Using Flash w/907x

[MT0227]

HI there ..... I’m trying to use my Profoto Air Remote with my 907x; using the cable (in the photo) plugged into the flash output jack on the 907x. The only exposure mode I can get the Profoto Air Remote to fire is on Full Auto. I've tried every other mode, with MF and AF .... the Air Remote will not fire. Looking for some insight on what I could be doing wrong.

Regards,

Marcy

 

[MT0227]

To clarify....when I say fire, I mean getting the strobe to fire.

 

[PSS]

so with the camera set to M, A,S your flash won't fire? or with AF or MF?
I haven't used one of the profoto triggers in a while, Hasselblad requires a Nikon trigger, I can't tell if that is the correct one?
I am also not sure how much actual translation goes on, I am not sure if (for example) TTL works properly...havent tried it....
I got my sync cable from amazon, just a generic cable with the correct heads, most of them seem to be sound gear related....

 

[MT0227]

I've tried M,A,S in both MF and AF, strobe will not fire. It will not fire in P either, only full auto, there is no TTL. I've tried the 3.5mm Mono to 3.5mm Mono cable (in the pic), also tried the same with stereo pins. All firmware up to date. The X1D II hot shoe supposedly will fire with the Nikon Air Remote and Nikon A1. There is no hot shoe with the 907x, so I need to use the generic Air Remote.

 

[PSS]

I am using Nikon triggers for both X1DII and 907....ii have some Sony and fuji as well, I will try and see if the 907 works with those?
It might be that both need the Nikon trigger?

 

[Godfrey]

Marcy:

The flash sync output cable provided with the 907x/CFVII 50c package uses a 3.5mm stereo phono plug to plug into the back, ended with a female PC plug, rather than the 3.5mm mono phono plug that I see in your photo of the Profoto Air Remote. Perhaps the connection terminals of the mono plug for the Profoto unit are not connecting up to the socket's terminals the way they ought to...? I don't know if this could cause the behavior you're talking about, but I'd do some investigation to see how the supplied Hasselblad sync cable is wired compared to how the Profoto cable is wired.

(My RF triggers connect with a simple center-terminal hot shoe. I bridge that to the Hasselblad flash output sync cable's female output connection with a PC male to hot shoe device. The flash units I have all operate on their built-in auto or manual modes with any exposure mode set on the 907x/CFVII 50c using this setup. TTL flash metering is, of course, unavailable so any TTL configuration settings on the flash units cannot be used.)

G

 

[Michael_Sweden]

Hi, Im using the Profoto "generic" trigger with the cold shoe and sync port with my 907x and various different Profoto flashes without any problems in all modes. Im using the Pocketwizard MM-1 cable between the back and the trigger.

 

[darr]

What my iPhone Camera is REALLY good at!!

A simple test shot done for this post.

3.5mm plug goes in the "OUT" socket on the CFV II 50c.

3.5mm plug goes in the "IN" socket of the Profoto Air Trigger

The type of cable that is 3.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male

--

Hasselblad does NOT provide the proper cable with the 907x (at least they did not for me). You need a 3.5 mm Male to 3.5mm Male Stereo Audio Aux Cable. Buy a few of them as they are not expensive! Hasselblad did supply the proper cable for using the digital back (CFV II 50c) with a tech camera, a 2.5mm Male to a 3.5 Male and I can confirm my Profoto Air lights work just fine with my tech cameras (ALPA, Cambo and Linhof) and the CFV II 50c.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Darr

 

[GMoulin]

so with the camera set to M, A,S your flash won't fire? or with AF or MF?
I haven't used one of the profoto triggers in a while, Hasselblad requires a Nikon trigger, I can't tell if that is the correct one?
I am also not sure how much actual translation goes on, I am not sure if (for example) TTL works properly...havent tried it....
I got my sync cable from amazon, just a generic cable with the correct heads, most of them seem to be sound gear related....

Hello,

I am having the same problem, my flash only works when my 907x is set to full auto!

Have you found a solution?

Thanks,
Greg

 

[jjosephlatshaw]

Hello! I've been lurking on this forum for some time. I've been mostly a Nikon shooter since I got a Nikon FG as a young teenager in the early 1990s. Since that time, I'd stuck with Nikon for digital, but a foray back into film with a NIB Nikon FM2/T led me down a rabbit hole. I took a Nikon F3 + Fuji Velvia 50 to Burning Man 2019 (it performed flawlessly), and one thing led to another, and I ended up getting a nice Hasselblad kit - a late 500C with interchangeable focusing screens, 50mm f/4 C T*, 100mm f/3.5 C T*, and a 180mm f/4 CF.

While I love the huge transparencies I get with the 500C, I found I needed a lot more practice to reliably expose slide film properly. That, combined with a desire to use the Hasselblad equipment more regularly, led me to finally break down and get a 907X, mostly for the CFV II 50C. Like some others on this forum, I expected not to use the 907X itself all that much, but Hasselblad made a great choice offering the 45P, because I got one as well, and am really enjoying it! Godfrey's pictures and comments on the 21mm XCD lens has put that on my birthday list for 2022 for sure!

That said, one thing I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around is the use of flash with this camera. I understand the X1D supports Nikon TTL flash, but it doesn't look like the 907X does. My question is, what kind of flash functionality can I expect with the 907X? It looks like I'll have to operate it a flash in manual mode, which is fine; it's a skill I ought to work on. However, I am trying to figure out the right way to approach it.

I have a Nikon SB-700 Speedlight, which does NOT have a PC sync port. However, I was wondering if I could use this 3.5mm stereo plug to hot shoe adapter to connect the camera and flash? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1130419-REG/impact_scs_m18_sync_cord_12.html/reviews

I recognize that a more practical solution would be to go to a wireless trigger, but I'm just trying to understand the basic interaction of the flash and CFV II 50C without introducing the complication of a wireless trigger. I find it's easier for me to gain an understanding of a system when breaking it down into smaller workflows.

PS - My apologies for the basic photos - I've only had the 907X since late last week and it's taken me some time to get used to it. The daytime photos were taken with the CFV II 50C and the 500C + 100 f/3.5, while the nighttime photos were taken with the 907X + 45P.

 

[jakob15]

I have the Hasselblad 907x and I am using a Godox Xpro (Nikon) trigger and 4 Godox QS400II lights. I have a hot shoe mounted on the OVF bracket and the Trigger on top of that. A 3.5mm stereo jack cable is connected to the hot shoe and 3.5mm jack again on the other end connected to Sync out on the camera (works also with a mono cable). I can pair with the lights without a problem and control them in manual mode. But I can't get TTL to work. The infra red focus light is not working on the trigger as well. Is there a continuous auto focus mode on the 907x that I can turn off?

Any ideas why TTL is not working?

 

[Godfrey]

I don't believe the 907x supports TTL Flash metering.
Similarly, the 907x supports only AF and MF, there are no "continuous AF" options to the best of my knowledge.

G

 

[jakob15]

907x supports TTL for some Nikon flashes. I found out yesterday that my new AC powered Codox lights don't support HSS nor TTL
I am going to check out today if TTL works with Godox AD200 pro.

 

[robmac]

Using a phono pin (2.5 or 3.5mm) and/or PC socket to trigger a flash does not allow TTL. The connection is just a simple trigger circuit. It's no different than shorting the pins on the bottom of the radio trigger yourself with a piece of wire. It's as 'dumb' a trigger method as exists.

TTL requires a multi-pin hotshoe (or other multi-pin port) for communications to the flash from the camera. Also, from all appearances in the manual, the 907x does not allow TTL, unlike the X1D. The lack of a hotshoe connection and virtually non-existent discussion of flash in the manual would back that up.

Now, why it's not triggering in all modes is odd.

One thing with Profoto AiR remotes is they can act very, very weird with low batteries. Hit the test button they work, plop on a camera, it won't, etc. The damn things get a mind of their own. If ever having an issue, first thing is install fresh batteries in the AiR to rule that out.

Good luck.

 

[Godfrey]

907x supports TTL for some Nikon flashes. I found out yesterday that my new AC powered Codox lights don't support HSS nor TTL
I am going to check out today if TTL works with Godox AD200 pro.

I find no mention of TTL flash metering in any of the Hasselblad 907x documentation. As robmac says, with a simple photo pin connection, there are no contacts for communication of a flash control protocol between the camera and the flash unit: it is essentially just a trigger circuit.

If the 907x supported TTL flash, surely Hasselblad would have listed it in the technical specifications just as they did for the X1D II:



G

 

[jakob15]

Thanks Godfrey. You are right. I have been reading the TTL specs for the X1D instead of the 907x. That explains my confusion. Thanks for pointing this out and when I think about what you say about the jack cable, it makes perfect sense it can't communicate this information. Thanks!

 

[mikejmcfarlane]

What my iPhone Camera is REALLY good at!!

A simple test shot done for this post.

3.5mm plug goes in the "OUT" socket on the CFV II 50c.

3.5mm plug goes in the "IN" socket of the Profoto Air Trigger

The type of cable that is 3.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male

--

Hasselblad does NOT provide the proper cable with the 907x (at least they did not for me). You need a 3.5 mm Male to 3.5mm Male Stereo Audio Aux Cable. Buy a few of them as they are not expensive! Hasselblad did supply the proper cable for using the digital back (CFV II 50c) with a tech camera, a 2.5mm Male to a 3.5 Male and I can confirm my Profoto Air lights work just fine with my tech cameras (ALPA, Cambo and Linhof) and the CFV II 50c.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Darr

I'm new to flash and been all over the web trying to find out how to set this up with my 907x. 4 phone pics and it's explained perfectly, thanks

 

[Sandokan]

Two years on. I have two Flashpoint monolight flashes at home.

In the studio at the club where they have Elinchrom lights, I had a setup with either a 3.5mm to (I forget if it was 2.5mm or) 3.5mm in the trigger and the CFV50 worked fine to trigger the Elinchrom flashes in manual mode. Another time I used the 3.5mm mono jack to flash adaptor and it also worked fine (similar to Jakob's photo).

At home I have the Flashpoint monolights, and the setup in the bag marked "Hassy flash sync" which is what I used with the Elinchroms, did not work. Neither did the flash adaptor attached to the 3.5mm cable and jack. This was with 4 different Flashpoint triggers, the basic one with single pin on the trigger, Leica, Olympus/Panasonic and Canon. I also went old school and used a Photix trigger with receivers attached to the flashes. All worked when firing the triggers manually and they all worked attached to a Leica SL, Panasonic S1R and Canon 7D respectively.

The 907X/CFV did not fire the flashes, EXCEPT in full auto mode (thanks for the tip Marcy). I guess the next thing is to set the studio up and see if it exposes properly in full auto mode.

I also tried stereo 3.5mm to 3.5mm (which is what goes into the Flashpoint triggers) jacks but that also did not work. I have ordered new cables to be sure.

Did anyone get it to work and how?

 

[Sandokan]

Summary:
Fixed. Switch electronic shutter off.

Details:
Racked my head and did various testing with different triggers (plain simple Photix which require their own receivers and various Flashpoint and Godox), different cables, different modes (A, S, P, M, Full Auto). All worked with other cameras and manually triggering the flash from the trigger worked too, but 907x/CFV50 only worked in Full Auto mode. I even tried an on-camera flash from the 80's and cabled it up to fire (also found out my old Nikon SB16 takes ages to charge up). they worked with other cameras but not the 907x/CFV50. I was at the point of looking up prices of 600 W/s continuous LED monoblock lights. the 1200W/S ones are still too expensive for me.

This morning at 05:30 an hour before I need to get up, my brain explodes and I wake up thinking electronic shutter. I thought, how is going to read the electronic shutter if you use a flash?

So anyway, here I am, early morning still. The 907x/CFV50 had electronic shutter turned on. I turned it OFF and now the flash fires.

I guess next test is to see if other cameras also fail to fire flash with electronic shutter, or if they fire but dont read out the full frame correctly exposed?

EDIT:
PS Thanks Godfrey - you highlighted it above but I didnt read your scans until now. I only read the reply from Jakob. I had also looked at the instructions but didnt read carefully enough.

 

[Godfrey]

@Sandokan: I don't think any of the cameras I've had with an e-shutter support flash sync in e-shutter mode. The 907x/CFVII 50c is the only camera I currently have with e-shutter capability.

G