Vivitar 285hv flash

[bogiesbad]

I have learned so much from reading these forums but I can't find this specific info.
Can I use the Vivitar 285hv flash safely with my K10d? I only find reference to this flash on hin's hitech corner...I have read a review on strobist.com. It talks of a hack to the proprietary sync jack but can it be used without the hack? I am just looking to use it on camera or bracket by itself with no slave units...just normal night/indoor use. I have a synch cord with the flash but don't know how to use it with the K10d. Is there a hotshoe adapter I must buy to use the barcket mount?
Thanks, chris

[Clem Nichols]

Chris:

Yes, the 285HV can be safely used on your K10D provided, that is, that you have one of the new ones with a trigger voltage of less than 10 volts. It's my understanding that some of the older models had a higher voltage which could damage your camera. The flash can be mounted directly onto your camera or can be used with an off-camera cord such as this Promaster TTL Off-Camera Cord for Pentax : Wolfe's Camera Shop. Keep in mind that the 285 can only be used in the auto or manual mode because it doesn't "communicate" with your camera the way the Pentax AF360 or 540 flashes do. The K10 doesn't have a flash sync port, so the sync cord that came with your 285 can be used only if you purchase one of these http://www.flashzebra.com/hotshoes-shoes/index.shtml

CN

[Ratmagiclady]

Yeah, the newer ones are supposedly just fine, ..I've got a survivor from the 80s that I'm not counting on being safe, (need to make an electronics friend locally or buy something to test it.) They're a good unit, though, cheap, powerful, reliable, and replaceable. A little bulky, but not heavy. There's no computer automation, just an 'electric eye' that'll try to give you a specified F-stop with a simple bit of circuitry. In practice, this works fine, and I've always been pleased to see this model survived.

'Back in the day,' I didn't consider Canon's dedicated flashes to really do anything useful until they finally came out with a TTL system for the T90, so I always swore by 283s (These, unfortunately, are not to share oxygen with digital cameras, their synch voltage is *insanely* high by modern standards) and 285s (meaning the 285HV : the 'high voltage' there doesn't refer to the synch voltage, but rather the power sources you could plug into them: this is probably why the synch isn't just an open circuit to your camera, though. )

Anyway, there's nothing fancy by today's standards in a 285, but they're generally predictable and consistent.

I'm still on the fence about what I'm doing myself for flashes with the Pentax digital: my one lament about having a K20 is it involved buying into the start of a flash system, where options are still limited. One thing I might do myself is to get the simplest, littlest model for automation and convenience, and a fresh 285 for when it's time to throw some heat.

[bogiesbad]

Thank you both for answering my questions and especially the links CN. I was shocked to see the Pentax flash prices Ratmagiclady and suffering from this economy dictates cheaper alternatives. Two smart moves I made were buying a Pentax DSLR and stumbling on this forum (as long as I stay away from the marketplace).