Flash compatibility

[meow]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

 

[Sam Bennett]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

 

[meow]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

 

[Sam Bennett]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

What kind of photography are you doing? What matters most - smallness or cheapness? There's tons of great cheap options from Godox, which opens you up to much more sophisticated flash setups in the future if you end up enjoying it. The Godox system is incredible in its capabilities, depth of options, interoperability among their products and, ultimately, value.

 

[ahaslett]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

That’s not correct.

The flash on the EM1 mk i uses the Accessory Port as well as the hotshoe. I have mine. It won’t fit on any later EM1 body. The FL-LM3 that came with the EM1 mk ii works on the OM1 and the OM5 because they have the extra pin.

I kept my FL-LM3 and have used it on both an OM1 mk i and OM5.

Used FL-LM3 flashes are not that cheap because it’s a desirable bit of kit. Despite that, I’d buy a replacement in a flash if mine got lost.

Andrew

Andrew

 

[Sam Bennett]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

That’s not correct.

The flash on the EM1 mk i uses the Accessory Port as well as the hotshoe. I have mine. It won’t fit on any later EM1 body. The FL-LM3 that came with the EM1 mk ii works on the OM1 and the OM5 because they have the extra pin.

Don't know why I threw "Mark III" in there. But he's using the Mark I, from the sound of it.

 

[John Bean (UK)]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

I would use a wireless trigger - there are some around that are "dumb" and cheap. That way the camera just fires a little shoe-mounted transmitter and the slave flash has a little receiver with a hot shoe.

I still have one somewhere that I used way back to trigger studio strobes from the G1 I was using at the time. Worked a treat.

Your other option is just buy any cheap modern dumb flash and use that on the camera. Old flashes sometimes have dangerous voltages on the shoe contacts but new ones are fine. Any flash that has a manual setting should work, it doesn't have to be "compatible".

 

[James Stirling]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

That’s not correct.

The flash on the EM1 mk i uses the Accessory Port as well as the hotshoe. I have mine. It won’t fit on any later EM1 body. The FL-LM3 that came with the EM1 mk ii works on the OM1 and the OM5 because they have the extra pin.

I kept my FL-LM3 and have used it on both an OM1 mk i and OM5.

It is surprisingly handy at times and so small it always gets taken out in a just in case basis. I got one with my E-M5 III and picked up a second for the OM-1

Used FL-LM3 flashes are not that cheap because it’s a desirable bit of kit. Despite that, I’d buy a replacement in a flash if mine got lost.

Andrew

Andrew

 

[Regor250]

The recommendation to attach any flash to the camera is hardware suicide! Some flashes trigger voltage is in the hundreds of volts. Olympus trigger voltage is about 6V ! Think what 400V will do to the camera flash circuitry. It'll blow everything.

 

[meow]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

That’s not correct.

The flash on the EM1 mk i uses the Accessory Port as well as the hotshoe. I have mine. It won’t fit on any later EM1 body. The FL-LM3 that came with the EM1 mk ii works on the OM1 and the OM5 because they have the extra pin.

I kept my FL-LM3 and have used it on both an OM1 mk i and OM5.

Used FL-LM3 flashes are not that cheap because it’s a desirable bit of kit. Despite that, I’d buy a replacement in a flash if mine got lost.

Andrew

Andrew

Odd. I have the mark 1 and my flash doesn't use any cord. Just the hotshoe.

 

[meow]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

What kind of photography are you doing? What matters most - smallness or cheapness? There's tons of great cheap options from Godox, which opens you up to much more sophisticated flash setups in the future if you end up enjoying it. The Godox system is incredible in its capabilities, depth of options, interoperability among their products and, ultimately, value.

I just need it to trigger the old flash. The smaller the better, as long as it's strong enough to trigger the slave.

 

[yslee2]

I just need it to trigger the old flash. The smaller the better, as long as it's strong enough to trigger the slave.

Something like this? https://reflxlab.com/products/pre-order-reflx-lab-mini-flash I'd suggest searching the Chinese market, I'm quite certain they have similar flashes for not a lot of money. All using internal li-ion batteries charged via USB-C.

Did a bit more searching, found this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008222329350.html

 

[meow]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

I would use a wireless trigger - there are some around that are "dumb" and cheap. That way the camera just fires a little shoe-mounted transmitter and the slave flash has a little receiver with a hot shoe.

I still have one somewhere that I used way back to trigger studio strobes from the G1 I was using at the time. Worked a treat.

Your other option is just buy any cheap modern dumb flash and use that on the camera. Old flashes sometimes have dangerous voltages on the shoe contacts but new ones are fine. Any flash that has a manual setting should work, it doesn't have to be "compatible".

Wouldn't work if it requires a hot shoe. The old flash was never meant to be put in a hotshoe, so it doesn't have what it takes. It has two ports for cables, but I don't know what kind, if sync cables back then were anything like they are today. We're talking 1980s. I have the manual somewhere on my harddrive. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[meow]

The recommendation to attach any flash to the camera is hardware suicide! Some flashes trigger voltage is in the hundreds of volts. Olympus trigger voltage is about 6V ! Think what 400V will do to the camera flash circuitry. It'll blow everything.

I'm not planning on putting the old flash on the camera. I want to put a NEW small flash on the camera so it can trigger the old one as a slave. ;-)

 

[Sam Bennett]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

What kind of photography are you doing? What matters most - smallness or cheapness? There's tons of great cheap options from Godox, which opens you up to much more sophisticated flash setups in the future if you end up enjoying it. The Godox system is incredible in its capabilities, depth of options, interoperability among their products and, ultimately, value.

I just need it to trigger the old flash. The smaller the better, as long as it's strong enough to trigger the slave.

By "old flash" you mean the E-M1 flash? I think you're out of luck there given that there's no 3rd party trigger out there that will know how to provide it power. I would just move on from that idea and go with a simple Godox setup of some sort. They're pretty inexpensive and it's very easy to "grow into" a more complex setup all while building one that can interoperate with different camera systems, etc.

 

[ahaslett]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

That’s not correct.

The flash on the EM1 mk i uses the Accessory Port as well as the hotshoe. I have mine. It won’t fit on any later EM1 body. The FL-LM3 that came with the EM1 mk ii works on the OM1 and the OM5 because they have the extra pin.

I kept my FL-LM3 and have used it on both an OM1 mk i and OM5.

Used FL-LM3 flashes are not that cheap because it’s a desirable bit of kit. Despite that, I’d buy a replacement in a flash if mine got lost.

Andrew

Andrew

Odd. I have the mark 1 and my flash doesn't use any cord. Just the hotshoe.

You have the FL-LM2 (as do I).

If you remove the protective cover on the flash, there is the part that slides into the shoe and a plug beneath it.

If you remove the hotshoe cover and the Accessory Port cover on the EM1, the Accessory Port is the socket beneath the hotshoe. On Pens without an EVF, you can use the Accessory Port to mount either an EVF or the FL-LM2.

You can mount a standard flash on the EM1 mk i without removing the Accessory Port cover, because battery powered flashes don't need access to the camera power supply.

The FL-LM3 does away with the need for an AP by adding an extra "Olympus" pin to the hotshoe to provide power.

The FL-LM2 product code is engraved on the bottom of the foot, just behind the protective cover.

The FL-LM3 product code is stencilled on the top right of the back panel, above the On-Off lever.

Hope that helps.

Andrew

Edit: Never mind triggering an external flash. The FL-LM3 is a wonderful tiny fill-in flash when shooting people close up. Unlike the LM2, it swivels etc. I also have a Nissin with Air Commander for triggering a flash not mounted on the body. I usually don't bother because the LM3 is so handy,

--
Infinite are the arguments of mages. Truth is a jewel with many facets. Ursula K LeGuin
Please feel free to edit any images that I post

 

[meow]

I just need it to trigger the old flash. The smaller the better, as long as it's strong enough to trigger the slave.

Something like this? https://reflxlab.com/products/pre-order-reflx-lab-mini-flash I'd suggest searching the Chinese market, I'm quite certain they have similar flashes for not a lot of money. All using internal li-ion batteries charged via USB-C.

Did a bit more searching, found this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008222329350.html

Yes, I also found those. The reflxlab one is out since it's too expensive for what it is (compared to the Godox for instance), and shipping is added too.

Ulanzi also has one that's similar in size and weight to the Godox. It's a little less bright but has an auto mode.

Ulanzi F12 Mini Camera Flash Speedlite for Sony/Canon/Nikon/Panasonic/Olympus

Speedlight camera flashes take lighting and performance to the next level. Take creative control with an external camera flash from Ulanzi. F12 Mini Camera Flash Speedlite for Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, etc. Shop now.

www.ulanzi.com

 

[John Bean (UK)]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

I would use a wireless trigger - there are some around that are "dumb" and cheap. That way the camera just fires a little shoe-mounted transmitter and the slave flash has a little receiver with a hot shoe.

I still have one somewhere that I used way back to trigger studio strobes from the G1 I was using at the time. Worked a treat.

Your other option is just buy any cheap modern dumb flash and use that on the camera. Old flashes sometimes have dangerous voltages on the shoe contacts but new ones are fine. Any flash that has a manual setting should work, it doesn't have to be "compatible".

Wouldn't work if it requires a hot shoe. The old flash was never meant to be put in a hotshoe, so it doesn't have what it takes. It has two ports for cables, but I don't know what kind, if sync cables back then were anything like they are today. We're talking 1980s. I have the manual somewhere on my harddrive. I'll see if I can find it.

The one I have (must look for it!) also has a 3.5mm jack which is how I triggered the studio strobes which of course also lack hot shoes.

There are lots of similar devices available on Amazon as long as you can determine what the connector is on your flash; most strobes use 3.5mm jacks rather than PC, but cables are easy to find if you need to mix and match.

--
John Bean [GMT]
RIP Elliott Erwitt 26 July 1928 - 29 November 2023

 

[meow]

Here's the thing. I have an old but quite good flash from film days I thought I'd try to make use of. I don't usually use flash, but it could be nice to have the means to do so occasionally.

Don't worry, I don't plan on putting the old thing in the hot shoe. I will buy a smaller flash for macro once the one I want is back in stock in my country. So I thought I'd use that to trigger the big flash that can run as slave. Then I thought a really small flash would be handier. The flash that came with E-M1 would be perfect, but it supposedly doesn't work on OM-1.

Then I stumbled on this:
Nearly all flashes are compatible with any hotshoe just for the purpose of firing the flash. The big center pin on the hotshoe is what triggers the flash. All the other pins are for whatever communication each brand adds to the system. So go nuts and mix and match flashes*.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/16tsqks/is_there_a_flash_that_can_work_across_different

Is that true? Is it safe to try the E-M1 flash on the OM? I don't want to cause a meltdown.

IIRC, the flash for the E-M1 Mark III has additional pins to draw power from the body. These are not present on the OM-1, hence the incompatibility.

Ah yes! I didn't think of that it gets the power from the camera. So it won't work then.

Crap. Maybe it's possible to find a really small and cheap flash that would work. I don't want to put too much money into this.

What kind of photography are you doing? What matters most - smallness or cheapness? There's tons of great cheap options from Godox, which opens you up to much more sophisticated flash setups in the future if you end up enjoying it. The Godox system is incredible in its capabilities, depth of options, interoperability among their products and, ultimately, value.

I just need it to trigger the old flash. The smaller the better, as long as it's strong enough to trigger the slave.

By "old flash" you mean the E-M1 flash?

No. The really old flash I wrote about in my OP. It can run as a slave. I just hoped the E-M1 flash could be used to trigger it.

So you see, I don't really plan to use the flash I look for as a flash. I just need it to send out bright enough light for it to be picket up by the old flash.

This.



What I really want, but I don't think there is such a thing, is an kind of an inverted slave trigger. The old flash already has what it takes, it "sees" the light from the other flash and fires when in slave mode. I need something on the camera that sends out the light needed.

This is getting confusing.

 

[ahaslett]

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/product/olympus-fl-lm3-flash/sku-2693992