I have been trying to use an Olympus C-2000z with slave flash units. The slave units are triggered by the camera but their flash is not registered on the image. I have tried with the camera set to S, A and P - same lack of results. I have tried with the flash set at front curtain and back curtain - same lack of results. I have tried different types of slave triggers and get the same lack of results with all of them. I thought it might be the particular camera and tried it with another C-2000z - same lack of results. I tried the slave flash units with a Nikon 950 and they worked. Does anyone know what the problem is and how I might fix it?

-- John Wilcox (wilcoxjf@win.bright.net), November 28, 1999

Answers

I believe that Olympus uses a double flash, the first small flash to set the camera up, then the main flash to take the picture. The result is that the pre-flash triggers the slave unit before the picture is actually taken. Somewhere on the 'net I read that the Nikon SB-26 flash unit will work with Olympus flashes, but at $300+ you have to need this capability pretty badly. Since the pre-flash is much weaker than the main flash, you might experiment with neutral density filters over the slave sensor, to reduce it's sensitivity. If that should work, for pete's sake let the rest of us know about it here, and I would like to know via Email, since I might miss it here. Regards and good luck, Cecil

-- Cecil Tumlinson (ctumlinson@sciti.com), December 16, 1999.

I agree that there is a double flash and the first pulse fires the slave. There are some flash units which can be set to ignore the first flash. (e.g. Digi Flash) I found another work around. I turned off the on-camera flash and used a flash connected by a PC cord. This fires the slave units without trouble. You may have to adjust the sensitivity so as not to have the picture washed out.

-- John Wilcox (wilcoxjf@win.brigh.net), December 16, 1999.