rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I have several older flashes remaining from the film era; every one will physically fit on my digital cameras, but I'm not dumb enough to actually power up them because the voltages would kill my digital cameras.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

That's interesting, RE ... but they're both Pentax dig cams, aren't they?

Nikon and Canon DSLRs won't even let you slide the old units on ....

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Actually they are both Vivitar.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

That's interesting, RE ... but they're both Pentax dig cams, aren't they?

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Yes ... but one of the Vivitar flashes is a 283, a generic flash which was used on Pentax, Canon, Nikon, Minolta, etc cameras thirty years ago. I wouldn't actually use the 283 on my digital cameras, because it has rather high measured voltages.

And I can slide a Canon flash from thirty years ago on too {flash is from my mother's old Canon AE-1 kit} - but I'm not dumb enough to actually use this chimera because I haven't measured the voltages yet.

(Download)

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

I know the 283 Vivitar Flash units ... I have a half-dozen of them ... I also have the Vivitar 5600 ... which uses different bases in order to attach to Nikon, Canon, Pentax or Olympus flash shoes ....

jcboy3

Not necessarily. It's easy to measure the voltages; a volt meter across the contacts in the hot shoe mount.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

And if it measures too high, you'll know not to power it up, attached to the DSLR, huh, John?

What's the max, allowable? ... before the flash destroys the DSLR?

jcboy3

Depends on the camera. You might find this article interesting:

http://dpanswers.com/content/genrc_flash_measuretv.php

Basically, Nikon is good to 250 volts. Olympus rates only to 6 volts.

Personally, I dumped all my high voltage flashes; no reason to keep them and they had too many other limitations (like inflexible power settings).

Anyone interested in using old flashes should invest in a good voltage meter.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Have one, John ... all the best audio technicians do ...

jcboy3

High voltage is why I stayed away from the 283 and 285. The 283HV, however, was only 6 volts. But limited power settings.

The 5600 was great because it had a bare bulb attachment. Again, got rid of them because I went with Quantum. Still do a lot of sessions with Quantum.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

I actually HAVE that Bare Bulb attachment for my 5600, John ... and thanks for reminding me ... I do believe I have a 285, or two - somewhere ...

Loved those Vivitar flashes ... not, their lenses, so much ... but they made some great flash-heads!!!!

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

First of all if you have old flash units that you'd like to use on a digital camera, buy yourself a Whyn Safe Sync. It's a gizmo that sits between your flash and the hot shoe. That protects the camera from high voltages.

I had very good luck with third party flashes in the seventies when I shot film. Later when I went digital with Nikon I started to buy Nikon flashes instead. Why? Well unlike the film cameras, the digitals seem intimately integrated with the electronics of the camera so I figured that I may as well get the one that's designed for this. I actually have two top units.

There was another Nikon flash, one that mounts on a ring affixed to the lens capable of holding three or four flash heads. That was the answer to my dreams when it came to a flash for doing macro in poor light. No one else has such a product so that was it for me.

I also got a Sigma ring flash, Nikon doesn't have a ring flash any more. And I have a huge Metz which I use for lighting up the world, Nikon does not have a flash with that much power.

The non Nikon flashes work well and predictably providing me good images so I can recommend them. However, Nikon also has a creative lighting system which basically allows me to control and trigger flashes remotely in a wireless fashion. The Nikon units talk to each other flawlessly. The Sigma and the Metz don't talk very well at all. So those I have to use individually whereas all the others I can use as a group.

Now I don't see that as an issue. The Metz is for lighting up a cavern, I won't have smaller units sitting around in that kind of a shot. The Sigma is aimed at a specific tiny subject and since it's a ring flash I don't need any other flash present either. The Nikons on the other hand are the ones for all the lighting tricks we can do when we need a flash. Basically decide what you need a flash for and make sure the one you are considering will solve that problem. That way you can't go wrong. Check the reviews as well to find out how reliable a thirdy party model is. If it's reliable odds are it will make you happy and solve your lighting problems.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Godox, huh, John?

About time some company came along to help out Olympus with its flash units ...

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Thanks for the tips, Bugfan ... I have one or two Metz units, along with a Rollei E36RE and a couple of Canons, and Sunpaks, and a bunch of Vivitars!

Whyn Safe Sync, huh?

Where do you get that?

Oh, well ... I'll look for it on the Net ... thanks ...