Got some new flashes2

jmbradd · 07-08-2009, 02:58 PM

Ok so my interest spurred by my original purchase, I decided to get some new flashes. I knew I wanted a vivitar 285 so I found a used one on ebay, 24.50 with a manual. Additional, I found a parts/as-is lot from Henry's in Toronto that had 2 af-500-ftz's, an af280 and an af240. Cost plus shipping was around 50 bucks.

I didn't really care about the last two but the af-500-ftz's were said to have "intermittent sync issues" and the feet were said to be in bad shape. Opened the box today, they've got a couple scuffs and one is missing the end cap but the feet look great, couple little gouges but it sits nicely in the k20d hotshoe. Tested voltage, 3.8v on one 4.9v on another so good for the k20d. Tested all the functions including optical slave mode and they work great! Optical slave even works fine bouncing off a wall when the other flash is out of view. I'm extremely excited considering I was expecting to fix/sell these but I think now the 2 500ftz's and the 285 will be my light kit.

All thats left now is my radio triggers coming from hong kong and then DIY light modifiers and eventually stands and umbrellas.

Hope to post some pictures if I can go out tonight

In short, for the price I paid I'm extremely happy with what I got.

GerryL · 07-09-2009, 06:44 PM

Congratulations on your purchase!
It was good it turned out for the good more than you expected.
We will be waiting for your further reviews.

Big I · 07-09-2009, 07:02 PM

congrats, that's a pretty good deal! just hope they don't have those sync issues in the future. do you do strobist stuff?

jmbradd · 07-09-2009, 10:11 PM

its a skill set i'm working to develop further. I love it cause I like to make things. Like today I made a gary fong "lightsphere" out of a gatorade bottle and some coffee filters to diffuse it further. Also made a snoot with a macaroni box.

Still didn't have my triggers but I was doing portraits of my nephews outside with the 2 af500ftz's, they came out OK but I need a lot more experience to help decide which direction to go as far as lighting is concerned.

A quick note on the 500ftz's....these are phenominal strobist flashes. It took me 5 mins to master the navigation and its very easy to zoom and reduce power, goes from 1/1 to 1/32 so its lower than the 285. Can't wait till I get the triggers so I can use all 3! I'll write a full review on the 500ftz's at some point but they are simply phenominal flashes! Only thing I couldn't get working on-body was the af assist light but thats probably the camera and not the flash. Didn't meter but the body transmits aperture and focal length data so it helps with manual fill flash!