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Electronic flash - can be used with a Mini Speed's bi-post?

 
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adamgarrickrobins



Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 38
Location: St. Johns, Oregon

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:15 pm    Post subject: Electronic flash - can be used with a Mini Speed's bi-post? Reply with quote

I know a nearby shop where I can get the cable, so that's no problem. I can see my way clear to hooking up a flash to my Miniature Speed, but what I don't know my way around is whether this thing can really use an electronic flash since it was made in the days of flash bulbs and the timing won't work out correctly... or am I wrong?

I am sure this question has been asked and probably answered elsewhere, but my Google-Fu skills have so far not yielded the answer.

Thanks in advance for you help,
Adam
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adamgarrickrobins



Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 38
Location: St. Johns, Oregon

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess what I am looking for is a trick to get an electronic flash to correctly sync off the focal plane shutter. I realize it may be a fool's quest since electronic flashes are meant to be instantaneous and the focal plane shutter's sync is set up for flash bulbs that can take a full 1/30 of a second to get to full brightness.

I have a basic but functional Nikon Speedlight SB-15. It occurs to me that a delay circuit or some such thing could be soldered together and employed that would delay the input to an electronic flash for 1/30 second, but maybe that's too much work.
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1banjo



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 492
Location: kansas

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

all of the speed graphic focal plane shutter was made for blub only!
but you can use your electronic flash at some of the slow speeds
the way to see is just try put the flash out in frount and trip the shutter
as your look at the ground glass BUT don't point the flash strait at lens
I can't rememder but I thank it like a 1/15 that mint work
BUT to use electronic flash it best to have or get a lens with a X sync on it
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Open Flash will work for sure.
1. cock the mirror and wind to O on any tension setting.
2. trip the shutter.
3. fire the flash as soon as the curtain opens fully.
4. close the curtain once the ambient light has built up exposure on the film to suit you. Anything that moves will be a blur in the final image.

The flash sync contacts are for Focal Plane flash bulbs only. FP flash bulbs have a long burn time. An electronic flash will not expose the film when connected to these terminals. The terminals make contact to the flash within 1 millisecond after the curtain is tripped to start the FP flash bulb so that it reaches 2/3 of its peak as the curtain aperture uncovers the film opening.
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adamgarrickrobins



Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 38
Location: St. Johns, Oregon

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see. It's not just the delay but the duration. Even if I can "trick" my flash into firing later it's still not going to really do the trick as it will fire instantaneously with the curtain in one particular place, and I'll end up with that horrible looking effect one gets when the flash is not sync'd up with the curtain where one section is illuminated and everything else looks terrible.

Hmmmm, so my three options for handheld seem to be:
1) Don't use a flash. I am already used to not using a flash most times, so this is no big deal.
2) Get a lens with an X sync.
3) Get a flash-bulb set-up.

The least likely of these is no.3.
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SYNCHROJAMES



Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 38
Location: SAN DIEGO CA

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:13 pm    Post subject: electronic flash/fp bulbs Reply with quote

Try Pacific Rim Camera-along with flash guns, they sell flashbulbs as well and I seem to recall seeing #6 bulbs listed, which are for focal plane use.

James
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hartwell_a_m



Joined: 04 Jun 2001
Posts: 84
Location: Northern California

PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Mini-speed Graphic and this is a trick that I found that works well when using an electronic studio flash. Cock the flash delay lever by one or two clicks, each click is about 1 Milli-sec. ,this will fire the electronic flash when the Iris shutter is fully open. I haven't tried this with speeds faster than 1/60 of a sec. though.
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