Most Micro Four Thirds cameras (other than the Olympus OM-D E-M1) do not have a PC sync port to connect an off-camera flash in manual flash exposure mode.

Why do this?

Whilst you can use a radio flash transmitter system to achieve this without cords, there are several main downsides:

• potential issues with the radio triggering – particularly in areas where radio waves don’t transmit well or when there are others using the same radio channels
• transmitter and receivers cost more and are a little bulky attached to the flash units
• cannot push shutter speed above flash x-sync well due to the radio triggering latency

Solution is cheap and easy:

There are several types of hotshoe adapters which provide a PC sync port:

• hotshoes with full TTL pass through capability to a top mounted hotshoe
  • these are ideal if you wish to also mount your Micro Four Thirds compatible flash and use it as you normally would
  • I have bought and used the Flash IS-HC120 hot shoe adapter for Canon EOS (pin compatible with Micro Four Thirds and Four Thirds flash systems), and it works very well and appears to be well made – NB  see post script at bottom – mine has stopped functioning!
• hotshoes with only a single pin pass through capability to the top mounted hotshoe
  • these are ideal if you wish to mount your Micro Four Thirds flash and use it in manual mode while pushing shutter speed above x-sync
  • these are getting hard to find!
• radio transmitter unit with PC sync port
  • also can function as a radio transmitter but usually do not have TTL pass-through compatibility for Micro Four Thirds
  • but even when not used as a radio transmitter may give latency preventing use in allowing faster shutter speeds above x-sync
  • NB. PocketWizard TTL Canon units do not seem to be able to fire mounted Olympus flash units even in “pass-through” mode, and the Mini-TTL does NOT have a PC sync port

   

 

More on flash units for Micro Four Thirds and Four Thirds – here.

P.S. I purchased one of the iShoot adapters but unfortunately the PC sync connection appears to be very temperamental and thus I have had to stop using it – it may only be an issue with the one that I received and not a general issue with them but I have decided to resort back to my non-TTL multi-PC sync hotshoe adapter, even though the PC sync ports are not threaded.