Flash for Canon P

[Themckane]

Hi

what electronic flash can I buy that willl work with a Canon P

Thanks

 

[Mablo]

Metz produces a series of inexpensive "Automatic Flash Units" (see: http://www.metz.de/en/photo-electronics/mecablitz-models/automatic-flash-units.html) which are designed with older cameras in mind but can be used with any camera. Most old flashes from the -70's up to -90's use that same "Automatic" metering technology and are compatible with just about any film camera. Many people here use old Vivitar strobes.

Your Canon P needs a flash sync cord between the camera and the flash. Canon P's flash sync speed is quite low (it's that red X on the shutter speed dial), something like 1/50s or lower but it's doable.

 

[Thomas78]

Yes, you can use any (classic) automatic or even manual flash for it.
I used a very compact manual flash with a FED-2 for some time.
You just read the object distance on your lens after focusing and look at the table at the back of the flash for the approptiate aperture.

The shutter speed is about 1/55 s according to some websites:

http://www.cameraquest.com/canonp.htm
http://www.dantestella.com/technical/canonp.html
http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Canon_RF_2e.html
http://www.photoethnography.com/equipment.html

 

[flip]

Hi,

I grabbed a metz 34 cs2 off Amazon. I hooked it via sync cable to the canon p's side connector but the flash does not trigger. Are there specific requirements beyond flash on and cable connected with dial set to X for this to work?

Thanks,
Phil

 

[charjohncarter]

I would recommend the flash unit I love for my RF and SLR cameras, but I don't want to drive up the price. PM me if you want to know.

 

[Mablo]

I sometimes used a Vivitar 283 + sync cable with the P. It worked very well. It's a relatively large flash unit and I found a L-bracket very handy with it.

 

[flip]

Well, perhaps I asked the question poorly. I think the flash should be OK in manual on the P, but I wonder why it won't trigger.

 

[sevo]

Well, perhaps I asked the question poorly. I think the flash should be OK in manual on the P, but I wonder why it won't trigger.

I have successfully used that flash with a variety of vintage cameras, so there is nothing generic wrong with that combination. A first check would be to plug the cable into the flash, switch it on and short-circuit the coaxial PC contacts of the loose (camera side) end with a nail or some other small metal object - the flash should fire.

If it does not, there is something wrong with it, whether a production flaw, power issues (I've found that weak batteries of some brands may cause the flash to shut down seconds after switching on, so the ready light immediately after powering up is no safe indicator that the batteries are still good) or wrong settings (the most popular features of that particular flash are a variety of slave modes, while you need to set it as master, with the front side mode switch on "0").If you can trigger the flash by PC cable, but not with the camera, the contacts in the camera will be worn/bent/dirty, and you'll have to get the camera fixed to use it with flash.

 

[Dez]

The flash contacts in a Canon P, as I recall, are toward the back and behind the shutter dial. They will get crudded up with time, and probably need to be cleaned. It is not a difficult job, but you do need to take the top off the camera. Do the test trying to fire the flash by shorting out the PC connector as suggested above, and if the flash is OK, you will need to do a bit of repair work.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[flip]

Understood. I will look into the contacts. Thanks!
P

 

[Ste_S]

Resurrecting this as I’m after a compact flash for my Canon P.

I want a flash with a couple of auto settings up to about 25ft on the full(er) power auto setting. I need reasonably quick recycle times, and of course it needs to run on pc sync.
I don’t need bounce and I need it to be reasonably compact, smaller than the ubiquitous Vivitar 283.

I’ll be using it for street portraits at night. Any suggestions ?

 

[Dan Daniel]

Resurrecting this as I’m after a compact flash for my Canon P.

I want a flash with a couple of auto settings up to about 25ft on the full(er) power auto setting. I need reasonably quick recycle times, and of course it needs to run on pc sync.
I don’t need bounce and I need it to be reasonably compact, smaller than the ubiquitous Vivitar 283.

I’ll be using it for street portraits at night. Any suggestions ?

Sunpak 433? Not small but smaller than the Vivitars.

All in all, filling unwalled areas at night is going to take power, and power takes size. Don't expect miracles from compact units; then again something small like a Sunpak 121 works great for me on a compact rangefinder.

Anyway, look around the Sunpak flashes. Not hard to find used ones that do very well.

 

[Ste_S]

Sunpak 433? Not small but smaller than the Vivitars.

All in all, filling unwalled areas at night is going to take power, and power takes size. Don't expect miracles from compact units; then again something small like a Sunpak 121 works great for me on a compact rangefinder.

Anyway, look around the Sunpak flashes. Not hard to find used ones that do very well.

Thanks, both of those models look to be USA units which I can't get over here in the UK.
It's part of the problem - there's so many different models it's a pain trying to work out what's suitable and available

 

[Newsman68]

I sometimes used a Vivitar 283 + sync cable with the P. It worked very well. It's a relatively large flash unit and I found a L-bracket very handy with it.

I use a 283 and a smaller Vivitar flash with my Model P with no problem.