Using a Vivitar 283 with a D200

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Peter

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I understand that you have to be careful when using older flashguns with DSLR's due to trigger voltage but does this apply if firing it by PC cable as well as hot show. :thinking:

Thanks

Pete
 
I've no idea about the PC cable but it's fairly easy to check the trigger voltage on the flashgun if you have a multimeter.
 
Peter said:
I understand that you have to be careful when using older flashguns with DSLR's due to trigger voltage but does this apply if firing it by PC cable as well as hot show. :thinking:

Thanks

Pete
Click to expand...

Yes...the flash is still connected to the hotshoe of the camera, albeit with a cable in between. The 283 Vivitar is something like 300 volts - modern flashguns are about 6 volts.....
 
The 283 varies widely in voltage, mine is 110v. The newer ones are a lot lower voltage.
 
I've got a 283 and a rollei RE36RE both with high voltage trigger. To use them on my D200 I bought a Wein hotshoe HSHSB I think -ask the vendor (be careful there is several different models)
here's a link but you can find it elsewhere.

http://www.adraycamera.com/weinhotshoetohotshoesafesynchshsb.aspx

HSHSB_web.jpg


Hope it helps.
 
Peter said:
I understand that you have to be careful when using older flashguns with DSLR's due to trigger voltage but does this apply if firing it by PC cable as well as hot show. :thinking:

Thanks

Pete
Click to expand...

If you are on about the pc connection on the camera body as opposed to the hotshoe then these are usally rated at 240v and so are safe for any flash.
 
Hmmmm. There is a WIDE range in the voltages of the Viv 283. 110V to somewhere near 300V is possible. I'd check what it is first. Just go for a wireless trigger like a PW or somesuch. Alternatively go for one of the Voltage neutralising sapcer things that go between the Camera and the Flash (Wien's, Wein's?)
 
If the 283 is stamped 'Made in China' it is one of the newer, lower voltage models, I used mine with my 40D without any issues at all.
 
mole2k said:
I've no idea about the PC cable but it's fairly easy to check the trigger voltage on the flashgun if you have a multimeter.
Click to expand...
Depends on the camera. Fujica state 400 volts max, Canon state 5 volts max.
Fujica must have a thyristor in the body.
 
koomber said:
Hmmmm. There is a WIDE range in the voltages of the Viv 283. 110V to somewhere near 300V is possible. I'd check what it is first. Just go for a wireless trigger like a PW or somesuch. Alternatively go for one of the Voltage neutralising sapcer things that go between the Camera and the Flash (Wien's, Wein's?)
Click to expand...


Don't think I'd risk £200 worth of PW to use £10 worth of flash ;)
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Yes...the flash is still connected to the hotshoe of the camera, albeit with a cable in between. The 283 Vivitar is something like 300 volts - modern flashguns are about 6 volts.....
Click to expand...

A PC cord and an extension cable which slots in the flash shoe are two different things. A PC cord plugs into a socket in the side of the camera and is safe to use with any gun whatever the trigger voltage - not so the former.
 
Thanks CT

so you're saying it's ok to trigger my 283 from the pc socket on the d200 even if I don't know the trigger voltage. I would have thought the pc socket and the hot shoe connection would be in parallel and therefore would both be sensitive to the trigger voltage. That is the crux of my original post.

Thanks to all contributors - a great resource

Pete
:clap:
 
Peter said:
Thanks CT

so you're saying it's ok to trigger my 283 from the pc socket on the d200 even if I don't know the trigger voltage. I would have thought the pc socket and the hot shoe connection would be in parallel and therefore would both be sensitive to the trigger voltage. That is the crux of my original post.

:clap:
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Well that's always been my understanding Peter. The hot shoe apart from firing the flash, communicates lots of other information from the camera to the flash with modern kit, hence the 5 connections on modern camera flash shoes. The PC socket just provides a simple trigger for the flashgun.

Wait and see if anyone disagrees with that if you want to be on the safe side. :)
 
CT said:
Well that's always been my understanding Peter. The hot shoe apart from firing the flash, communicates lots of other information from the camera to the flash with modern kit, hence the 5 connections on modern camera flash shoes. The PC socket just provides a simple trigger for the flashgun.

Wait and see if anyone disagrees with that if you want to be on the safe side. :)
Click to expand...


Not sure...but isn't the key word "trigger"? These old flashes don't tend to have any ttl functions so the only connection they have the camera, whether by pc cord or via the hotshoe is to trigger the flash, therefore I would have thought the same caveats would apply to the pc port as to the hotshoe.

Worth investigating further though, unless Peter wants to test the theory for us ;)
 
Did a wee Google and all I could find was conformation that some Canon cameras are indeed safe up to 250v when using the pc port, but of course this doesn't necessarily mean the same applies to Nikon, so a bit more research is required....
 
oldfella said:
Depends on the camera. Fujica state 400 volts max, Canon state 5 volts max.
Fujica must have a thyristor in the body.
Click to expand...

Only a few of the early bodys where sensitive to high voltage triggers, my 20D is rated to 250v, I use the 110v vivitar regularily and have done on a 350D and 400D both of which are rated to 250v the same as my 20D.
 
I think the problem is that some 283 units had a huge trigger voltage - around 300 volts, while some were as low as 8 volts. You can get PC cords with built in protection, so with this particular unit it might be better to play safe and get one of those.
 
I've heard of some old studio lights having up to about 400v but I don't know any specifics.

I certainly wouldn't put an old flash near any camera without testing the voltage first.
 
As I don't intend using the 283 on board but as a remote I shall probably play safe and either go with something like the Wein Peanut Slave which it appears plugs straight into the 283 or the cheap wireless remote. I notice they do 2 versions of the Wein and I imagine the digital version ignores the preflash? I was interested in the suggestion that there is a PC cord with a safety device built in which I might try and investigate further.

Thanks again

Peter (y)
 
Peter, I contacted Vivitar about this issue a few years ago. They confirmed that any unit made in China has a lower trigger voltage of 6V and that earlier units made in either Japan or Taiwan had high trigger voltages.
 
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