Wireless Flash Help

[jdjen]

First off let me say HELLO.

I am new to this forum, not really new to photography but I'm starting to take it a little more serious than I have in the past and would consider myself reaching for the bottom rung of the novice/ amateur ladder trying to pull myself up. I am fairly new to the digital SLR world and would still like to use my some of my Minolta equipment with my Sony Alpha a200, and am wondering about compatibility of the flash, all my old lenses work as they should.

Here's my problem.

I have a Promaster 6000Xi dedicated automatic flash ( I can find NO info on it with the exception of a PDF of the instruction manual) and it works on the hot shoe of the camera. It will sync up with the camera in wireless mode and will only flash when the AEL button is pushed on the camera.

The RED "Ready Light" goes off and comes back on when it the shutter is released but no flash from the unit, only the pop-up flash works. But like I stated when I push the AEL button on the camera it will flash.

Right now I really can't afford to buy another flash that is comparable ($229 was what I was quoted) so I would like to continue using this one.

Would a Wireless Trigger unit solve my problems?

Thanks for any help.

 

[tirediron]

Welcome! Can't offer any help on the flash, but radio triggers would solve the problem, as would a PC sync cord if your camera body and flash support it. You could also use an inexpensive optical trigger if you were using your on-camera flash to trigger it.

 

[KmH]

Up until 1988 Minolta used the industry standard ISO-518 hot shoe contact layout. They then changed to the odd-ball - iISO hot shoe contact layout which Sony retained when they bought out the SLR camera part of Konica Minolta's business in 2006.

You will need wireless equipment specifically made to work on your Sony/Minolta hot shoe connector layout, or get adaptors for the camera hot shoe and the speedlight(s) from somewhere like flashzebra.com.

iISO flash shoe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[tirediron]

Up until 1988 Minolta used the industry standard ISO-518 hot shoe contact layout. They then changed to the odd-ball - iISO hot shoe contact layout which Sony retained when they bought out the SLR camera part of Konica Minolta's business in 2006.

You will need wireless equipment specifically made to work on your Sony/Minolta hot shoe connector layout, or get adaptors for the camera hot shoe and the speedlight(s) from somewhere like flashzebra.com.

iISO flash shoe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Huh... I did not know that. Thanks!