question on shoe flash

[wysoczanski]

i currently have a nikon D1 and i am in need of a flash...hoverever there is one problem i dont have much money nor do i need top of the line flash for now. i looked around and found this one RS-F18 Adorama DL-50M Manual Flash Unit with PC Cord, GN 50 at ISO 100

what do you think of it?
would it work for nikon D1?

i dont mind the battery part because i do have recharable ones...

any other cheap shoe flashes under say about 20-35$??

thank you for any comments

 

[scapskiode]

anyone ?

 

[Derrel]

W,
I would NOT BUY that flash for use on a D1. One owner states that the trigger voltage is 280 volts, and it probably is. Trigger voltages of higher than 250 volts are not recommended for Nikon d-slrs,and even though the D1 is a tough, pro-level body, a few hundred 280 volt flash shots *might* fry the electronics.

There are a lot of older, used flashes selling on e-Bay for $5 to $20. Something like a Vivitar 3500 for $15-$20 used would be my suggestion.

I took a quick look at your Flickr D1 shots,and recognized the "look" of D1 captures. I think the shots need the black point adjusted, to give you richer color and higher saturation. Also, shooting the D1 in .NEF mode gives vastly better,richer color than in-camera JPEGs. You might also try shooting the D1 using Cloudy White Balance, with Minus 3 dialed in under many daylight conditions. The D1 requires a lot of inside knowledge to master. The book "The D1 Generation" by Moose Peterson will explain hundreds of tips on how to get the most out of the D1; its non-standard color space is kinda' tricky.