Wireless LF Shutter Release - I think I got it.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Wireless LF Shutter Release - no modern gear required
Since many of us are accustomed to old gear, this might be interesting

The following is tentative, but posted to perhaps nudge experts here who have more information.
I will be collecting the parts from the shop later this afternoon.

• Graflex bulb flashes can actuate a lens board mounted solenoid to fire a leaf shutter.
• Graflex bulb flashes can be activated by a slave unit.
• Slave units are sensitive to infrared flash.
• An inexpensive electronic flash can be made to be IR-only by covering light with exposed & developed E6 film or a conventional IR filter. Doing so makes it our transmitter.
• (It is not necessary to have a flash bulb in the Graflex unit.)

So it would seem that by using the above, a small IR flash can set off the Graflex unit which
actuates the solenoid to fire the camera's shutter.

[Tin Can]

Which slave units work for this?

I tried a Flash Zebra unit one time and it did not work. Perhaps I will try the 2 I have again. http://flashzebra.com/opticalslaves/index.shtml

There was a Graflex slave flash bulb holder for sale last week on eBay, but I passed on it.

http://lommen9.home.xs4all.nl/GRAFLITE/

[Jac@stafford.net]

Which slave units work for this?

I tried a Flash Zebra unit one time and it did not work. Perhaps I will try the 2 I have again. http://flashzebra.com/opticalslaves/index.shtml

There was a Graflex slave flash bulb holder for sale last week on eBay, but I passed on it.

http://lommen9.home.xs4all.nl/GRAFLITE/

Did you use the #0256? Perhaps with a blade filed down?

I do not know yet, but the slave might require a 3 battery unit, or even a 3 plus an extended unit.

[Tin Can]

No I used a http://flashzebra.com/opticalslaves/0050.shtml

But I could have had the household cable end reversed as it can fit either way in some Graflite household slots.

It did not occur to me to consider DC polarity as I use the Sonia with my Novatron pack and it always works, even around corners.

Retesting later tonight.