Courtenay SOLAFLASH & some other stuff...

N

Newman8

Suspended / Banned
Messages
8
Name
Robert
Edit My Images
No
Been downsizing drastically! Partly to declutter but mainly with the theory that if I can carry my camera gear on my bike or out with the kids & dog, then I'll actually take some pics again! (it's a hobby that's fallen a bit by the wayside in recent years).
Anyway - finally gone digital (big step) & parted with my beloved Nikon FE & related kit along with some Bronica, Manfrotto, Billingham, even a couple of ancient 4x5" cameras & replaced the whole lot with a single Sony DSLR & standard zoom! Love it actually! Always had Nikon 35mm but was frankly a bit uninspired by their digital stuff (or at least their cheaper models). Might not last as long as my old FE did, but really happy for now...

Question is - I have one item left to move that doesn't seem to attract much attention - for full details see link:
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=121155491044
It's a 3-head Courtenay flash kit in carry case which I thought was (a) a really good all round kit & (b) good value. But... Only had a handful of views on eBay.
Anyone got any opinions on Courtenay gear? Do people still use this sort of stuff for home portraits, etc? Maybe I'm just advertising in the wrong place but all my other stuff moved really well on eBay? Maybe I'm out on the price?
Any advice is welcome - cheers!

Also (finally) - what are anyone's recommendations for small camera bags - I'm looking for DSLR size but ideally with loops so could be attached to bike saddle/seatpost?
 
It's old, out-dated spec (lack of power control is very limiting) and Courtenay no longer exists. Give the full spec and reconsider the price, including cost of shipping.
 
Cheers. Take your point about it being old - it is! But its simplicity/ease-of-use is one of its joys & I don't think that sort of
money buys you a lot these days.
I'll see what sort of offers I get - I have a minimum in mind, below which I'll probably give it away to a student or a club, etc.
The only reason I really can't keep it any longer is the space it takes up.
Ps - shipping is just what it is - I don't know exact price but pretty sure it's closer to £30 than £20.
Anyone used any good freight co's / couriers?
 
Courtenay made two generation of lights after those ,
Shop around and you can get them for £10-£15 per head
 
Hi, The Courtenay flash system was a bit basic by modern standards but very reliable. One problem that would prevent the sale is that the triggering voltages are far too high for MOST digital cameras and could damage the electrics in the camera if connected directly.

I have a couple of old Courtenay units that I still use in the studio with Nikon & Fuji-X equipment as they will both accept triggering voltages up to 250 volts for the Nikon, and 300 volts for the Fuji X (confirmed by Fuji technical) but I believe most other digital cameras including Canon will only accept triggering voltages of somewhere around 6 volts. The triggering voltages on both my Courtenay units are 183 volts.

The other very important thing is the Polarity of a lot of early studio units including Courtenay were reversed which if connected directly to a modern digital camera via the hot shoe/adapter would quickly damage the camera electrics.

The way out of this situation is to reverse the connections to one end of the sync lead or to cut it and connect the positive wire to the negative wire and the same with the other wires, which is what I have done with my sync lead.

The other way to use these units with digital cameras would be to sync them via a remote triggering unit ie not connected directly to the camera.

Hope this helps
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top