rayr

B&H Photo sells an adapter to lower the voltage.

Mitzis

I have several quality flashes from film days that I would never use on my current DSLRs (I have a a flash designed for them that I use on the cameras). I use the older flashes on tripods for a small studio setup or on an arm on the cameras when I need extra light. The older flashes are easily triggered as slaves from my camera's built in flash or attached flash by using a small, inexpensive optic trigger on each older flash. I bought mine on eBay for under $10 each. Amazon also has them.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=optical+slave+flash+trigger&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=177293242720&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8952681877265910852&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9005917&hvtargid=kwd-3508489228&ref=pd_sl_3ppoznahf1_b

Brent Rowlett Loc: Atlanta, GA

It would be good to invest in Pocket Wizzard radio trigger units. You can use any old light, older light banks with multiple lights etc. beautifully and firing unlimited amount of lights in banquet halls, real estate settings, and creative photography. I have 6 of them. Many photographers want to take the easy way out and use TTL control, but photographers that really know their equipment and are capable of shooting in manual mode, using all of your old lights and combination of electric powered and battery powered lights is a plus.

You will need to buy special connecting cords for the Vivatar for about $15.00@, and they are available at your local camera stores. Pocket Wizzard fires everything out there.

cthahn

Trying to mate old film equipment with new digital equipment in many cases wont work. The best is to purchase a new unit that is designed for your for your camera.

wcmoorejr Loc: Birmingham Alabama

I would not risk your camera with that flash. BUT, if you use a trigger on your camera, it would make a great manual slave unit. I use a yongnuo trigger on my 7dmkii. I use my old flashes with receivers. it works great. it has let me set up a portable studio that I take to my theater shoots (actor shots on site in costume) with the equipment I already owned.

Dond

I've been using a Wein HSHSB hot shoe adapter with my Sunpak potato masher flash on my DSLR cameras. It appears that the current model number of the device is 990-560. It sells for around $50 new.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Wein Safe-Sync HSHSB. About $50, way more than that ancient Vivitar is worth...

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

The Vivitar flash units remind me of my much younger, film days. I have a bunch of older flash units, including a few Vivitar units, which I break out upon occasion for special shots.

John Ford

Wein makes a hotshoe adapter that has let me use older Vivitar 283's and my Norman Strobes with no problems.

John

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Depends on what you mean by "won't work". As I've already mentioned, I prefer "auto" flashes to "TTL" flashes. I have several flashes, mostly "auto", that date back to old film cameras; every one of them has a modern trigger voltage, and every one of them works well with my current digital cameras.

agillot

if you want a inexpensive flash , that is dedicated to camera , walmart has 2 , one for nikon and the other for canon , [$ 65 ] .if you want to see if your old flash is ok , turn it on , use a basic voltmeter { under $ 10 ] and check voltage at the center pin to the base . a bad flash has 100 to 200 volts , a good safe one around 5 volts .

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html

And this if you want to determine it yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59r2BHuJY-s

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The first link is a pretty good one. However, it says a Vivitar 285 (non-HV) has a sync voltage of 350. Well, I have two of them, both with 6 to 8 volts sync. (So your voltage may vary!)

Don't know if the kid in the video really knows what he's talking about. He says under 11 watts, when he should say under 12 volts.

RANT:

I can't stand these beat-around-the-bush, unscripted, "say what comes off the top of your head videos" that seem to be so common on YouTube. Geez, folks, if it's important enough to make a video, at least make an outline and stick to it. Better yet, narrate a script, record visuals that illustrate the script, and edit the video to the soundtrack! "But that takes time." YES. But it saves the viewer a lot of frustration, boredom, and inattention, and improves your online reputation as a producer of usable content!

BebuLamar

I use a lot of old flashes and they work out well. Measure the sync voltage with a meter to make sure it is not too high. If the voltage is low enough use them as is. If not don't use them. Buying the safesync isn't worth it.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

OLD STROBES- Advice from an OLD strobe guy (me)

I am a full time professional photographer. At one time in my career I was involved in an electronic flash modification, custom construction and repair business So here's inside stuff on old flash gear.

Some of the older units are great- simple, but very usable. Yes there are trigger voltage issues with old flash gear and digital cameras, however the adapters, like the ones offered by Wein are safe and effective. Triggering you older units by radio or photo-electric slave cells is also safe provided the old unprotected unit is in no way directly connected to the digital cameras, synchronization system.

As I alluded to, some of the older units are fine, however, before investing in adapters or power source conversions it is advisable to make certain that the old unit is in good working condition. Electronic flash equipment that has been in storage and left dormant for long period of time, perhaps years, can suffer form DEFORMED CAPACITORS. The electrolytic capacitors within you unit "like" regular usage, that is, i being charged and discharged all the time. Simply stated, long periods of non use can damage them beyond repair- they may need to be replaced and that is expensive IF the replacement parts are still available. In some cases, however, the can easily be reformed. If possible, turn the unit on- hopefully the ready-light will come on BUT DO NOT FLASH- just allow the unit to charge up and "idle" for at least an hour and then begin to flash it by means of the open flash button or by "shorting out" the sync. cord or socket with a small insulated metal object. Because of the potentially high trigger voltage or other possible malfunction issues, do not connect it directly to the camera until it is operating normally and the trigger voltage has been established and the proper adapters is in place.

If during this operation, the ready light fails to come on steadily , if there is a crackling sound (like bacon frying) or there is smoke or the odor of burning plastic (phenolc circuit board stuff) or burning rubber or plastic insulation, well- sadly, the old thing deserves a decent dignified burial. If the unit works but the non-user replaceable flash tube is blackened near the electrodes, again, further investment in time and money is not advisable.

The good news is- if the unit is functioning, some of those older units are really fabulous in terms of light quality. The old Graflex Stroboflash units have a gorgeous soft and even lamp head- great for location portrait work, weddings and assignment like those. They are worth the battery-power conversion but remember, theses are strictly manual types of equipment- no TTL or any kind of dedicated operation so you gotta know your flash exposures how to use your flash meter, guide numbers and distance estimation instincts instinctively and effectively. The power supplies (shoulder carried power packs) are oftentimes bulky and heavy. Also, when having the conversions done, make certain that the trigger voltage is adjusted or adapted for digital camera applications.

@the OP- your Vivatar 273 weighs in at 290 Volts (trigger voltage). That can quietly vaporize you camera's electronics so don't use it without the aforementioned adapters or remote triggering methods. Electrocuted cameras don't explode or smoke- they just die silently and won't work anymore.

The Honeywell Strobinars (model 8225) have a safe and tiny 1.25 trigger voltage, however, it is always wise to check out the actual voltage regardless of published specifications. A multi-meter (in DC higher voltage modes) placed across the sync contacts will tell the story.

Also remember that the trigger voltage has noting to do with the battery voltage on portable units or speed-lights or the AC (input) operating voltage on studio type units and mono-lights. Trigger voltage originates in the trigger circuit that is usually within the unit's lamp head close to the flash tube. A trigger coil and capacitor provide the pulse of high energy that ionizes the gas in the flash tube and produced the light. Some of this power goes through the camera during synchronization.

OK- I know I sound like an old-lady kinda guy but I always write this when talking about flash conversions and adaptations. If you are not familiar with servicing higher voltages devices- don't go poking around in your strobe with a screwdriver. Even some of the little units harbor dangerous and potentially lethal voltages and currents. A nasty shock can cause burns, nerve damage and even death. Cardiac defibrillators work on the same principle as flash units so you don't want your ticker defibrillated if it don't need it! Y'all scientists and engineers out there,please forgive the oversimplifications but with cameras and tickers- better safe that sorry, I just hate the smell of burning flesh or dead cameras.