Vivitar 283 Strobe

fredjclaus

do they still make this strobe? I got it many years ago when I was in high school. It works so good I use it on a stand bounced off an umbrella for single light portraits. I would like to pick up a couple more with transevers so I can have a multi-strobe portrait studio.

The Sloth

http://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-283-Electronic-Flash/dp/B00004RIPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241131406&sr=8-1

Sunpak 383's are good also.

Art Scott

fredjclaus wrote:

do they still make this strobe? I got it many years ago when I was in high school. It works so good I use it on a stand bounced off an umbrella for single light portraits. I would like to pick up a couple more with transevers so I can have a multi-strobe portrait studio.

I know that the Vivitar 285HV is still made (currently selling for ~~$80-200 depending on retailer).....and the 285 is just like the 283 except for the movable flash head....by movable I mean it goes from wide angle to tele and it also raises up to 90*........I wish they would make it swivel.....that would be awesome.

Gotta love those 2 work horses.................

fredjclaus

Thanks again Art. I have seen the 285 as well. I got my 283 from my photography teacher who had just purchased the 285 and was passing down her older equipment to her favorite student. Not wanting to be greedy I opted to only take one.

She has since passed on so it's not like I can call and ask if I can buy the other one, but I'll take a look at the 285 as well. I love them because I can mount them to my stand and bounce off an umbrella. Since my studio is more portable than stationary It's easier to use these types of strobes rather than the larger studio strobes.

Art Scott

fredjclaus wrote:

Thanks again Art. I have seen the 285 as well. I got my 283 from my photography teacher who had just purchased the 285 and was passing down her older equipment to her favorite student. Not wanting to be greedy I opted to only take one.

She has since passed on so it's not like I can call and ask if I can buy the other one, but I'll take a look at the 285 as well. I love them because I can mount them to my stand and bounce off an umbrella. Since my studio is more portable than stationary It's easier to use these types of strobes rather than the larger studio strobes.

I buy working but old Quantum Batteries (Battery 1) off ebay....finding them between $15 - 75 with chargers to run the older flash units off.....Quantum still makes a battery replacement cable for the vivitars....usually runs around $15-70 depending if used and also the retailer.
Makes recycle time shorter....and then again there is an AC converter for them also so you can run directly off house hold current.

Mike J

One thing to remember about the 283 is that some makes (depending on when and where they were made) have a very high trigger voltage. Putting one with a high trigger voltage on a modern DSLR may be a recipe for disaster. Most people recommend a Wien safesync between a hotshoe and the flash.

Art Scott

Mike J wrote:

One thing to remember about the 283 is that some makes (depending on when and where they were made) have a very high trigger voltage. Putting one with a high trigger voltage on a modern DSLR may be a recipe for disaster. Most people recommend a Wien safesync between a hotshoe and the flash.

Thank you for this.....since I have always used "old School" flashes and wireless triggers I forgot to bring this forward and also I figured the OP was knowledgeable about this also......actually I have not found anything that states the new Vivitar 283 or 285 have had their trigger voltages lowered any......so I don't take the chance....same with studio lights.......just don't take the chance...........

gryphonslair99

Keep in mind also that the 283, unless you can find the accessory module, does not have power reduction capabilities like the 285 or the still made 285HV. Sunpak 383's also had this feature, but like the 283, it is now a thing of the past unless you can find some used.

ziggy53

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Keep in mind also that the 283, unless you can find the accessory module, does not have power reduction capabilities like the 285 or the still made 285HV. Sunpak 383's also had this feature, but like the 283, it is now a thing of the past unless you can find some used.

If you're feeling electrically handy:

http://www.krebsmicro.com/VIV283/index.html

I do urge caution in that I don't know if this procedure exposes you to either high voltages or high current levels.

Mike J

ziggy53 wrote:

If you're feeling electrically handy:

http://www.krebsmicro.com/VIV283/index.html

I do urge caution in that I don't know if this procedure exposes you to either high voltages or high current levels.

There are a lot of DIY projects like this for the 283 but if you aren't into the DIY-thing, there is always the Vivitar VP-1 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/61614-REG/Vivitar_238278_VP_1_Vari_Power_Adapter.html). It looks lke these have been discontinued. I picked mine up just a couple of months ago so you can probably still find them around.

Another note on trigger voltages...If you google the 283, you can find cheat sheets for what the trigger voltage is supposed to be (or you could measure yours), but I think it is always best to err on the safe side and get a $40 device to protect your $$$$ camera.