mike_fellhauer

Note I'm answering this as an E-300 & E-330 user and fan (those are the only "E" cameras I own).

Reviewers lambasted the E-300 when it first came out, criticizing the non-traditional SLR design (I preferred the E-300 over the lousy IMO E-1 design). Having come from a C-700, the E-300 was the best design out there; although in retrospect I would have loved if the early "E"'s were like the E-4xx in design since the film SLR I used for 20 years was most like the E-4xx design (today though the E-4xx is too small for me as I'm used to the heavier, bulkier cameras).

As for the E-330 with its live view, reviewers called it a solution looking for a problem (although most dSLRs today have live view).

Considering most went for the E-5xx design, that's where Oly concentrated on (before the PEN came out).

<p>If you want to see proof, go to a repair shop and ask <em>them</em> for proof. A friend who is an electronics expert (and former pro photographer) was in a camera repair shop chatting up the repair technician, and the technician said he had a shelf full of Nikons that had all died due to the fact their owners had used them with their older high-voltage flashes without a safe-sync...this <strong>does</strong> happen. OK, this is still hearsay evidence, but it's the best I can provide, and the person was only warning me for my sake and had no agenda to sell me a safe-sync.</p>

<p>But to be a doubting Thomas, why do we have fuses in our houses and cars, why do we have GFCI outlets in bathrooms...will my house really catch on fire if I use too much electricity on a circuit, just because an expert said so? Are GFCIs really just overpriced outlets that don't do anything (I know what's in a GFCI and how it works, so I know it's worthwhile).</p>

<p>One person lives a clean life, exercises, dies at 30...another drinks heavily, smokes cigars, lives on to 100. Sometimes you get lucky!</p>

<p>P.J., not once in this thread did you say what camera you own...yes you said you use an "EOS" but you didn't say what model as the name "EOS" is used by the high-end as well as the low-end cameras...maybe yours has more built-in protection so it's safe, while someone here reading your posts with a base model EOS may follow your advice and blow their camera. You talk about the judiciary process, but you didn't give the whole truth!</p>

<p>And some camera makers <strong>do</strong> state in their manuals how much trigger voltage they can handle, the manual for the high-end camera of the brand I use states 400v, but that same manufacturer doesn't state what it is in their lower end cameras, you have to contact them to find that out that it's only 24v.</p>

<p>And I did blow my Sekonic using it with one of my high voltage flashes, as someone else in this thread did as well.</p>

<p>I was at a camera show and at the Olympus booth they dunked an E-3 w/12-60 into an aquarium...ok it was only for a second but if it can handle that it can handle rainstorms, waves, etc.</p>

<p>Personally though I'd probably get an underwater case for it since it's salt water, or use one of the Olympus TOUGH cameras for that type of abuse.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I followed the dialog box that popped up saying to unplug and turn off the camera.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You were supposed to follow the instructions on the camera, not the computer. The instructions state, "When OK is displayed <strong>on the LCD display of the digital camera</strong> , as shown on the right in the dialg box below, updating the camera is complete." As someone who has updated two bodies and several lenses, I've never had an issue of concern.<br /> </p>

<p>Afraid now the only thing left to do is send it in and pay to get it updated by Olympus.<br>

<br /> </p>

<p>Let's start from basics...you can use ANY flash you want that will fit into the hot shoe with regards to trigger voltage not being over 24v (a 2AA battery operated flash can have a trigger voltage over 200volts) and non-compatible TTL flashes (Canon, Nikon, older Olympus flashes for film cameras and older digital like the FL-40).</p>

<p>There are three types of flashes, manual, automatic, and TTL...with manual and automatic flashes you have to set a shutter speed 1/180th or longer and use the chart on the back of the flash to determine the aperture setting...IOW you have to use Manual mode on the camera and do all the setting yourself.</p>

<p>With TTL the flash and camera talk to each other...when you change a setting on the camera the flash will compensate, and vice-versa. Also with the FL-36/50 there's also automatic zooming of the flash when you zoom the lens, in the flashes' FP mode you can shoot faster than 1/180th (handy for fill flash use outside on a bright day) and also when focusing in lowlight the FL-36/50 will also emit a red glow to help the camera focus (rather than the strobing that's done by the internal flash). Just a note that other brands TTL (Canon & Nikon) are NOT compatible with Olympus digital TTL and can damage the camera and/or flash...also older Olympus TTL flashes like the FL-40 and those made for film cameras (like the G40, T20, T32, etc.) are also NOT compatible with today's digital cameras.<br /> Personally I use the Olympus FL-36 for my every day shooting.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >In addition, the FL-36R/50R can be used wirelessly with E-420/520 or newer cameras!</p>

<p > </p>

<p >If I'm doing studio portrait shooting I'll use special strobes called monolights (these are units that combine a strobe with a halogen light and requiring plugging into a wall outlet). They operate like manual flashes with an adjustable intensity control, so again I have to do all the setting myself when using those, and use a handheld light meter to check the intensity of the strobes.</p>

<p > </p>

Even Olympus' own long lenses have a tripod collar on the lens and allow the body to hang off it, even the E-1/3. Of course if you're using one of the plastic lens mount adapters you may want to look into getting a better one.

My 400mm (with tripod collar) is a T-mount lens so I'm using a T-mount to OM, and then Oly's OM to 4/3, and I haven't had any concerns.

<p>To respond to "what is the difference between a Vivitar 285, and a Vivitar 285 HV? My guess is that the "HV" refers to high voltage, and if that is the case, what are the types of applications and cameras and systems of the HV version?"</p>

<p>The "HV" version gives you the option of using the high voltage power packs...for instance the 200v AC adapter. It makes charging the 285HV faster (from full discharge 4 second recharge vs. 10 seconds for battery only). Other than speeding up the recharge cycle (and being tethered to a wall outlet) there's no difference in operating it. I have multiple 285HVs and a 200v AC adapter for each of them. Note you still need the AA batteries for the flash circuit to work properly, but it only uses the high voltage supply to recharge the flash. Personally I use these on light stands so being tethered to a wall outlet is not an issue.</p>