Third party flashes Sunpak MX134

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Wellyboy

New member
Hi,
I am a new member to this forum and i am also new to digital photography.
I have bought a D3100 and I have an old Sunpak MX 134 flash unit that my Gran passed to me.
I have already experimented with it a few times but then i read that if the trigger voltage is either minus or over 250volts it can damage my camera. I have tried several web sites and I can find voltages for the 134 (is this the same as the MX 134? at Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages ) but nothing for the MX specifically.
I am worried that I have damaged my camera although it does seem ok.
Any suggestions please?
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
The only way to know without doubt is to measure it yourself. You probably have some friend who has a $10 voltmeter - take the flash over there and let him do it. With the flash off camera and not connected to anything, but turned on, just measure the DC voltage from the center pin of its foot, to the steel foot, or if plastic foot, to the the metal side contact (which touches the camera shoe frame).

This likely may trigger the flash, so don't aim it at your eye, or lay it on anything the heat will likely scorch. Read last sentence again. Just aim it off into the distance. Triggering it is no problem, that's how it works, and shorting that center pin is what triggers it (so expect that).

The meter need not be particularly accurate. Test it on a 1.5V flashlight battery to know it works. You are just looking for a low sync voltage, like 5 or 10 volts, or a high voltage, like 150 volts or more. A precise value is not important.

Here is a good article
New Century Expeditions - Flash sync voltage on the hotshoe x-sync connector

and there are others (search Google for Measure flash sync voltage). It is very simple. Just don't blind yourself, or scorch anything. :)

The Nikon DSLR are rated to 250 volts (D3100 manual page 172). Search any Nikon DSLR PDF manual for 250 v - they all say this.
 
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