Macro Ring Flash - will they work without hotshoe?

gothgirl

gothgirl

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I'm looking at getting at Macro ring flash, for when I am photographing small (and very mobile animals) , which for safety reasons I cannot use standard lights.

I need a ring flash, with a continuous option.

BUT....

I'm not sure that my hotshoe actually works on my camera.
I literally never use flash, like ever, as I do all my work outside.
But I bought a secondhand flash, stuck it in the drawer, came to use it about a year later and it didn't work.

Now I have no idea if this was just an old dodgy flash, or if my hotshoe is no good.
In the (5?) Years I've had my camera, I've never used it.

So my question is, as most of the macro ring flash I've seen MOUNT on the hotshoe, BUT also take batteries...
Do they draw any power or function from the hotshoe IF I only evere intend to use it on a continuous setting, and not on flash?

 
A continuous light mounted on the hotshoe will not draw power, and almost certainly doesn't interface electronically either. The camera hotshoe is an electronic device, i.e. it carries signals, not power serving (electrical). Most likely the light will just have a non-conducting hotshoe shaped "foot" for fastening on the camera. If you have a product in mind you could link to it here and we can confirm this is the case.

As for your hotshoe's condition, they rarely fail electronically. If it doesn't fire the flash it's more likely one of the following:
Incompatible flash - it has to be configured for that make of camera.
Batteries discharged - did you insert fresh batteries in the flash?
Camera set to not fire flash - many cameras possess this function, one purpose of which is to allow use of the AF assist light on a flashgun without triggering the flash itself.
Faulty flashgun - some are manufactured poorly, and the high internal voltages can strain cheap components so a flash that works at first may subsequently fail.
Damaged hotshoe on either device - usually caused by accident and resulting in poor / broken contact, internally or externally.

The simplest test of the camera is to mount a known compatible and working flash.

The suspect flash can initially be tested by switching on, checking for a "ready" light after a few seconds and pressing the manual fire / test button. Then try it on another camera once you've confirmed its compatibility.

Which camera model are you trying to use and what is the full make and model name of the flash? If this doesn't settle the question, you could also try posting pictures of the flash here from various angles so we can study it.
 
As above, the chances of your hotshoe being faulty are very slim.

Traditionally a single pin hotshoe literally acted as a switch, as the shutter opened the contacts in the hotshoe close to fire the flash.

A modern hotshoe has multiple pins to allow a TTL flash to communicate all kinds of info between the electronics in the flash and the computer in your camera, but they’re still just communication contacts, far from likely to be the weak point.
 
It’s my canon 60D

Don’t have the flash anymore, think I chucked it , was a yongnuo one

I don’t really fancy buying a flash just to test if the hot shoe works , especially if it’s not needed for continuous light

I’m basically after a cheap ring flash , (under £50 preowned) that I can ideally get a 77mm adapter for so it can go on my 17-55 2.8

There’s literally no point paying more as it’s likely going to be bitten/chewed/peed on etc.
They have a habit of jumping onto my lens when I’m shooting them
 
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