FED 2 accessory shoe too small

[Gregoris]

Hello

I have a similar problem with ludoo: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74398

the extra difficulty I am encountering is that the accessory shoe is also too small for me to mount anything on it. I bought this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KAISER-13...o%2FUyRYJVEI1TWd0cBnY%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
in the hope of mounting it on the cold shoe of the FED so that I can also use a flash with my old camera.
Is there any painless way (like an adaptor) to make this work, or can I change the cold shoe to a bigger one? Still it would sit too low, so I guess an adaptor would be the ideal solution, if they exist.
Would something like that work? --> http://www.ebay.fr/itm/genuine-Asha...oAccessories&hash=item56546544ca#ht_502wt_931

Thank you.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

This is what I use for a small meter on the Zorki.

It did not cost me much. Keep looking and you will find one for pennies.

Regards, David

 

[Gregoris]

Thank you for the reply and photo.
How would you describe this item on an ebay search, "cold shoe adapter/stand extension"?
The only one that I found on ebay with that description was not that cheap...

 

[rbiemer]

Does your FED2 have a flash synch socket? If so, you might need just a synch cable; some flash units have a socket so that if you're using them on a camera with only an accessory shoe--or using them off the camera--you can use the synch cable instead.
It might be easier to get an older manual flash unit with the synch socket and a synch cable. Whether this will fit on your FED or not is another question, though.
When you say "too small" in which dimension is the problem? Is it that the slot is too tight to slide your flash into? Or, is it that the shoe is too short front to back? Or, is it just not raised enough to clear the camera's top plate?
Depending on what is going on, there are different things you can try.
Good luck!
Rob

 

[Gregoris]

Well, all three that you mentioned - really. Slot too tight, too short front to back and not raised enough.
I don't need a hot shoe, I have succeeded in connecting the flash unit to the sync socket and it works fine, but I need to rest the flash on something. The main problem is the tightness (as you put it). It is only 18mm wide. Most flash units are wider than that.

 

[rbiemer]

What if you made something that would fit into your camera's shoe and then fit your flash?
Maybe something like "FIMO" clay would work?
FIMO is a brand name of a "polymer clay" which can be sculpted and then baked in a home oven to give it pretty good stability and might be worth looking at.
Here is the wikipedia page about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fimo
Not sure where you are located, if you're not in the US, there may be another brand to look for?

Rob

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

One of those old fashioned camera brackets with the B&S head on it for bounce flash might work.The sort with the fat handle that screws into the tripod bush. Like this? Perhaps?

Regards, David