Flash Compatibility: Five years ago switching from film to didgi I asked if my existing (brilliant) Vivita 283 auto thyristor flash head was compatible to my Canon DSLR & was informed...

kitcar Loc: Liverpool.Merseyside. UK

Five years ago switching from film to didgi I asked if my existing (brilliant) Vivita 283 auto thyristor flash head was compatible to my Canon DSLR & was informed that it "might" fry part of the chip make up of the Canon. Not wanting to take a chance I purchased a Metz 36 AF-4C (perfect).
The question I'm asking, is the advice true? & if true - advice on how I can use it as a wireless slave head. It seems such a shame just lying there & maybe save me buying another head.

Larrie Loc: NE Ohio

An optical slave trigger. No E-TTL control, just a whole bunch of light when you need it.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

I have posted this many times, check out the "search" function

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

http://www.weinproducts.com/safesyncs.htm

And this

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-115921-1.html

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Glad you asked and didn't just look up old answears in searh. I have a box of old flashes (some with slaves) that I forgot about and I am going to get them out and give them a try. JR1 I hope you are sugessting doing a search along with asking the question. It would be a lost to all if everybody just searched and didn't ask questions. I learn all kinds of things I didn't think about tell someone asks a question. - Dave

Wellhiem Loc: Sunny England.

http://www.prophotohome.com/forum/canon-eos-digital-slr-1-6x-sensors/53600-digital-rebel-xt-350d-flash-sync-voltage-rating.html
As I read this, anything later than the Eos 350 should be OK.

charles brown Loc: Tennesse

In film days I has two 283 and one 285. Great flashes. Along came digital age, none worked with digital camera, Nikon. Told then If I tried could harm camera circuitry. Gave all away.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

wilsondl2 wrote:

Glad you asked and didn't just look up old answears in searh. I have a box of old flashes (some with slaves) that I forgot about and I am going to get them out and give them a try. JR1 I hope you are sugessting doing a search along with asking the question. It would be a lost to all if everybody just searched and didn't ask questions. I learn all kinds of things I didn't think about tell someone asks a question. - Dave

100% that is why I personally ALWAYS post a link, some simply say "use the search" I believe people should BUT their answer may not be there so it is always good to include a link to help

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

wilsondl2 wrote:

Glad you asked and didn't just look up old answears in searh. I have a box of old flashes (some with slaves) that I forgot about and I am going to get them out and give them a try. JR1 I hope you are sugessting doing a search along with asking the question. It would be a lost to all if everybody just searched and didn't ask questions. I learn all kinds of things I didn't think about tell someone asks a question. - Dave

:thumbup: :thumbup:

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

A shoe mounted flash doing damage to a camera has been an issue for decades. It was a problem with the Canon AE-1 for instance. What would happen is when taking the flash off or putting it on the trigger voltage in the trigger capacitor could be shorted through the dedicated contacts at the rear of the camera hot shoe. That would send around 110 volts into an IC that operates on roughly 1.2 volts. Not a good combination. I made good money replacing IC's but always warned the customer about the issue. I did have a few repeats but most learned their lesson. :thumbup:

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Use a multimeter to measure the trigger voltage. Canon's can't take over 6 volts (IIRC) whereas Nikon can take up to 250 volts (no negative voltage though)...If you want to be safe, fire them with optical or radio triggers or a "Wein Safe Sync" if you want to use it in the hot shoe...

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

The 283's would have fried the circuitry for sure. The 285, it depends, the early ones would have been harmful, but the later "HV" would have been fine. I still have one of each of them plus a Sunpak 522 "potato masher" among other units. There is a trick getting older TTL units to work on the Nikon DSLR's. If it has the TTL foot, you have to tape over all but the center pin in order to get them to fire as the cameras are expecting information from the other pins , but the information they are sending isn't what the cameras are expecting...I do this taping with some older ring lights...Oh & you need to shoot in manual mode on the camera & either manual or "auto" mode on the Thyristor flash units

charles brown wrote:

In film days I has two 283 and one 285. Great flashes. Along came digital age, none worked with digital camera, Nikon. Told then If I tried could harm camera circuitry. Gave all away.

jvo Loc: left coast of the east coast

they work great as an optical slave... i do it all the time... no ttl, so a little bit more thought is needed.

also great with a snoot put on them.

jvo

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

Screamin Scott wrote:

The 283's would have fried the circuitry for sure.... (show quote)

Agreed! Cover the dedicated pins and shoot full manual and you'll be Ok. A pain in the ass but it'll work. I used three 283's with umbrellas and they did a great job up to a certain range. :thumbup: