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Photo Forum / General Photo Topics / General Topics / December 2005Metz Flash Information
I have inherited several older Metz flashes and accessories-- the flashes are the 45CT-4 and the 60CT-2. I managed to get instruction manuals for the flashes, but do not have all the necessary accessories to fully test them. Here's where I need some help... I want to power these units off of 120VAC, not battery. I know that "mains" power adapters were available for them and a fairly stiff price. Does anyone have info on making your own mains adapter(s)? Are repair schematics available? Finally, I know that many older flashes are unusable with newer digital cameras without something like a "SafeSync." Are there any sort of electronic adapters available for these flashes that will allow integration with a newer Canon EOS 20D? Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give, and please pardon the crosspost as I'm not certain which group is best for this... ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** >I have inherited several older Metz flashes and accessories-- the > flashes are the 45CT-4 and the 60CT-2. I managed to get instruction [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > "mains" power adapters were available for them and a fairly stiff > price. Does anyone have info on making your own mains adapter(s)? Nickle metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable AA cells are very cheap these days. Why use 120VAC and risk tripping over the wire and break your camera and the flash? Hooking it to an AC supply will allow me to re-form the capacitors inside the flash better, and faster--they haven't been used in a good while. I've hooked another type of flash that needed re-forming up to batteries and it was a PITA to get it working again. Also, I'll be using it in a "studio" setup and re-charging batteries (as well as checking them before a shoot) woulad also be a PITA during normal use. >>I have inherited several older Metz flashes and accessories-- the >> flashes are the 45CT-4 and the 60CT-2. I managed to get instruction [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >Why use 120VAC and risk tripping over the wire and break your camera and the >flash? ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** I use both those flash guns regularly - I have never had the need to use mains power with them, a fully charged high capacity NiMH set of AA cells provide upwards of 200 full powered flashes on the CT45 and about 150 on the CT60. As for their use with digital cameras, well I have used both with Fuji Finepix S1Pro, Fuji Finepix S1Pro, Fuji Finepix 6900, Nikon D70, Nikon D70s and the new Nikon D50. So far the cameras I used them on seem to have suffered no ill effects. >I have inherited several older Metz flashes and accessories-- the > flashes are the 45CT-4 and the 60CT-2. I managed to get instruction [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > crosspost as I'm not certain which group is best for this... > ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** Nigel-- Thanks for the response. I was finally able to successfully test the 45's this afternoon as a friend came up with the necessary battery holders for mounting in the handles. I'd still like to power those off of a mains supply for studio use...and since he found a couple of adapters that fit a Quantum battery and plug into the battery holder hole in the handle I think I'll be set. However, I've no such luck on the 60's The only power input for those handles are the odd three-conductor cords that plug into the external batt box/chargers. I believe the dryfit batteries that go into those are toast, as my attempts to charge them have been unsuccessful. I don't want to invest in expensive batteries at this point until I verify the flashes work...and would rather use them off the mains anyway. Do you have any idea about how much voltage is provided to the 60 through those cables...and what the polarity might be? >I use both those flash guns regularly - I have never had the need to use >mains power with them, a fully charged high capacity NiMH set of AA cells [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >> crosspost as I'm not certain which group is best for this... >> ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** > Nigel-- > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** Did you ask Metz in Germany for info? If you're in the USA, did you ask Bogen, who imports Metz? Morton >> Nigel-- >> [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > >Morton Metz Germany gave me a little info but referred me to Bogen US. Bogen sent a couple of instruction sheets that were hard -to-read (multiple generation photocopies) and didn't answer my questions about compatibility other than being able to use the flash in A and M modes, not E-TTL. I'm wondering also if I can hook up the remote sensors to the hotshoe (are they compatible?) and trigger the flash from there. ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** >However, I've no such luck on the 60's The only power input for those >handles are the odd three-conductor cords that plug into the external [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >anyway. Do you have any idea about how much voltage is provided to >the 60 through those cables...and what the polarity might be? The dryfit batteries in the 60 series are 6V. So, if you connect a 6V lab power supply to the battery terminals, you should be able to charge the capacitor and verify that the whole thing works.  SignatureThat was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make. -- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency >>However, I've no such luck on the 60's The only power input for those >>handles are the odd three-conductor cords that plug into the external [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > power supply to the battery terminals, you should be able to charge the > capacitor and verify that the whole thing works. Also, if the batteries aren't available there is another option. I can't remember the website I saw it on, but it looked like a viable idea. The crafty person made fake batteries out of wooden dowel with brass contacts (maybe chromed srews?) to make contact with the battery contacts in the compartment that are connected to a power supply outside the flashgun. I think they had to make a notch in the battery compartment cover in order to run a power cable from the fake batteries out to a power supply (which could be more easily bought batteries or a plugpack/wall wart). >>> However, I've no such luck on the 60's The only power input for those >>> handles are the odd three-conductor cords that plug into the external [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > order to run a power cable from the fake batteries out to a power supply > (which could be more easily bought batteries or a plugpack/wall wart). I found a good example here: <http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5556> >>>However, I've no such luck on the 60's The only power input for those >>>handles are the odd three-conductor cords that plug into the external [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >order to run a power cable from the fake batteries out to a power supply >(which could be more easily bought batteries or a plugpack/wall wart). Yes, that would work for some flashes. Not the 60, however. There are no capabilities for a built-in battery pack; the external battery pack/charger holds the battery. Rigging an external adaptor in this situation would be...kind of silly. I do have a couple of Vivitar flashes that could benefit, though... ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** Just remove the 2 screws to take apart the Dryfit battery pack. The CT60's dryfit battery pack is made up of 5 C sized NiCad cells soldered serially into a 6V battery. You can get relatively cheap NiMH cells to replace the NiCad cells. >Nigel-- > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >anyway. Do you have any idea about how much voltage is provided to >the 60 through those cables...and what the polarity might be? >Just remove the 2 screws to take apart the Dryfit battery pack. The >CT60's dryfit battery pack is made up of 5 C sized NiCad cells >soldered serially into a 6V battery. You can get relatively cheap >NiMH cells to replace the NiCad cells. You are talking about the NiCd pack. The dryfit pack is sealed. SignatureThat was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make. -- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency I got really excited for a minute there...thanks for pointing that out. I was wondering how well a NiMH pack would charge up in a NiCad charger anyway... >>Just remove the 2 screws to take apart the Dryfit battery pack. The >>CT60's dryfit battery pack is made up of 5 C sized NiCad cells >>soldered serially into a 6V battery. You can get relatively cheap >>NiMH cells to replace the NiCad cells. > >You are talking about the NiCd pack. The dryfit pack is sealed. ** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** It doesn't matter if it's dryfit or NiCad. The key is to re-use the battery container as it fits the charger pack which the flash plugs into. If there are no screws, just cut it open with a dremel tool and tape it back together when battery has been replaced with 5 X C cells. As for charging NiMH or NiCad batteries, these two can be charged with the same charger because both can accept high current. Just don't mix NiCad or NiMH with LiIon chargers because Lithium Ion batteries can't take high current. I use a Maha C777Plus2 charger to charge & discharge the Metz battery pack along with a whole bunch of other camera batteries. If you prefer to use the Metz charger pack to charge the battery, just be aware that there's a metal tab you have to flip to choose between charging the dryfit battery vs NiCad battery. >I got really excited for a minute there...thanks for pointing that >out. I was wondering how well a NiMH pack would charge up in a NiCad [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >** To respond, remove the crap from my addy... ** > It doesn't matter if it's dryfit or NiCad. The key is to re-use the > battery container as it fits the charger pack which the flash plugs > into. If there are no screws, just cut it open with a dremel tool and > tape it back together when battery has been replaced with 5 X C cells. A hair dryer may work better. It won't open the cases ultrasonicly welded together, but it will open the ones that are hot glued. Geoff. SignatureGeoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 The trouble with being a futurist is that when people get around to believing you, it's too late. We lost. Google 2,000,000:Hams 0. |
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