Vivitar 283 vs 285

I am trying to decide on a new flash to get and I can't decide between the two

(I use OM-1 and OM-1 cameras). I know that the 285 has the zoom head which

could be nice. Do both flashes have manual control? Or only the 285? Do all

285s have manual control, or just the newer ones. Will both work directly off

the hotshoe on an OM-1/OM-1n? Or do I need the flash synch cable to make it

work?

 

Any other information anyone might have that would be useful deciding between

the two would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

I would stick with the 283 if you can find one. It is much more reliable and is built like a tank. As far as I know, both flash have manual control.

Oh, one other quick question, what is the maximum coverage on both? 35mm or 28mm?

 

Thanks!

Well you won't find a new 283, it's been discontinued for a couple of decades I'm sure. :)

 

For used, get a 285 or 285 HV, do not buy a new 285HV, the quality sucks. Rumor has it Vivitar pulled it off the market it is so bad.

 

All 285s have manual control, and there is a replacement sensor for the 283 that does full manual as well.

 

The 285 comes with an additional wide angle lens, covers at least a 28mm, maybe even a 24.

I went with 283s because the 283's VP-1 varipower attachment offers a wider range of power than the 285's built-in power control.

I have both. The 283 comes with fewer options standard--such as manual partial power control and the zoom head. You have to buy accessories for it. Also, if you buy the 285 used, it may or may not come with the wide angle lens. My 285HV also underexposes quite a bit (not a big problem), and the auto apertures are a little different than with the 283. As I recall, you don't get to use f2.8 with ISO 400 with the 283. What are you going to use the flash for?

<i>Do both flashes have manual control? Or only the 285?</i><br>Both, but for variable manual output on the 283 you need the accessory VP-1 adapter. <p>

 

<i>Do all 285s have manual control, or just the newer ones.</i><br>All. Older 285 units may not have the "HV" option and (depending on age) may have a trigger voltage great enough to fry a new camera, but this should not be an issue for your venerable Olympus cameras.<p>

 

<i>Will both work directly off the hotshoe on an OM-1/OM-1n? Or do I need the flash synch cable to make it work?</i><br>Both will.<p><a href="mailto:henryp@bhphotovideo.com">Henry Posner</a><br>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com"><b>B&H Photo-Video</b></a>

Nadine, I'm sorry to have to tell you that my flash meter says my three 283s claimed GNs are optimistic too.

Thanks everyone.

 

I'd love to use it for an upcoming wedding I am shooting. My brother is getting remarried at a fairly small ceremony and I am doing the photography for him. However, I don't think I am going to have enough time to get one and play with it. He isn't really going to have a wedding party and the group shots are going to be small (no more then 6 or 7 people in them). I should have available light photography covered. Otherwise I will be using my Sunpak DC3 (GN30).

 

That being said I'll probably use a 283 or 285 for night/indoor photography where I need finer control and much more power then my little Sunpak DC3 can manage. I have an eventual goal of being a 2nd shooter for weddings, but that might never happen or be a long way off and I have no intention of ever really being a primary shooter. Well, except at my brother's wedding or direct request, I just don't have the free time to run a photography business and I happen to love the job I have right now.

 

For low light photography I use a Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 and a Sigma 28mm f/1.8, so having something that can manage 28mm coverage would be nice so I don't need to switch to my 35-70/3.5 when I want to do a flash photo.

Oh and it sounds like the 285 might be a better option for me as I would like at least partial manual control at my finger tips while retaining the automatic flash exposure options.

Dan--yeah, most flashes' guide numbers are optimistic. They are all tested in optimum conditions, like small white rooms or something. I meant that when you use an auto aperture with the 285, you get more underexposure than the 283. For shooting digital, this isn't such a bad thing, but for film, not so good. You can, of course, compensate. For film, I was sometimes compensating a stop and a half with the 285.

 

Matthew--I would say the 285HV is your best bet.

I'll vote for the 285HV too, although I've never used the HV part. I liked the flash so much that I bought another one and put an optical slave on it. Then another, and another, ... I have six of them now and have fired five of them at once on occasion. I've paid between $45 and $60 for them, all suitably scuffed up by someone else. (I hate to be the one to put the first dent in a brand-new tool.) At least these days the ones you get used on eBay will be the old tank-like model.

 

Van

Thanks everyone. I'll start looking for a 285HV. Well, asking my wife to. Father's day is around the corner and she has been bugging me for ideas...so...a nice flash sounds like the way to go.

I have both the 283 and the 285HV and the 285 is definitely the better unit because of the built in variable manual control and zoom head. Both are rock solid, though I haven't tried the recent production run of the reintroduced 285 -- mine are all from five to 25 years old. Do not try to shoot your brother's wedding without flash. Flash is standard for wedding photography. Without it your going to have shadows and poor lighting even where you have enough light (enough light and good light are not the same), out of focus shots from trying to shoot available light with two wide a lens opening to cover focusing mistakes, all other sorts of headaches and ultimately some places where you just can't get a shot.

i know this is a new question, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one reading this thread who will have it: can anyone tell me what te 'HV' stands for, or what the 'HV option' is on the 285? thanks.

The HV means it can be powered from a High Voltage battery pack.

The 285 w/o the HV is 6v dc only.

What the HV pack does is give you much faster recycle speed.