Hot shoe flashes worth looking at?

[Blake.Oney]

So my Vivitar 285hv pooped out after owning it for literally like a month. Don't know what happened to it, but it powers on, charges, but when it's time to fire it sputters out a tiny little puff of light. You can barely even see that it flashes at all looking directly into it. I know it could have just been a bad unit, and until then I really liked it, but I'm afraid to buy another one. I've just been using my strobes, but the weather is getting nice again and I want a portable set up to shoot outside with. Should I give the 285hv another chance and buy more, or is there something else in the manual flash department I should try. I don't need any of the sb's unless you guys like highly recommend it. I've checked out the lumopro flashes and a couple others. Just trying to decide what ones I'm going to buy next week. Thanks in advance.

 

[Buckster]

The Vivitar 285hv is one of the most bought, most used, most highly recommended hot shoe flashes made, especially for those on a budget. Why do you supoose that is? Hint: Not because they're known to fail after a month of use.

If you've only had it a month, take/send it back for a replacement.

 

[Blake.Oney]

That's what I was thinking and to be honest, I really wanted to give them another shot. I guess I just wanted someone else to tell me so I wouldn't feel like I was getting screwed haha.

 

[analog.universe]

Those flashes are quite renowned, I would attempt to get your broken one replaced for sure. Generally if there is a manufacturing defect, it makes itself known early on like yours did.

That being said.... if for some reason your Vivitar adventures don't work out, I've got Lumopro LP160s that I love.

 

[ghache]

get it replaced or buy 2 more unit!

If i were you, i would also get power cable for these units, it will cut your recycle time by half when plugged. i used mine in studio once in a while. At 1/2 power they recycle quite fast and the power is not bad.:thumbup:

 

[KmH]

I have several of the $90 USD, 285HV's and have had no problems. Vivitar 285HV Auto Professional Flash

The auto- thyristor on the 285HV allows for some auto functionality that comes in handy from time to time.

However, I recently bought a Yougnuo YN-460 II ($50 USD new). It also has some limited auto functionality and has an odd battery door, but for most of my uses it will work just fine, and I'll likely buy more of them. Yongnuo Flash Speedlite Yn-460II for Nikon Canon Pentax

 

[Derrel]

Ya know, I have three Vivitar 285's, and they are all like 25 years old. I used unit #2 yesterday to do some quick copy pics...these things have been beat to $h!+ by me,dropped, smacked, used with Quantum Battery 1 mostly, and Quantum Turbo, and been shot as basketball arena flashes for roughly 7,000 frames on each of two flash units plus been carried on hundreds of assignments...I bought all these when Ronald Reagan was President...but I have heard that the "new" 285's are made in China and that they as a whole are now suffering reliability issues...I have read on the interwebs that the "new" ones are not the same as the ones we have come to know over the past 30 years. As with basically all things Vivitar, Vivitar is a re-brander of equipment that was manufactured by OTHER companies...and given the absolutely pathetic,dismal,depressing,and disgusting lack of quality found in so,so many Chinese-made products, I am wondering if what I am reading on the interwebs is true: namely, that Vivitar stopped re-branding the 285HV...and that all that remains is new older stock, and that the company is looking into a new OEM source...