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Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

Started May 28, 2018 | Discussions
Zach Cava New Member • Posts: 22
Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

Hello, I am in the process of building a camera trap that will use Nikon flashes (SB-28) on a Canon camera. To do this I am following instructions from an e-book by Emmanuel Rondeau. Basically, I have a Vello Nikon flash cord and Vello Canon Flash cord that I need to splice together, so it has the Canon body attachment and the Nikon flash attachment. To connect these together, Rondeau says to use a cable rated for outdoor use, with 2 wires + ground. I went to Home Depot and was told that an outdoor extension cord would work for this. Now, when I cut open the Vello cords to expose the wires, there are 6 small colored wires + ground. Rondeau says to use a multimeter to identify 2 particular wires + ground and connect them to the longer cord (extension cord) by soldering. My question is, what about the other wires that aren't being used? do I just leave them cut? Isn't that an electrical hazard? And does the difference in wire gauge b/w the sync cord and extension cord matter? Please forgive my ignorance when it comes to this stuff, I have very little experience with it. I have tried to contact the author but haven't had much luck (perhaps he is busy out in the field). I appreciate your feedback.

-Zach

petrochemist Veteran Member • Posts: 3,619
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera
1

The extra wires are for TTL metering and other camera/flash comms. They won't be any use between Canon & Nikon hardware (the comms protocols will be different) and won't carry any significant electricity so no hazard. Even so it's probably as well to insulate the ends after cutting them - just in case they give rogue signals to your hardware.

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OP Zach Cava New Member • Posts: 22
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

Thank you. What is the best way to insulate?

craig66 Senior Member • Posts: 1,484
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

Zach Cava wrote:

Thank you. What is the best way to insulate?

Electrical tape or heat shrink tubing which is very easy to use.

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OP Zach Cava New Member • Posts: 22
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

and the difference in wire gauge between extension cord and the flash cord shouldn't be an issue?

petrochemist Veteran Member • Posts: 3,619
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

Zach Cava wrote:

and the difference in wire gauge between extension cord and the flash cord shouldn't be an issue?

Not unless it's adding too much resistance.

I would expect the extension to be a wider wire, which offers less resistance per meter which is better as long as it's not causing the cable to be too bulky.

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OP Zach Cava New Member • Posts: 22
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

I see, thanks!

OP Zach Cava New Member • Posts: 22
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

One issue I just realized is that yes, the extension cord wire is substantially bigger (see pic below), but then at the other end of the cord it has to get spliced to a small wire again, so more resistance...

sparklypony New Member • Posts: 1
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

Hi there! I am trying the same process with the same tutorial connecting an SB28 Nikon speedlight to a Canon Rebel Xti!
Last night when I first tested the modified cable, it would fire when the camera fired (plus it would randomly fire once or twice in a row without firing the camera). I hadn't setup any of the settings on the speedlight, so I'm not sure what it was set on.  
Going back to the project this morning, I am running into the flash not firing at all when I press the shutter button. The camera will fire the little on camera flash in the same mode, so it can't be the camera mode (Set in manual 200 iso in a dark room).

My brother is helping me and we tested the wires to make sure the connection is there. All appears to be OK.

I have the flash set up in the standy-by, manual mode (but have also cycled through other modes).

I've also tried:

✓ Changing to new batteries in the flash
✓ "Hard" resetting the flash
✓ Turning the flash and camera on in different orders

Other notes:
✓ The flash will successfully flash when I press the red test/flash button on the SB28 speedlight but ONLY if it isn't attached to the modified cord.
✓ When it is attached to the cord (even if the cord isn't attached to the camera) the flash will not fire when I press the test button
✓ If I connected the flash to the cable while the flash is ON, none of the buttons on the flash will work, including the power button
✓ If the camera is on and the flash is on and I connect the cord to the flash, the light flashes as soon as the connection is made

msowsun
msowsun Contributing Member • Posts: 740
Re: Making sync cord for Nikon flash on Canon camera

sparklypony wrote:

Hi there! I am trying the same process with the same tutorial connecting an SB28 Nikon speedlight to a Canon Rebel Xti!
Last night when I first tested the modified cable, it would fire when the camera fired (plus it would randomly fire once or twice in a row without firing the camera). I hadn't setup any of the settings on the speedlight, so I'm not sure what it was set on.
Going back to the project this morning, I am running into the flash not firing at all when I press the shutter button. The camera will fire the little on camera flash in the same mode, so it can't be the camera mode (Set in manual 200 iso in a dark room).

My brother is helping me.......................................................

Other notes:
✓ The flash will successfully flash when I press the red test/flash button on the SB28 speedlight but ONLY if it isn't attached to the modified cord.
✓ When it is attached to the cord (even if the cord isn't attached to the camera) the flash will not fire when I press the test button
✓ If I connected the flash to the cable while the flash is ON, none of the buttons on the flash will work, including the power button
✓ If the camera is on and the flash is on and I connect the cord to the flash, the light flashes as soon as the connection is made

It sounds like you have not wired it up correctly. I hope you have damaged anything in either the flash or the camera.

You need to connect the center pin on the flash hotshoe to the center pin of the camera hotshoe, and the ground connection of the flash hotshoe to the ground connection of the camera hotshoe.

Test fire the flash by jumping a wire from the center pin to the ground contact.

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Gato Amarillo Veteran Member • Posts: 9,340
Isn't there a simpler way?

You can buy single pin hotshoe-to-hotshoe cords, which gives the connection you need without soldering. Here's a 16-foot from Flash Zebra. You can daisy chain for more length.

http://flashzebra.com/products/0146/index.shtml

Or you could cut and splice that without having to deal with extra wires.

-- hide signature --

Or you can get hotshoe to miniphone adapters and then use audio cables, available up to 100 feet.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/JJC-hot-shoe-adapter-for-portable-Studio-flash-PC-female-outlets-3-5mm-mini/173033926754?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Dcfa06cd1a4664eeea3f472a894414831%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D321936284967%26itm%3D173033926754&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Note that similar products are available from multiple sources -- these are just two picked as examples from the first page of a google search.

Gato

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