vivitar 285HV flash on canon hotshoe

I have 2 couple Vivitar 285HV flashed on order which I plan to use off camera.

However, is it safe to use these attached directly to my Canon 30D?s hotshoe?

I haven?t seen anything regarding this and would hate to damage the camera.

 

thanks

Are they new? If so, they should be safe, but IANAE (I am not an engineer) and can only relay what I have learned by searching Photo.net and Google for information on this subject.

I use a 285 which I bought about 10 years ago on a Powershot s5is -- it is the one which takes an SB-6 external supply (the older ones took an sb-4). Both of my 285s test under 12 volts trigger voltage with a multimeter. YMMV of course.

You should either test them or get Safe Syncs for them. Apparently, depending on age and country of manufacture, the Vivitar 285's sync voltage can vary. It is unlikely that it would be more than the 250 volts limit of the 30D, but possible, so best to be safe than sorry, especially since this kind of damage is not immediately obvious. You can try finding a local camera repair place. They usually can test them for you.

285's can vary quite a bit, so it's best to check each individual unit.

 

You can buy a simple DC voltage tester for a few dollars and check them yourself. Just measure between the bottom pin on the hotshoe and the strip of metal that touches the outside of the shoe. I believe the 30D has a 250V sync limit, but please check your user manual to be sure.