DOUG66 Posted June 29, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 29, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Has any one had any experience of using a Rollei 134 REB flash on an M8 ? While it would be nice to use a Leica flash unit on an M8 there is one problem with the Leica flash units and it is that they can not be used in bounce mode when mounted on the hot shoe. I recently acquired a Rollei flash and found that it would not trigger through the hot shoe on the M8. The flash is working perfectly, it triggers in manual mode and also when the hot shoe contacts are shorted with a piece of wire. It works perfectly on my M6 (classic) and on a Minox 35 GT. Two other flash units a Vivitar 2500 and a Yashika CS-220 both function perfectly on the M8. I would welcome any suggestions or comments. Doug. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 29, 2011 Posted June 29, 2011 Hi DOUG66, Take a look here Rollei flash unit on M8. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted June 29, 2011 Share #2 Posted June 29, 2011 Check that it slides into the shoe deep enough. The shape of the Leica hot shoe prevents some flashes from sliding in far enough to make contact on the middle pin. A nail file applied to the flash foot will solve the problem Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubice Posted June 30, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 30, 2011 As Jaap says - check that the flash slides in far enough. Sometimes one of the corners of the flash's shoe needs to be filed off ever so slightly. However, since the flash fires correctly on the M6, that may not be the issue. More importantly though - before using older flash units on digital cameras, check this site: Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages I am not sure what is the maximum trigger voltage the M8 and M9 will take but, this may present a problem. Best, Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 30, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 30, 2011 No, it won't be a problem. The max. voltage for the M8/9 is 600 V. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubice Posted June 30, 2011 Share #5 Posted June 30, 2011 No, it won't be a problem. The max. voltage for the M8/9 is 600 V. Didn't know that (more likely though, did not do enough research...) - good news. I guess I will refrain from resting my nose on the accessory shoe when shooting... Best, Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOUG66 Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted July 1, 2011 Thanks Jaapy for your comforting information that the M8 hot shoe contact will withstand 600 Volts. I had assumed that in the absence of any warning to the contrary in the handbook that I was safe to use any flash unit on it. I filled the front left hand corner of the Rollei flash shoe and now the front of the shoe butts against the little screw pin on the M8. I have measured with calipers and I am satisfied that the connector is central and in contact with the contact on the camera. However The flash still does not fire. I am suspicious that the single side contact may not be making good electrical contact. The contact is in the form of a "V" indentation on a narrow strip of plated brass spring, I am about to open the unit and sqeeze the "V" closed so that it protrudes further out than it does at present. I am hopeful that this will cure the problem. Thank to all for your help. Doug. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wstotler Posted July 13, 2011 Share #7 Posted July 13, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Doug--please let us know when you do (or do not) get it working. Thanks! Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOUG66 Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted July 14, 2011 No, I have not succeeded in getting the Rollei 134 REB flash to work on the hot shoe of My M8. The problem is the trigger voltage on the contacts of the Rollei flash. I have measured this with a digital voltmeter and it is 135 volts. Digital cameras because of the microprocessors in them do not like high voltages, and it would appear that in the M8 there is a protection circut to prevent the operation of flashes that use high voltages at the contacts. The way to operate these flashes is to fit an adapter which contains an opto isolator which presents a low voltage to the camera contacts. I borrowed a wireless adaptor from a friend who was using it on a Cannon to activate studio lighting and it worked perfectly on the M8 and it shows just 5 volts on the hot shoe. I have another Yashika flash which is not a powerful as the Rollei and it shows 7.5 volts on the hotshoe It also works perfectly on the M8. The conclusion is that the the Rollei Flash will not and should not be used directly on an M8. It requires an adapter which incorporates an isolation circuit. Before using older types of flash units on digital cameras, measure the voltage at the contacts of the fully charged flash and if it is greater than 10 Volts be very careful. Doug. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted July 14, 2011 Share #9 Posted July 14, 2011 Doug, did you check the polarity of the Rollei flash's contacts? Back in the days of mechanical cameras this usually didn't matter, but cameras that use solid state components in their synch circuits need the centre contact to be +ve and the shoe -ve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOUG66 Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted July 15, 2011 John, Centre contact on the Rollei flash is -ve, side contact is +ve. I am reluctant to cut the internal tracks in the flash and reverse their polarity in case I fry the electronics of my M8. However you may be correct in your assumption as the Yashika flash which works on the M8 does have +ve polarity on the centre contact but at a low voltage. Doug. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wstotler Posted July 15, 2011 Share #11 Posted July 15, 2011 Thanks for the detailed information, Doug! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted July 15, 2011 Share #12 Posted July 15, 2011 There have been some fairly persuasive statements that the M8 can handle the voltages from old-fashioned electronic flash units. Jaap said 600v, which I don't remember seeing before (if I'd ventured an opinion it would have been about 250v). And there's comfort in the Rollei's 135v not having fried your M8: it's hard to imagine that the power transistor in the M8 would handle a high voltage with the wrong polarity safely but be zapped by the same voltage with the correct polarity. Nevertheless, like you I don't feel inclined to put it to the test - especially as I'd have to buy an old, high voltage flashgun in order to do so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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