# 2nd curtain sync with cable -> camera



## Ryan_ (Dec 17, 2015)

Hi all,

I'm wondering if its possible to use 2nd curtain sync (or HSS as well for that matter) when my flash (600ex) is connected to 5d3 via a cable? Heres the set up:

Camera water housing + flash water housing. 5d3 in cam housing with an adapter sliding into hotshoe with cable going from that to a dock inside of housing, which goes to dock on outside of housing, which is where another cable connects from there to the dock on the flash housing, ultimately connecting the flash & camera. Hopefully that made sense and you can picture that.

Currently, neither 2nd curtain sync or HSS work. If I set the flash to them, the flash simply fires as if they're both off. So I guess I'm looking to see if there is some sort of hack to get them to work. I am more interested in 2nd curtain sync.

Appreciate any input


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 18, 2015)

I suspect the problem is the adapter/cable setup. With a Canon OC-E3 off-camera cord (or an equivalent 3rd party clone, of which there are many including some with long cables), all functions including TTL, 2nd curtain sync, HSS, etc. are supported – it's as if the flash was sitting on the hotshoe. 

From your description, it sounds like the adapter/cable is basically a hotshoe-to-PC-sync cable setup (reversed for the flash housing), and the only thing that supports is the signal to fire (no TTL, no power control, no SCS, no HSS, etc.).


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## Valvebounce (Dec 18, 2015)

Hi Ryan. 
Do you know what type of cables they are, PC sync or full ETTL? Dothe docks have all the contacts or just the trigger big round one in the middle? Do you have a pic you can show us? If the cables are full ETTL and the docks have all the contacts, it should all work, if the cables are PC sync and the docks (all or any one in the chain) do not have all the contacts then you are stuck with basic operation. 

Cheers, Graham. 



Ryan_ said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm wondering if its possible to use 2nd curtain sync (or HSS as well for that matter) when my flash (600ex) is connected to 5d3 via a cable? Heres the set up:
> 
> ...


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## Ryan_ (Dec 18, 2015)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi Ryan.
> Do you know what type of cables they are, PC sync or full ETTL? Dothe docks have all the contacts or just the trigger big round one in the middle? Do you have a pic you can show us? If the cables are full ETTL and the docks have all the contacts, it should all work, if the cables are PC sync and the docks (all or any one in the chain) do not have all the contacts then you are stuck with basic operation.
> 
> Cheers, Graham.





neuroanatomist said:


> I suspect the problem is the adapter/cable setup. With a Canon OC-E3 off-camera cord (or an equivalent 3rd party clone, of which there are many including some with long cables), all functions including TTL, 2nd curtain sync, HSS, etc. are supported – it's as if the flash was sitting on the hotshoe.
> 
> From your description, it sounds like the adapter/cable is basically a hotshoe-to-PC-sync cable setup (reversed for the flash housing), and the only thing that supports is the signal to fire (no TTL, no power control, no SCS, no HSS, etc.).


neuro, after looking at pictures of the OC-E3, I think the cable with the the housing is the same type of cable, but I could be wrong. Perhaps the difference is that on my housings, there is a place where the cables end and start again (where the cables connect on the outside of the camera and flash housing), where the OC-E3 is one cable, no breaks in the chain so to speak.

Graham I just checked the camera/flash housing maker's website and it says the cable is TTL and allows all ETTL exposure.

Here are pictures of where the flash mounts and then the piece that mounts into the camera hotshoe (in that order).


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## privatebydesign (Dec 18, 2015)

My old SPL surf housing flash cord did everything as if the flash was mounted on the camera, it was a 2x three ply cable, there are six separate connections to make for full ETTL-SCS-HSS.

I'd suspect the cable, run a continuity meter across all six connections on both ends of the cable.


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## Ryan_ (Dec 18, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> My old SPL surf housing flash cord did everything as if the flash was mounted on the camera, it was a 2x three ply cable, there are six separate connections to make for full ETTL-SCS-HSS.
> 
> I'd suspect the cable, run a continuity meter across all six connections on both ends of the cable.


Ah that'd be a shame. I've had the hardest time with this company from the start. Super long delays, defective product. I want to like them (because I do like the working product) but they've made it difficult. So I wouldn't be surprised if the cable is at fault. I don't have a meter so I can't check the cable. I will email them asking if this is normal behavior. 

In the meantime, if anyone's got anymore ideas I'd be happy to hear them, and thank you to those who've chipped in so far.

P.S.
Here is a photo of how the male end of the cable looks connecting the camera housing to flash housing.


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## privatebydesign (Dec 18, 2015)

That looks like the Sealux S6 style connector, if so you have several points that could be at fault, the camera hotshoe to camera housing socket wire and both ends along with the camera to wire connection shoe, the flash housing socket to hotshoe wire and both it's six ends along with the flash to adapter connection, and the exterior cable. 

You are not experiencing 'normal behaviour' and if the flash works fine on your hotshoe direct then you have a connection issue.

A continuity tester can be as simple as a piece of wire and a flashlight, but if you don't narrow it down to the camera housing elements, the flash housing elements, or the cable, then anybody will have to have all three to diagnose the issue.


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## Valvebounce (Dec 18, 2015)

Hi Ryan. 
Privatebydesign pretty much covered it, but rather than faf about with a flashlight/torch, I'd recommend to go buy one of these you will find so much more to do with it eventually. 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gamesaloreu-Digital-Multimeter-Voltmeter-Ammeter/dp/B016Q2ZFSM/ref=sr_1_93?ie=UTF8&qid=1450430236&sr=8-93&keywords=digital+multimeter
If you are ok waiting buy really cheap on line, if your like me a bit impatient buy local retail for about £$20 if you can get one with a buzzer for diode test it makes it easier, you don't have to look for the scale just listen for a beep, no beep, no continuity! (Or incredibly high resistance on the cable=effectively no continuity) also check for crossover of paths, each male pin should only connect to its equivalent on the female end, it may be that it connect to 2 which would cause problems. 
If you are not sure how to use the meter, ask for a local contact, if you are near me I'll show you. 

Cheers, Graham.


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