Will a modern Nikon Flash (SB600/700) work with a Bronica S2?

[Ray S]

I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to flashes since I prefer to use natural light if possible.

 

That said, will a Nikon SB600/700 flash work with a Bronica S2 if I just use a sync cable? I'm not familiar with the setup of a cabled flash (if required, I usually use the built in wireless feature on my Nikons) system especially with a Bronica S2.

 

TIA!

Ray

[rodeo_joe1]

Yes. As long as the flash has a manual mode to control its output.

 

The large single centre pin of a vintage hotshoe should always fire any modern flash, even if it's only to give a little preflash in i-ttl mode.

 

If you're using a P-C (Prontor-Compur) co-ax cable, then Nikon's flashes use a stupid "wrong sex" P-C connector that requires male plugs on both ends. A standard male-to-female P-C extender cable won't do.

[Ed_Ingold]

I'm not familiar with the Bronica S2, but my description below should include an option which will work for you.

 

I use a Nikon flash with my Hasselblad. The prism has a flash shoe, with no electrical connections but insulated. In lieu of a flash shoe, you can use a flash bracket attached to the camera. If you have a hot shoe with a center connector, you can trigger the flash directly, otherwise you will need a sync cable or a remote TX/RX pair.

 

I use a PC to PC cable between the flash and sync port on the lens. It's best to get a cable with a screw collar on the flash end and a long tip on the lens end. The flash can be used in manual mode, or automatic mode, dialing in the ISO value and f/stop. A photo sensor on the flash then controls the exposure. Shutter speed is set according to the ambient light, for fill light or flash dominant light.

 

Using the flash in Auto mode seems to work very well, comparable to a dedicated flash controlled by a TTL sensor. It's just not as convenient.

 

Not all Nikon flash units have a PC port on the side. You can buy sync cables with a flash shoe on one end - expensive but functional. The cable shoe usually has a dummy foot on the opposite side, or a 1/4-20 threaded hole.

[ben_hutcherson]

If you step up to the 800, you get good old fashioned "A" mode. In this mode, you set a certain aperture and a sensor on the front of the flash shuts the flash off when it detects the "correct" amount of light reaching the subject. It's not 100%, but has worked pretty darn well(going back to the days of flashes like the good old Vivitar 283). The only thing you'll have to do is manually account for filter factors. I can't remember if the 600 has A mode, but I'm pretty sure it does NOT.

 

As others have said, otherwise you're in manual mode with guide numbers. GN math is pretty simple(distance divided by the guide number gives you the aperture) but most older flashes had a calculator dial to make it quick and easy.

[rick_jack1]

It should work provided it can be used in a manual mode and adapt to your PC connection. I doubt any of the automatic features would work. I highly recommend you to pick up a used Metz CT1-4 strobe (very cheap these days) and a Stroboframe flash bracket for medium format cameras. It will hold the flash up above the camera where it belongs for portraits or group photography. I wouldn't attempt a small flash like a Nikon. I shot weddings for over 20 years with Bronica's and Metz strobes.

[Ray S]

Thanks for everyone's input! I really do appreciate it and am definitely learning as I go here.

 

First and foremost, I wanted to see how my macro shots would look using a flash and if it might brighten the image w/out using a higher ISO film (I want to use either Velvia, Ektar or Provia film at the lowest available ISO) so that I could use a smaller aperture to get better depth of field.

 

I was thinking what might work is a TTL hotshoe to PC Sync adapter, PC Sync Cable, & like the Pixel TF-322 I found on Amazon along with a PC sync cable to my S2.

 

One thing that I realize I'd need is a light meter that can read the exposure with a flash which I don't have and I know those are not inexpensive.

 

Since I rarely use a light meter with my normal photography, I may just forgo trying to do this for now. Instead I'll use constant lighting or reflectors to try to accomplish the same thing.

 

Thanks for everyone's input though.

 

Ray

 

[bebu_lamar]

The SB600/700 works but poorly as they don't have Auto modes like the SB800. If you're already have them then use them otherwise an old flash would work better.

[Ray S]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! You've been a great help with this and I have some solid ideas on how to progress.

 

So I've been thinking this through and a bigger problem has arisen... I think I'm going to need a meter that can meter the scene with the flash. My current analog meter does not allow me to do that so I'd need a newer digital one that does. Any suggestions on an inexpensive option for that?

[ben_hutcherson]

My Minolta III does flash metering, but it's a bit finicky in doing so. Basically, you have to set it to flash mode then manually trigger the flash(es) and get the reading from that. Of course, you need to have the meter in the same location as the subject and facing toward the camera, and sometimes it takes me a couple of tries to actually get a flash reading from it.

 

Still, it's a handy and fairly inexpensive meter.

 

I THINK that there are some better meters where you can plug a PC cord directly into them and trigger the flash with the meter, but I don't know what those are.