Canon R1's hot shoe.... something's not right or am I being paranoid?

[PaniczAdam]

Hey folks. I picked up the R1 recently... and almost immediately started using it with my Speedlite EL-1.
Then... a week later I read the manual... (yeah... should have done that before I hooked up the EL-1 to the R1!)....
... and the manual says I should have used the AD-E1 adapter!

Damn...

I started to look intently at my R1's hot shoe... especially at the 21-pin connector inside the hot shoe. I took some close up pictures of those 21 pins and I can see that one of the pins is (maybe) shorter? Maybe it is bent / damaged? It definitely looks fishy.
On the other hand - I spent some fair amount of time trying to figure out whether my EL-1 could damage the pins... and it seems to me that this is simply impossible. The EL-1 - when mounted on the camera - doesn't even reach the 21 pins on the camera's hot shoe.

So... I am kinda worried that my brand new R1 may have some issues with the hot shoe. Hence a polite request to other R1 owners on this forum: could you please take look at your 21 pins and tell me what you see? A photo would be nice. I can also provide some photos of my R1's hot shoe for a comparison.

Thank you!

 

[neuroanatomist]

The AD-E1 adapter is only needed if you require a weather sealed connection between your flash and camera.

Else, old style flashes work perfectly. I routinely used 600EX-RT flashes in the new-style hotshoe of my R3, switching off with the ST-E10 (which uses the new pins) depending on whether I needed light from on-camera or not. No issues. Even after getting the EL-5, I sometimes used the 600EX flashes. I've also used the 600EX's on my R1, but usually use the EL-5.

I do have an AD-E1, but I haven't ever needed to use it.

 

[PaniczAdam]

The AD-E1 adapter is only needed if you require a weather sealed connection between your flash and camera.

Else, old style flashes work perfectly. I routinely used 600EX-RT flashes in the new-style hotshoe of my R3, switching off with the ST-E10 (which uses the new pins) depending on whether I needed light from on-camera or not. No issues. Even after getting the EL-5, I sometimes used the 600EX flashes. I've also used the 600EX's on my R1, but usually use the EL-5.

I do have an AD-E1, but I haven't ever needed to use it.

Thanks! This is helpful.

BTW: I just googled a picture of a multifunction hot shoe and it looks exactly like mine - one pin seems to be shorter. So... I was indeed paranoid ;-)

 

[PaniczAdam]

Well, as I mentioned in my recent post, I was a bit paranoid. Seems like the hot shoe is completely okay. I found some pictures of Canon multifunction hot shoes on the Internet and they look exactly like mine. Some pins are "retracted" and one pin is kinda shorter or something. This was the main reason why I started to panic.
Anyway... to have some peace of mind, I got myself the AD-E1 adapter and to be honest - this is the only way I am going to use my R1 with EL-1.
I don't think using the EL-1 without the AD-E1 adapter causes any real issues other than locking the Speedlite on a camera's body is a bit harder (a bigger force is being applied to the front part of the hot shoe). However, with the AD-E1 adapter everything seems to work as intended and much smoother.

 

[SvO2]

Well, as I mentioned in my recent post, I was a bit paranoid. Seems like the hot shoe is completely okay. I found some pictures of Canon multifunction hot shoes on the Internet and they look exactly like mine. Some pins are "retracted" and one pin is kinda shorter or something. This was the main reason why I started to panic.
Anyway... to have some peace of mind, I got myself the AD-E1 adapter and to be honest - this is the only way I am going to use my R1 with EL-1.
I don't think using the EL-1 without the AD-E1 adapter causes any real issues other than locking the Speedlite on a camera's body is a bit harder (a bigger force is being applied to the front part of the hot shoe). However, with the AD-E1 adapter everything seems to work as intended and much smoother.

I don’t know canon’s pinout, but it’s not unusual to make power connections shorter so that they’re the last to connect and first to disconnect. That way you can ensure the device isn’t powered until all the other pins are making appropriate contact.

 

[koenkooi]

I don’t know canon’s pinout, but it’s not unusual to make power connections shorter so that they’re the last to connect and first to disconnect. That way you can ensure the device isn’t powered until all the other pins are making appropriate contact.

As well as making the ground pins longer to get rid of stray charges.

 

[WestonReid]

The 21 pins on the hot shoe are critical, and if one appears bent or shorter, it could indicate potential damage, though it may not be from the EL-1. I'd suggest reaching out to support for a detailed inspection. In the meantime, others' feedback or photos would definitely help clarify if your pin looks unusual. When you struggle with writing, confidence can be a big hurdle. I turned to domypaper.com for help. DoMyPaper essay writing service provided expert assistance, helping me produce high-quality papers and boosting my confidence. Now, I feel more assured when tackling assignments.