Here's what we've found over the years:
Most older OM's (OM-1, OM-2, OM-10, OM-F, OM-G) have no problems with studio
units. Some very early OM-1's have steel screws in the sync switches that may
arc, causing erratic flash problems.
The "N" cameras (OM-1n and OM-2n) have a diode in the synch circuit (to make
the shoe fire in "X"-sync-only, for flashes wired with correct polarity). Some
studio flashes (including the Novatron) allow the PC cord to be attached either
way. If the flash does not fire reliably, first try reversing the PC cord
(unplug it and plug it in the other way).
Later model OM's (OM-4, 4t, 2s, 3, PC) trigger the flash with an SCR instead of
blade contacts closing. These cameras require battery power to trigger the
flash. Some studio flashes (again, including many Novatrons) do not recognize
this momentary conduction state as an adequate signal to fire, and will
therefore not fire reliably if at all. I am not aware of any of these cameras
actually being _damaged_ by a properly functioning studio strobe system,
but....
I've been told that the OM-3T has a sync override switch for use of a flash
when the battery is dead. I suspect that it will not have difficulty with
Novatron flashes when in this mode but have never tried it.
Malcolm Clay wrote:
> One of the local photo clubs I belong to is going to be hosting a studio
> lighting night with several pros and semi-pros bringing in studio flash
> units. Each is going to be giving a short talk about their setup then
> letting us hook our cameras up and burn some film. I thought it was a great
> idea until one of them said they were bringing a Novatron (sp?) setup and
> that there were some rumors of these rigs frying cameras in the past. (Not
> that it ever happened to her Nik*n she assured us.)
>
> What?!?! I am guessing that it has something to do with the polarity of the
> flash unit and the pc connector setup on the cameras. Anybody with any
> knowledge of this? Urban ledged or fact? I don't want to miss an
> opportunity, but don't want to fry my camera. I guess if I don't get solid
> conformation one way or another, I'll take a user-grade OM10 (poor thing)
> and put it to the test rather than risking one of my babies. (Sounds like a
> low-grade college ethics question doesn't it?)
>
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