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thanks for the instructable,
i have a problem with extending the flash cord, i get a very faint flash.
i have a problem with extending the flash cord, i get a very faint flash.
May 3, 2010. 5:12 PMrhinden (author)
says:
That's weird, I have never had that problem. How long are you making the cord? What guage wire are you using?
my cord is 24", i estimate the gage at 22 (its a 4wire telephone cord)
May 4, 2010. 6:51 AMrhinden (author)
says:
Hmm, well the thin stuff should be ok for the trigger wire but I used more like 14 or 16 guage wire for the power wires. Worth a shot maybe?
i reconnected the flash to the circuit and the problem persist.
it's somewhere else. i'll get another unit (while they last)
it's somewhere else. i'll get another unit (while they last)
Mar 6, 2010. 1:57 AMsfe-co2
says:
Many years ago, I was able to source a LSCR from Radio Shack for about AUD2.00. The LSCR was wired straight on to the slave flash's lead. Since then, they're taken that component out of the market; even the catalog number was deleted......pity for us.
Feb 20, 2010. 11:36 PMoginne
says:
Great instructable, i'm planning to build one for my canon! Just one question, why do you need 2 solar cells? is it posibble just to use one?
Feb 21, 2010. 7:32 AMrhinden (author)
says:
You need two in series because each cell puts out .5 volt and the SCR needs 1 volt.
Apr 13, 2008. 7:02 AMthomas7913
says:
I have built a slave flash by following your steps but I found that the slave flash is out of sync with my Canon A640 camera. Do you have any suggestion to fix this problem? Thanks! By the way, your idea to build a flash by using a disposable camera is great.
Dec 2, 2009. 9:03 PMsillyxone
says:
it must be the pre-flash that most Canon's point-and-shoots do to measure the flash and reduce red-eye. In this case, you either follow peterrabid9's setting to turn-off pre-flash, or get a more advanced circuit that can ignore the first flash.
I've plugged a photo-transistor into my laptop's mic port to capture the flash from my SD110. The sound wave captured showed 100ms in between the pre-flash and the main flash
I've plugged a photo-transistor into my laptop's mic port to capture the flash from my SD110. The sound wave captured showed 100ms in between the pre-flash and the main flash
Oct 27, 2009. 10:47 PMpeterrabid9
says:
Thomas, I know this is way late and I imagine you found a solution by now. Last week I was working with a woman who had your same situation, and for whatever reason we found that the camera would only sync with an optical slave in M mode, first-curtain sync, at any shutter speed up to 1/1000 if I remember right. We masked the flash (directed to the left) so we were working with single-point off-shoe lighting, and connected an optical slave to a Canon 430EX II. Any of the other modes refused to sync properly, which made no sense, but worked out fine.
Could you use a cadmium sulfide photocell like Radio Shack sells and maybe a small battery to trigger the SCR? You are obviously using a large format film camera. I am struggling to get my Vivitar 283's to synchronize as slaves with my digital camera, but am striking out so far.
Jun 16, 2009. 10:11 PMawdark
says:
I am pretty sure the CDS cell would not be able to handle the voltages going though the trigger wires. The disposables I am working with output a pretty high voltage through the trigger (forgot the voltage) and I don't know the limits of a CDS cell. I salvaged a SCR from a light activated night light. They have a transistor like thing on the circuit and you can probably look up the specs of it online. Unfortunately it doesn't fire the flashes for me :( At 0v the multimeter registers no connection, and at 1.5v it registers at 180ohm (Kohm? not so good at reading that) so I think my resistance is still too high to trigger it. Anyone else have experience with that? Not sure if I should bridge the trigger with a 170ohm resistor so it comes out to ~85ohm when triggered... but I don't know if thats even enough or if its safe for the resistor.
Jun 7, 2009. 8:52 PMZilduli
says:
I can't see myself having any use for these when it comes to photography but I can see some good times using these on a night hike with my scout troop. Maybe run out ahead of time and strap some of these to trees. That way, when the unsuspecting troop walks by and shines their light on the flash goes off and temporarily blinds them all. Even better, I could set them up so that one flash would trigger another impeding vision and causing chaos.
Feb 24, 2008. 11:14 PMdchall8
says:
ROTFLMAO Your first two pictures look like a camera designed by the Borg! But seriously, this is a great Instructable. Due to the holidays I missed it at first, but I have plussed you up now. Using a photocell is the only way that is really practical to sync a flash to the modern digital cameras. Doing it your way makes it extremely affordable. Thanks for doing this and posting it.
I have two slave triggers and two Vivitar 283 flash units. I am unable to get them to synchronize with my digital camera because they fire on the first pre-flash from the digital camera. I found a circuit that is supposed to create a delay so that the slaves fire on the real flash from the digital camera, but it does not work, yet. I know the voltages on an older electronic flash will likely fry the circuitry in a digital camera. The author of this Instructable is using a large format film camera. But, have you found a way to utilize an older electronic flash as a slave unit triggered by a digital camera?
Feb 17, 2009. 7:47 PMTheDeviant13
says:
it is the amps that kill not the volts although they do still hurt I had one take about 2 seconds to discharge through me lighting up the flash tube the entire time now talk about pain
Correct - spoken as an electrical engineer who's studied deaths by electrocution. "300 volts is a lethal voltage" is nonsense, and the author's former teacher should be ashamed of him/herself for saying that. I've been zapped with 10,000+ volts, without so much as a visible mark afterwards (but it hurt!!!). There is not enough charge in one of these (small) battery-powered cameras to kill a baby. What is possible, however, is an unpleasant shock, or destruction of vulnerable electrical parts (not directly related to the flash), so discharging the capacitors is still a good idea.
Mar 26, 2009. 11:58 AMs2truck
says:
Nvmind, the SCR was bad ! I switched it for another and the slave works now. THANKS !
Mar 26, 2009. 11:54 AMs2truck
says:
Hi there, so I am trying to build one of these slaves - great idea ! BUT, I coudnt get the C106DG... instead I got an NTE5474, with the same stats, including the 200uA trigger, but when I attach it to a 1V 200mA encapsulated solar cell (I had 2 lying around from a previous project) it doesnt seem to trip the SCR... even with both cells in series. I can trip the leads manually and the flash fires, so I know everything else is working, but I cant get the solar trigger to work. Any ideas what I did wrong? is the solar cell to weak for this SCR? Any suggestions you could provide would be helpful ! Thanks in advance
Can you explain how to solder to those grid solar cells. The pictures don't give a very clear idea.
Feb 4, 2008. 5:02 PMmedeaortica
says:
This is superb... sorry for my little (almost none) knowledge in this field from the technological point of view...
may I ask why you need to take all the camera bodies?
I love that flash ring but I can use it only in studio...
there's no way to get rid of the cameras and with some circuit or something that I don't know ... to make the ring portable? :)))
an answer to GORILLAZMIKO:
the nice background is exactly the first fantastic effect of a ring flash... the other one is the skin tone that provides, no harsh light or washed parts but a very detailed precision... is almost perfect for macro photography
may I ask why you need to take all the camera bodies?
I love that flash ring but I can use it only in studio...
there's no way to get rid of the cameras and with some circuit or something that I don't know ... to make the ring portable? :)))
an answer to GORILLAZMIKO:
the nice background is exactly the first fantastic effect of a ring flash... the other one is the skin tone that provides, no harsh light or washed parts but a very detailed precision... is almost perfect for macro photography
Jan 8, 2008. 9:17 AMwhatgives
says:
Brilliant DIY ringflash. Over the years I've wasted so much time trying to do what you make look so easy. Thanks for demystifying the process, and sharing the experience.
I think these may be the only instructions I've ever seen on how to get redeye...
Jan 4, 2008. 7:59 PMGorillazMiko
says:
Woah, nice job! Looks cool, especially the 2nd to last picture in the last step. Nice pictures you took, what kind of camera did you use to take the pictures, and what method did you use to make the background look nice?
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