Flash Help

[Britishbouncer]

Hi All

This is my first post. First of all I would like to say how much I have enjoyed veiwing this website, and the sheer wealth of knowledge there is on it, I am hoping to learn alot more about photography and this forum is perfect for me. Well done to the administrators and the users for making this website such a useful medium in learning photographic skills.

Anyway, sorry for going off course. I have recently purchased a Canon 400D (Rebel XTi) and i am hoping to use a Vivitar 283 flash on it, I got the flash from my dad and he bought it in the 70's so it is an early model, but i have read a lot about how EOS cameras and early models of the 283 dont mix well. I have been able to use the flash on my camera, but it doesent always work. I dont want to use the flash too much if it is going to break my camera.

Can anyone help me? I would love to be able to use the flash, as it is a great flash.

Is the Vivitar 283 safe to use on the Canon 400D?

Thanks for your help

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum, congrats on the new camera.

As you may have read...some of the earlier 283 models had a much higher trigger voltage...which might be enough to damage the camera. The later ones had a lower voltage, and would be safe.

You may be able to research it, using the serial number, to find out when/where it was made. Or you could use a volt meter to measure it.

 

[Britishbouncer]

Thanks Big Mike! I will look into it and try to find ot what volts mt flash is producing. I am also considering buying a cheap radio slave from ebay, if my volts is high on the 283 flash, will the radio slave be able to handle it?

Thanks again for your help

 

[Big Mike]

will the radio slave be able to handle it?

Good question :scratch: I have no idea.

 

[Michael Humle]

Thanks Big Mike! I will look into it and try to find ot what volts mt flash is producing. I am also considering buying a cheap radio slave from ebay, if my volts is high on the 283 flash, will the radio slave be able to handle it?

Hi, I just bought a very inexpensive 4 channel radio slave for my Olympus E-300. The trigger puts out less than 6 volts, so it perfectly safe to use on DSLRs. Here is the link...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Radio-Slave-Flash-Trigger-4-Channel-Wireless_W0QQitemZ140059716327QQihZ004QQcategoryZ30086QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[tarpleyg]

This is just a heads-up more than anything else...

Anyone else have a problem with these cheap slaves where the flash fires after the shutter closes? I think I have narrowed it down to the batteries being low on the receiver. You won't know it unless you're chimping because the flash does fire, just slightly too late though. You're left with a black image (shooting at 1/500 anyway).

I thought the batteries would last longer...I get maybe 100-200 shots out of a set of AAA Duracells or Energizers. Maybe I'll try the lithiums. The rechargeables won't work according to the manufacturer/distributor but I haven't tried them yet.

Greg

 

[castrol]

Cheap eBay slaves won't synch above 1/200. At least, that is my experience
with them so far. I have the Cactus V2's.

 

[tarpleyg]

The ones I bought will...just not when the battery gets low. How low??? No idea. I just know that after a while shooting, they stop syncing. Fresh batteries and I'm back in business.

I have two of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/16-Channels-Wir...ryZ64354QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Greg