Hot Shoe to PC Sync adapters

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carguy

Senior Member
Looking to pick up a Hot Shoe to PC Sync adapter for use on my SB-700.
Not looking for those that fall apart after 3 uses.

Looking at the Promaster version:
Midwest Photo Exchange PROMASTER Standard Hot Shoe to PC Sync

Don't mind dropping $10 for one as long as it's better quality. What has been your experience and which do you recommend?

Just want to have it in the bag in the event I want to fire the SB-700 remotely with PW.

PRM1642.jpg


Thanks.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
carguy said:
Looking to pick up a Hot Shoe to PC Sync adapter for use on my SB-700.
Not looking for those that fall apart after 3 uses.

Looking at the Promaster version:
Midwest Photo Exchange PROMASTER Standard Hot Shoe to PC Sync

Don't mind dropping $10 for one as long as it's better quality. What has been your experience and which do you recommend?

Just want to have it in the bag in the event I want to fire the SB-700 remotely with PW.
Click to expand...


Technically, you want a Flash Foot to PC adapter. However unless they involve a built-in optical slave sensor, these are wired straight through (just a piece of wire inside). But the point is, 1. hot shoe to PC don't always have a wired-through shoe on top. For example, the Nikon AS-15 is one of the best, and it doesn't. And 2. nice to have a 1/4 inch thread in the bottom so another shoe is not necessary on the light stand.

One good source that has better options is FlashZebra.com: Products (for example, mini phono connectors)

See near bottom of their list. And they also have other PocketWizard sections there.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
Yeah, the metal foot and threaded screw hole seem essential. I imagine any possible choice is imported China no-name today, but FlashZebra seems to have better stuff.

Some PocketWizard have a mini-phone plug instead of PC, so such cables might be handy. Mini-phone on both ends could be a more secure connection. Depends on your cables.

The Male PC connector allows use of a "Extension" PC cord, where standard Female PC requires the use of standard Male To Male flash cords, of which long ones (15 feet or more) are becoming mighty rare to find (FlashZebra has some, or can make them). But long Extension (Male to Female) are still found, and could work alone then.

But just to connect a radio trigger would be a very short cord (but some Pocket Wizard cables are mini-phone instead).
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I have been rereading this several times and I am not sure about something. I have not gotten into off camera flash since the 80's so not sure about all of this. The SB700 and the D7100 both have commander mode so why is this needed? This is for my education only and not doubting you at all. I am moving up to the D7000 soon and mainly for this feature.
 
C

carguy

Senior Member
Don Kuykendall said:
I have been rereading this several times and I am not sure about something. I have not gotten into off camera flash since the 80's so not sure about all of this. The SB700 and the D7100 both have commander mode so why is this needed? This is for my education only and not doubting you at all. I am moving up to the D7000 soon and mainly for this feature.
Click to expand...

Hey Don. I want the flexibility of using the SB-700 as a second or third speedlight and it may be out of line-of-site to the camera (example in or under a car - see below). For some reason Nikon chose to leave out a port when they came out with the flash. My SB-24s even have it and use it with my off camera photos.


2005 Impala by MichiganClassics.com, on Flickr
 
C

carguy

Senior Member
WayneF said:
Yeah, the metal foot and threaded screw hole seem essential. I imagine any possible choice is imported China no-name today, but FlashZebra seems to have better stuff.

Some PocketWizard have a mini-phone plug instead of PC, so such cables might be handy. Mini-phone on both ends could be a more secure connection. Depends on your cables.

The Male PC connector allows use of a "Extension" PC cord, where standard Female PC requires the use of standard Male To Male flash cords, of which long ones (15 feet or more) are becoming mighty rare to find (FlashZebra has some, or can make them). But long Extension (Male to Female) are still found, and could work alone then.

But just to connect a radio trigger would be a very short cord (but some Pocket Wizard cables are mini-phone instead).
Click to expand...

Great info Wayne, thanks. I'm using Plus X and Plus III right now, seems the deluxe adapter posted above will do the trick. Just want to have it in the bag 'Just in case' :)
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
Don Kuykendall said:
I have been rereading this several times and I am not sure about something. I have not gotten into off camera flash since the 80's so not sure about all of this. The SB700 and the D7100 both have commander mode so why is this needed? This is for my education only and not doubting you at all. I am moving up to the D7000 soon and mainly for this feature.
Click to expand...

It is just a choice, it is all about preference and opinion. :)

PC sync, optical slave sync, and about 95% of all radio triggers, are always Manual flash mode only. Which is normally a plus, no issue in studio settings with multiple lights. Manual flash is greatly more versatile.

The Commander can allow multiple off-camera TTL flash, only way that can. It approaches great indoors with two flashes, fast setup, etc, but it also has some drastic limitations too, regarding controlling more flashes, more distance, sunlight, etc, etc. It becomes unusable fast, but the easy cases it can do are exceptionally dramatic.

For one example, a four light portrait session. AWL cannot individually control four lights, plus the background and hair cannot be metered from the camera. It just cannot work.

But distance and sun are the usual problems.


See Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System

and more to the point, down the page at this entry point:
Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System

for some pros and cons of the Commander AWL system.
 
C

carguy

Senior Member
#0115 Deluxe PC to Flash Hotshoe Adapter arrived today, works like a charm :)

Tip: Be sure your flash is on Manual, not TTL lol

​Thanks again for the info :cool:
 
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