Unknown device, please help

[irmadcow]

Hi all,
Found this shoe adapter (marked canon) with a bunch of my Dads old Canon stuff. I cant find its purpose for the life of me :-( Thank you for any help!

 

[ClickAddict]

I could be wrong, but I believe that pin you see in the left photo is where you plug a cable that the other end would plug into your camera. This would have allowed you to take your flash off camera. (Today this is done wireless)

Do a search for sync cords. You'll see examples of them.

 

[ClickAddict]

Almost looks like your missing a bottom half that would connect to that and have the cord attached to it, but these are before my time.

 

[Gary A.]

I am not familiar with film Canons, but if that hotshot was stamped with 'Nikon', it would slip over the film rewind crank and provide your professional level, non-hotshoe equipped camera with a hotshoe. The pin connects the hotshoe to the camera's circuitry to sync the flash to the shutter release.

Similar to top end digital cameras which don't come with an on-board flash, many top end film cameras did not have a built-in hotshoe. Most pros back then preferred a flash bracket.

 

[jcdeboever]

To @Gary A.'s point with pics

 

[vintagesnaps]

I was thinking the same thing, that it's probably a hot shoe for earlier cameras that didn't have a hot shoe. I don't think I have a Canon early enough to not have one but have a Konica that's from maybe the '60's that doesn't have a hot shoe.

You could look up the virtual Canon Museum.

And happened to think, I do have an F1 that was a 'pro' level SLR that doesn't have a hot shoe. I think SLR's by then usually had them but being a camera intended for pros they would have been less likely to use an onboard camera flash.

 

[irmadcow]

I could be wrong, but I believe that pin you see in the left photo is where you plug a cable that the other end would plug into your camera. This would have allowed you to take your flash off camera. (Today this is done wireless)

Do a search for sync cords. You'll see examples of them.

That is possible, though the pin is spring loaded. Would seem odd that a power pin would be like that. Plus it is really close to the side, almost too close to plug something in. I had thought of that as well. Definitely is meant to create a shoe. Thank you very much for taking the time to reply!

 

[irmadcow]

I was thinking the same thing, that it's probably a hot shoe for earlier cameras that didn't have a hot shoe. I don't think I have a Canon early enough to not have one but have a Konica that's from maybe the '60's that doesn't have a hot shoe.

You could look up the virtual Canon Museum.

And happened to think, I do have an F1 that was a 'pro' level SLR that doesn't have a hot shoe. I think SLR's by then usually had them but being a camera intended for pros they would have been less likely to use an onboard camera flash.

I have an F-1 as well and thought it may be for it, but I thought that the F-1s had shoes attached to the replaceable viewfinders. My F-1 does not have a hot shoe which is why I was thinking in that direction.

 

[photoguy67]

There are several ads on ebay listing an item identical to yours and they are all described as hot shoe flash adapter for Canon F1.

 

[irmadcow]

There are several ads on ebay listing an item identical to yours and they are all described as hot shoe flash adapter for Canon F1.

Ok, I must have missed them. I must have not been using the right key words, just kept seeing hundreds of other shoe adapters. That makes total sense, I was going to check out my F1 again, but have a bad back at the moment and hadn't gotten a chance yet. Thank you very much for your input!