Add Flash Capability to Brownie: Can anyone do this?

[radiophoto]

Here is a link to an eBay auction wherein someone is selling (for an outrageous price, but I won't go there) a Box Brownie that has been modified to take a two-prong flash of some sort.  There are quite a few photos available, but I don't know how to identify the various components.

Could someone take a look and tell me what's being used here? This is something I wouldn't mind trying myself.    Thanks!

[BillyBob]

Hey Pete,

I figured that one of the more technically astute folks would have chimed in by now.

If you're thinking of using bulbs you have to find a way to trigger the flash before shutter is open all the way - e.g. have some part of the shutter mechanism close a circuit at the beginning of its travel.

The following page shows the modification of a Hawkeye Flash to use a strobe - which has to be triggered when the shutter's open - so he moved the interior contacts to delay the trigger.  The innards shots of the Hawkeye Flash might give you some ideas of what to do.  http://www.cwclemens.com/ConvertingBrownie/BrownieFlash.html

Anyhoo - in the photos in the auction you've linked to it almost looks as though the shutter lever is touching one of the two brass screws on top of that coil - such that as soon as one presses the shutter lever the contact is lost.  I don't know how that would help anything.

[br1078lum]

Pete, I had a look at both methods, and I'm not sure just what the Six-20 Junior modder was doing.  Can't figure why there is a big relay in the camera, and what he is powering everything with (most likely the batteries in the flash handle [Graflex?]).

I would mount a magnet on the shutter plate, and a micro-switch above it to trigger the circuit as the magnet goes flying by.  Works in either direction, though one would have to mount the magnet/s so that they trigger the circuit as the shutter has just fully opened.  And using an electronic flash, you can mount a hot-shoe on the camera.

It can be done.

PF

[radiophoto]

Bill: I've seen that article by Charles Clemens before, it's a good one.  And what you say about the shutter lever makes a lot of sense -- the Brownie Junior had, I think, a "flip-flop" shutter, and under these circumstances, flash would be available only every other shot.  Not very effective!

Phil: I could see these factors of yours better with a drawing of some kind.  Could you sketch something out for me?

[br1078lum]

Will do, Pete.

PF

[radiophoto]

You are THE MAN!  Thanks, Phil.

[br1078lum]

In reply to Pete's request, I came up with a plan that would not introduce any loss in speed via friction, as would happen if one were to use a wiper contact type of arrangement.

The main thing is to get the circuit to trigger when the shutter slot has just fully uncovered the lens, so the magnet will have to be either long enough to work in either direction, or two magnets may be needed.

One can use removable double-stick tape to find the proper position of the magnet/s, mark the location/s, then use something more permanent to attach them.

You can get a hot shoe off one of those plastic craptastic cameras usually found in charity stores, and flea markets for less than a dollar.  Or you can mount a PC Socket from a junked out camera, and use a flash bracket to hold the flash (as most of the Brownies do have tripod sockets), utilizing a sync cord to the camera.  Imagine using a Sunpak 611 with the remote sensor and coiled cord.  Now that would look cool.


Brownie Flash Sync by br1078phot, on Flickr

Now get cracking, Pete.

PF

[radiophoto]

Phil, it's bee-YOO-tee-ful!  Kuppla' questions:  1. what does one ask for at Radio Shack when one goes there for a micro-switch?  Are there different levels of efficiency/power to consider?  2. Do you think that mounting the micro-switch to the back of the camera's faceplate would be sufficient distance from the magnet on the shutter disk?  Too close/too far?  3. The magnet never touches the switch, right?  Is there a magnet that would be considered too weak/too strong?

[br1078lum]

Pete, you can forget about getting something like this at Radical Shack.  They have really reduced the amount of electronic parts on stock.  Most likely source would be from a catalog sales company, such as Mouser.  They used to sell magnetic reed switches for model railroad layouts, so you could set up a track circuit to keep from running trains into each other at tunnels, or actuating crossing lights, but they are rather large for this application.

The "Magnetically actuated micro-switch" would come with a magnet matched to the performance of the switch.  The switch should be mounted on a small bracket so you can adjust the spacing to the magnet, either by bending the bracket, or adding-subtracting spacer shims.  The magnet should not touch the switch, as that would stop the shutter disk from rotating.  The mounting bracket for the switch should be made of brass so that it does not affect the performance of the switch or magnet, and can be screwed onto the wooden part of the camera next to the shutter disk.  The magnets can either be glued, or use permanent double-stick tape to mount them on the shutter disk (after you have experimented with the placement using non-permanent tape).

PF

[br1078lum]

After doing some quick research Pete, I found that a reed switch may be the best for this application.  You can use the leads as the mounting bracket, which simplifies things greatly.  And any small magnet should be powerful enough trip it, even a fridge magnet cut to shape (think business card on magnetic stock).  There is this one eBay seller that always sends business cards with your order, and usually they are of the magnetic type, so I have plenty to work with.

There are smaller size switches available than I thought, and this dealer has them in a variety of sizes and types.  Just a simple SPST will do, and you can shape a magnet to cover both ends of the shutter disk cycle, so you don't have to worry about a second triggering of the circuit.  And using the leads of the switch, it's a simple matter of securing the ends by making loops, and fastening them with screws to the inside of the camera, along with the wires for the hot-shoe or PC socket.

A link to Meder Electronics: http://www.meder.com/reed-switches3.html

Now I have to figure out what camera I have to sacrifice for some parts.

PF

[radiophoto]

Phil, I'm going to try it.  Please tell me which switch would be best from Meder.  I've got some magnets as you describe that should work.  I appreciate your continuing interest in this, and it sounds like you're going to try it yourself.

I've got an old Vivitar PnS that has a hot shoe, I think.  I could sacrifice that, easy.