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Author Topic: Phase One Flexadapter Help  (Read 2524 times)

Rudy Torres

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Phase One Flexadapter Help
« on: April 02, 2009, 11:26:37 pm »

Are there any Flexadapter users out there? I'm using mine with strobes in the studio on my Sinar and P25+. I just got the Flexadapter a couple of weeks ago. I have used it on several tryouts and one job now. The issue I'm having is I am firing my strobes twice. Once when I hit the wake-up cable and then another time when I actually take the picture. I have the wake-up cable and the strobes connected to the lens via this multi-sync adapter that turns the single sync port on the lens to 3 ports. Anyway, I mentioned all of this to Phase One and they say it's a grounding problem. What I finally realized is that they meant the building grounding. I know that's not the problem because they asked me to shoot to a card only, which means no physical connection to the computer or to the wall. I got the same result. Oh by the way, it's not the building. The building's pretty new.

I don't think that Phase One is far off though when they say "grounding" is the problem. It might be a grounding issue when it comes to the set-up I have to get this to work. Here's what I have researched so far.
The wake-up cable woks even when it's just simply attached to my P25+ back, all by itself. So that means there is power feeding into the wake-up cable from the Digital back. Sure enough, I measured the power at the end of the wake-up cable and there is 4.5 volts. When I hit the wake-up button the voltage drops dramatically so that button causes a short telling the back to wake-up. Makes sense. Now this 4.5 volts is traveling all over the system when it's all connected to this multi-sync port adapter which is connected to the lens.

Now, the power pack sends 5 volts back through the sync cable which is also attached to the multi-sync thingy attached to the lens just like the wake-up cable is attached. This explains why when I hit the wake-up button the strobes fire because I'm causing that same kind of intentional short that makes strobes fire.

I have tried Pocketwizards but it is the same result. Well I had to wonder why. Well, that's because (after measuring with my volt meter) the Pocketwizard sends 3.2 volts (duh, 2 AA batteries) back through the lens sync.
The Flexadapter has no electronics. It's basically 2 metal plates. I have to take my hat off to Phase One. The Flexadapter is made well.

Well after all of this, not-very-good-explanation, my question is this. Has anyone expereinced this same thing and resolved it? Or is this something I will have to live with?
All of your help is much appreciated. Thanks.

- Rudy / El Paso, TX

P.S. It's gonna be one of my "DUH" moments after you guys explain what I'm doing wrong.

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Doug Peterson

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Phase One Flexadapter Help
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2009, 12:21:05 am »

The normal cable setup is to connect the lens to the back's multi-port connector and then the pocketwizard to the flash sync port on the digital back. The lens to back cable can be one of three wakeup cables: one with a big red wakeup button (we, Capture Integration made those), the Phase One Wakeup cable with a small wakeup button, or the Kapture Group 1-shot cable which includes the Wakeup signal in the cable release.

So to answer your question. I don't know, but if you switch to one of the three wakeup cable solutions you won't have to pop the flash twice.

Doug Peterson
CaptureIntegration.com
Doug@CaptureIntegration.com

Kumar

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Phase One Flexadapter Help
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2009, 12:28:09 am »

Rudy,

If I'm not mistaken, the cable from the flash units to the camera is supposed to go to the Flash Sync connection on the back, not on the lens. The wakeup cable goes from the back to the lens.

Cheers,
Kumar
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yaya

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Phase One Flexadapter Help
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2009, 03:28:52 am »

Quote from: Kumar
Rudy,

If I'm not mistaken, the cable from the flash units to the camera is supposed to go to the Flash Sync connection on the back, not on the lens. The wakeup cable goes from the back to the lens.

Cheers,
Kumar

Sounds like there are too many connections there and the multi-sync thing might be the weak link. If there are 5 volts coming from the strobes this is triggering the back via the multi sync.

The strobes should take the signal from the back and not from the lens as Kumar suggested - be it via PocketWizards or wired (I would recommend PW or similiar, less chance for frying the back with a power surge)

My 2ยข worth

Yair
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Rudy Torres

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Phase One Flexadapter Help
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2009, 09:09:52 am »

OK

I new it. DUH.
I really,...really,...really hate it when I do that.
CAN WE JUST FORGET ABOUT THIS POST. CAN I DELETE IT SOMEHOW.
How embarrassing. Why didn't I realize that. I promise all of you, I did make it past the 3rd grade.

LOL

- Rudy

WOW YAYA, I hope I didn't screw things up. I gotta check it out. I'll be back...
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Rudy Torres

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Phase One Flexadapter Help
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2009, 09:59:51 am »

Everything seems OK.
I just took some test shots tethered and all works well.
It was working fine the other day with my crazy spider wiring method.
Phase One just makes good stuff. If it can withstand a car, dropping it, freezing it, even an elephant, I guess it can also withstand an extra 5 volts. Yikes.
I had to test it anyway since you mentioned it YAYA. Thanks.

But back to the topic....
CAN WE DELETE THIS POST PLEASE, LOL!!!

- Rudy
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