Anyone used external flash on Olympus E-PL3?

<p>Today I got my E-PL3. Nifty camera. The first thing I decided to test was using my trusty little Vivitar 200 Thyristor flash. I had read that the camera works with manual flashes. This Vivitar is a single contact flash. Couldn't be simpler, right? This is what happens. When I slide the flash in the hot shoe it fires but it doesn't fire when I press the shutter. Removed the flash and used the flash that came with the camera. Worked just fine (at least I knew nothing was damaged). It is very important for me to use an external flash. In fact, this is probably the only reason I bought it. </p>

<p>Be careful before mounting any flash not designed for a particular camera model. Even older flash units by the same manufacturer may have dangerously high trigger voltage. For example, my old Olympus PS-200 flash from the 1970s era 35 RC rangefinder might fry any Olympus digicam.</p>

<p>Somewhere online is a list of flash units and voltages, although it's a hodgepodge of manufacturers' data and user submitted data.</p>

<p>Also, many newer cameras have very complex hotshoes now with lots of tiny contacts. Any slight misalignment may prevent it from firing.</p>

<p>If the flash fired while you were mounting it the flash was charged up. It's safer to trigger the flash and turn it off before mounting, especially with non-OEM flash units. Might prevent a short and circuit damage.</p>

<p>I'm so wary of using non-OEM flash units on my digicams that I tend to prefer using Pocket Wizard wireless transmitter/receiver units between the camera and flash. That way I can use my Nikon SB-800 in manual mode on any camera, even those with only a simple non-TTL hotshoe. The old Pocket Wizards were bulky - about the size of some tiny P&S cameras - but not heavy. There are some much more affordable wireless units now that are lightweight and compact.</p>

<p>Thanks Lex. I am aware of trigger voltage issues and all. Doesn't look like I did any damage. The hot shoe has one big center contact and 3 smaller ones. The center one should be firing the flash. Have you used a manual flash on a mirrorless?</p>

<p>My only completely manual flash units, with only a single center conductor, are 1970s vintage and I'm wary of using them directly on any digital camera. I have used my Nikon SB-800 successfully, and with apparent safety, on various compact digicams, in auto thyristor and manual modes.</p>

<p>I keep hoping Nikon or a third party manufacturer will concoct a standard flash shoe adapter for the Nikon 1 series. My V1 accepts only Nikon's proprietary flash units, which offer only limited compatibility with Nikon's own iTTL/CLS technology.</p>

<p>I'd suggest you review the user's manual instructions on using a third party flash unit (pg 60). the following requirements are listed:<br>

- Use only with the camera in shooting mode M at shutter speeds slower than 1/160s and at ISO settings other than [AUTO]<br>

- Flash control can only be performed by manually setting the flash to the ISO sensitivity and aperture values selected with the camera. Flash brightness can be adjusted by adjusting either ISO sensitiviy or aperture.</p>

<p>When electronics began to replace clockwork mechanisms in the late 70's, camera makers also removed the electrical contacts in the bodies that switched high voltages in flashes. This required flash makers to switch over to low voltage switching circuits. Bottom line: no shoe mount flash made in the last 30 years has a high trigger voltage.</p>

<p>All my Nikon flashes, from a SB-15 to SB-800, work fine in manual and Auto mode with my µ4/3 cameras. I suspect an alignment issue between the center contact of the camera and flash (unless your Vivitar is 30+ years old). FYI: The TTL flash metering in the Olympus cameras is slow and causes a noticeable delay between the time you press the shutter button and the flash firing.</p>

<p>I tried two other Vivitar flashes; 550FD and 628AF. Neither one worked. I did switch between P and M modes but not sure what shutter speed I had in the M mode. Didn't look at the ISO either. Trigger voltages both read in the 6V range. The fact that flash fire as I slide it in leads me to believe that perhaps a contact other than the center one is responsible for triggering the flash.</p>

<p>My 550FD works fine on my E-P2, so I'm sure your issue is a settings issue.</p>

<p>Good to know Mike. What are your camera settings?</p>

<p>I shoot full manual, as I use mostly manual focus lenses with it. Manual ISO as well. I like to use the settings on camera that the Vivitar flash lists on it's "manual mode" bar for distance.<br /><br />Having said all that now, though, I recently bought the Olympus flash FL-300R to use on it, and I only use the Vivitar for longer distance. It works very nicely and it fits the kit.</p>

<p>I don't know if this helps but I am happily using Olympus T Series on my E-P2. I use them on "Manual" on the camera and highest synchro speed (1/160 but I can get away with a speed or two higher). I use the hot shoe to trigger and moderate the power on the flash plus the compensation in the camer menu (-3 to +3). I use the flash for macro so I need a range of settings. I also use the metering by the flash units when settings on the back panel can cope.</p>

<p>Well, try as I might, I could not get the 550D to fire. Used M mode all the way with shutter at 1/60 and a few others. ISO defaults to 200 but tried setting it manually too. You know something isn't right when even the test fire button on the flash does not work when flash is in the hot shoe. If I can't get a cheap manual flash to work with the camera, it adds little functionality to my camera collection. </p>

<p>I've seen some the old OM flashes for sale in used stuff stores. Can I assume they can be used without difficulty or damage to M4/3 Olympus or Panasonic cameras?</p>

<p>Triggering a manual flash shouldn't be that hard. All it takes is a short. You would think any camera could do that. The clip on camera on E-PL3 is not even a hot shoe flash. It may be triggered by the accessory port for all we know. </p>