Gast
Hello,
I’ve got a silly question: does anyone here know anything about early electronic flashlights (from around the mid-to-late 1950s)? I’d really like to get my hands on one of those ‘toys’.
I’m not quite sure what to look for, though, as I’m not very familiar with the model names or manufacturers.
I’d be grateful for any links or information to help me find one.
Unfortunately, my father – without telling me – got rid of his around 1980. If I remember correctly, it was made by Braun, but that’s all I know.
Erwin
cfb_de
Hello Erwin,
I don’t know much about this sort of thing. But: searching for “Multiblitz” in conjunction with “Mannesmann” or for “Metz” in conjunction with “Mecablitz” might be helpful.
Old bits of kit like that usually sell on eBay under antiques or photography equipment. Or at the nearest flea market.
But be careful: firstly, the capacitors are likely to be shot (and operating it is therefore not without risk!), and secondly, the power supplies are rated for 220V. We don’t have that anymore, though; we now have 235V. And that’s where the second danger lies for you. Because: they’re electrically fused for 220V and not for ten to fifteen per cent more. Spare parts aren’t available anymore either, and a working one... *I* wouldn’t try to see if the flea market find still works, knowing it could blow up in my face.
And a silly little capacitor like that packs quite a punch when the aluminium casing bursts. Not just in terms of electrical charge, but mechanical force too.
It’s fine for display in a cabinet, but even I’d be too scared to run it.
Best regards,
Franz
Gast
Erwin,
I’ve got one, but I’m not giving it away – maybe the name will help!
Hapotron (Photo Porst) from 1954, with battery and mains power (110, 125, 220 and 240 volts), a leather case and an oversized flash reflector.
I had the battery replaced at some point and have been recharging it ever since; you absolutely must do the same, otherwise it’ll be on its last legs soon.
Franz,
what you’re saying makes me feel uneasy, when I think that I use it to take photos every now and then.
Regards,
Otto
Gast
Stagirit
That reminds me of those old Bron generators again.
I think it was the 405 or something like that – in any case, a clunky green metal box on wheels where the capacitors would often blow. Sometimes a whole cascade of them would go, so you really needed some brave photographers.
Until recently, I still had an old Braun flash, but I got rid of it because the charging unit had given up the ghost and I couldn’t get a replacement for the flash tube. You can’t compare it to today’s TTL flashes; that one was still designed for 25 ASA film and a 1:5.6 lens.
Wolf_XL
...if you’re just interested in old technology, have a look at the Elgawa products from the GDR... They’re quite amusing. To charge it, you had to plug the device into the socket – after that, you had a single flash available. For ‘outdoor’ use, there was a battery-powered generator that provided the 220 V needed to charge it... For a photographer spoilt by modern gear, it’s all rather ‘strange’... ;-)))
Gast
Hi Franz,
Word’s got round that you’re a chemist, but you’re that bad at working with percentages???
Regards,
Axel
Stagirit
That’s true – you don’t blow a capacitor that easily.
And the 230V thing is a bit of a tricky one in itself; when measured at the socket, the voltage can vary between 210 and 230V depending on the region. But that doesn’t make much difference with alternating current.
Gast
Hello,
Thank you very much. I now have a few pointers to go on. I’d like a device (or something similar) like the one in the link, though I don’t think I could get the one shown working again as it seems to be missing some parts.
Yes, I know it’s a bit of a pipe dream on my part, but if others are performing the coating on their own glass plates, then I need the right flash for my Ikoflex.
Otto,
how do you get on with the shop? My father had a battery-powered device; I haven’t given it much thought until now.
Erwin
Gast
Oh, and one more thing – is it really life-threatening to use the devices, as Franz says, or have I got that wrong?
Gast
If they are still in working order, the protective insulation should be sufficient; whether a device that your grandfather last held in his hands 20 years before his death actually works is another matter entirely. Today’s higher voltage naturally has a detrimental effect on the lifespan of electrical devices. The generators in flash units are often separate components and supply power to the flash via a cable.
Thyristor control didn’t exist back then; they always fired at full power. The very short flash durations of these devices can be interesting in practical applications.
P.S.: The generators have a relay-based DC/AC converter, which will produce a veritable barrage of interference signals.
cfb_de
Hi Axel,
Percentage calculations are something for the basic training course. No, seriously: you’re right and I’ve got it wrong. It can happen after a 14-hour day.
Best regards,
Franz
huehnerhose
Good morning!
Everything I’ve written here is based on the assumption that these things operate on direct current in some way!
Unfortunately, I haven’t really got a clue how these old things work, but they must have rectifiers inside to charge their capacitors and thus provide that brief electrical discharge. Unless my knowledge of physics is completely at odds with reality, I can’t imagine how they could possibly operate on alternating current in any way – provided the light discharge is coupled with a stored electrical discharge.
Option 1:
After rectification, there should be a storage capacitor and – if a higher rectified voltage is produced due to increased mains voltage, as this is not regulated – this should actually be the source of the problems. Personally, I can’t really imagine that the voltage isn’t regulated upwards. (Now, I can’t say when Z-diodes were ‘introduced’, but I think they must have been 40s, so a simple voltage clipping should actually have been possible. Otherwise, there would be other options as well)
So: I think if any problems are conceivable at all, it’s because the power supply is being overloaded. In that case, you could simply replace the filament capacitors and/or install a voltage regulator to potentially get everything back on track.
Option 2:
Unsmoothed rectification. In that case, the capacitors for energy storage would be addressed/charged without smoothing. In that case, you would simply need to limit the charging current to the maximum capacity of the capacitors or replace the capacitors.
So, if you’re really worried about just giving it a go and seeing what happens: simply replace the capacitors beforehand. Otherwise, just take a step back and see what happens :)
Regards
Sebastian
Wolfram
Hello,
I’ve been using my METZ CT45 stick flash for years whenever the need arises.
I reckon it’s been manufactured almost unchanged every year since the Stone Age.
It looks great on relatively old cameras and is an effective, powerful and reliable companion.
Thanks to the SCA adapter, the newer models also work well with modern high-tech digital cameras.
So: one for everything.
I’m always delighted when I see it in old films.
Just as I am at today’s press events.
Guide number 45 is more than you usually need.
Thanks to the power divider, the flash can be dimmed and has quite reliable automatic apertures.
And it doesn’t look as out of place next to an MF camera as a small clip-on flash would.
I now run mine on cheap batteries.
The original rechargeable batteries require a lot of maintenance, are expensive and don’t last very long.
Filling the delicate battery tray with rechargeable batteries, which I did for years, results in very long charging times and, especially at events, few flashes.
Especially since, as we recall, the rechargeable batteries only have 1.2V, as opposed to the 1.5V from standard batteries.
You could also insert AA rechargeable batteries with tabs into the original battery tray.... (There are 5 batteries in the battery tray, 6 rechargeable batteries in the battery tray.)
I’ve already managed over 250! flashes from a single set of batteries. Admittedly, using the automatic mode.
The various versions are available second-hand, depending on the model and features, from as little as €10. You know where to find them.
The accessories, however, are relatively expensive, if you need them.
If you have any issues: the company METZ is still in business.
I’m very happy with mine.
It’s a lovely piece of kit.
Regards
Wolfram
Andreas_23
Hello Erwin,
The Metz CT 45 is a real classic. The Braun stick-type flashes from the second half of the 1970s are also lovely units. But do watch out for the BVC model designation. These require standard AA batteries or rechargeable batteries. I have a 370 BVC (guide number 37) myself. There was also a 420 BVC (guide number 42). There shouldn’t be any issues with changes in mains voltage either, as they aren’t connected to the mains. The models with the VC designation (standing for Vario-Computer) have built-in special rechargeable batteries, which almost certainly no longer work. Replacing them isn’t exactly straightforward and isn’t worth the effort unless you’re a real enthusiast. I’m familiar with the 500 VC and 410 VC models. All these models are ‘computer flashes’, where you preselect a specific aperture on the camera, set this on the flash, and the ‘computer’ then regulates the (hopefully) correct exposure by varying the duration of the flash.
Best regards,
Andreas
mattes
In the 1950s, people used flash bulbs. You could do some interesting things with those things. As the bulbs burned for a relatively long time, it was possible to adjust the camera’s synchronisation. This was the ‘M’ setting, where the shutter only opened shortly after the flash was fired, thereby allowing for faster shutter speeds. The power (guide number) also depended on the shutter speed. By comparison, these units were very powerful, with a maximum guide number of 45–90 at 21 DIN.
Until the mid-1960s, electronic flash units were the preserve of professional photographers. As far as I know, in Germany at that time there were essentially only Braun, Metz and Mannesmann. Mannesmann later became Multiblitz. The units were heavy at first, some even using acid batteries, and not particularly powerful. To generate the high voltage required to operate the electronic flash tubes, the first units had an electromechanical inverter to convert the battery’s direct current into alternating current. The voltage of the alternating current can be adjusted using a transformer, turning the battery voltage into high voltage. Unfortunately, the AC voltage cannot be used to charge the capacitor required to operate the flash tubes. The high voltage is therefore converted back into DC. In first-generation units, this was achieved using relay circuits. By the mid-to-late 1960s, increasingly powerful electronic circuits became possible as the development of electronic components made great strides. In the 1970s, thyristor-controlled flash units increasingly came onto the market; for the first time, it was possible to control the output of the units. The flash output could be adjusted to match the set aperture. With the CT40, Metz established itself as the leader among press photographers, before launching a true classic on the market shortly afterwards with the CT45.
With all ‘old’ flash units, you need to be careful when using modern cameras, as the trigger voltage of the flash units is often too high for the camera. There is a page on the Metz website that lists the compatible units. Otherwise, simply ask the flash unit manufacturer about compatibility.
Mattes
StefanCaspari
Hello, everyone!
I bought my first electronic flash in 1973; it was a Philips (I can’t remember the model number) – it was already thyristor-controlled, but it still blew the entire capacitor charge every time it fired; it was a bit of a clunker.
Then I had a few Brauns, including the F900. That was a massive light cannon, with a liquid battery, an external sensor and all sorts of other bells and whistles.
Now (for about 30 years) I’ve been using Metz, with the CT45 and the 32CT3.
They’re really reliable bits of kit!
On the subject of ‘exploding capacitors’, I can add that it actually happened to me once: once with an old Braun (could it have been called the 2000?)
and twice with a Broncolor in the studio.
These were really whole cascades of ‘explosions’ that went on for quite a while, whilst I fled the studio in a panic.
The really solid metal casings were badly dented afterwards...
In any case, I would warn against trying to ‘bring back to life’ old flashes with dried-out capacitors!
Best regards: Stefan
