authoritative source for such information? Jeff

-- Jeff Schraeder (jeff@engineperformance.com), May 30, 2001.

There is no authoritative source because the contacts were never intended to be compatible with other cameras. The SF-20 will only give TTL flash on a Leica M6TTL or R8. I have heard of people mounting the SF-20 on a camera with a flash ready indicator and it worked but you would have to try it. This type of hot shoe has only one extra contact. On anything with more contacts, I would get an adapter as you do not want to damage the camera or the flash. Sorry I cannot be more specific than that.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), May 30, 2001.

Jeff,

My limited understanding of the mechanics of a flash unit leads me to believe that you won't suffer any damage on the flash or the camera by mounting the SF-20 on another camera. (It simply won't work..or even worse it will work incorrectly).

When you take a picture with the flash on, the flash supplies the power (a reduced voltage, called the trigger voltage) to the hotshoe. The camera closes the circuit and the flash is triggered. My understanding is that the camera does NOT send a voltage/signal into the flash -- hence you cannot damage the flash or the camera.

This obviously, does not apply to older flashes on newer cameras. Older flashes had a nasty habit of using the full voltage (250v) as the trigger voltage...which could cause serious damage to the camera if it was not rated to handle that trigger voltage.

In your case, I think you'd be ok mountin the flash on the other cameras. Worst case, you don't get the flash to work, but I don't see how you can damage anything.

-- Shourya Ray (sray@shouryaray.com), May 30, 2001.