Multi Interface Shoe

The Multi Interface Shoe (a.k.a. MI Shoe or MIS) is a proprietary camera hotshoe introduced by Sony in 2012, replacing an assortment of other proprietary hotshoes used by Sony in various types of cameras in the past.

The Multi Interface Shoe is a proprietary camera hotshoe introduced by Sony on 12 September 2012, replacing an assortment of other proprietary hotshoes used by Sony in various types of cameras in the past, including the Auto-lock Accessory Shoe (aka AAS or "iISO" shoe) introduced by Minolta in 1988 and used on Sony α DSLRs, SLTs and some NEX cameras, and the Smart Accessory Terminals types 1 (SAT) and 2 (SAT2) used on the majority of the Sony α NEX-line. It also replaces Sony's former Cyber-shot hotshoe, Intelligent Accessory Shoe (IAS) and Active Interface Shoe (AIS).

At first sight, the Multi Interface Shoe resembles a standard ISO 518 hotshoe with middle contact and frame ground and without any vendor-specific extra contacts, but additional electrical contacts are hidden under the front of the hotshoe. Therefore, the hotshoe is mechanically compatible with any ISO 518-based equipment, and while it does not allow to control third-party flashes, ISO-based flashes can be triggered at least. The hotshoe also features three holes in its metal base in order to support an optional locking mechanism in the flash or other hotshoe device. It does not, however, provide an auto-locking mechanism as on the Auto-lock Accessory Shoe.

Electrically, the Multi Interface Shoe includes all signals of both the Auto-lock Accessory Shoe and the Smart Accessory Terminal 2, thereby allowing passive electromechanical adapters to be used. For this purpose, Sony provides ADP-MAA (top: Auto-lock, bottom: MIS) and ADP-AMA (top: MIS, bottom: Auto-lock) adapters. Both adapters route through the "F2" and "F3" signals; the Auto-lock hotshoe's "F1" signal is connected to the middle contact of the Multi Interface shoe, not pin 20 ("F1#"), which is left open. MIS pins 7 and 15 ("REG_GND") are internally connected to both sides of the frame as well as to the GND signal of the Auto-lock shoe's side. "MIC_GND" pin 4 is left open.

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