Vivitar
Westcott 750 Photo Basics 7.0-Foot Light Stand
(Electronics) F.J. Westcott Co.
Release date: 2006-11-25
Supports up to 5.5 pounds of lights with accessories
2-section stand with a maximum extended height of 7.0 feet
Price:
$35.00
Too low to display
Answers
I have a nikon FM3, a Vivitar flasha nd I can't remember what the colored wheel is on the side? I know how to set it up on my camera body- but not the settings.
I am not familiar with your exact model, but it sounds like it is a variable output flash.
Spin the dial around until the ISO (same as ASA) lines up in a window or by some sort of indicator. Then, there will be (typically) a red and blue marker. There would be a switch or some device to select the output of the flash that is also color coded. Set the flash to one of the colors. Look on the dial for the corresponding color. The mark will line up with an f-stop number. Set the camera to that number. Go for it.
How to use the Vivitar 285 HV
Take the batteries out of the flash or expect to be zapped.
Remove 2 screws from the old shoe.
Remove the 2 or 3 wires from the old shoe.
Connect the 2 or 3 wires to the new shoe (may have to be soldered if it's been fixed before)
install the shoe and the 2 screws.
Price:
$220.00
$168.28
Four 16-bit, digitally-coded channels enable you to simultaneously trigger all of you lights at once, or isolate one group of lights from another
Ultra-fast microprocessors enable trigger-response times as short as 1/2000th of a second
Fast 'plug-and-play' set-up times
telaconverter ?
There isn't much call for old 35mm cameras these days... maybe $25
Price:
$199.00
$199.00
Triggers flash or cameras
Works with all Pocket Wizard 32 channels and zones
FP/High speed flash synch up to 1/800th sec.
Hi out there im planning to learn some off camera flash, i want to know if elinchroms can trigger latest vivitar 285HV, i've seen in a forum that it can, any one with experience using these?
I am also looking into purchasing some more off camera flashes, the Vivitar is a pretty good place to start. Here is one I would suggest at looking into though. It has been developed specifically with strobist in mind.
http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12311.h tml
you can read about it here some.
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/03/man ual-flashes-two-debuts-and-adoption.html
the Vivitar 285HV was a decent manual flash but had been having quality control issues as of recently.
if you decide you like the Vivitar still you can buy these, which is the exact same thing, which is a good thing and a bad thing, the problems with the 285HV are still there with this version.
http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.ph p?productid=17195&cat=0&page=1
as for your choice of wireless trigger, it is an excellent choice and yes they do work with the above flashes, good luck.
Hello, just need to know as I'm thinking of buying one, but I'd need to be able to use it with both of my cameras! Thanks, x
I have read several conflicting reports on the 285HV. Some say it has a trigger voltage of ~ 6 volts, some say 12 volts, one even said 8.5 volts. It should be safe if you use it off-camera with your 400D as long as the 400D has a PC connector. If you plan to use it on-camera, you should have the flash checked at a camera shop to determine the exact trigger voltage. If its more than 6 or 7 volts you might want to invest in the Wein Hot Shoe to Hot Shoe Safe-Sync to be 100% safe.
Of course this whole trigger voltage issue does not affect using the flash with your Bronica.
I chuckle when people talk about how difficult it is to use a non-dedicated flash like the 285HV with a DSLR. This little dissertation is for them not you.
To use a non-dedicated flash simply requires a little thinking. First, you have to set the ISO on your camera. Next, you set the same ISO on the flash unit. Now the really hard part: You have to choose a color-coded shooting mode on the sensor on the front of the flash - Purple, Blue, Red, Yellow, or Manual. Next, you have to look at a circular dial chart on the flash and match the color you chose to its corresponding f-stop and distance range. At ISO 100 the Red Mode might give you f8 at 15 feet. So as long as you stay within 15 feet of your subject you can shoot confidently. Now if you decide to use bounce flash, well you'll have to stop and think about how far it is from the flash to the ceiling and then from the ceiling to the subject and then how far you are from the subject and add those together - and then change your flash accordingly. The Yellow Mode might tell you f4 at 30 feet. The Manual Mode is simply a "full dump" - a 100% discharge of the flash.
Disclosure time: My first real flash unit was a Vivitar 283 that I bought in Feb. 1976. I still use it on occasion.
Vivitar 285HV Review | neweraimports.sg
Solid. Sturdy. Hefty. Old school. Mention “Vivitar 285″ to photographers who’ve been around a while and those are the words that come to mind. The 285 (and its cousin, the 283), were long considered “workhorse” strobe units by working pros and have been around in various incarnations since 1972. In those 35 years, they’ve probably found their way into more camera bags than any other portable flash units.
So what does this new-to-2007 285HV model have to offer? A lot. For very little money. Let’s get right into the details.
The 285HV isn’t intended to match the TTL, computerized, multi-function, dedicated-flash units offered by camera manufacturers — or even most off-brands, such as Metz, which has virtually full dedication. This is light to go, with plenty of power and very few bells and whistles. Oh, it has automatic mode, all right — using the time-tested thyristor cut-off method that Vivitar has been using for nearly 30 years. But it won’t talk to your camera other than to sync with it, and there’s no LCD control panel. Simple is the name of the game with the 285HV.
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