Using Vivitar 285HV(s) with Canon D30

[rick_brooker]

I went on the adivce that I got here for purchasing a flash unit and

bought the Vivitar 285HV to use with my Canon D30 for portrait work.

Actually, I purchased two with two umbrellas and light stands. I had

the SC-3 sensor cord listed as an essential accessory for this setup,

but when I talked with B&H the rep told me the cord was very short

and suggested a 16' PC cord instead. I opted for the longer cord,

but I can't seem to get acceptable results from pointing the two

flashes into the umbrellas to bounce light onto the subject. Will I

have to use the flashes this (bouncing the flash) way in manual mode

to achieve desired exposure? Or, is there a way to utilize the

automatic mode for these flash units used together?

[jimstrutz]

The problem you are having is that the flash's auto sensor is pointing at the umbrella. Since the 285 doesn�t have a head that can swivel backwards, there is no way to get the auto sensor to point at your subject without using the remote sensor cord. The cord really only needs to be about 6 inches long to get the sensor pointed in the right direction. The B&H guy really didn't steer you completely wrong though since you do need the longer PC cord as well.

 

However, using two flashes, each on auto mode, will not always produce reliable results since each flash partly sees the areas lit by the other flash. Lots of people say it won't work, but actually many others do this all the time. Just be aware that, depending on the placement of the lights, sometimes the exposure will not be what you want. That shouldn't be a problem with a digital SLR since you can see the results right away.

 

In the end, you may find using the flashes in manual mode is more reliable and really no more difficult to get right. If you were using a film camera, a flash meter would be very useful since the Vivitar's listed GN of 120' is way off. I tested mine at GN 80 with 100 ISO film, but many others claim 100'. But since you have the digital camera, shoot with one flash & adjust its manual power or distance until you like the exposure. Then do the same with the other. From there you just set one of them as the main light and control the ratio by changing the power or distance of the fill or background flash.

 

You will also need some way to trip the second flash. An optical slave is the low cost way to do this, and as long as no one else is shooting with flash in the same room it should work fine.

[ac_gordon]

in what way are the results unacceptable? multiple auto flashes generally cannot be used together in auto mode. you should try manual mode, which shouldn't be too difficult to adjust to get proper with a d30 and some simple experimentation.

[larry_lambert1]

AC is right, each of the 285s have four manual power stops, if both are the same distance from the subject you can easily achieve ratios, and then even vary the distance to subject between them for more control. Just get a voltage regulator unless you want to risk these flashes cooking your EOS, and especially don't hook up two to the camera at once, use an otical slave.

[jimstrutz]

Larry mentions a voltage regulator. A Wein Safe-Sync is probably the best option for this, but if the 285HVs are new (or made in the last few years) you shouldn't need one. Early 285s & 283s were made with various sync trigger voltages that could certainly fry your camera or maybe just your flash circuit, but the new one shouldn't.

 

For more info about how to check for this, take a look at: http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html