Getting Flash to work with M2

[Flotnik]

I have a Leica M2 camera, and really would like to use my Vivitar Auto Thyristor 2800 flash with it.

The problem is that the Leica M2 does NOT have a hot shoe, it is a cold shoe. The flash unit according to the user manual can be used with a cord to connect the flash to the sync port on the back of the camera.

The problem is every place I have tried insists that I need a "PC" male connector which is like one would use to attach to a sound output jack and thus does not snap in place to make a firm connection.

Might someone be able to provide me the with the information as to what is the correct item to search for; as I have already spent too much, of my fixed income, on cords that do not work.

 

[38Deardorff]

I have a Leica M2 camera, and really would like to use my Vivitar Auto Thyristor 2800 flash with it.

The problem is that the Leica M2 does NOT have a hot shoe, it is a cold shoe. The flash unit according to the user manual can be used with a cord to connect the flash to the sync port on the back of the camera.

The problem is every place I have tried insists that I need a "PC" male connector which is like one would use to attach to a sound output jack and thus does not snap in place to make a firm connection.

Might someone be able to provide me the with the information as to what is the correct item to search for; as I have already spent too much, of my fixed income, on cords that do not work.

UN Leica Nipple Flash Adapter for M2/M3 | Blue Moon Camera

UN Leica Nipple Flash Adapter for M2/M3. This is a modern after-market flash adapter for the Leica M2 and M3 cameras. It tr... Available at Blue Moon Camera

bluemooncamera.com

 

[Rob-F]

You might find one on eBay, for that matter. It's a tiny thing, doesn't have a cord attached. Just a little button. You plug it into the Leica's socket. Then plug your cord into it. Best way to not lose it, is leave it in the camera!

 

[rfaspen]

And then I highly recommend laying a couple squares of masking tape, or a piece of electrical tape on the floor of the cold shoe...... assuming you want to put the flash in the shoe. Otherwise you'll just conduct across the trigger and nothing useful will happen. Not to mention possibility of getting a surprising shock.

 

[Flotnik]

A friend loaned me his old flash and and some AG1B bulbs, and the connection to the back of my M2 worked perfectly. So now I know that the Sync connection is good. He suggested that I try to find a simple hotshoe with a connection cord and slide the hot shoe onto my cold shoe and plug it into the Sync connector. This sounds reasonable. But where do I find such an item? I checked a few places but each one said "out of stock".

Am I now on the right 'track'? And if so where might I find such an item at a reasonable price, I am sure they are out there, but on a fixed income I do not need anything fancy, just something that will work.

 

[splitimageview]

I am unaware of an adapter that will turn a cold shoe into a hot shoe. Just slide your Vivitar flash into the cold shoe and plug it into the sync connection on the back of your M2. You'll need the proper cable for your 2800 and you'll need a sync adapter plug as described earlier for your M2.

 

[Flotnik]

splitimageview said...
"I am unaware of an adapter that will turn a cold shoe into a hot shoe. Just slide your Vivitar flash into the cold shoe and plug it into the sync connection on the back of your M2. You'll need the proper cable for your 2800 and you'll need a sync adapter plug as described earlier for your M2."

That is what I would like to do. BUT, after searching high and low I cannot find the CORRECT sync cord for a Vivitar 2800. It uses from what I have been told a non-standard connector that plugs into the flash unit.

I took my flash unit into a local camera shop and they tried 5 different "Vivitar" sync cords and not one of them would connect to the flash. All of the cords are for more modern versions of Vivitar Flashes.

The store manager said he used to carry a "HOT SHOE" that used a standard sync cord to connect the "HOT SHOE" unit to the Sync connections on older cameras. That adapter could be slid into the cold shoe, or on an external mount like a hand bracket. But once cameras came out with the "Smart Hot Shoe" the market for dumb flashes all but dried up, and so did the adapters.

 

[Beemermark]

You might be better off buying a new flash

 

[Flotnik]

Thought of that, but again, what I can afford are all "hot shoe" flashes. And a camera built in the early 1950's do NOT have a hot shoe connection. come with a hot shoe.

 

[Coldkennels]

@Flotnik, you're going to want to find one of these, as @Beemermark suggested:



This is how I've used my Vivitar flash on my IIIf and Ic for years. The CTOOM bracket it's currently mounted on is also highly recommended - get a metal one like this rather than the plastic one you sometimes see! - as it'll give you far more options for flash "modelling", reduce red-eye, and allow you to still use external finders.

A quick search for "PC Hotshoe Adapter" on eBay brings up a lot of options. Some of them - mostly the cheaper ones - don't come with a PC cord, so you'll need one of those, too. Personally, this would be my choice if mine broke or if I needed another: KAISER 1301 FLASH SHOE ADAPTER HOT FLASH SYNCHRO PC SYNC 1/4" THREAD MOUNT K1301 | eBay UK

And another option, just to complicate things: you can also get M3/M2-to-PC cables like this one: Genuine E. Leitz Flash Sync Cable For Leica M, Boxed.

Running one of those into a hotshoe adapter that doesn't come with a cable would negate the need for an M2-to-PC adapter (and probably result in a better/more reliable connection). I've been looking for a similar one for IIIf/IIIg-to-PC (my IIIg's flash socket doesn't like regular PC cables!), and the M one with the black plug is much cheaper and much easier to find, so I don't think you'll struggle to find one over on the other side of the pond.

 

[Flotnik]

Thank you for this information. I am at the VA hospital now for some rehab, but once I return home, I shall work on finding one. Even with the pain that is about to begin, you have really made my day a much better one!

 

[Coldkennels]

Thank you for this information. I am at the VA hospital now for some rehab, but once I return home, I shall work on finding one. Even with the pain that is about to begin, you have really made my day a much better one!

Good luck, mate. I hope the rehab goes well - be sure to drop in and let us know how the search goes!

 

[Bill Blackwell]

In my many years of owning Leica M3/2 cameras I've never been able to get a flash to work reliably with adapters. I've resigned myself to either getting the sync plugs changed out to the standard type (DAG can do this and it really isn't that expensive to do during a CLA) or accepting that the camera will only be used in available light.