# Safe-sync hotshoe adapters



## Hoser (Mar 8, 2009)

I have a Vivitar flash that I love, but it won't work with my Alpha. Well it will work.....once, and then it'll blow some circuits in the camera making it a paperweight. I'm looking at getting one of those safe-sync hotshoe adapters. I'd like to just get a Sony flash that'll allow me to keep the TTL feature, but I don't have $300 for the flash I want right now.

So my question is.....do these really work, or should I be worried about it failing and making my camera useless? I was looking at one at the local Henry's camera store for $90. I didn't think to ask him about a warranty against failure of the unit.


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## Garbz (Mar 9, 2009)

They work. Triggering a flash involves shorting the terminals. What this thing basically does is wait for it's low voltage input to short and then trigger the flash with a circuit very similar to the old robust ones of the 60s.


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## Hoser (Mar 9, 2009)

Thanx Garbz. That puts my mind a little more at rest.


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## usayit (Mar 9, 2009)

Mine works... you might want to include brands with the discussion.  Mine is made by Wein.


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## pilotgirl2007 (Mar 9, 2009)

I have an old flash that was used on an old Nikon film camera and I wanted to see if there was anyway to use it with my Digital nikon. I haven never really experimented with off camera flashes and I wanted to start practicing using one but I don't want to spend a lot of money on it right now. So will this sync chord you guys are talking about work with mine. (its a Focal M500T-zoom ... again I don't know much about flashes but I want to learn more) Any help or advice would be great : )


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## Hoser (Mar 9, 2009)

Pilotgirl2007 - it's not a cable, it's an adapter that attaches to the hotshoe, and then you attach your flash to that. Here's the wiki about them, and here's some pictures of some.

What you do lose with using the adapter (someone correct me if I'm wrong) is the TTL (Through The Lens) ability. Here's some basics about flashes and info about TTL flash systems. (TTL is half way down)


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## Mike_E (Mar 10, 2009)

Or you could just move your flash to a stand and get a wireless set-up and not worry about it at all.


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## usayit (Mar 10, 2009)

Mike_E said:


> Or you could just move your flash to a stand and get a wireless set-up and not worry about it at all.



Except you have to worry about the wireless trigger now....


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