Assembly and Operating Instructions for HiViz Kits

 

Connection Methods for Flash and Camera

 

Use the following information to determine the best connection methods for your flash, camera, or wireless controller.

 

Connections to a flash unit from a breadboard circuit: The breadboard end of the cable will have bare wires. The flash unit end of the cable must have a connector compatible with your flash unit. The following methods cover nearly all possibilities. Note that some flash units cannot be triggered with any of these methods. The Nikon SB-400 is one such unit.

 

1. If your flash has a hot foot, you can use a Flash-to-PC adapter. This method will generally work when options 2 and 3 below are unavailable to you.
2. If your flash has a PC jack, you can use a PC cable with bare wires.
3. If your flash is a Vivitar 283/285HV/37000, you can use a Vivitar PC-1 type cable.

 

Connection to a flash unit from a Multi-Trigger enclosure: The connector for the enclosure is a male RCA plug. The connection methods for the flash unit are the same as those above.

 

Connections to wireless controller from a breadboard or Multi-Trigger enclosure: The type of connector will depend on your wireless controller. If your controller has a hot foot or PC jack, method 1 or 2 above will work. Some controllers--the PocketWizard, for example--have a 3.5mm jack. In that case, you can use a 3.5mm plug on the end of the cable that connects to the controller.

 

See this table for connection points of flash units and wireless controllers to breadboard circuits.

 

Connections to a camera from a breadboard circuit: There are two methods.

 

1. A Camera Opto-Switch provides complete electrical isolation of the camera from the trigger circuit. The output of the trigger circuit actuates the Opto-Switch which, in turn, actuates the camera shutter. Besides the Opto-Switch box, two cables are required, a trigger cable and a shutter cable. The trigger cable has bare wires on one end to connect to a breadboard (or an RCA plug to connect to a Multi-Trigger enclosure) and an RCA plug on the other end to connect to the Opto-Switch box. The shutter cable connects to the Opto-Switch box with a 3.5mm stereo plug and to the camera with the plug appropriate to the camera's shutter socket. See this table for connection points of the Opto-Switch to breadboard circuits.

2. The do-it-yourself method described here is a simpler and faster method, but it doesn't provide complete electrical isolation for your camera. The camera and trigger circuit share a common ground. Connections to a breadboard circuit are the same as for a flash unit.