"Photoflash" capacitors?

[Oznog]

Are "photoflash" capacitors called that because they have special construction, or is that just a suggested used?

I'd kind of assumed they were designed to take high currents and/or the high dV/dT rates, xenon tubes can take from one to several amps. I've seen them listed as "photoflash" caps in surplus catalogs, but I didn't see such a description on say Mouser.

Will any cap of the appropriate voltage and capacitance do this job? Or should I be looking for "low ESR", "high ripple", or what to get an appropriate cap?

 

[Someone Electro]

these are caps used in cameras to store the charge and then let it all out fast in the flash tube

there are 100uF 350V electrolic caps

i once toched an 2,2 uF electrolic cap charged to 300V(it was form an flourescent lamp bulb)!Arhhh!!!Its like somecone stun you in the finger whith a needle.

So watch out not to toch then wen charged

 

[chemelec]

Typically they are just a Good Quality cap with Low Leakage and Low ESR.

But any cap of the appropriate voltage and capacitance will work.

In Cameras, the actual Charge current is Very Low, Thats why the need for Low Leakage.