Non-OM Flash on OM-4

[curt_sampson1]

I've just sold my OM-4 to a friend (no, no, don't worry--I still have

my OM-4Ti :-)) and he likes it a lot, but he's found one frustrating

thing with it: he's got a Lomo Colorsplash flash that doesn't work on

the OM-4. The Lomo flash is a pretty basic one-contact kind of thing,

so I would have thought that you just stick it on and go, but I guess

not. Any thoughts on how to get this working? Or could it be that the

camera's flash attachement is broken? (I should have thought to try

the flash on my 4Ti.)

[thomasvdv]

Just put it on manual and 60th shutter speed. That works for me and my no name flash. The thing to do of course is to set the aperture according to the flash instructions. Hope that helps.

[richard_oleson]

The flash should work on the OM4 - if it doesn't fire with the camera set to MANUAL at 1/60 second, there is a problem.

 

The OM2 series, and I assume the OM4 as well, will not fire the flash if the shutter is set above 1/60, either manually or on AUTO (which would give a bad result if the flash did fire).

 

rick :)=

[curt_sampson1]

Oh, duh! I'm always hearing about max synchronization speed and all of that, but it just didn't occur to me. (As you can probably tell, I'm not a big flash user--or a flash user at all, for that matter.)

 

Unfortunately, there are no instructions with this flash, not even a guide number. (Though I guess that might change for different gels, anyway.) Nor can I find one on the net. I guess Lomo folks aren't too technical. :-)

 

Thanks for the help.

[richard_oleson]

The flash should have one or more AUTO settings, in which case a dial on the flash will tell you what aperture to set on the lens, and then the flash takes over your exposure control for you within a specified distance range (also shown on the dial).

 

On the flash's MANUAL setting, you can determine the guide number from the calculator dial: for a given ISO film speed, the dial will reference an f/stop and a distance. The guide number is the f/stop multiplied by its corresponding distance, so if f/11 lines up with 9 feet you have a guide number of 99.

 

As the above suggests, guide numbers depend on both the film speed and the units of measure: there are different ones for feet and meters, and for different films. The common practice today is to quote guide numbers for ISO 100, but years ago the standard was ISO (then ASA) 25, which gave a number half as big for the same flash.

 

If you are working with gels, they will affect the guide number that you should use.... but if you are using the AUTO setting the flash should correct for them.

 

rick :)=

[curt_sampson1]

"Auto" setting? Ha ha. Calculation dial? Ha ha ha ha. C'mon, this is LOMO we're talking about.

 

The flash has an on-off button, a test button, an indicator light and a hot shoe. That's it.

[richard_oleson]

no kidding! i've seen some pretty basic flashes, but never one without some sort of calculator scale or chart or something on it.

 

I have a way that you can use your OM4 to find out what your guide number is. It's a little wordy, so I won't bore the forum with it, but email me if you're interested.

 

rick :)=

[grahams]

The OM isn't firing the Lomo flash because it's disgusted that anyone would soil it's hotshoe with one!

[curt_sampson1]

Well, it could well be; the flash does not fire with the camera on manual at 1/60 of a second. (Or am I supposed to be using the "non-electronic" (red) 1/60 second setting?)