quick guidance needed - flash

[anel]

hey everyone, i've got a quickie;
we ordered a pair of those cactus triggers just for fun to see how they work out and they're marvelous! so i'm going to order them for me and seeing as i want to do everything from portraits to action photography (on an basic - intermediate level) which flash guns on ebay can i order with the triggers... which flash is the cheapest and offers full manual control and doesn't like turn off or stop working in a couple of months..

 

[Derrel]

The Vivitar 285HV (which has a very low-voltage triggering value of about 6 volts, so it's safe on all d-slr bodies) is one of the better choices to fit your criteria. The head zooming Wide-Norm-Tele is done by human power. The ultra-wide diffuser panel is inserted by your own hand. No zooming motors to conk out. The flash calculator is a round analog dial,so you can preview "other" settings without actually switching the settings, and it works very well. I have three of them and all of them are from the mid-1980's and still going strong, even after having been used with Quantum Battery 1 and Quantum Turbo battery packs. The 285 HV has 4 of what are called Auto- f/stops.

Sunpak's 383 Super is very,very similar, but only has 3 Auto- f/stops, but it has tilt AND swivel action, making it a better flash unit for shoe-mounted work. The Sunpak 383 Super is a very simple,rugged,affordable flash.

 

[CxThree]

Yep. Vivitar is the standard. Also, check out the lumipro stuff on mpex.com. They seem like good flashes too and they have a complete strobist section of stuff including the triggers you mention. Stroist.com seems to like their stuff.

 

[JerryPH]

Cripes, keep it to one forum, dude... no need to double post the same question in 2 places.