jim quist Loc: Missouri

When I shot film I used a vivitar 283. Remember those? You turned the knob to choose 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, full power. It was easy to use.

Then came digital flashes that I could never quite get the hang of. So much frustration especially when using more than one. So Going to a photoshoot I brought along studio lights where I found it a breeze to get the output correct.

Canon came to my rescue with the speedlite EL-1. It has all the whistles and bells you could possibly hope for, and with the price tag you shouldn’t expect anything less.

But what I LOVE about this speed light is that when I set it to manual I can turn the wheel to dial in the output. It is my new and improved version of the Vivitar 283. So simple to use.

Thank You Canon.

Dialed in to 1/4 power

Quixdraw Loc: x

Vivitar 283 was a peach, still have it, with virtually every accessory they made for it, and back in the day, I used them all! From Weddings to Merchandise to building Education Slide Shows. I keep thinking of trying it with it's remote trigger outdoors at night tripped from a distance by a more modern unit. The potential voltage issue on digital cameras have kept it inactive. Use Nikon, so the Canon probably wouldn't work for me, glad it replaces an old friend for you!

wide2tele Loc: Australia

Always been a flash fan. Nikon units give you the same type of flexibility.

pendennis

I owned the 283, 285HV, and a 5600. They were all great units. Before, I'd relied on the Honeywell Stobonars, but I was invested in them before the Strobo-Eye attachments. When I didn't need a huge amount of output, I liked to use the auto feature on them.

Sometime in the mid-late 80's, I came across a nice, used Armator, base on the 283. That was a quantum leap forward. I sent it to Armatar, and had them convert in to the LR200 (200 w/s). The basic flash was still the 283, and the Thyristor circuitry still performed perfectly. It was powered with a Quantum Turbo, and I could use the off flash sensor just like the original flash.

Today, I still have an early Japanese-made 283, 285HV, and a couple of 5600's. I love my Nikon SB900 and SB5000, but for the money, those older Vivitars were impossible to beat.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

It's oft been said that the primary difference between an enthusiast and a commercial shooter is proficiency and competence with deploying speed-lights and studio strobes...

Once you've mastered the awesome power of crafting the precise placement of shadow/highlights in your renderings you have transition from a photo mechanic to becoming a creative artisan of the craft...

That said it is a long arduous journey to become one with instantaneous light sources...
Enjoy the quest... Cheers!

jim quist Loc: Missouri

You have an amazing portfolio.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Interesting.

I prefer manual. I can set any of my speedlights to manual and dial the wheel or press arrows <> to set the power level from 1/128% to 100%.

It took me a while to figure out how to do that. LOL. So yes, agree, they tend to have horrible user interfaces.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Congratulations on your new flash. Most newer flashes allow micro adjustments that you now enjoy.

WillieWisconsin

Glad you found your Speedlite to be so resourceful! If you use a modifier with the EL-1, an effective and simple one to use is the Lite-Scoop 3 modifier made by LiteGenius (litegenius.com). Will work great with the manual settings you mentioned you use.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Neil van Nierker is a South African wedding and portrait photographer based in NY who makes extensive use of flash. As an educator he has videos and tutorials on how to use flash to simulate daylight.
I began using flash years ago when we did not have the speedlights of today, the era of the Vivitar 283 and film. I learned how to use it and my results were very pleasant to me.

Now that flash and digital understand better each other I occasionally use flash, perhaps I should use it more than I do and my favorite modality is manual. I usually make a test shot at half the power and go from there and then it becomes easy to change the power of the flash depending on the intended result or lighting conditions. Flash, as we all know, can make a tremendous difference especially when used for fill. The secret is to use it in such a way that the final photograph does not look as if flash has been used.

pedroho

If you still want to use the Vivitars on your digital camera, you can get a hot shoe adapter to regulate the voltage problem.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Yes artificial light should not "look" as if it has been used. Just like retouching.

I took a course in flash lighting, learned manual first before I learned about TTL etc. TTL is an auto exposure mode and it works well particularly in varying light and when you don't have time for a proper setup. Such as an event or a convention. But if you want dramatic or moody light and shadows, high key, or other creative effects, full manual is your friend.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

[quote=pedroho]If you still want to use the Vivitars on your digital camera, you can get a hot shoe adapter to regulate the voltage problem.[/quote

My cameras are expensive. I just don’t want to risk it.

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

I have and use Speedlights- neat little gadgets that can enable some good lighting IF you know how to use them effectively but somehow, I still look at them as "cute little plastic toys"! For on-camera use, I love my kinda "old school" heavy-duty strobes- 2 pieces, lamp head and shoulder strap or belt carried power pack user changeable flash tubes, interchangeable reflectors and bare bulb operation when required.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool" flash user. Big heavy stuff in the studio, moonlights on location, and multiple-flash at events.

There is a lot of technique to learn in successful flash photography. All the physics of lighting- the angle of incidence, the inverse square and about specialized elements that are unique to flash such as unseen secondary light, the effects of surrounding surfaces, flash duration issues, and many new specialized features of modern flas equipment. Once you familiarize yourself with all its nuances and idiosyncrasies, it becomes one of the most versatile and effective tools in your kit.

PS- Some of the old-reliable Vivatar units harboured a trigger voltage that can significantly damage a digital camera. If you recommission one for use on a current digital camera, check the voltage and use the Safe-Synch adapter.

The attached image shows my small equipment rack and a shot of an Ascor* Flash Capacitor Bank. Many years ago I worked in a studio in New York City specializing in shooting cars and trucks. That maze of cables and rusty boxes is what 100,000 watt-second look like. That was piped into 2-dozen heads and bounced off a massive ceiling and diffused by huge lengths of sail-cloth. Every time we made a shot, you could hear the "pop" in the next building and the light would dim in the entire building during the 30-second recycling time.

*ASCOR was an acronym for America Speedlig Corporation. "Speedlight" was a term used for all electronic flash gear that pertaining to its fast duration and action stopping capabilities. Another company was the "Speedlight Center" makers of the "Might Light". That company still exists- they specialize in medical and dental ring lights and imaging kits. New York was also home f PLR- Photo-Lectronic Research- back in the day, they popularized umbrella lighting among commercial and portrait photograhers.