I've just upgraded from a Tetra 5000 to a Subal C10. I have 3 or 4 Ike TTL sync cords (duals and singles) I used with my DS125s in the Tetra. I know in order to use the DS125s in manual with the Canon 10D I need to not connect the lower 4 pins from the Canon's hotshoe. Ike's website says to either tape the contacts with electrical tape or buy a non-TTL sync cord. Since there's nothing wrong with the sync cords I have, I'd like to try and not connect the hotshoe contacts.

Here's my question - I remember reading here a while ago that taping hotshoe contacts may leave tape glue on the contacts causing improper firing when a Canon strobe, like the 550EX, is used topside. I've also read in Stephen Frink's 1Ds field journal how he removed several pins from the hotshoe adapter in his Seacam housing.

Removing the pins from the hotshoe adapter seems to be the cleanest solution, is this a simple procedure for a Subal housing without damaging the entire adapter? Has anyone other than Stephen done this successfully?

thanks,
Marty

Looking at the Subal hotshoe it seems to come apart with 3 screws.

Why not take them out and see what lies within?

Mind you you will break the First Law of the home engineer: "NEVER pull apart anything with springs in it".

Doesn't the Subal come with alternate connectors INSIDE the housing - one TTL and one non? I don't think you need to mask off contacts with modern Subal housings.

yes, there are two connectors on the board inside the housing that the bulkhead connectors can be attached to. but there is nothing in the booklet that came with the housing that says one is for TTL and one is not, nor are there any markings on the board itself. If in fact that's why there are two connectors, that would be terrific. I'll have to send off an email to Subal and ask them if that's what they're for.

thanks a lot!

Doh! So here's one from "you should try it first before asking dumb questions". I finally connected everything up tonight and noticed the Subal's nikonos bulkheads have on 3 pins in them instead of the usual 5. Hooked everything up, set it all on manual and everything seems to be working as expected.

So what do you do if you want to shoot TTL with a housed SB flashgun? I thought the bulkheads should come with 5 pins, and you correct the ribbon cable inside the housing to one white socket or another depending on if you want a 3-wire connection or 5 wire connection.

There is another post in this forum with PHOTOS of what this looks like.

James

Here is the reply from Subal -

The circuit board provides 4 sockets (two left side and two right side). For manual strobe application the cables coming from the bulkheads have to be plugged to the outside (left and right) located sockets. These sockets are providing 3 pins only for manual strobe mode.

A.Stepanek

SUBAL austria
A.Stepanek GmbH.
Leopold Werndlstr. 31
A - 4400 Steyr


The bulkhead connectors definitely have only 3 pins in them. Maybe because Subal doesn't make a housing for the 550EX they don't even give you the option in the bulkhead. So if a TTL strobe ever did come out for Canon it looks like I would need to upgrade the bulkhead connectors. In summary, I'm not worried about it since it seems to work well in manual.

Marty

I regularly interchange my Nikon D100 subal between 2 (could use three but works also with 2) and 5 pin format. I often do this between dives swapping from a housed SB80DX to Subtronic Alphas - I swap the flashes with my F100.
I have my Subal wired up with all 5 connected and just use a thin strip of plastic paper of plastic paper with a hole in the middle to block the small pins.
This works fine for me. But I agree that TTL is not really necessary of DSLRs.

http://wetpixel.com/modules.php?op=modload...4107&highlight=

Sorry i should have read the post properly...