Vivitar 283 Digital

<p>Hey everyone. Before I start, I want to apologize and go ahead and say that I have absolutely no knowledge of flashes, so please forgive my ignorance. Last night, I purchased a Vivitar 283 on ebay because I thought I was getting a good price on it. Upon further research, I learned that this is a great flash, but it does not always work on digital cameras. So heres my question: will this flash work on a Canon 1Ds, and if it does, does it have to be attached to the hotshoe or can it be used remotely? Thanks!</p>

<p>You can use it remotely if you trigger it with an optical trigger, or a radio trigger. You can use manual power settings, or you can use its Automatic mode (the flash has a built in sensor to detect the amount of light that reaches the subject.</p>

<p>It can be used either hot shoe, or wired....BUT.....The trigger voltage is around 220v and may harm your camera. You can get a hotshoe/wire voltage stabilizer from Wein.....its a Wein HSHSB and is around 70 dollars in Canada.....maybe cheaper where you live. Regards, Robert</p>

<p>What triggers do you recommend? The flash I bought comes with the Vivitar SC1 trigger, will this work?</p>

<p>The SC1 is a remote sensor cord, not a voltage stabilised conector. Use it and it will probably work, but you are risking real camera damage at some point in time..... ...</p>

<p>Alright. Here is another noob question, but would a Cactus wireless trigger set do the job, or is there a cheaper voltage stabilized connector? I'm a student, and I'm on a really tight budget.</p>

<p>There are different internals for the 283, some have high sync voltage, others have a much lower one. What country was yours made in? A quick google for vivitar 283 sync voltage will find you a bunch of info on the various versions.</p>

<p>Hello Andrew I use the 285HV and 283, with these flash units 285Hv or 283 you have to be very careful to check the sync voltage prior to using it. some of these flashes produce up to 300v. when in doubt use a safe sync.The newer 285HV's produce under 6v which is safe for your camera.</p>

<p>So are there any products similar to the wein hot shoe for a smaller price? And I don't know what country the 283 is from yet. I understand the Chinese and Korean ones are fine, but the Japanese ones can be dangerous.</p>

<p>You can measure the sync voltage with a cheap $10 multimeter (and obviously with an expensive one as well).<br>

Scroll down to "How to Check the Trigger Voltage" <a href="http://www.botzilla.com/photo/g1strobe.html">here</a>.</p>

<p>According to the 1Ds instruction manual page 114 the PC terminal can handle up to 250V but not higher.<br /> No information in the manual how much the hotshoe can handle though. Nikon D3 for example can handle 250V in the hotshoe as well.</p>

<p>"but it does not always work on digital cameras" -- The Vivitar 283 and the Vivitar 285 successor were the workhorse, hockey puck flashes of all time. They will work on virtually ANY camera that can use electronic flash, including digital. If you have the latest model with 6V sync voltage, you simply slide it into the hot shoe. To use it remotely you don't need a "trigger," just a simple PC cord. (But you have the option of using whatever kind of trigger you like if that is your preference.) If you have an older unit with the higher sync voltage, you should use the Wein Safe Sync. I am not aware of a cheaper product. If you measure the voltage and it is at or under what is specified for your camera, then no need for the Safe Sync.</p>

<p>Andrew, I have used many different flashes/strobes, on a variety of cameras, film and digital.<br /> Like you, I was concerned about sync voltage damaging my cameras, and also working with a limited budget.<br /> As mentioned, the Wein Safe Sync, hot shoe adapter, will allow you to use any flash, with any sync voltage on your camera, hot shoe mounted, or off camera via a sync cord attached to the Safe Sync adapter.</p>

<p>I prefer the freedom of using off camera flash, studio strobes/mono-light heads,<br /> without the tripping hazards of sync cords everywhere.<br /> By using cheap eBay, (Cactus, iPhoto), Chinese radio triggers, I eliminate the use of sync cords. And by using radio triggers, the concerns of sync voltage is eliminated at the same time. Using cheap radio triggers can even be cheaper, and as reliable (or more), as when using optical slave triggers.</p>

<p>A set of one transmitting trigger and two receivers, can be purchased for about $40-45/USD or less.<br /> The Wein Safe Sync can cost $55-70/USD alone, and with this option, you still need all of those sync cords.</p>

<p>The older Vivitar flashes, the ones that have higher sync voltages, (and probably made in Japan), are actually better units, with higher grade internal components. Plus, the older units can often be acquired for less money then the newer, lower sync voltage units.</p>

<p>So, get yourself some cheap triggers. Buy older, cheaper, and more powerful flashes.<br /> Hint, there are other brands of flashes, with a lot of power, for a lot less money then Vivitar flashes.</p>

<p>Vivitar's command a premium on the used market, mainly for no other reason then being called, Vivitar.<br /> The new, Chinese made, lower sync voltage Vivitars, have the same cheap Chinese components as any other cheap, (no name) Chinese made flash, but you will pay double or triple the price, for nothing more then the name Vivitar. Many of the other cheaper flashes have better control, quicker recycle times, power zoom functions, with more power, and swivel/bounce heads. Vivitar 283's and 285's won't swivel, only bounce.</p>

<p>Andrew, if your question was concerning whether the new "Vivitar 283D", or digital flash, could be controlled or communicate wirelessly with your camera, when the flash is used off camera, I don't know.</p>

<p>Often times, dedicated third party flashes can be triggered, (they will flash), but auto zoom functions, and auto power levels sometimes won't operate via camera commands, off camera. <br /> These same functions are more likely to work on camera with third party flashes, but off camera, you may have to walk over and make different level adjustments manually.</p>

<p>My German made Metz brand flashes, (dedicated to my Olympus digital), will operate wirelessly, (communicate with my camera), just like the Olympus brand flashes, on camera or off, but at a savings of $150-225/USD less then the Olympus units.<br /> Metz makes a fine quality flash.</p>

<p>So I'm considering the Catcus V2 wireless trigger set now. Assuming this is one of the 283 with the high voltage, will I still need a safe sync to plug it into the receiver unit, or can the reveiver unit handle high voltages? </p>

<p>Andrew, The receiver unit can handle the flashes' high sync voltage, all by itself.</p>

<p>Is there a difference between the V2 and the V2s? I heard the V2 is better for high-voltage flashes, but I've read about problems reported with both with the 283.</p>

<p>I can't help you on the Cactus units. I've got the cheaper units from iPhoto. <br /> They just seem to work with anything I plug them into. Limited range.<br /> I'll get some occasional misfires when I exceed 25 feet or so. Almost never 15-20 feet.<br>

Cheap radio triggers are not your end all, only trick in the bag solution. For critical work, I wouldn't rely on them until you have several test runs with the units.</p>