Flash lamp unit

A flash lamp assembly comprising a housing, first and second opposed surfaces on said housing, first and second connection members which are respectively located on said opposing first and second surfaces of said housing, each connection member being suitable to be coupled to an associated camera, said assembly comprising first and second pluralities of flash lamps, said second plurality of flash lamps being disposed proximate to said first surface and said first plurality being disposed proximate to said second surface, said second connection member cooperating with only said second plurality of flash lamps and said first connection member cooperating only with said first plurality of flash lamps to ignite the lamps in said first and second pluralities respectively, said assembly cooperating with the associated camera to rotate about an axis of rotation, said assembly including a plurality of percussion springs, each lamp in said assembly being ignitable by an associated percussion spring locked in a tensioned position;

• and means to release a percussion spring cooperating with a lamp in said first plurality of lamps upon movement in a first axial direction and to release a spring cooperating with a lamp in said second plurality upon movement in a second axial direction, said means including a plurality of elongated members extending between said first and second connection members.