Using Nikon D80 and D200 with Norman 400B and SunPak 522

Question

Just got my new D200 and Refurb D80 from Cameta. I was told by the seller that all I had to do to use off camera/off brand stobe was to use this Wein protectorshoe on the hotshoe. But I have been through both books (I admit cursorily) and as yet I cannot find any reference to this except for slave operation restricted to three units. What am I missing? These cameras will do me little good if I can't use the light I already have. While I may have to spring for a Nikon flash to use on the bracket (the 522 is old after all) the Norman is a workhorse and blasts a lot of light suitable for outdoor fill and such. Sorry if this has been addressed but I am an old shooter brand new to dig. Thanks

Answer 1

What you are missing is that all DSLR cameras have been designed to be used with dedicated flash units like the SB600 and SB800.  These flash units use 12v to trigger the flash ... older flash units like SunPak and Norman use trigger voltages of up to 200v .. enough to fry the electronics on your camera ... not covered by warranty.

This is why Pocket Wizards are so popular now ... using this radio controlled trigger, it matters not what the trigger voltage is.