What is This??

[bob cole]

This Soligor Auto Sensor A.D. Model ASA-1 was in a box of flash stuff I picked up the other day....

Anybody know what it is or how you use it?

 

[bmattock]

Well, it looks as though it were designed to work with a flash unit, to trigger as well as provide variable power output, in the manner of a Vivitar 285 'varipower' unit.

I note that it has an electric contact on the bottom of the shoe, but only one, so it is clearly designed to be triggered by the camera to do something. The markings are "M" and then several colored dots - not unlike the markings on, again, a Vivitar 285.

I see two cables - be interesting to see what the ends of them look like.

I can almost envision that it might be used in combination with a Soligor Sensor II spot meter and some sort of flash unit to coordinate the meter reading with the flash output.

However, that's all guesswork.

 

[bob cole]

What is This??

Well, it looks as though it were designed to work with a flash unit, to trigger as well as provide variable power output, in the manner of a Vivitar 285 'varipower' unit.

I note that it has an electric contact on the bottom of the shoe, but only one, so it is clearly designed to be triggered by the camera to do something. The markings are "M" and then several colored dots - not unlike the markings on, again, a Vivitar 285.

I see two cables - be interesting to see what the ends of them look like.

I can almost envision that it might be used in combination with a Soligor Sensor II spot meter and some sort of flash unit to coordinate the meter reading with the flash output.

However, that's all guesswork.

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thanks, bmattock...
interesting that you would know about this...

In the same stuff I also picked up an antique RF I never heard of -- a German-made Wittnauer Professional with a Synchro Compur shutter and a 50mm/f2.8 Chronostar lens...And when I Googled it, you had answered earlier on the RFF that it was a rebranded Braun Super Colorette IIB...

As for the Soligor thing, there are no ends...the wire begins and ends on the back of the thing...And from what you said, I only have part of the device...

 

[bmattock]

----------------------------------------------------

thanks, bmattock...
interesting that you would know about this...

In the same stuff I also picked up an antique RF I never heard of -- a German-made Wittnauer Professional with a Synchro Compur shutter and a 50mm/f2.8 Chronostar lens...And when I Googled it, you had answered earlier on the RFF that it was a rebranded Braun Super Colorette IIB...

As for the Soligor thing, there are no ends...the wire begins and ends on the back of the thing...And from what you said, I only have part of the device...

Interesting. Does the wire ending in the middle of that dial-looking front pop off or otherwise remove (without ripping it to shreds, of course)? I wonder if it was merely parked there - doesn't make sense to have a wire go from the unit to the same unit.

But anyway, I really just guessing in the dark here. I have no knowledge of this thing, whatever it might be. Just trying to draw on what it reminds me of.

As to the Wittnauer, if you have the same one I had, the lens is removable, although I never found other focal lengths to use with it. Not a terrible little camera, and definitely unusual. I did finally sell mine, one of the few cameras I have ever sold.

 

[ully]

Auto cord for

Auto cord for

off camera flash. Set the camera attachment in the hot shoe and plug the other end into the flash. Allows flash to be held at arms length to remove red eye.

 

[bmattock]

off camera flash. Set the camera attachment in the hot shoe and plug the other end into the flash. Allows flash to be held at arms length to remove red eye.

What's the dial for with M, and then some colors?

It seems needlessly complex to simply be a remote flash cable.

Do you suppose it does anything more?

 

[nikon_sam]

off camera flash. Set the camera attachment in the hot shoe and plug the other end into the flash. Allows flash to be held at arms length to remove red eye.

I agree with this...Vivitar also made something like this for the 283/285 type flashes...Vivitar also made a Flash Bracket to postion the flash off camera and would also allow you to point flash 360*...but still meter flash output in the forward position...
The plug in the center should pop off and possibly a sensor may mount in there...The "M" and colored dots should correspond with flash power output...

 

[bob cole]

What is This??

off camera flash. Set the camera attachment in the hot shoe and plug the other end into the flash. Allows flash to be held at arms length to remove red eye.

thanks, all...maybe this pix of the end of the plug will help...it has four prongs that fit into the back of the device...

 

[bmattock]

I may have found it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vivitar-283-SC-...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

Looks like the guesses were more or less right. From the auction listed (Vivitar instead of Soligor, but I suspect they're the same in this instance), the device went into the hot shoe, then the VP-1 (like the Vari-Power on the front of a Vivitar 285) went into the socket on that. The cable went into the hole left on the front of the flash when you pulled the VP-1 (or Soligor's equivalent) out.

This allowed, yes - to get the flash off the camera - but it also allowed variable power settings and - if this is like the Vivitar listed - an auto-thyrister type function to shut off the flash when proper exposure had been reached.

Kind of cool. I don't know if yours would work in conjuntion with a Vivitar 283, or if you'd need the Soligor equiv (I didn't even know Soligor made flashes).