Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

will my old Buff WL 10,000 units sync with a newer canon DSLR via hot shoe adapter with sync cord outlet?

I have seen others mention yes and no....i.e. " it won't work with the Rebel or any digital camera without a PC Sync socket ('converters' do exist that attach to your Camera's 'Hot Shoe' to provide a PC Sync socket, however these are problematic, often requiring you to turn off the camera between shots)."

You have two factors to consider; the physical attachment and the Voltage compatibility.

The physical attachment is pretty easy. Many DSLR's do not have a PC terminal, though many higher end models still do. If your camera does not have one, then a hotshoe adapter is available for all DSLR's I know of, and many (though not all) mirrorless cameras, as well as some point and shoots.

But, there is also the Voltage compatibility. All of our current lights have a trigger voltage of less than 6V, however, the 5K and 10K's had voltages greater than this, and could potentially be damaging to some cameras.

I have seen two different Voltage ratings on cameras, either 6V or 240V. The max Voltage is typically found on the page(s) that discuss the hotshoe and/or PC terminal. If the Voltage is not listed, then assume it is 6V and do not connect the flash directly to the camera. If it is 240V, then you are safe to connect.

An option that is favorable, even if it is both possible and safe to connect to the camera, is to use a radio remote like Cyber Sync http://www.paulcbuff.com/cybersync.php. This removes the cord which reduces tripping hazards, lengthens range, and is Voltage safe.

If needed, a hard wire connection can still be made with a device like a safe sync adapter, that will reduce the incoming voltage to <6V.

thanks for the info....the voltage non-compatability is what I was afraid of.....better that I ask here than ruin something !! great help !!

I know the cybersync triggers are far superior, but I use my WL10,000s with an inexpensive set of yongnuo 602 triggers and they work perfectly.

They allow the WL10,000 to sync at the full 1/200th of a second that my camera will sync at.

I hope this helps.

hey planet....since I can't find "detailed" info about the yongnuo 602 trigger, what is shipped with the transmitter, and receivers ? (I would need a way to trip one WL initially) then others would slave.

I'm assuming you attach the transmitter to the shoe on the camera, in my case, canon, then each WL 10,000 I have will be slaved by a receiver. question is, how does the yongnuo receiver attach to the WL units ?

I believe I would need a way to connect at least one WL via its' PC connection cord......

( I use three lights for portraits )

Ok, I know this thread has been in a coma for 8 months now, but I can't help answer a question that was asked directly to me.

The 602 (and 603 and 605) yongnuo triggers have a shot cable that ends in a 1/4 inch plug.

You screw the cable into the 602 receiver, and then plug the 1/4 inch plug into the sync jack on the back of the WL10,000 / WL5,000.

It is really easy. The only "problem" you will have is to try and figure out a way to "mount" the receiver to the side of the strobe / sand so that it doesn't just dangle down and annoy you. I find that my models get distracted by seeing the receiver swing back and forth like a pendulum if it is just dangling down from the back of the light.

Hope this helps, and sorry again for the late reply.