People with Vivitar 285hv (emergency)

Blake.Oney · Jan 14, 2011

I have to shoot a wedding tomorrow and it seems my 285hv has pooped out. I have strobes which will be fine and get me through, but I would really the versatility of my hotshoe flash to help out. Everything seems to be working fine, the hotshoe connector is working, the ready light is on, but when I take a picture, or pop it with my wireless triggers the flash that it puts out is very very weak and the same no matter the power setting. It seems almost like it is stuck in power save mode or something. Has anyone else had this issue? If so can it be fixed, or is that flash kaput?

Blake.Oney · Jan 14, 2011

Nope, they are fully charged. It's weird. The flash is charging, the ready light is on, but the sufficient light indicator won't turn on, which it should. It's just spitting out little drips of light basically.

Edit: by the way your photo's have gotten ridiculously better.

3bayjunkie · Jan 14, 2011

did you try the settings on the flash? did you try setting your camera to factory default?

Dao · Jan 14, 2011

Do you have a different set of batteries you can try?

The ready light will turn on even with a weak batteries. But the flash power output is going to lowered with the weak batteries. (based on my experience with the 285Hv flash)

In other words, the photos are darker with weak batteries in the 285hv flash when compared with fully charged fresh working batteries.

KmH · Jan 15, 2011

Two possible problems come to mind:

The thyristor on the front of the unit is bad. If you have another 285HV you can switch them. With the power switch off, just pull the thyristor off the front of the unit.
The main capacitor has gone bad.

As far as repair, it would depend what the problem is.

Care must be taken when working on a speedlight because the main capacitor can store enough energy to kill.

Blake.Oney · Jan 15, 2011

Looks like I'm going with my strobes. It will be fine because the church is super small, just not as convenient for me. I don't have another 285 and it's a $90 flash so repair to the capacitor is out of the question. I'll check the prices on Thyristor's and see if I can maybe get another one some other time.

It just sucks because this flash it literally like a month old.

Sonoma · Jan 15, 2011

Blake.Oney said:
I'll check the prices on Thyristor's and see if I can maybe get another one some other time.

It just sucks because this flash it literally like a month old.

A month old and no warranty? I know that won't help now, but it would get it fixed or replaced for free.

KmH · Jan 15, 2011

Sonoma said:
Blake.Oney said:

I'll check the prices on Thyristor's and see if I can maybe get another one some other time.

It just sucks because this flash it literally like a month old.

Click to expand...

A month old and no warranty? I know that won't help now, but it would get it fixed or replaced for free.

Same here, if you purchased it new and haven't subjected the unit to shock/impact damage, I would return it under the warranty.

phiya · Jan 15, 2011

Blake - if you ever leave batteries in it, check the connectors for battery corrosion. If there is a small amount of corrosion, it could be slowing the transfer of energy from the batteries to the flash. If there is corrosion, try cleaning it with vinegar and a q-tip.

sobolik · Jan 15, 2011

Go to Best Buy and get a $120.00 Nikon SB-400

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+-...Unit/8188016.p?id=1164155599690&skuId=8188016

KmH · Jan 15, 2011

phiya said:
Blake - if you ever leave batteries in it, check the connectors for battery corrosion. If there is a small amount of corrosion, it could be slowing the transfer of energy from the batteries to the flash. If there is corrosion, try cleaning it with vinegar and a q-tip.

He says the ready light is on, indicating a fully charged capacitor, yet he gets a weak light when the 285HV is set to full power and is triggered.

He doesn't seem to be complaining about re-cycle time.

Vinegar is dilute Acetic acid (low Ph) and is the wrong stuff to be using.
You would want to use a base (hi Ph), like a baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate)solution to neutralize the corrosion which is itself an acid.

djacobox372 · Jan 15, 2011

Blake.Oney said:
Looks like I'm going with my strobes. It will be fine because the church is super small, just not as convenient for me. I don't have another 285 and it's a $90 flash so repair to the capacitor is out of the question. I'll check the prices on Thyristor's and see if I can maybe get another one some other time.

It just sucks because this flash it literally like a month old.

I've heard that you're better off buying old used Vivitar HV flashes instead of the new ones which were recently "reintroduced." The quality control of the new ones hasn't matched the old. The old vivitar 285hv was legendary for it's reliability, but the new ones aren't being made by the same factory or the same people, so you can't assume they are just as reliable.

KmH · Jan 15, 2011

I have a bunch of 285HV's. I have had no problems. None. Zero. Zilch.

A friend of mine recently had to have Nikon replace a 3 moth old SB-900.

These things are mass produced consumer electonics, and the laws of probability dictate some of them will fail, regardless who made them.

Kiron Kid · Apr 17, 2011

Sounds as if you got one of the nerer, made in China units. They suck. Very crappy quality control. So bad, that Vivitar discontinued their production again. The older Vivitar 285's are great. Very reliable.