Leica IIIf, shorted PC outlet?

[jeff voorhees]

For some reason, I decided to try using electronic flash on my IIIf red dial.

It seemed to work great for about six shots. In other words, the flash fired

when I released the shutter. I tried both the 0 setting for the 1/25 sync and

the 20 setting for the 1/20 sync speed.

 

All was fine, then I noticed that the flash would fire with just minimal

pressure on the shutter button for a few shots and then the charging light

would not come back on the flash unit unless I unplugged the PC cord from

either the camera or the flash unit. When I tried to plug the cord back in,

it completely discharged the flash, then of course the charge light would not

come back on unless I unplugged the cord again.

 

I have not yet tested for continuity, but it seems the PC circuit on the

camera has been shorted. The flash is a Vivitar 3700. Can anyone advise?

 

Many thanks.

[Ed_Ingold]

Check the polarity of the cable or its connection to the flash unit.

 

The outer part of the PC plug is normally grounded to the chassis of the flash and the center pin floating. If this is reversed, the flash will go off as soon as connected if the chassis is grounded to the camera at some other point (e.g., the shoe or a flash bracket) and will not recharge as long as it remains connected. The ground might be occuring through your body if you are grounding the flash with one hand and touch the camera with the other (e.g., lightly on the shutter release).

[Troll]

Try moving the sync ring (I haven't used one for so long that I don't know what the proper name is) back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, for a few dozen times and you may be able to break the frozen contact.