Flash for Mamiya RB67 Pro S

Any flash with a manual or automatic mode will do. You will need to fire the flash with a PC cord from your lens to the flash's sync port. Your lens will have to be on x_sync to fire. Some automatic flashes are the Vivitar 285 family, Sunpak DS20 and others, and Nikon SB-80 DX. I have been using the Nikon SB-80DX with good results on a Pro SD.

Thank you.

Will the Sunpak Auto 433AF Thryistor work with it? I already own it but it says on the back "For NIKON AF Cameras (501, 2020).

I use a Sunpak Auto 522 with my RB67.

Craig

With a sync cord?

Darryl - for the most part a strobe is a strobe is a strobe. As long as the unit can synch via a pc cord, or thru an adapter you are OK. The shoe on the RB67 Pro S that holds the flash is a 'cold shoe', i.e. it's a bracket only without any control or triggering ability. The lens provides 'X' synch, which is the same thing as any camera, SLRs included. Obviously you lose any sort of TTL, but a smart strobe will be able to auto via it's own metering or you just work in manual (like the good old days). If you want to work manually, or verify auto firing, I'd suggest a flash meter like a Minolta III-F or IV-F. Dirt cheap on the auction site and what I use. They are very accurate and guarantee good exposures w/o guessing. Jim M.

I use my sb800 on my rb, works great.

I use a Canon 550EX with an adapter like this one. Not exactly this specific adapter, but a very similar one. The 550EX is far from being the right choice (it's bulky, expensive and too sophisticated for an RB67), but I just happened to own it and it was cheaper for me to get an adapter than a new flash.
A Vivitar 283 or a Metz 36 or anything like that will work fine with an RB67.
Just be careful to set the zoom head not according to the actual focal length, but to its 35mm equivalent.

"With a sync cord?"

A sync cord is a small cord that plugs into the flash on one end and either the lens or camera on the other, depending on what camera you are using. For your setup the cord will attach to the lens via a small, round chrome plated socket. Set the switch on the lens that is marked "X" and "M" to the "X" position and plug in the cord.

- Randy

vlad is right about the the speedlight or lite being very sophisticated for the rb but what i like about it is with my speedlight I can keep the same aperature on camera and flash (this helps with shallow depth of field, great for portraits) and just turn the power down on the flash to fit the distance. i also have a 283 which mine dont have the vp1 thingy which allows the flash to be turned down, so the camera aperature has to be stopped down.