About this project
Provide an adapter to use older flashes (5400XI/HS, 5200i, 3500xi, maybe others) with newer digital SLR cameras from Konica-Minolta / Sony (Dimage Ax, Dynax 7D/5D, Sony A100)
How?
Using an Atmel ATtiny13 microcontroller it is possible to listen to the communication between camera and flash. The controller decodes the information and translates commands not understood by the older flashes (fire preflash, time main flash according to exposure value told by cam). In addition, it takes care of the new wireless protocol.
Features?
The adapter only touches commands not known to older flashes. So already working features (AF illuminator, zoom reflector, distance display on flash) work even after modification.
So you´ll get a fully working program flash with both wired and wireless support. HSS on 5400HS isn´t supported yet.
Compatibility
The adapter is now compatible with Dynax 5D, 7D, Dimage A1/A2 and Sony A100 (5400HS/XI only, no 5200i).Supported flashes are 5400HS, 5400XI, 5200i, 3500XI.
Newer Sony Alpha cameras (A700, A200, A350) are not supported (yet). I don't have any of them, so I can't do the modifications. Support for these cameras depends on user contribution.
Unfortunately, the last software does not maintain compatibility with analog cameras. When used with 7xi, the flash fires but way to weak for proper exposure. With a 700si the camera is completely blocking until you remove the flash. Don´t know if nor when this will be resolved. I got some reports the flash will work with Dynax 7 in ADI and preflash-TTL-mode. Does the 7 even support TTL-OTF?
IMPORTANT The new wireless mode is controlled by the adapter, so you MUST NOT switch the flash to wireless anymore. Follow these instructions:- mount flash on cam (only neccessary with new adapter or after changeing wireless channel)
- set camera to "wireless"
- remove flash, it should show "W.L.-1" now
- switch flash to normal mode (i.e., disable wireless!)
- pop up cam flash, press "AEL" for wireless test. cam should respond
Now you can use the wireless mode as usual. There´s no need for any mode switching, the adapter recognizes any command through the hot shoe and will switch modes automatically. Automatic power down after 4 min is disabled when using wireless mode. The red light will NOT blink - this is the drawback ;-) Power down is re-enabled once the flash is used on hot shoe.
Schematics
Eagle-Files
schematics - flashconv.sch
layout - flashconv.brd
Software
flashconv-0.8.3
flashconv-0.8.4 - bugfixes, M mode support
flashconv-0.8.5 - more bugfixes ;-), 2s-selftimer support added
flashconv-0.9.3 - Full support for Dynax D7D and Dimage A1
flashconv-0.9.4 - Support for Dynax 5D and 5200i, bugfixes
flashconv-0.9.5 - Some fixes
flashconv-0.9.6 - Better structure for const.h
flashconv-0.9.7 - Support for A100 on 5400HS
flashconv-0.9.8 - Bugfix for 5200i support
This source is for avr-gcc. The tarball contains an AVRStudio project file for easy compiling using AVRStudio in combination with WinAVR.
The fully featured version with wireless support uses all I/O-ports on the Tiny. This means you´ll have to set RSTDISBL fuse and ISP programming with simple parallel port adapter is no longer possible. So for testing purposes I recommend to disable wireless (see const.h) first. If it works OK, enable wireless, build new binary, flash and set fuses. Fuse bytes: non-wireless - high: 0xfb, low: 0x7a wireless - high: 0xfa, low: 0x7a
Kit?
The kits are available now. The combination 5400HS/XI with Dynax cameras is well tested. Feedback on A100 versions is good, however, I did not test these software by myself.
Price: 30,- EUR excl. shipping
PCB without components: 6,- EUR excl. shipping
Shipping is 2,50 EUR within Germany, 4,00 EUR for other countries. For questions: blitzadapter@voitzsch.net
Assembly instructions
See here for details.