Flash questions (National PE1405)

[philipus]

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Yesterday I picked up for fun and for pretty much nothing a National PE1405 flash gun at the eminent Hafo photo shop here in The Hague. It is a very basic flash unit without settings except a slide button on the front (above the word "National"), which can be set to "M" or slid aside to reveal a little sensor.

 

 

I haven't used flash since my EOS equipment, speedlight included, was stolen in Sarajevo, and I certainly don't intend to become another Bruce Gilden, but I am curious about this little flash to see what it can achieve with my M4 and M6TTL.

 

As I understand it, I should put the cameras to the sync speed 1/45 and then set aperture according the chart on the side of the flash depending on the flash-subject distance.

 

But I don't know what that little sensor does - can someone enlighten me?

 

Cheers and thanks in advance for your help with this noob question.

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[Luke_Miller]

It could be a sensor that allows the flash to be triggered as a slave by another flash. If the flash allows you to enter camera ISO and lens aperture it could be the sensor for auto thyrister operation.

[masjah]

I know nothing of this flash, but, at the risk of stating the obvious (for which apologies if so) if it is an old flash, thyristor triggered, it might be worth checking the triggering voltage, as more modern cameras don't like switching high trigger voltages.

[pico]

The sensor is an auto thyristor which is a very effective means to control flash duration.

 

Regarding the issue of high voltage flashes, I think the max recommended for the Leica digital camera is 24 volts, but just in case one can use the Wein Safe Sync. It will reduce the trigger voltage to under six volts.

[giordano]

I can't remember the maximum safe trigger voltage for digital Ms, but it's far more than 24V. However some of these little old flashguns use surprisingly high voltages and I'd check with a multimeter before attaching it to the camera. Anything more than about 200V, I'd play safe and only use it on cameras with mechanical shutters and synch contacts (or with a SafeSynch if I had one: no point paying more for one than the flashgun cost!).

 

With the sensor uncovered, it's in auto-exposure mode. Look up the ISO in the exposure chart on the side of the camera and it'll show you the aperture to use, either explicitly or by highlighting values in the main body of the chart.

 

You can experiment with scraps of filtering material over the sensor. The darker the filter, the smaller the aperture and the shorter the maximum distance.

[philipus]

Anything more than about 200V, I'd play safe and only use it on cameras with mechanical shutters and synch contacts

 

Thank you for the replies.

 

John, does the above mean that I could safely use it on the M6TTL (on the M4 it would be ok, I guess)? I don't have a digital M.

[giordano]

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John, does the above mean that I could safely use it on the M6TTL (on the M4 it would be ok, I guess)? I don't have a digital M.

 

I'm honestly not certain. It's safe on all factory-synched Leicas before the M6TTL (unless of course the insulation is faulty from age or incompetent repair). As far as I know the M6TTL has the same flash synch circuit as the classic M6, and the TTL flash exposure circuitry, which would be fried by a high voltage, is quite separate from the synch circuit, so it should be OK.

 

But there's at least one report on the web of a M6TTL having problems after use with an old, high-voltage Vivitar flash unit, so I'd be inclined to play safe.

 

Some early studio strobes used really high voltages! The IIIf repair manual gives instructions for adapting the synch circuit to handle up to 1000V (from the standard 500V).

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Philip,

 

The little indentation for the maximum shutter speed for electronic flah sync is actually 1/50th of a second. Not 1/45th.

 

The progression of shutter speeds is logarithmic. Not arithmetic.

 

So that would make the mid point between 1/15th & 1/30th a speed of 1/25th.

 

Keeping in mind that later M3's & I think all M4's have variable shutters between 1 second & 1/1/1000th EXCEPT: NEVER between 1/30th & 1/60th (except the marked 1/50th). NEVER set it between 1/8th & 1/15th. NEVER set it between "B" & 1 second.

 

If you wind the self timer delay & set the shutter to "B" and then release the self timer button the self timer will run down & then the shutter will open, stay open a repeatable time & then close. You might try it & let us know how long the shutter stays open. It gives you an additional speed.

 

The M5 & the various mechanically shuttered Leicaflexes also have variable shutters altho those have somewhat different parameters. I think they are all basically the same shutter with some degree of variation model by model.

 

I don't know about M1's, M2's, MD's & MDa's. It seems reasonable to think they would be the same as later M3's & M4's.

 

I don't think any of the M's after the M5 have variable shutters . Just the marked speeds including 1/50th.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael