External Power for a 550ex
Following on a thread I posted in the Strobist group on Flickr, here's my quick look at making external power for my 550ex.
Recharge times for the battery are: Full power 6 seconds, 1/2 power is 2 seconds. 1/4 power and below charge instantly.
Okay folks.. I know this post is moot for a lot of you and I'm dragging it up. I did pull out the foamcore and get my ass in gear for a whole bunch of images to show what I did and it in action.
Parts list: 6v 4.2Ah SLA battery, SLA charger, 2 14mm dowels, 2 female, 1 male power connector. Soldering iron, tape, screws, dremel/drill.
1.) Here's the charger: Fortunately it came with a very long cable with spade connectors. I immediately decide that it would be best to cut near the charger and add a set of male female connecters there:
2) Here's the charger with the connectors added. These had wire on them already so I stripped them back and the solder the wires. To seal I used insulating tape. I would've preferred crimp connectors, but this was what they had.
3) Here's the cable connected to the battery: You can see the pins on the male connector. I had to choose where the male went. I choose this end because I thought it was better this end than on the charger. You may prefer it the other way.
4) To get power into the flash, I created some wooden batteries using 14mm dowel, courtesy of my instrument making friend. He also cut a V along the edge to allow the cable to sit mostly flush.
5) Here's the completed fake batteries that get power into the flash. You can see the solder on the + battery which allows it to make proper contact internally. I actually made the + one shorter because both cables pass over it on the way out, requiring more room than over by the - battery.
6) The batteries correctly placed inside the battery compartment of my 550ex.
7) Here's the lead coming out, showing where I dremeled a cutout on the battery compartment door, to allow the lead to sit along the flash.
8) The battery powering the flash.
9) Firing using my DIY sync socket.
10) Just showing the sync socket.
11) The setup. Loads of foamcore and a Sigma 500 into a white brolly at 1/8. Triggered with the GI trigger.
12) The whole shebang. Triggered the 550ex with the GI trigger. The Sigma triggered optically.
A quick note on the Sigma. It will only trigger with the wireless triggers in ETTL or Slave mode. In C0 Slave mode, it will trigger either via the wireless or optically.
Recharge times for the battery are: Full power 6 seconds, 1/2 power is 2 seconds. 1/4 power and below charge instantly.
Okay folks.. I know this post is moot for a lot of you and I'm dragging it up. I did pull out the foamcore and get my ass in gear for a whole bunch of images to show what I did and it in action.
Parts list: 6v 4.2Ah SLA battery, SLA charger, 2 14mm dowels, 2 female, 1 male power connector. Soldering iron, tape, screws, dremel/drill.
1.) Here's the charger: Fortunately it came with a very long cable with spade connectors. I immediately decide that it would be best to cut near the charger and add a set of male female connecters there:
2) Here's the charger with the connectors added. These had wire on them already so I stripped them back and the solder the wires. To seal I used insulating tape. I would've preferred crimp connectors, but this was what they had.
3) Here's the cable connected to the battery: You can see the pins on the male connector. I had to choose where the male went. I choose this end because I thought it was better this end than on the charger. You may prefer it the other way.
4) To get power into the flash, I created some wooden batteries using 14mm dowel, courtesy of my instrument making friend. He also cut a V along the edge to allow the cable to sit mostly flush.
5) Here's the completed fake batteries that get power into the flash. You can see the solder on the + battery which allows it to make proper contact internally. I actually made the + one shorter because both cables pass over it on the way out, requiring more room than over by the - battery.
6) The batteries correctly placed inside the battery compartment of my 550ex.
7) Here's the lead coming out, showing where I dremeled a cutout on the battery compartment door, to allow the lead to sit along the flash.
8) The battery powering the flash.
9) Firing using my DIY sync socket.
10) Just showing the sync socket.
11) The setup. Loads of foamcore and a Sigma 500 into a white brolly at 1/8. Triggered with the GI trigger.
12) The whole shebang. Triggered the 550ex with the GI trigger. The Sigma triggered optically.
A quick note on the Sigma. It will only trigger with the wireless triggers in ETTL or Slave mode. In C0 Slave mode, it will trigger either via the wireless or optically.
posted by SeanMcC @ 9:06 PM
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