Using Speedlite 199A with a Canon G12

[fragos]

Just bought a Canon G12 which has the 5 connector flash shoe. I have some older Canon Speedlites that have 3 connector pins and no end of accessories and a hot shoe cable. One in particular is the Canon 199A. I understand the 5 pin connector allows controlling the flash settings from the camera but wonder if I can safely use my 199A on a bracket connected to the G12 with my 3 pin Canon host shoe cable? Would there be any operational gotchas I'd have to look for?

[zona5101]

You may have to google to find a definitive answer but some older flashes, including ones of the 199A era, put out too much voltage when they communicate with the camera and it can fry the camera. I do not know if that is the case w/ the 199a. If it is no, then you can certainly use the 199A with your G12 on top or via the sync cable.

[ccting]

0.02A enough to kill me...

[fragos]

Truthfully I didn't expect many to be able to answer my question. I appreciate those who did. Without the authority of an answer based on personal experience I will consider trying the 199a with my G12 not worth the risk. The G12 has sufficient low light performance for almost any situation I'm likely to be interested in -- I've always favored available light anyway.

[inkista]

According to the botzilla list, the 199A has been measured as having a sync voltage of <5V, so it's safe on all the Canon digital hotshoes.

The thing is, on my G9, there's no eTTL with my 580EX. There is manual power control, but there's no pre-flash auto power setting. And that's eTTL. No idea if the old A-TTL that the 199A is actually going to be communicated effectively, and unfortuantely, the 199A has no other way of setting the power, so unless you're happy to blast the thing off at full power all the time, I'm just not sure what to tell you.

I'd actually say try it and see. Most of the Canon hotshoes these days can actually withstand 250V for the sync, so I doubt you're going to fry anything. And maybe the power-control signalling hasn't changed between A-TTL and E-TTL II. It's worth trying, anyway.

But I'd actually recommend getting radio triggers and doing off-camera lighting. I love using Yongnuo RF-602s or an ST-E2 on my G9.

[fragos]

@inkista thank you very much for the detailed information, actually more than I'd hoped for. You sure are "Gear Geek Girl." I hope I get a chance to return the favor.

[inkista]

No worries, I'm sure you will. BTW, there's a guy who keeps a blog on all his flash adventures with the G-series cameras. There might be some useful information for you here on how the G12 behaves with an external flash: Light Description.

Worse comes to worst, you could try taping off the TTL pins, and just use the fire pin (it's the one in the center) and the flash should at least fire.

Oh. Hey. Didn't realize it had a thyristor in it. That's pre-TTL tech. Might still work as your cutoff.