using manual strobes with canon xti (400d)

Hi,

Is it possible to use older Ikelite substrobes- i.e. ss100a, ss50 (the non-DS) in strictly manual mode with a housed Canon 400D (XTi)? Will they fire on manual and will they cause any damage to the camera. I realize that a non-TTL cord must be used. I've always shot manual strobes with film and don't want to fork out the big $$$ for new digital compatible stobes if I can continue to use my old ones in manual mode. Thank you very much.

Scott

Nova Scotia

Hi,

Is it possible to use older Ikelite substrobes- i.e. ss100a, ss50 (the non-DS) in strictly manual mode with a housed Canon 400D (XTi)? Will they fire on manual and will they cause any damage to the camera. I realize that a non-TTL cord must be used. I've always shot manual strobes with film and don't want to fork out the big $$$ for new digital compatible stobes if I can continue to use my old ones in manual mode. Thank you very much.

 

Scott

Nova Scotia

Scott I used my Canon 5d with a ikelite ss150 and ss200 with a ttl cord on manual mode. It works just fine and light is light as long as you know what combination to use. No problems with anything shorting out. If you shoot Raw and process images through Phase One Capture One software that helps a great deal. Happy Shooting!!!

Hi,

The trigger voltage on some of the older strobes can be a problem. Just check what trigger voltage your camera can handle and make sure that your older strobes don't put out more than that amount. Too much trigger voltage can cause the camera to trip, or even blow a fuse.

Capture One is one of the nice RAW converters, along with Lightroom, and Canon's own software DPP. You can purchase an aftermarket profile for the 5D Scubarobot that will help you get more accurate color from you 5D. I found that helped a lot (C1 3.7)

Cheers

James