Hot Shoe Grip

Anybody know how to dismantle a hot shoe grip?

I want to disconnect the electrical contacts to the hot shoe but I've just spent a very frustrating couple of hours trying to take it apart. I want to put my AF540FGZ on it as a hammerhead style flash, but as the manual suggests, using it with an older 3 pin accessory causes a problem.

I think one half of the shell should come off but I can't figure it. I thought that removing the screw on the top should do it, but there's more to it than that. There are 2 screws beneath the labels each end of the synch switch, but they simply hold the switch in place (I think). I haven't completely removed them for fear of losing the switch inside.

I'd love to hear from anybody who's actually done it.

Hi Peter,

rather than disconnecting the contacts, is there enough tolerance between the grip's socket and the flash head, to just insulate them with insulation tape or similar. Failing that, have you got an accessory shoe that you could mount on the grip to negate the problem?

I haven't got one to have a look at.. hence the suggestion.

Cheers

Liam

If you are trying to disable all the contacts, it would be simpler to buy a little cold-shoe attachment. That's how I use 5-pin flashguns on a flash bracket.

A cold-shoe is like a hot-shoe, but with no electrical connections. Made of plastic, not metal.

The flash-gun is then connected to the camera with a 5P cable.

G

Acessory shoe=Cold shoe..

I learn something every day..

And my insulation suggestion, I just read has been covered on the other thread.. ho hum.

Cheers

Liam

Insulation: tape is no good. A piece of 35mm film works wonders

Peter - it's not a case of disconnecting the contacts! It's a case of not shorting out the fifth contact. As I mentioned, I filed out the metal clip to make space for the fifth contact and it nearly worked.

I also disassembled a 5P adapter and removed the fifth pin. That worked well with the AF360, but it's held on by friction. So, I opted for the AF540 using the 5P cord straight in the flash... and all it needed was the film to insulate the pins.

George's suggestion of a cold shoe would work just as well

Matt

Georges cold shoe suggestion is a good one if I can find one that will lock to the grip in a similar fashion as the flash does. If that's not possible, then there is a potential for the flash to accidentally fall off.

Matt, you say you filed the plate for the 5th Pin? I have only 4 electrical contacts on the underside of my AF540FGZ. Are you counting the side sliding contact (ground) as the first, and the most forward contact on the bottom as the 5th?

I have just checked my hot shoe grip contact area with a meter and the part of the plate where the 5th? contact touches, is indeed anadised aluminium I thought it was plastic) and the small edge that the contact hits, is ground. So, I'm going to try drilling an oversized hole in it for the errant contact to drop into, then chamfer the edge so it'll come out again.

Sorted it, thanks for all your suggestions. I took my trusty Bremel lookalike and using a variety of drills, reamers, and grinding wheels have removed enough material such that the extra pin just dangles in a hole. Not elegant, but it works.

If anybody else wants to have a go at this, once you get through the black anodised aluminium plate you'll find a brass one underneath, go right through that as well. Remove plenty of material unless you can accurately determine where the centre of the pin will be once the flash is in place.

VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure that the rearward facing edge (relative to the grip) of the hole is bevelled to allow easy removal of the flash. If you were to drill a perfect hole with vertical sides, you risk getting the flash locked in place. Not very likely I know, but stranger things have happened.

All I need to do now is repaint it to 'pretty' it up again, jobs a good'un. Now I have a hammerhead style flash with a choice of either a AF500FTZ or the AF540FGZ. Cooking . . .

Cheers all,

Thanks for the info Peter

I took a needle file to the metal clip. Looks like I need to do a bit of drilling
That'll be a mighty useful grip then
Matt

You're right Matt, it is now a very useful grip instead of a piece of Pentax waste for recycling.

I can't think why I didn't do this before because I had exactly the same problem with some cold shoes I bought with tripod threads in them. The flash fixing was a metal plate etc, screwed to a block of plastic, but only the normal three pins were insulated from the rest of the plate.

I would have resorted to your idea of a piece of insulating film but I didn't want to run the risk of losing the film at a critical time. It could be glued in I suppose.

You can get a good idea of where this extra pin sits by looking at/measuring the hot shoe adapter 5P, it has all the correct spacings on the top, easier than measuring the centres of the pins.

Anyway, thanks to all. I'm off to Murcia airport now to pick wifey up.

I'll take a pic or two later and show them here.

Electrical tape!

G