julian_love Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 I have a Starblitz 200 AQS flash that I picked up here in Peru for $30. However, I have recently noticed that my FM3A manual tells me not to use 3rd party flashes as they mat operate on a different voltage and damage the circuitry in the camera. Could this be a problem or is this just Nikon spreading fear and confusion to make sure I buy in brand? FYI, I couldn`t find anything relating to voltage in the manual of the flash and Nikon own bramnd accessories don`t appear to be available here anyway.... Thanks, Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 <<Could this be a problem or is this just Nikon spreading fear and confusion to make sure I buy in brand? >> It could be a problem... AND it is just Nikon spreading fear. There are flash units with the potential to stir-fry the electronics in your lovely new Nikon. The warranty does not cover repairs for such damage. But you'll find on photo.net lots of information about third-party flash units that work happily with modern Nikons. Does Nikon want you to stay "in brand"? Sure. Will Nikon tell you which third-party units are safe? Nope. So you have to work at this if you want to use Metz or Sunpack or the ubiquitous Vivitar or your bird-in-hand Starblitz. For one thing, you need to find out the voltage and current at the "foot" of the Starblitz in action, and compare that to the voltage and current a Nikon speedlight uses in talking to the camera body. If I had a clue about those numbers I'd share them, but alas, I am sans clue. Good luck and have fun, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael erlich Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 A Wein "Safe-Sync" will reduce the voltage and protect the camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_michael Posted November 23, 2002 Share Posted November 23, 2002 It's all Nikonian rhetroic. They want you to buy their product and their product alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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