Nikon F3: AS17 or dedicated TTL Flash?

[marco_p1]

Hi to all, I need a tip on flash photography with my F3.

I currently have an F90 with an SB25 flash, and SC17 cable.

As F3 is my preferred camera for macro, I would like to use its basic

ttl capabilities. I have decided to look for the AS17 adapter, but I

see the cost of an SB17 would be about the same. I still prefer the

AS17, as I could use my SC17 cable. Is there something I am not aware

of which makes an original F3-ttl flash a better choice?

I know the F3 has only basic ttl capabilities, but i assume my F90-

SB25 combo has no advantage over it when an ais lens is in use (or a

bellow, or tubes, or a reversed lens). Am I correct?

Thank you,

Marco<div></div>

[eric friedemann]

Marco, for under $40, you can buy a Vivitar TTL shoe for Nikon F3-variant cameras (Google "Vivitar Nikon F3 shoe" and you will find them new and used). I have owned both the Vivitar F3 shoe and Nikon AS-17 shoes and could not see any difference in TTL accuracy.

 

 

There is one added bonus to the Vivitar shoe- size. The AS-17 is large and awkward, sticking out past the side of the camera. The Vivitar shoe is the same size as Nikon's compact non-TTL shoe, the AS-4.

 

 

While I haven't see a difference in performance between the AS-17 and the Vivitar F3 shoe, even with newer SB-28 flashes, there is an explanation of the ISO settings on the AS-17 here:

 

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf3ver2/flash/index.htm

 

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf3ver2/flash/andrewkalman.htm

[marco_p1]

Eric, I have found contradictory reports on the Vivitar adapter, someone thinks it only works on flashes built to work with it (=Vivitar TTL ISO-mount flashes). Well, you say you used it with an SB28 without problems... Do you still use it regularly? You set the film speed on the camera and the adapter reads it mechanically from the body? Or is there a way to set the flash in TTL mode and input the film speed manually in the flash? If I understand correctly, TTL in the F3 is implemented in a way that it's not the camera who gives the "stop-flash" signal, but the flash reads the light directly from the cell inside the camera and decides on its own. I think the SB28 (and my SB25) is not built to work this way, it waits for the "stop flash" signal. So the adapter should do the logic, read the light from the camera body, and tell the flash when to stop the light burst, and to do that it needs to know the film speed. To sum up: how do you tell the Vivitar adapter the film speed? Thank you for your help and for sharing your experience. Marco

[eric friedemann]

Marco, I sold my last F3HP when I went to digital (for 35mm). But, yes, I've used multiple Vivitar F3 shoes with older Vivitar and Nikon flashes and with newer flashes, like the SB-28 with good TTL results.

 

With the Vivitar shoe, there is no film speed setting on the shoe. With, for instance, an SB-28, you have to set the ISO, zoom setting and f/stop on the flash. You also set the ISO setting on the camera.

[todd peach seattle, washi]

You could buy an SB-17 AND the SC-14 cable (the latter does the job your SC-17 does, only for the F3 interface) for under $65 used at KEH, putting you quite a bit under the cost of an AS-17.

[art_nichols]

The SC-14 cord will work with the SB-12 as well. I have an SC-14 for sale. $20.00 plus shipping.

[robert_headman]

Does anyone have the Nikon manual for the AS-17? Where can I find it?